Written Answers of 8 February 1988

TRANSPORT

  Buses (Revenue Support)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list information available to him on the savings that have accrued from the changes in revenue support for bus transport since the Transport Act 1985 in(a) Shropshire county council and (b) Berkshire county council.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The two councils have reported spending on passenger transport revenue support as follows:

  £ million

  Shropshire

  Berkshire

  1985–86

  0·787

  1·613

  1986–87

  0·837

  1·340

  1987–88 (Budget)

  0·880

  1·083

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  £ million

  Route

  Title

  Works cost estimate

  Forecast expenditure in 1988–89

  (A) Schemes for which statutory procedures have been completed

  M5

  Widening—Catshill to Lydiate Ash

  22

  9

  M20

  Maidstone to Ashford (two contracts)

  62

  17

  M40

  Gaydon Bypass

  28

  11

  M62

  Eastbound Climbing Lane J21–22

  3

  3

  M62

  Westbound Climbing Lane J24–25

  2

  2

  A1

  Dishforth Interchange

  6

  2

  A6

  Barton Bypass

  6

  2

  A11

  Thetford Bypass

  7

  4

  A16

  Boston to Algakirk

  7

  3

  A21

  Robertsbridge Bypass

  3

  1

  A27

  Pevensey Bypass

  6

  2

  A35

  Charmouth Bypass

  6

  2

  A36

  Steeple Langford Bypass

  2

  1

  A40

  Swakeleys Road Junction Improvement

  8

  6

  A41

  Bicester Bypass Stage 1

  3

  1

  A46

  Newark Relief Road

  27

  12

  A47

  Guyhirn Diversion

  3

  1

  A52

  Nottingham Outer Ring Road, Abbey Street Grade Separated Junction

  4

  2

  A282

  Dartford-Thurrock Crossing Approach Roads

  20

  4

  A303

  Sparkford Bypass

  6

  3

  A406

  Chingford Road to Hale End Road

  38

  18

  A435/A422

  Alcester Bypass

  7

  4

  A565

  Derby Road Improvement

  2

  1

  Sub total (a) 23 Schemes

  278

  111

  2
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Guidance was issued to all managers last July asking them to ensure that potentially offensive material is not displayed in the work place.

  Aircraft (Passenger Seats)
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will raise at his next meeting with the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority the provision by commercial airlines of seats for passengers obliged to occupy smoking seats against their wishes.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are no plans to do so. Generally this is a matter which is best left to the commercial judgment of individual airlines. The authority is able to take the views of users into account in all transport licensing cases where standards of services are at issue.

  Road Costs
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the motorway and trunk road contracts in England with a works cost of £1 million or more which his Department intends to award in 1988–89 showing, in each case, the total value of the contract and the expenditure likely to be incurred in that year.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The table lists schemes which we plan to start in 1988–89. The list is provisional and currently under review. Actual starts 1988–89 may differ from this list as progress is dependent on outstanding statutory procedures and other factors. Other schemes not on the list may start in 1988–89 if progress with statutory procedures is faster than currently expected.
  3

  Route

  Title

  Works cost estimate

  Forecast expenditure in 1988–89

  (B) Schemes for which some statutory procedures have not been completed

  M3

  Compton to Bassett widening

  27

  10

  A30

  Launceston to Plusha

  6

  3

  A35

  Axminster Bypass

  6

  0

  A36

  Beckington Bypass

  4

  1

  A36

  Codford Bypass

  2

  1

  A43

  Blisworth Bypass

  11

  0

  A303

  Ilchester to South Petherton

  9

  2

  A435

  Sedgeberrow Bypass

  1

  1

  A604

  Ml to Al Link

  60

  15

  A650

  Drighlington Bypass

  5

  1

  A696

  Woolsington Bypass

  9

  2

  Sub total (b) 11 Schemes

  140

  36

  (c) In addition, further contracts are expected to be let on schemes which will be under construction at 31 March 1988 as follows:

  Route

  Title

  Contract cost estimate (£ million)

  M40

  Banbury Bypass Contract 2

  23

  M40

  Banbury Bypass Contract 4

  45

  A2

  London Boundary to M2 Improvement Contract 4

  2

  A19

  Peterlee Grade Separated Junction Stage 2

  3

  Sub total (c) 4 Contracts

  73

  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the form of his answer of 2 April 1987,

  £ million

  Route

  Title

  Works cost estimate

  Estimated date for start of works

  (A) Schemes which had completed all their statutory procedures:

  M62

  Eastbound climbing lane (Junctions 21–22)

  3

  Spring 1988

  M62

  Westbound climbing lane (Junctions 24–25)

  2

  Spring 1988

  A2

  London boundary to M2 Improvement Contract 4

  1

  Autumn 1988

  Sub total (a)

  6

  (B) Schemes for which statutory procedures has still to be completed:

  M3

  Compton to Bassett widening

  27

  Early 1989

  A6

  Barton bypass

  6

  Mid 1988

  A27

  Penvensey bypass

  6

  Mid 1988

  A41

  Bicester bypass

  3

  Autumn 1988

  A52

  Nottingham outer ring road Abbey Street grade separated junction

  4

  Spring 1988

  A140

  Dickleburgh bypass

  2

  Spring 1989

  A435/A422

  Alcester bypass

  7

  Autumn 1988

  A696

  Woolsington bypass

  9

  Late 1988

  Sub total (b)

  64

  London Underground Ltd.
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans London Underground Limited has for franchising or contracting the managements of stations to commercial or voluntary bodies.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I understand there are no such plans.
  4
  Official Report, column 571–72, all the motorway and trunk road contracts with a works cost of £1 millon or more which his Department had intended to award in 1987–88 but no longer anticipated doing, with, in each case, an indication of when the contract might be let.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Construction has started or is expected to start as planned on 29 of the schemes listed in my answer of 2 April 1987. Current estimates of dates for start of works on the remainder are as follows:

  Herald of Free Enterprise
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the items of cargo carried on board the Herald of Free Enterprise at the time of her sinking whose carriage on board a passenger vessel breached regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My Department has been informed by the authorities in Belgium that although one lorry on board was carrying a cargo declared to be cyanide
  5
  solutions, they found it to consist of several drums and plastic pails containing substances that are banned from carriage in a passenger ship.

  The Belgian authorities have asked for assistance in following up certain lines of inquiry in the United Kingdom. Since a prosecution is being considered in Belgium, it would not be proper to disclose further details.

  Toxic Waste (Transportation)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied that adequate checks exist over the manifests of cross-Channel ferries in order to detect the carrying of toxic chemical wastes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The onus to ensure that dangerous goods manifests are correct is placed upon the shipper and the ship operator in the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1981, as amended.

  My marine surveyors do carry out spot checks on the dangerous goods manifests, but this can ensure only that the goods can be carried on the vessel inspected and that they are correctly located. It is not possible to detect from the dangerous goods manifest undeclared or wrongly declared dangerous goods.

ENVIRONMENT

  South West Housing Society
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what public funds have been made available to the South West Housing Society Ltd., Bull Wharf, Redcliff street, Bristol BSI, for each year that funds were provided.

  Joint Manpower Watch-Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Bolton

  Population—261,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  3,010

  52·5

  450

  43·1

  3,460

  27·6

  2 Other

  687

  12·0

  323

  30·9

  484

  22·5

  1,946

  53·9

  3,440

  27·4

  3 Construction

  58

  1·0

  2

  0·2

  470

  21·9

  6

  0·2

  536

  4·3

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  620

  10·8

  121

  11·6

  353

  16·4

  1,003

  27·8

  2,097

  16·7

  6 Total (1–5)

  4,375

  76·3

  596

  85·7

  1,307

  60·8

  2,955

  81·9

  9,533

  76·1

  7 Libraries

  125

  2·2

  58

  5·6

  23

  1·1

  96

  2·7

  302

  2·4

  8 Recreation

  88

  1·5

  5

  0·5

  400

  18·6

  293

  8·1

  786

  6·3

  9 Environmental Health

  65

  1·1

  5

  0·5

  25

  1·2

  95

  0·8

  10 Refuse

  11

  0·2

  107

  5·0

  118

  0·9

  11 Housing

  240

  4·2

  15

  1·4

  76

  3·5

  36

  1·0

  367

  2·9

  12 Planning

  100

  1·7

  9

  0·9

  109

  0·9

  13 Chief Executive

  31

  0·5

  2

  0·2

  33

  0·3

  14 Finance

  171

  3·0

  13

  1·2

  184

  1·5

  15 Secretarial

  112

  2·0

  31

  3·0

  51

  2·4

  94

  2·6

  288

  2·3

  16 Legal

  13

  0·2

  13

  0·1

  17 Engineering

  162

  2·8

  1

  0·1

  144

  6·7

  307

  2·4

  18 Architecture

  76

  1·3

  76

  0·6

  19 Estates

  27

  0·5

  27

  0·2

  20 Personnel

  22

  0·4

  1

  0·1

  23

  0·2

  21 Management Service

  22 Computing

  67

  1·2

  2

  0·2

  69

  0·6

  23 Consumer Protection

  13

  0·2

  13

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  9

  0·2

  4

  0·4

  13

  0·1

  6
  Mrs. Roe
  In recent years the Department of the Environment has paid the society the following amounts in housing association grant, revenue deficit grant and grant in relief of tax:

  Financial Year

  Grant Paid In Year(£)

  1972–73

  77

  1973–74

  4

  1974–75

  Nil

  1975–76

  812

  1976–77

  479

  1977–78

  1,432

  1978–79

  Nil

  1979–80

  1,178

  1980–81

  50,000

  1981–82

  443,812

  1982–83

  2,005

  1983–84

  27,563

  1984–85

  86,842

  1985–86

  329,289

  1986–87

  200,886

  1987–88

  332,553

  Local Government Employees (Greater Manchester)
  Mr. Tom Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the number of employees of each of the 10 metropolitan borough councils in Greater Manchester broken down by function, subject and area.

  Mr. Chope
  The tables show the results of the September 1987 survey of the joint manpower watch for the metropolitan borough councils in Greater Manchester. Information collected under section 56 of the Local Government Act 1985 for these authorities is available in the Library of the House.
  7

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  703

  12·3

  54

  5·2

  195

  9·1

  94

  2·6

  1,046

  8·3

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  27

  0·5

  3

  0·3

  15

  0·7

  134

  3·7

  179

  1·4

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  1,359

  23·7

  149

  14·3

  841

  39·2

  653

  18·1

  3,002

  23·9

  33 General Service (1–32)

  5,734

  100·0

  1,045

  100·0

  2,148

  100·0

  3,608

  100·0

  12,535

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  37

  0·0

  37

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Bury

  Population—174,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  1,723

  51·7

  194

  25·7

  1,917

  26·4

  2 Other

  378

  11·3

  375

  49·7

  151

  18·9

  1,374

  57·5

  2,278

  31·3

  3 Construction

  9

  0·3

  219

  27·4

  2

  0·1

  230

  3·2

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  333

  10·0

  49

  6·5

  92

  11·5

  818

  34·3

  1,292

  17·8

  6 Total (1–5)

  2,443

  73·3

  618

  82·0

  462

  57·9

  2,194

  91·9

  5,717

  76·6

  7 Libraries

  73

  2·2

  40

  5·3

  2

  0·3

  12

  0·5

  127

  1·7

  8 Recreation

  65

  2·0

  20

  2·7

  185

  23·2

  32

  1·3

  302

  4·2

  9 Environmental Health

  41

  1·2

  4

  0·5

  45

  0·6

  10 Refuse

  23

  0·7

  2

  0·3

  77

  9·6

  102

  1·4

  11 Housing

  92

  2·8

  29

  3·8

  4

  0·5

  11

  0·5

  136

  1·9

  12 Planning

  60

  1·8

  3

  0·4

  63

  0·9

  13 Chief Executive

  46

  1·4

  4

  0·5

  50

  0·7

  14 Finance

  136

  4·1

  3

  0·4

  139

  1·9

  15 Secretarial

  30

  0·9

  8

  1·1

  48

  2·0

  86

  1·2

  16 Legal

  23

  0·7

  23

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  108

  3·2

  4

  0·5

  52

  6·5

  164

  2·3

  18 Architecture

  58

  1·7

  4

  0·5

  62

  0·9

  19 Estates

  25

  0·8

  1

  0·1

  1

  0·1

  4

  0·2

  31

  0·4

  20 Personnel

  14

  0·4

  1

  0·1

  15

  0·2

  21 Management Service

  13

  0·4

  5

  0·7

  18

  0·2

  22 Computing

  14

  0·4

  14

  0·2

  23 Consumer Protection

  9

  0·3

  9

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  6

  0·2

  1

  0·1

  1

  0·0

  8

  0·1

  27 Technical Services

  49

  1·5

  8

  1·1

  57

  0·8

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  531

  15·9

  39

  5·2

  53

  6·6

  53

  2·2

  676

  9·3

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  5

  0·2

  3

  0·4

  11

  1·4

  86

  3·6

  105

  1·4

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  890

  26·7

  136

  18·0

  336

  42·1

  194

  8·1

  1,556

  21·4

  33 General Service (1–32)

  3,333

  100·0

  754

  100·0

  798

  100·0

  2,388

  100·0

  7,273

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  22

  0·0

  8

  0·0

  30

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  89

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Manchester

  Population—455,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  6,995

  38·5

  3,965

  76·0

  10,960

  26·0

  2 Other

  3,057

  16·8

  715

  13·7

  1,108

  11·4

  5,948

  65·7

  10,828

  25·7

  3 Construction

  769

  4·2

  8

  0·2

  4,379

  44·9

  21

  0·2

  5,177

  12·3

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  2,037

  11·2

  293

  5·6

  1,159

  11·9

  2,498

  27·6

  5,987

  14·2

  6 Total (1–5)

  12,858

  70·9

  4,981

  95·5

  6,646

  68·1

  8,467

  93·5

  32,952

  78·1

  7 Libraries

  471

  2·6

  80

  1·5

  162

  1·7

  22

  0·2

  735

  1·7

  8 Recreation

  537

  3·0

  53

  1·0

  1,277

  13·1

  157

  1·7

  2,024

  4·8

  9 Environmental Health

  384

  2·1

  8

  0·2

  56

  0·6

  10

  0·1

  458

  1·1

  10 Refuse

  110

  0·6

  5

  0·1

  944

  9·7

  5

  0·1

  1,064

  2·5

  11 Housing

  843

  4·6

  23

  0·4

  243

  2·5

  34

  0·4

  1,143

  2·7

  12 Planning

  163

  0·9

  2

  0·0

  165

  0·4

  13 Chief Executive

  15

  0·1

  1

  0·0

  16

  0·0

  14 Finance

  548

  3·0

  9

  0·2

  557

  1·3

  15 Secretarial

  337

  1·9

  22

  0·4

  92

  0·9

  125

  1·4

  576

  1·4

  16 Legal

  120

  0·7

  1

  0·0

  121

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  631

  3·5

  1

  0·0

  136

  1·4

  4

  0·0

  772

  1·8

  18 Architecture

  500

  2·8

  2

  0·0

  502

  1·2

  19 Estates

  101

  0·6

  2

  0·0

  10

  0·1

  4

  0·0

  117

  0·3

  20 Personnel

  32

  0·2

  5

  0·1

  37

  0·1

  21 Management Service

  55

  0·3

  2

  0·0

  57

  0·1

  22 Computing

  128

  0·7

  8

  0·2

  136

  0·3

  23 Consumer Protection

  81

  0·4

  13

  0·1

  4

  0·0

  98

  0·2

  24 Other Administration

  51

  0·3

  3

  0·1

  54

  0·1

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  2,599

  14·3

  56

  1·1

  251

  2·6

  137

  1·5

  3,043

  7·2

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  181

  1·0

  6

  0·1

  183

  1·9

  219

  2·4

  589

  1·4

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  5,288

  29·1

  233

  4·5

  3,116

  31·9

  584

  6·5

  9,221

  21·9

  33 General Service (1–32)

  18,146

  100·0

  5,214

  100·0

  9,762

  100·0

  9,051

  100·0

  42,173

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  164

  0·0

  8

  0·0

  172

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Oldham

  Population—220,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  2,523

  52·1

  433

  47·1

  2,956

  28·0

  2 Other

  510

  10·5

  289

  31·4

  370

  18·2

  1,650

  60·1

  2,819

  26·7

  3 Construction

  114

  2·4

  518

  25·5

  632

  6·0

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  508

  10·5

  70

  7·6

  337

  16·6

  772

  28·1

  1,687

  16·0

  6 Total (1–5)

  3,655

  75·5

  792

  86·1

  1,225

  60·8

  2,422

  88·2

  8,094

  76·8

  7 Libraries

  68

  1·4

  69

  7·5

  7

  0·3

  27

  1·0

  171

  1·6

  8 Recreation

  110

  2·3

  7

  0·8

  327

  16·1

  123

  4·5

  567

  5·4

  9 Environmental Health

  63

  1·3

  3

  0·3

  17

  0·8

  2

  0·1

  85

  0·8

  10 Refuse

  11

  0·2

  167

  8·2

  2

  0·1

  180

  1·7

  11 Housing

  148

  3·1

  8

  0·9

  101

  5·0

  44

  1·6

  301

  2·9

  12 Planning

  100

  2·1

  4

  0·4

  104

  1·0

  13 Chief Executive

  34

  0·7

  1

  0·1

  35

  0·3

  14 Finance

  231

  4·8

  15

  1·6

  4

  0·2

  250

  2·4

  15 Secretarial

  68

  1·4

  9

  1·0

  9

  0·4

  20

  0·7

  106

  1·0

  16 Legal

  30

  0·6

  30

  0·3

  10 11

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  17 Engineering

  137

  2·8

  4

  0·4

  131

  6·4

  5

  0·2

  277

  2·6

  18 Architecture

  31

  0·6

  31

  0·3

  19 Estates

  31

  0·6

  31

  0·3

  20 Personnel

  20

  0·4

  1

  0·1

  21

  0·2

  21 Management Service

  22

  0·5

  22

  0·2

  22 Computing

  33

  0·7

  33

  0·3

  23 Consumer Protection

  15

  0·3

  15

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  9

  0·2

  3

  0·3

  12

  0·1

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  661

  13·6

  33

  3·6

  144

  7·1

  25

  0·9

  863

  8·2

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  27

  0·6

  4

  0·4

  46

  2·3

  100

  3·6

  177

  1·7

  32 Total (7–12 + 28–31)

  1,188

  24·5

  128

  13·9

  809

  39·8

  323

  11·8

  2,448

  23·2

  33 General Service (1–32)

  4,843

  100·0

  920

  100·0

  2,034

  100·0

  2,745

  100·0

  10,542

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  40

  0·0

  2

  0·0

  2

  0·0

  16

  0·0

  60

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  3 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Rochdale

  Population—206,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  2,437

  50·3

  373

  38·3

  2,810

  26·7

  2 Other

  512

  10·6

  368

  37·8

  404

  26·1

  1,671

  52·6

  2,955

  28·0

  3 Construction

  74

  1·5

  215

  13·9

  289

  2·7

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  546

  11·3

  67

  6·9

  224

  14·5

  1,172

  36·9

  2,009

  19·1

  6 Total (1–5)

  3,569

  73·7

  808

  83·0

  843

  54·5

  2,843

  89·5

  8,063

  76·5

  7 Libraries

  78

  1·6

  66

  6·8

  10

  0·6

  22

  0·7

  176

  1·7

  8 Recreation

  108

  2·2

  12

  1·2

  286

  18·5

  56

  1·8

  462

  4·4

  9 Environmental Health

  59

  1·2

  2

  0·2

  40

  2·6

  62

  2·0

  163

  1·5

  10 Refuse

  22

  0·5

  1

  0·1

  146

  9·4

  169

  1·6

  11 Housing

  245

  5·1

  32

  3·3

  9

  0·3

  286

  2·7

  12 Planning

  80

  1·7

  6

  0·6

  86

  0·8

  13 Chief Executive

  4

  0·1

  4

  0·0

  14 Finance

  156

  3·2

  12

  1·2

  168

  1·6

  15 Secretarial

  88

  1·8

  16

  1·6

  24

  1·6

  83

  2·6

  211

  2·0

  16 Legal

  29

  0·6

  29

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  133

  2·7

  10

  1·0

  162

  10·5

  2

  0·1

  307

  2·9

  18 Architecture

  105

  2·2

  1

  0·1

  106

  1·0

  19 Estates

  28

  0·6

  3

  0·3

  3

  0·1

  34

  0·3

  20 Personnel

  29

  0·6

  29

  0·3

  21 Management Service

  22

  0·5

  3

  0·3

  25

  0·2

  22 Computing

  47

  1·0

  1

  0·1

  48

  0·5

  23 Consumer Protection

  9

  0·2

  9

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  16

  0·3

  1

  0·1

  17

  0·2

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  666

  13·8

  46

  4·7

  187

  12·1

  88

  2·8

  987

  9·4

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  14

  0·3

  1

  0·1

  35

  2·3

  97

  3·1

  147

  1·4

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  1,272

  26·3

  166

  17·0

  704

  45·5

  334

  10·5

  2,476

  23·5

  33 General Service (1–32)

  4,841

  100·0

  974

  100·0

  1,547

  100·0

  3,177

  100·0

  10,539

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  12 13

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  35 Magistrates Courts

  40

  0·0

  6

  0·0

  1

  0·0

  47

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Salford

  Population—243,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  2,846

  47·2

  746

  61·2

  3,592

  27·5

  2 Other

  751

  12·5

  223

  18·3

  354

  18·3

  2,345

  60·4

  3,673

  28·1

  3 Construction

  218

  3·6

  433

  22·4

  651

  5·0

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  656

  10·9

  75

  6·2

  386

  20·0

  1,176

  30·3

  2,293

  17·6

  6 Total (1–5)

  4,471

  74·2

  1,044

  85·6

  1,173

  60·7

  3,521

  90·7

  10,209

  78·2

  7 Libraries

  112

  1·9

  74

  6·1

  10

  0·5

  29

  0·7

  225

  1·7

  8 Recreation

  150

  2·5

  72

  5·9

  360

  18·6

  99

  2·6

  681

  5·2

  9 Environmental Health

  92

  1·5

  3

  0·2

  1

  0·1

  96

  0·7

  10 Refuse

  38

  0·6

  290

  15·0

  328

  2·5

  11 Housing

  331

  5·5

  8

  0·7

  59

  3·1

  26

  0·7

  424

  3·2

  12 Planning

  116

  1·9

  2

  0·2

  118

  0·9

  13 Chief Executive

  12

  0·2

  12

  0·1

  14 Finance

  177

  2·9

  1

  0·1

  178

  1·4

  15 Secretarial

  90

  1·5

  3

  0·2

  3

  0·2

  35

  0·9

  131

  1·0

  16 Legal

  36

  0·6

  36

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  112

  1·9

  1

  0·1

  17

  0·9

  58

  1·5

  188

  1·4

  18 Architecture

  56

  0·9

  56

  0·4

  19 Estates

  45

  0·7

  45

  0·3

  20 Personnel

  63

  1·0

  6

  0·5

  69

  0·5

  21 Management Service

  17

  0·3

  17

  0·1

  22 Computing

  74

  1·2

  1

  0·1

  75

  0·6

  23 Consumer Protection

  14

  0·2

  2

  0·2

  1

  0·1

  3

  0·1

  20

  0·2

  24 Other Administration

  8

  0·1

  2

  0·2

  10

  0·1

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  704

  11·7

  16

  1·3

  21

  1·1

  96

  2·5

  837

  6·4

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  14

  0·2

  20

  1·0

  110

  2·8

  144

  1·1

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  1,557

  25·8

  175

  14·4

  761

  39·3

  360

  9·3

  2,853

  21·8

  33 General Service (1–32)

  6,028

  100·0

  1,219

  100·0

  1,934

  100·0

  3,881

  100·0

  13,062

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  43

  0·0

  14

  0·0

  57

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Stockport

  Population—289,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  2,245

  48·1

  874

  53·0

  3,119

  27·8

  2 Other

  613

  13·1

  358

  21·7

  314

  18·0

  1,835

  58·0

  3,120

  27·8

  3 Construction

  104

  2·2

  317

  18·2

  421

  3·7

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  503

  10·8

  184

  11·2

  302

  17·3

  818

  25·9

  1,807

  16·1

  6 Total (1–5)

  3,465

  74·2

  1,416

  85·9

  933

  53·4

  2,653

  83·9

  8,467

  75·4

  7 Libraries

  113

  2·4

  81

  4·9

  18

  1·0

  61

  1·9

  273

  2·4

  14 15

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  8 Recreation

  156

  3·3

  64

  3·9

  342

  19·6

  246

  7·8

  808

  7·2

  9 Environmental Health

  65

  1·4

  3

  0·2

  36

  2·1

  4

  0·1

  108

  1·0

  10 Refuse

  25

  0·5

  3

  0·2

  126

  7·2

  154

  1·4

  11 Housing

  125

  2·7

  5

  0·3

  89

  5·1

  28

  0·9

  247

  2·2

  12 Planning

  87

  1·9

  5

  0·3

  92

  0·8

  13 Chief Executive

  27

  0·6

  2

  0·1

  29

  0·3

  14 Finance

  133

  2·8

  9

  0·5

  142

  1·3

  15 Secretarial

  172

  3·7

  48

  2·9

  22

  1·3

  34

  1·1

  276

  2·5

  16 Legal

  31

  0·7

  2

  0·1

  33

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  113

  2·4

  141

  8·1

  254

  2·3

  18 Architecture

  60

  1·3

  60

  0·5

  19 Estates

  21

  0·4

  21

  0·2

  20 Personnel

  12

  0·3

  2

  0·1

  14

  0·1

  21 Management Service

  14

  0·3

  14

  0·1

  22 Computing

  27

  0·6

  9

  0·5

  36

  0·3

  23 Consumer Protection

  11

  0·2

  11

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  9

  0·2

  12

  0·7

  6

  0·2

  27

  0·2

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  630

  13·5

  72

  4·4

  175

  10·0

  40

  1·3

  917

  8·2

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  3

  0·1

  27

  1·5

  131

  4·1

  161

  1·4

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  1,204

  25·8

  233

  14·1

  813

  46·6

  510

  16·1

  2,760

  24·6

  33 General Service (1–32)

  4,669

  100·0

  1,649

  100·0

  1,746

  100·0

  3,163

  100·0

  11,227

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  50

  0·0

  7

  0·0

  2

  0·0

  1

  0·0

  60

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Tameside

  Population—215,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  2,352

  49·1

  547

  54·4

  2,899

  26·6

  2 Other

  495

  10·3

  193

  19·2

  344

  17·2

  1,815

  58·7

  2,847

  26·2

  3 Construction

  128

  2·7

  673

  33·7

  3

  0·1

  804

  7·4

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  437

  9·1

  119

  11·8

  162

  8·1

  882

  28·5

  1,600

  14·7

  6 Total (1–5)

  3,412

  71·2

  859

  85·5

  1,179

  59·0

  2,700

  87·4

  8,150

  74·9

  7 Libraries

  92

  1·9

  48

  4·8

  3

  0·2

  25

  0·8

  168

  1·5

  8 Recreation

  142

  3·0

  29

  2·9

  248

  12·4

  138

  4·5

  557

  5·1

  9 Environmental Health

  61

  1·3

  1

  0·1

  73

  3·7

  4

  0·1

  139

  1·3

  10 Refuse

  163

  8·2

  163

  1·5

  11 Housing

  160

  3·3

  8

  0·8

  50

  2·5

  60

  1·9

  278

  2·6

  12 Planning

  78

  1·6

  78

  0·7

  13 Chief Executive

  2

  0·0

  2

  0·0

  14 Finance

  168

  3·5

  39

  3·9

  207

  1·9

  15 Secretarial

  79

  1·6

  9

  0·9

  17

  0·9

  61

  2·0

  166

  1·5

  16 Legal

  34

  0·7

  2

  0·2

  36

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  155

  3·2

  3

  0·3

  212

  10·6

  1

  0·0

  371

  3·4

  18 Architecture

  55

  1·1

  55

  0·5

  19 Estates

  42

  0·9

  2

  0·2

  44

  0·4

  20 Personnel

  215

  4·5

  38

  1·9

  2

  0·1

  255

  2·3

  21 Management Service

  25

  0·5

  25

  0·2

  22 Computing

  50

  1·0

  4

  0·4

  54

  0·5

  23 Consumer Protection

  10

  0·2

  10

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  8

  0·2

  8

  0·1

  27 Technical Services

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  843

  17·6

  59

  5·9

  267

  13·4

  64

  2·1

  1,233

  11·3

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  16 17

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  2

  0·0

  1

  0·1

  14

  0·7

  99

  3·2

  116

  1·1

  32 Total (7–12 + 28–31)

  1,378

  28·8

  146

  14·5

  818

  41·0

  390

  12·6

  2,732

  25·1

  33 General Service (1–32)

  4,790

  100·0

  1,005

  100·0

  1,997

  100·0

  3,090

  100·0

  10,882

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  41

  0·0

  10

  0·0

  51

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Trafford

  Population—218,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  1,857

  50·0

  146

  22·7

  2,003

  23·9

  2 Other

  369

  9·9

  304

  47·3

  172

  16·0

  1,466

  49·7

  2,311

  27·6

  3 Construction

  177

  16·5

  177

  2·1

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  377

  10·2

  86

  13·4

  67

  6·2

  1,106

  37·5

  1,636

  19·5

  6 Total (1–5)

  2,603

  70·1

  536

  83·4

  416

  38·7

  2,572

  87·3

  6,127

  73·2

  7 Libraries

  75

  2·0

  43

  6·7

  3

  0·3

  26

  0·9

  147

  1·8

  8 Recreation

  111

  3·0

  29

  4·5

  265

  24·7

  139

  4·7

  544

  6·5

  9 Environmental Health

  83

  2·2

  4

  0·6

  13

  1·2

  4

  0·1

  104

  1·2

  10 Refuse

  7

  0·2

  154

  14·3

  161

  1·9

  11 Housing

  113

  3·0

  43

  4·0

  44

  1·5

  200

  2·4

  12 Planning

  83

  2·2

  2

  0·3

  85

  1·0

  13 Chief Executive

  24

  0·6

  1

  0·2

  25

  0·3

  14 Finance

  162

  4·4

  3

  0·5

  165

  2·0

  15 Secretarial

  56

  1·5

  18

  2·8

  9

  0·8

  68

  2·3

  151

  1·8

  16 Legal

  29

  0·8

  29

  0·3

  17 Engineering

  118

  3·2

  134

  12·5

  252

  3·0

  18 Architecture

  98

  2·6

  98

  1·2

  19 Estates

  15

  0·4

  15

  0·2

  20 Personnel

  21

  0·6

  4

  0·6

  25

  0·3

  21 Management Service

  29

  0·8

  29

  0·3

  22 Computing

  23

  0·6

  1

  0·2

  24

  0·3

  23 Consumer Protection

  10

  0·3

  10

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  5

  0·1

  1

  0·2

  6

  0·1

  27 Technical Services

  43

  1·2

  6

  0·6

  2

  0·1

  51

  0·6

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  633

  17·1

  28

  4·4

  149

  13·9

  70

  2·4

  880

  10·5

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  3

  0·1

  1

  0·2

  31

  2·9

  92

  3·1

  127

  1·5

  32 Total (7–12 + 28–31)

  1,108

  29·9

  107

  16·6

  658

  61·3

  375

  12·7

  2,248

  26·8

  33 General Service (1–32)

  3,711

  100·0

  643

  100·0

  1,074

  100·0

  2,947

  100·0

  8,375

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  29

  0·0

  2

  0·0

  1

  0·0

  9

  0·0

  41

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Joint Manpower Watch—Quarter 51

  Numbers of staff by function: Wigan

  Population—307,000

  12th September 1987

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  1 Education—Teaching

  3,701

  56·8

  190

  17·9

  3,891

  27·1

  2 Other

  628

  9·6

  700

  65·8

  442

  18·6

  2,480

  56·5

  4,250

  29·6

  18 19

  Non manual

  Manual

  Total

  Full time

  Part time

  Full time

  Part time

  Service

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  3 Construction

  130

  2·0

  729

  30·6

  6

  0·1

  865

  6·0

  4 Transport

  5 Social Services

  556

  8·5

  40

  3·8

  299

  12·6

  1,469

  33·5

  2,364

  16·5

  6 Total (1–5)

  5,015

  76·9

  930

  87·4

  1,470

  61·8

  3,955

  90·1

  11,370

  79·2

  7 Libraries

  133

  2·0

  52

  4·9

  7

  0·3

  27

  0·6

  219

  1·5

  8 Recreation

  135

  2·1

  23

  2·2

  366

  15·4

  36

  0·8

  560

  3·9

  9 Environmental Health

  70

  1·1

  1

  0·1

  71

  0·5

  10 Refuse

  24

  0·4

  372

  15·6

  6

  0·1

  402

  2·8

  11 Housing

  231

  3·5

  2

  0·2

  49

  2·1

  83

  1·9

  365

  2·5

  12 Planning

  87

  1·3

  87

  0·6

  13 Chief Executive

  3

  0·0

  3

  0·0

  14 Finance

  208

  3·2

  27

  2·5

  235

  1·6

  15 Secretarial

  134

  2·1

  11

  1·0

  76

  1·7

  221

  1·5

  16 Legal

  31

  0·5

  31

  0·2

  17 Engineering

  162

  2·5

  2

  0·2

  64

  2·7

  228

  1·6

  18 Architecture

  52

  0·8

  1

  0·1

  53

  0·4

  19 Estates

  61

  0·9

  4

  0·4

  65

  0·5

  20 Personnel

  44

  0·7

  1

  0·1

  45

  0·3

  21 Management Service

  4

  0·1

  4

  0·0

  22 Computing

  33

  0·5

  1

  0·1

  34

  0·2

  23 Consumer Protection

  12

  0·2

  12

  0·1

  24 Other Administration

  18

  0·3

  6

  0·6

  24

  0·2

  27 Technical Services

  26

  0·4

  1

  0·1

  27

  0·2

  28 Central Service (13–27)

  788

  12·1

  54

  5·1

  64

  2·7

  76

  1·7

  982

  6·8

  29 Fire Service—Regular

  30 Others

  31 Other Services

  38

  0·6

  2

  0·2

  51

  2·1

  208

  4·7

  299

  2·1

  32 Total (7–12, 28–31)

  1,506

  23·1

  134

  12·6

  909

  38·2

  436

  9·9

  2,985

  20·8

  33 General Service (1–32)

  6,521

  100·0

  1,064

  100·0

  2,379

  100·0

  4,391

  100·0

  14,355

  100·0

  34 Agency Staff

  35 Magistrates Courts

  46

  0·0

  2

  0·0

  12

  0·0

  60

  0·0

  36 Probation—Officers

  37 Others

  Rights of Way
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to make it compulsory upon owners of passages or places over which there are public rights of way to erect a notice stating the name and address of the owner.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No. It would appear both unnecessary and inappropriate to impose such a burden on landowners. In cases where applicants to modify the definitive map and statement of public rights of way have been unable to identify owners and occupiers, they may apply to the certifying authority for a dispensation.

  Planning Appeals (Worthing)
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals against refusal of planning permission by the Worthing borough council have been made to him in each of the last five years; and on how many occasions he has reversed the council's decision.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The table shows the number of planning appeals received against decisions of the Worthing borough council between 1 January 1984, the 20
  earliest date from which this information is available, and 30 September 1987, the number decided in each period and the number allowed.

  Year

  Appeals Received

  Appeals Decided

  Appeals Allowed

  1984

  26

  23

  6

  1985

  40

  26

  10

  1986

  38

  39

  15

  January to September

  1987

  32

  25

  10

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Ridley
  Guidance was issued to all managers last July asking them to ensure that potentially offensive material is not displayed in the work place.

  Swimming Instructors
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities provide training for swimming instructors.
  21
  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not held centrally. I am advised, however, that during the year ending 30 September 1987, the Amateur Swimming Association issued approximately 11,300 certificates of competence for the teaching and coaching of swimming.

  Green Belt (Hertfordshire)
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the area of designated green belt land in the Hertfordshire, West constituency(a) in 1979 and (b) at the present time.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Approximately 4,770 hectares of land in the Hertfordshire, West constituency were designated green belt when the Hertfordshire county structure plan was approved in 1979. This position has not changed since.

  Crown Suppliers
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will put in the Library a full copy of the Coopers and Lybrand report and the Dewi Jones report on the Crown Suppliers.

  Mr. Chope
  Summaries fo the Dewi Jones and Coopers and Lybrand reports have been prepared and copies have been placed in the Library. We do not propose to publish them in full because they contain commercially confidential information.

  Illuminated Signs
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about his proposals to withdraw the need to seek planning approval to put up illuminated signs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A total of 28 of the 46 organisations consulted last October have so far responded to the proposals, which were confined to certain specified types of illuminated signs. Some representations have also been received from individuals, amenity groups, and local authorities. My right hon. Friend will now be considering, in consultation with the Secretary of State for Wales, whether, and to what extent, to implement the proposals. If my hon. Friend wishes to submit any representations, he is welcome to do so.

  Thamesmead
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he exercised nomination rights to Thamesmead following the abolition of the Greater London council and prior to the transfer of Thamesmead from the London residuary body to Thamesmead Town Ltd.

  Mrs. Roe
  The joint committee of the London area mobility scheme acted as agents for my right hon. Friend.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many properties are being registered by Thamesmead Town Ltd. in the London borough of Greenwich.

  Mrs. Roe
  Thamesmead Town has applied to the Greenwich rent officers for rent registrations of 2,401 tenancies.
  22
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources are being made available to the rent officer service in Greenwich and Bexley, now that Thamesmead Town Ltd. has applied to the rent officer for registration of all the tenancies for which they are responsible.

  Mrs. Roe
  No increase in the number of rent officers or support staff were required for the Greenwich rent officer service due to agreed spare capacity, but additional machines and other equipment have been provided at a cost of approximately £4,000. For the Bexley rent officer service, approval has been given to two additional rent officer posts and to two additional support staff posts, one on a temporary basis. Additional machines have been provided for the Bexley service at a cost of approximately £1,700.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many tenants of Thamesmead Town Ltd. have received his Department's leaflet giving advice to tenants about their rights in the rent registration procedure.

  Mrs. Roe
  The Bexley rent officer service have issued copies of the Department's booklet "Regulated Tenancies" to all tenants concerned in the 2,983 applications submitted to them by Thamesmead Town. The Greenwich rent officer service have issued 1,800 tenants with copies of the booklet in respect of the total of 2,401 applications which Thamesmead Town submitted to them. Now that further stocks of the booklet are available the Greenwich rent officer service are issuing copies to the remaining 601 tenants.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress his Department has made in finalising the text of a leaflet on homelessness, the initial draft of which was circulated for consultation to interested voluntary agencies on 8 April 1987; and when his Department plans to publish and distribute this leaflet.

  Mrs. Roe
  We expect to publish a leaflet later this year. It will need to take account of further evidence now becoming available on local authorities' operation of the homelessness legislation.

  Housing Waiting Lists
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households were housed by each London borough from its waiting lists through allocation procedures (a) during 1983–84; (b) during 1984–85; (c) during 1985–86, and (d) during 1986–87.

  Mrs. Roe
  Local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns include the numbers of dwellings let on secure tenancies, in the years ending 31 March, to households under normal waiting list allocation procedures. Figures for individual authorities appear in column D9C of the "HIP1 all items print" for 1984 and 1985 and in column E9C for 1986 and 1987; copies of all these documents are in the Library.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing those housing authorities where the council housing waiting list is of six months duration or less; if he will publish
  23
  separately a list of those housing authorities who have had 100 or more council dwellings vacant for periods of three months or more; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  The information requested is not available centrally. However, English local authorities' housing investment programme returns include the number of their dwellings that have been vacant for more than six months and those authorities reporting 100 or more such dwellings vacant at April 1987 are listed in the table. Most of these dwellings were not available for letting, as they were undergoing or awaiting works, or awaiting sale or demolition.

  Authorities with 100 or more dwellings vacant for more than 6 months at April 1987

  Number vacant over 6 months

  Percentage of stock

  Newham

  2,626

  8·1

  Hackney

  2,214

  4·8

  Manchester

  2,034

  2·1

  Tower Hamlets

  1,965

  4·0

  Sheffield

  1,857

  2·1

  Sandwell

  1,297

  2·4

  Salford

  1,177

  2·9

  Southwark

  1,154

  1·9

  North Tyneside

  990

  305

  Sunderland

  962

  1·9

  Islington

  954

  2·3

  Lambeth

  910

  1·9

  Bradford

  777

  2·1

  Leeds

  647

  0·7

  Wolverhampton

  639

  1·6

  Nottingham

  620

  1·4

  Camden

  594

  1·7

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  580

  1·3

  Lewisham

  568

  1·4

  Wandsworth

  544

  1·4

  Calderdale

  471

  3·1

  Coventry

  411

  1·7

  Brent

  404

  2·0

  Kingston upon Hull

  398

  0·9

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  389

  2·1

  Oldham

  388

  1·6

  Portsmouth

  382

  1·7

  Haringey

  367

  1·5

  Leicester

  355

  1·1

  Greenwich

  346

  1·0

  Birmingham

  334

  0·3

  Westminster

  327

  1·5

  Walsall

  310

  0·8

  Derby

  306

  1·5

  Burnley

  305

  4·3

  Gateshead

  304

  0·9

  Langbaurgh

  298

  1·8

  Knowsley

  283

  1·1

  Doncaster

  273

  0·8

  Southampton

  260

  1·2

  Preston

  224

  2·1

  Test Valley

  216

  3·0

  Wirral

  209

  0·9

  Kirklees

  202

  0·6

  Barnsley

  192

  0·6

  Rochdale

  186

  0·9

  Waltham Forest

  175

  0·8

  Middlesbrough

  155

  0·9

  North Bedfordshire

  137

  1·7

  24

  Number vacant over 6 months

  Percentage of stock

  Kensington and Chelsea

  135

  1·5

  Easington

  133

  0·7

  Dudley

  133

  0·4

  Merton

  133

  1·1

  Ealing

  132

  0·7

  Redbridge

  129

  1·2

  Bristol

  122

  0·3

  Carlisle

  119

  1·0

  Rochester upon Medway

  111

  1·1

  Hartlepool

  110

  1·0

  Trafford

  104

  0·8

  Redditch

  103

  1·0

  Sedgefield

  102

  0·7

  Norwich

  102

  0·4

  Stockton-on-Tees

  101

  0·5

  Note:

  Liverpool did not provide this information, but reported 4,164 dwellings (6·5 per cent. of stock) vacant for more than a year.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the firms licensed to import toxic chemical waste materials into the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Imports of special waste are subject to the same controls as indigenous waste and must be disposed of at a licensed facility. No import licence is necessary.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the quantities of toxic chemical waste imported to Britain in each of the past 10 years; and what were their countries of origin.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No records are held centrally of imports of waste imported into the United Kingdom. The amounts of special waste imported each year between 1983 and 1986 are as follows:

  Year

  Amount

  1983

  14,824

  1984

  5,000

  1985

  24,548

  1986

  53,000

  Full details of countries or origin are not available, but major sources are Netherlands, Irish Republic and Belgium.

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of each national nature reserve in (a) Wales, (b) England and (c) Scotland, indicating for each reserve its total area and the proportion (i) owned by private landowners, (ii) owned by the Nature Conservancy Council and (iii) owned by other public bodies.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1988, c. 602]: The information is as follows:

  25

  Ownership of National Nature Reserves (NNRs), January 1988

  Per cent owned by:

  Name of NNR

  Declared Areas(HA)

  Private Landowners

  Nature Conservancy Council

  Other Public Bodies

  ENGLAND

  Ainsdale Sand Dunes

  492

  —

  100

  —

  Arne

  9

  —

  100

  —

  Asby Scar

  166

  —

  100

  —

  Ashford Hill

  20

  —

  100

  —

  Aston Rowant

  111

  64

  36

  —

  Avon Gorge

  63

  100

  —

  —

  Axmouth-Lyme Regis

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Undercliffs

  321

  83

  17

  —

  Barnack Hills and Holes

  23

  100

  —

  —

  Barton Hills

  44

  100

  —

  —

  Beacon Hill

  40

  —

  100

  —

  Blackwater Estuary

  1,031

  100

  —

  —

  Blean Woods

  90

  —

  100

  —

  Blelham Bog

  2

  100

  —

  —

  Bovey Valley Woodlands

  73

  —

  96

  4

  Braunton Burrows

  604

  100

  —

  —

  Bredon Hill

  36

  —

  100

  —

  Brettenham Heath

  234

  100

  —

  —

  Bridgwater Bay

  2,564

  4

  2

  94

  Bure Marshes

  451

  100

  —

  —

  Castle Eden Dane

  221

  —

  100

  —

  Castle Hill, Lewes

  47

  —

  —

  100

  Castor Hanglands

  90

  50

  —

  50

  Cavenham Heath

  204

  15

  85

  —

  Chaddesley Woods

  102

  —

  100

  —

  Chartley Moss

  42

  100

  —

  —

  Chippenham Fen

  104

  100

  —

  —

  Clawthorpe Fell

  14

  100

  —

  —

  Colne Estuary

  576

  46

  —

  54

  Colt Park Wood

  8

  —

  100

  —

  Coom Rigg Moss

  36

  —

  —

  100

  Cothill

  2

  100

  —

  —

  Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods

  295

  100

  —

  —

  Dendles Wood

  30

  —

  100

  —

  Dengie

  2,011

  —

  —

  100

  Derbyshire Dales

  320

  35

  50

  15

  Downton Gorge

  48

  100

  —

  —

  Ebbor Gorge

  41

  100

  —

  —

  Forge Valley Woods

  63

  —

  —

  100

  Fyfield Down

  230

  100

  —

  —

  Gait Barrows

  69

  —

  100

  —

  Gibraltar Point

  414

  —

  —

  100

  Glasson Moss

  58

  —

  100

  —

  Grain Heads Moss

  18

  —

  —

  100

  Hales Wood

  8

  —

  —

  100

  Hamford Water

  688

  100

  —

  —

  Ham Street Woods

  97

  —

  100

  —

  Hartland Moor

  243

  100

  —

  —

  Hickling Broad

  487

  100

  —

  —

  Highbury Wood

  47

  —

  100

  —

  High Halstow

  52

  100

  —

  —

  Holkham

  3,925

  100

  —

  —

  Holme Fen

  259

  —

  100

  —

  Holt Heath

  488

  100

  —

  —

  Holton Heath

  117

  100

  —

  —

  Kingley Vale

  146

  32

  68

  —

  Knocking Hoe

  9

  100

  —

  —

  Lady Park Wood

  45

  —

  —

  100

  Leigh

  257

  —

  —

  100

  Lewes Down

  49

  100

  —

  —

  Lindisfarne

  3,278

  100

  —

  —

  Ling Gill

  5

  —

  100

  —

  The Lizard

  712

  21

  79

  —

  Lullington Heath

  63

  —

  —

  100

  Martin Down

  301

  11

  46

  43

  Moccas Park

  139

  100

  —

  —

  Monks Wood

  157

  —

  100

  —

  Moor House

  3,894

  —

  100

  —

  Morden Bog

  149

  42

  —

  58

  Mottey Meadows

  32

  9

  91

  —

  Muston Meadows

  9

  100

  —

  —

  26 27

  Per cent owned by:

  Name of NNR

  Declared Areas(HA)

  Private Landowners

  Nature Conservancy Council

  Other Public Bodies

  Newham Bog

  13

  100

  —

  —

  North Fen

  2

  100

  —

  —

  North Meadow, Cricklade

  40

  —

  100

  —

  North Solent

  763

  100

  —

  —

  Old Winchester Hill

  61

  —

  100

  —

  Orfordness-Havergate

  225

  48

  52

  —

  Park Wood

  15

  —

  100

  —

  Parsonage Down

  276

  —

  100

  —

  Pevensey Levels

  52

  —

  100

  —

  Pewsey Downs

  166

  46

  54

  —

  Prescombe Down

  47

  100

  —

  —

  Ribble Marshes

  2,302

  —

  100

  —

  Rodney Stoke

  35

  —

  100

  —

  Rostherne Mere

  152

  48

  52

  —

  Roudsea Woods and Mosses

  276

  100

  —

  —

  Rusland Moss

  24

  80

  20

  —

  Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes

  440

  73

  27

  —

  Scar Close

  93

  100

  —

  —

  Scolt Head Island

  737

  100

  —

  —

  Shapwick Heath

  304

  100

  —

  —

  Stiperstones

  436

  —

  100

  —

  Stoborough Heath

  110

  —

  100

  —

  Stodmarsh

  163

  —

  52

  48

  Studland Heath

  631

  100

  —

  —

  Swanscombe Skull Site

  2

  —

  100

  —

  Swanton Novers Woods

  60

  100

  —

  —

  The Flits

  21

  100

  —

  —

  The Swale

  216

  24

  76

  —

  The Wash

  97

  100

  —

  —

  Thetford Heath

  100

  100

  —

  —

  Thursley

  325

  —

  100

  —

  Tring Reservoirs

  20

  100

  —

  —

  Upper Teesdale

  3,497

  99

  —

  1

  Upwood Meadows

  6

  100

  —

  —

  Walberswick

  514

  92

  8

  —

  Weeting Heath

  137

  100

  —

  —

  Westleton Heath

  47

  —

  100

  —

  Winterton Dunes

  105

  100

  —

  —

  Woodwalton Fen

  208

  100

  —

  —

  Wren's Nest

  30

  —

  —

  100

  Wynbunbury Moss

  15

  —

  100

  —

  Wychwood

  262

  100

  —

  —

  Wye

  132

  —

  100

  —

  Wylye Down

  34

  —

  100

  —

  Wyre Forest

  357

  52

  16

  32

  Yarner Wood

  150

  —

  100

  —

  NNRs Declared since April 1987

  Barrington Hill

  18

  —

  100

  —

  Banacre

  231

  100

  —

  —

  Chippenham Fen

  7

  100

  —

  —

  Gordano Valley

  66

  100

  —

  —

  Hog Cliff

  88

  —

  100

  —

  Ludham Marshes

  73

  —

  100

  —

  Swanton Novers

  18

  100

  —

  —

  Winterton Dunes

  4

  100

  —

  —

  SCOTLAND

  Abernethy Forest

  1,921

  100

  —

  —

  Achanarras Quarry

  44

  —

  100

  —

  Allt Nan Carnan

  7

  100

  —

  —

  Beinn Eighe

  4,758

  11

  89

  —

  Ben Lawers

  3,974

  100

  —

  —

  Ben Lui

  798

  47

  53

  —

  Ben Wyvis

  5,673

  59

  41

  —

  Blar Nam Faoileag

  2,126

  100

  —

  —

  Blawhorn Moss

  69

  —

  100

  —

  Braehead Moss

  87

  —

  100

  —

  Caenlocham

  3,639

  92

  —

  8

  Caerlaverock

  5,501

  100

  —

  —

  Cairngorms

  25,949

  92

  8

  —

  Cairnamore of Fleet

  1,922

  32

  68

  —

  Claish Moss

  563

  —

  100

  —

  Clyde Valley Woodlands

  51

  47

  53

  —

  28 29

  Per cent owned by:

  Name of NNR

  Declared Areas(HA)

  Private Landowners

  Nature Conservancy Council

  Other Public Bodies

  Coille Thocabhaig

  81

  100

  —

  —

  Corrieschalloch

  5

  40

  20

  40

  Cragbank Wood

  9

  —

  100

  —

  Craigellachie

  260

  100

  —

  —

  Greag Meagaidh

  3,948

  —

  100

  —

  Dinnet Oakwood

  13

  100

  —

  —

  Dunnet Links

  433

  76

  24

  —

  Flanders Moss

  210

  100

  —

  —

  Forvie

  973

  100

  —

  —

  Glasdrum

  169

  —

  100

  —

  Glen Diomham

  10

  100

  —

  —

  Glen Nant

  59

  100

  —

  —

  Glen Roy

  1,168

  —

  100

  —

  Glen Tanar

  4,185

  96

  4

  —

  Gualinn

  2,522

  100

  —

  —

  Harmaness

  964

  100

  —

  —

  Inchnadamph

  1,295

  100

  —

  —

  Invernaver

  552

  100

  —

  —

  Inverpolly

  10,857

  99·9

  0·1

  —

  Isle of May

  57

  100

  —

  —

  Keen of Hamar

  30

  100

  —

  —

  Kirkconnell flow

  142

  100

  —

  —

  Loch a'Mhuilinn

  67

  100

  —

  —

  Loch Druidibeg

  1,677

  38

  62

  —

  Loch Leven

  1,597

  100

  —

  —

  Loch Lomond

  428

  83

  17

  —

  Loch Maree Islands

  200

  80

  —

  20

  Loch Sunart Woodlands

  163

  —

  43

  57

  Mealdarrock

  205

  —

  100

  —

  Milton Wood

  24

  100

  —

  —

  Moine Mhor

  493

  —

  100

  —

  Monach Isles

  577

  100

  —

  —

  Morrane Birkwood

  225

  100

  —

  —

  Morton Lochs

  24

  —

  100

  —

  Mound Alderwoods

  267

  100

  —

  —

  Muir of Dinnet

  1,415

  100

  —

  —

  Nigg and Udale Bays

  640

  100

  —

  —

  North Rona and Sula Sgeir

  130

  100

  —

  —

  Noss

  313

  100

  —

  —

  Rannoch Moor

  1,499

  —

  100

  —

  Rassal Ashwood

  85

  100

  —

  —

  Rhum

  10,684

  —

  100

  —

  St. Abbs Head

  77

  100

  —

  —

  St. Cyrus

  92

  100

  —

  —

  St. Kilda

  853

  100

  —

  —

  Silver Flowe

  191

  —

  —

  100

  Strathfarrar

  2,189

  100

  —

  —

  Strathy Bog

  281

  100

  —

  —

  Taynish

  370

  2

  98

  —

  Tentsmuir

  505

  76

  24

  —

  Tynron Juniper Wood

  5

  100

  —

  —

  Whitlaw Mosses

  19

  100

  —

  —

  WALES

  Alit Rhyd y Groes

  70

  38

  62

  —

  Cadair Idris

  403

  9

  91

  —

  Caunant Llennyran

  9

  —

  100

  —

  Coed Camlyn

  64

  —

  100

  —

  Coed Cymerau

  26

  —

  —

  100

  Coed Dolgarrog

  69

  —

  —

  100

  Coed Ganllwyd

  27

  100

  —

  —

  Coed Corawen

  13

  38

  62

  —

  Coed Rheidol

  —

  —

  100

  —

  Coed y Rhygen

  28

  —

  76

  24

  Coed Tremadoc

  20

  84

  16

  —

  Coedydd Aber

  169

  17

  81

  52

  Coedydd Maentwrog

  68

  100

  —

  —

  Cors Bodeilio

  6

  —

  100

  —

  Cors Caron

  792

  5

  95

  —

  Cors Erddreiniog

  67

  47

  53

  —

  Cors Geirch

  16

  —

  100

  —

  Cors y Llyn

  25

  67

  33

  —

  Craig Cerrig Gleisiad

  282

  18

  82

  —

  Craig y Cilau

  64

  100

  —

  —

  30 31

  Per cent owned by:

  Name of NNR

  Declared Areas(HA)

  Private Landowners

  Nature Conservancy Council

  Other Public Bodies

  Crymlyn Bog

  63

  11

  —

  89

  Cwm Clydach

  24

  —

  100

  —

  Cwm glas Crafnant

  15

  100

  —

  —

  Cwm Idwal

  398

  100

  —

  —

  Dyfi

  2,098

  74

  26

  —

  Gower Coast

  47

  100

  —

  —

  Haffod Garregog

  87

  100

  —

  —

  Morfa Dyffryn

  202

  100

  —

  —

  Morfa Harlech

  884

  100

  —

  —

  Nant Irfon

  142

  —

  100

  —

  Newborough Warren/Ynys

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Llanddwyn

  1,297

  23

  8

  69

  Ogof Ffynnon Ddu

  413

  —

  100

  —

  Oxwich

  288

  12

  88

  —

  Penhow Woodlands

  24

  —

  —

  100

  Rhinog

  598

  —

  100

  —

  Rhos Goch

  45

  —

  100

  —

  Rhos Llawr Cwrt

  35

  —

  100

  —

  Skomer

  308

  5

  95

  —

  Stackpole

  199

  100

  —

  —

  Scanner Rocks

  5

  —

  —

  100

  Ty Canol

  69

  —

  —

  100

  Whiteford

  782

  100

  —

  —

  Ynys Enlli—Bardsey

  180

  100

  —

  —

  Y Wyddfa—Snowdon

  1,678

  100

  —

  —

  Total

  163,765

  —

  —

  —

  Local Authority Services
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 21 January,Official Report, column 828, on enabling powers on charging for local authority services, he proposes to introduce the necessary enabling power in the form of a separate Bill.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 28 January 1988]: We shall use the most suitable legislative available vehicle. I shall write to the hon. Member on the subject.

  Monument (Millbank Gardens)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans for the restoration and maintenance of the monument in Millbank gardens in commemoration of the emancipation of slaves.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 5 February 1988]: Repairs to the stonework inside the Buxton memorial and to the gargoyles will shortly be carried out. Of the eight statues around the top of the memorial only three remain at present. One has been removed for repair and four were stolen. Remodelled and recast replacements will be positioned on the memorial.

  Leeds-Bradford Airport
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the findings of the Leeds-Bradford airport public inqurity into extended flying hours; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The inspector has completed his report of the inquiry and his findings are now being carefully considered. When this has been concluded, a decision will be issued jointly by the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport.
  32
  Whilst every effort will be made to reach the decision with the minimum of delay, I cannot predict at this stage when that will be.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Overseas Aid (Warship Purchases)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report, details of any projects which have been agreed or are presently being considered which would use any part of the United Kingdom or European Community aid budgets or ATP provisions for the purchase of frigates or any other warships by an overseas Government.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  There is none. Neither the overseas aid budget nor the European Community aid programmes are used for military or para-military purposes.

  Research
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the research agreements and contracts which his Department has with the university of York; and into what subjects the research is being carried out.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We have no such research agreements or contracts.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the research agreements and contracts which his Department has with the university of Loughborough; and into what subjects the research is being carried out.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The Overseas Development Administration has the following current research projects contracted to Loughborough university:
  33
  Development of Simple Pump Technology for Irrigation—Phase II (Costing £116,708)
  Reduced Cost Sewerage System—Phase I (£12,410)
  Use of Floating Macrophytes to Remove Plant Nutrients from Treated Refluents (£36,776)
  Simple Pump Technology for Irrigation—Phase I (£12,678)
  Design and Operation of Septic Tank Systems (£27,067)

  Boithuthong Community Centre, Bophuthatswana
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the total cost to the small projects scheme of contributions made to the Boithuthong community centre, Garankuwa, Bophuthatswana.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  An allocation of £2,000 has been approved towards the cost of a building and equipment for this centre, which is a non-governmental institution. No funds have so far been spent.

CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER

  Empty Houses
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many empty houses there are on the Duchy of Lancaster estates.

  Mr. Butcher
  There are currently six houses or cottages vacant on the Duchy of Lancaster's estates.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Butcher
  This Department is to issue shortly a further notice to its staff on the subject of sexual harassment at work, which will include a reminder to managers that they must take prompt action against unacceptable behaviour such as the display of sexually offensive photographs or posters.

  Balance of Trade
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give for standard industrial classification orders 3302 and 3341(a) annual output, (b) United Kingdom market size and (c) balance of trade for each year since 1983 and for as much of 1987 as is possible; and if he will give the figures on a similar basis for standard industrial classifications 3302 and 3341, together with standard industrial classifications 3301, 3443, 3453 and 3454.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The information that is available is shown in the tables:

  Activity Headings 3302+34415

  £ million

  Annual Output1

  UK Market Size2

  Trade Balance3

  1983

  2,953

  3,868

  -915

  1984

  3,994

  5,007

  -1,013

  1985

  5,127

  5,808

  -681

  34

  Annual Output1

  UK Market Size2

  Trade Balance3

  1986

  4,728

  5,698

  -970

  19874

  2,752

  3,333

  -581

  Activity Headings 3301+3302+3441+3443+3453+34545

  £ million

  Annual Output1

  UK Market Size2

  Trade Balance3

  1983

  6,987

  9,002

  -2,015

  1984

  8,731

  10,767

  -2,036

  1985

  10,171

  11,785

  -1,614

  1986

  10,051

  11,921

  -1,870

  19874

  5,565

  6,538

  -973

  1 Annual Output=Total Sales of Principal Products by UK manufacturers.

  2 UK Market Size=Annual Output — Exports (fob) Imports (cif).

  3 Trade Balance=Exports (fob)—Imports (cif).

  4 First six months only, not seasonally adjusted.

  5 Activity Heading:

  3301—Office machinery.

  3302 Electronic data-processing equipment.

  3441—Telegraph and telephone equipment.

  3443—Radio and electronic capital goods.

  3453—Electronic sub-assemblies and active components.

  3454—Electronic consumer goods and miscellaneous equipment.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the United Kingdom's deficit in manufactured trade with Japan, Korea, Taiwan, West Germany and the whole of the EEC including Germany, respectively, in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The information is in the table.

  United Kingdom crude balance of trade in manufactures1 1987

  £ billion

  Trade with:

  Japan

  -4·2

  South Korea

  -0·6

  Taiwan

  -0·7

  F R Germany

  -7·5

  European Community

  -11·1

  1 Standard international trade classification Sections 5 to 8.

  Figures are on the overseas trade statistics basis: imports, but not exports, are valued inclusive of insurance and freight charges.

  Britoil
  Mr. Milian
  To ask the Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster what advice he has received from the Director General of Fair Trading on the proposed takeover of Britoil by BP; and if he will refer the bid to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State announced on 4 February his decision not to refer the proposed acquisition by the British Petroleum plc. of Britoil plc. to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. This decision was in accordance with the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading.

  Decentralisation of Trade
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his Department's plans for the decentralisation of trade policy.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My Department has no plans to decentralise trade policy.

  Confidential Letters (Leaks)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will direct his Permanent Under-Secretary, Sir Brian Hayes, to prepare a report on leaks of confidential letters from his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  Any such direction would be superfluous. It is already Sir Brian Hayes's practice to institute an inquiry when there appears to have been an unauthorised disclosure of confidential information and it seems possible that investigation might identify its source. The reports of such investigations are submitted to Ministers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much he plans to spend over each of the next three years on interim arrangements in connection with the police computer; when the new permanent system(a) was and (b) is now scheduled to be operative; what has caused the delay in its introduction; why the current system is no longer suitable; if a new tender has been put out for the mainframe and terminals for the interim system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The capital cost of the interim equipment is about £3·75 million, but this is offset by savings of about £950,000 a year in terms of maintenance, power and other costs. Taking account of the residual value of new hardware, the interim arrangements are likely to cost about £65,000 a year.

  The interim equipment was necessary to replace processors which could no longer be economically maintained. It was procured by single tender action from the supplier of the present PNC equipment as no other firm could supply processors which would run the existing PNC software. No new terminals have been procured.

  The next generation PNC is expected to be operational in 1990, as originally planned.

  Metropolitan Police (Sickness and Injury)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Belfast, South on 22 January,Official Report, column 869, how many of the total days off sick or injured by members of the Metropolitan police were attributable to (a) injury and (b) sickness; and if he will give this information for the last five years, stating average days off per capita.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that information in the form requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the numbers of officers injured on duty, who were placed on the sick list, are as follows:36

  Numbers

  1983

  1,911

  1984

  1,926

  1985

  2,593

  1986

  2,234

  1987

  2,164

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men (b) women were held on remand in magistrates' court cells in England and Wales on the 25 January 1988; and if he will list the magistrates' courts.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I am informed by the Metropolitan police that the police cells at Highbury Corner, Camberwell Green and Marylebone magistrates' courts held 32, 29 and nine prisoners respectively on 25 January 1988. Records do not distinguish between numbers of men and women held.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the longest period of time a person had been held on remand in a magistrates' court cell as of 25 January.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information required is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has the responsibility for visiting and checking the conditions in which people being held in magistrates' court cells are kept; and to whom are reports sent as to such conditions.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It has been decided that lay visitor panels should have this responsibility. Arrangements for such visits in London will be introduced as soon as consultations with the Metropolitan police and the clerks to the courts concerned are satisfactorily completed. It is intended that reports on visits should go to a responsible senior police officer and to the Secretary of the Lay Visitors' Panel. It will be open to the latter to send a copy of a report also to my right hon. Friend as the police authority.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of keeping a person in a magistrates' court cell; and who pays this cost.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The average weekly cost of keeping a prisoner in police or magistrates' court cells, based on the latest accounts submitted by police forces, is £1,008. The cost is borne on the prison department Vote.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with panels of lay visitors as to the position of people being held in remand in magistrates' court cells.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Department is discussing with the Metropolitan police guidelines for lay visitors who visit remand prisoners held in police cells and magistrates' courts cells. We have also approached the clerks of the five magistrates' courts in London in which remand prisoners are held about access by lay visitors. When consultations are complete, the guidelines will be circulated to lay visitor panels.
  37
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the conditions under which people being held in magistrates' court cells are allowed visits; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are no general rules applying to visitors to persons held in magistrates' courts cells. I understand from the commissioner that in the Metropolitan police district prisoners detained in cells at magistrates' courts are allowed to receive visits from their legal representatives, probation officers and social workers preparing social inquiry reports. Such visits would be refused only if there was good reason. The police also do what they can to facilitate visits by friends and relatives, but arrangements vary and depend on such factors as the facilities available and other calls on police resources.

  Metropolitan Police (Heathrow)
  Sir Peter Hordern
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers of the Metropolitan police were stationed at Heathrow airport in each of the last five years; and what percentage this represented of the total strength of the Metropolitan police in the same period and at the latest available date.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information requested is as follows:

  Date

  Officers on policing duties at Heathrow

  Strength of the force

  Per cent.

  31 December 1983

  394

  26,729

  1·47

  31 December 1984

  407

  26,766

  1·52

  31 December 1985

  401

  26,705

  1·50

  31 December 1986

  401

  26,920

  1·49

  31 December 1987

  411

  27,355

  1·50

  Alcohol Sales (Under-age Persons)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to how many convictions there have been of(a) public house licensees or managers or (b) managers of off-licences or shops for offences involving the sale of alcohol to underage persons in (i) Somerset and Avon and (ii) England and Wales, in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The available information, which may he incomplete, is given in the table. The other information requested is not held centrally.

  Persons convicted of offences under section 169(1) of the Licensing Act 1964

  Year

  England and Wales

  Avon and Somerset

  1982

  187

  19

  1983

  188

  22

  1984

  164

  9

  1985

  170

  12

  1986

  165

  7

  Police Sub-stations
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has issued any guidelines to chief constables concerning(a) the opening hours of police substations and (b) levels of staffing at police sub-stations.
  38
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. These are operational matters which chief officers of police must decide.

  Members' Representations
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations were made by hon. Members to his Department in each year from 1983 to 1987.

  Mr. Hurd
  The available information relates to the number of cases of ministerial correspondence recorded in my Department as the result of representations made to Home Office Ministers, and is as follows:

  Number

  1983

  25,642

  11984

  26,200

  1985

  31,853

  1986

  33,015

  1987

  27,561

  1 The figures for 1984 is an estimate since precise figures are not available for November and December of that year.

  Although the great majority of the cases relate to representations made by right hon. and hon. Members, these figures include ministerial correspondence with noble Lords and others.

  Television Licences (Students)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward legislation to relieve students living in university accommodation from the requirement to have a full television licence if they operate a television in their own room.

  Mr. Renton
  There are no plans to do so. The full television licence already permits members of the licence holder's family who are living away from home as full-time students at an educational establishment to use portable television sets powered only by internal batteries.

  Knives
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been convicted of carrying knives in the Metropolitan police area for the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available.

  Mr. John Patten
  The readily available information relates to possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. A total of 1,840 persons were found guilty of such offences in the Metropolitan police district in 1986.

  Shotgun Cartridges
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on his intentions as to whether to classify further shotgun cartridges under section 1 control.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Our intentions are set out in the Firearms (Amendment) Bill, which lowers the diameter of shot above which a cartridge is subject to control under section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 from 0·36 inch to 0·23 inch.

  Immigration
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held awaiting removal or deportation for overstaying under the immigration rules; and what is the breakdown of ethnic origin of these prisoners.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is not maintained centraly and could be provided only at disproportionat cost. Statistics relating to immigration control do not include the ethnic origin of the persons concerned.

  Persons refused initially1 an entry clearance2 to the United Kingdom

  Number of persons

  Year

  Bangladesh

  India

  Pakistan

  Sri Lanka

  Ghana

  Nigeria

  Hong Kong

  1977

  5,660

  2,400

  3,970

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1978

  3,230

  2,300

  4,540

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1979

  2,660

  2,120

  4,760

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1980

  3,240

  1,980

  3,290

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1981

  3,200

  1,280

  3,010

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1982

  4,670

  1,410

  2,900

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1983

  5,820

  1,670

  2,320

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  1984

  4,270

  1,250

  1,860

  ֵ

  ֵ

  ֵ

  380

  1985

  4,900

  1,160

  1,680

  4570

  ֵ

  ֵ

  160

  1986

  3,680

  1,760

  2,150

  660

  3480

  ֵ

  110

  19875

  2,300

  4,810

  6,600

  680

  2,050

  62,640

  110

  ֵ Not available.

  1 Including those subsequently successful on appeal.

  2 Excluding persons refused a certificate of entitlement to, or a confirmation of, the right of abode.

  3 October to December only.

  4 30 May to December only.

  5 January to September, unless otherwise stated. The increase in refusals in 1987 in India and Pakistan reflected the introduction of the Visa requirement on 15 October 1986.

  6 February to September only.

  Royal Prerogative
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue a directive to the Director General of the security services clarifying the extent to which security operations which would otherwise be criminal offences can be made lawful under the terms of the royal prerogative.

  Mr. Hurd
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones) on 29 January at column 397.

  Radio
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what powers the Radio Authority will have to arrange cross-subsidies to assist with the cost of transmission in remote rural areas;

  (2) what are his intentions on facilitating transitional arrangements for the transfer of responsibilities for radio broadcasting from the Independent Broadcasting Authority to the new Radio Authority.

  Mr. Renton
  We shall be discussing the transitional arrangements with the Independent Broadcasting Authority and other organisations with an interest. The position of stations in remote rural areas will be one of the matters for discussion.

  Entry Clearance
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the number of refusals for entry clearance from all countries for each year from 1977 to 1987, broken down by country; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is available centrally only for certain countries, and is given in the table.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether radio stations will be able to make their own transmission arrangements on both VHF and MF under the new arrangements proposed.

  Mr. Renton
  Stations will become responsible for their own transmission arrangements irrespective of whether they broadcast on VHF, MF or both.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Radio Authority will be required to ensure that national and local radio stations provide an adequate service of national and international news.

  Mr. Renton
  We do not envisage a general requirement on stations licensed by the Radio Authority to provide any given amount of news although any news given will have to satisfy the criteria set out in paragraph 7.7 of our Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities" (Cm. 92).

  Prison Education
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Her Majesty's Government have any plans to alter the way in which prison education is currently delivered through local education authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Under current arrangements the great majority of education for people in custody is provided by teachers who are employed by and professionally responsible to the local education authority. The Government have no plans to change this means of
  41
  providing education. As part of the ongoing work of the prison education branch, agreement has been reached with the local authority associations to set up a working party on the role of local education authorities in providing education in prison. The aims of the working party are set out in the Government reply to the second report from the Education, Science and Arts Committee (Cm 298), copies of which are in the Library.

  London City Airport
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 January,Official Report, column 307, why it is not possible to identify police costs associated with London City airport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The costs of the attendance of police officers in response to particular incidents as required and in order to direct traffic in the vicinity cannot be separately identified from the costs of policing the surrounding area.

  Prevention of Terrorism
  Mr. Thorne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will seek the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  A draft order was laid on 25 January under section 14(10) of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984. If the draft order is approved by Parliament, the Act will continue in force for a further 12 months. I have received the report from Viscount Colville of Culross on the operation of the Act in 1987 and copies have been placed in the Library. The report is supplementary to his review of the Act as a whole, publication of which was announced to the House on 9 December at column 167.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  File (Disappearance)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Attorney-General if a report was made to the Director of Public Prosecutions following the disappearance of a file belonging to Mr. Colin Wallace from the office of the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) in March 1986.

  The Attorney-General
  I understand that no report has been received by the Director of Public Prosecutions relating to any such event.

  Mr. Holroyd and Mr. Wallace
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the outcome of the active consideration given to certain reports that appeared about Mr. Holroyd and Mr. Wallace, referred to in the Official Report, 23 February 1987, column 16.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given on 3 March 1987 to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Services in which he said that the various allegations made by Captain (Retd.) Holroyd and Mr. Colin Wallace over 42
  many years about the conduct of the security forces in Northern Ireland had been fully and carefully investigated since they left the Province in 1975; no evidence had been discovered as a result of these investigations to substantiate any of their allegations.

  Unification Church
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Attorney-General which religious organisations were approached for assistance when preparing the now abandoned appeal against the decision not to remove charity status from the Unification Church.

  The Attorney-General: Such an approach was made to the Church of England. I also received representations from the following organisations:

  The Churches Main Committee

  The Council of Christians and Jews

  The General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches

  The Ayra Samaj in London

  the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Attorney-General which of the Christian religious organisations, approached for assistance when preparing the appeal against the decision not to remove charity from the Unification Church, were prepared to state that the Unification Church was not a bona fide Christian organisation.

  The Attorney-General
  The Church of England expressed no view on whether or not the Unification Church is a bona fide Christian organisation. It did, however, declare doubts about the wisdom of attempting to prove in secular court proceedings that the Unification Church is not an organisation of Christian character. It expressed the view that the issues were very far from simple, requiring as they did the making of theological distinctions between orthodoxy, heresy and Christian deviations. Similar views have also been expressed by other Christian Churches and Church organisations.

  Herald of Free Enterprise
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Attorney-General if any proceedings are to be initiated against Townsend Thoreson Ltd. in respect of alleged illegal carriage of toxic chemical wastes aboard the Herald of Free Enterprise.

  The Attorney-General
  The capsize of the Herald of Free Enterprise and matters relating to it are under investigation by the police. When that investigation is complete, the Director of Public Prosecutions will consider the question of any criminal proceedings.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Attorney-General how many persons are employed in the Crown court sections of the Crown prosecution service, area by area; and how many in each area are legally qualified as either solicitor or barrister-at-law.

  The Attorney-General
  Crown court sections within the Crown prosecution service are staffed by law clerks supported by administrative staff. The function of law clerks is to prepare papers for counsel, liaise with the police, and to represent the Crown prosecution service in court. It is not a requirement that they should hold legal
  43
  qualifications. The numbers of law clerks employed in the Crown court sections are detailed on the attached schedule.

  CPS Area

  Numbers of Staff Employed in the Crown Court Section

  Law Clerks

  Administration Staff

  Avon/Somerset

  15

  3

  Beds/Herts

  13

  5

  Cambs/Lincs

  12

  3

  Cheshire

  9

  2

  Cleveland/North Yorks

  17

  0

  Cumbria/Lanes

  16

  11

  Derbyshire

  9

  4

  Devon/Cornwall

  14

  0

  Dorset/Hants

  18

  4

  Durham/Northumbria

  26

  9

  Essex

  12

  2·5

  Glos/Wilts

  7

  6

  Greater Manchester

  36

  3

  Humberside

  8

  6

  Kent

  16

  6

  Leics/Northants

  14

  0

  London-Inner

  113·5

  32

  London-North

  52·5

  15

  London-South

  41·5

  10·5

  Merseyside

  30

  9

  Norfolk/Suffolk

  9

  1

  44

  CPS Area

  Numbers of Staff Employed in the Crown Court Section

  Law Clerks

  Administration Staff

  North Wales/Dyfed

  9

  3·5

  Nottinghamshire

  12

  7

  South Wales/Gwent

  22

  3

  South Yorkshire

  15

  5

  Staffs/Warwicks

  15

  0

  Sussex

  11

  4

  Thames Valley

  19

  10

  West Mercia

  8

  4

  West Midlands

  35

  9

  West Yorkshire

  32

  0

  Figures taken from Staff in Post details at 31 December 1987.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

  Costs
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what was the cost of the Public Accounts Commission's work during 1987.

  Sir Peter Hordern
  These costs, which relate primarily to the time of the nine Members of the House who serve as Members of the Commission, are not quantifiable.

PRIME MINISTER

  Engagements
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Prime Minister if, further to her reply to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington of 26 January,Official Report column 133, she will give the time, nature and duration of her meetings on Monday 18 January between 12 pm and 6 pm.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Minister for Social Security and the Disabled
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the interdepartmental responsibilities of the Minister for Social Security and the Disabled.

  The Prime Minister
  The Minister for Social Security and the Disabled has particular responsibility for coordinating policy on disablement and for benefits, aids and services for disabled people. These functions are discharged in conjunction with other departmental Ministers as necessary.

  Security and Intelligence Services
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) whether she will amend the terms of reference of the staff counsellor for the security and intelligence services, so as to allow him to counsel military intelligence officers as well;

  (2) whether she will amend the terms of reference of the staff counsellor for the security and intelligence services to counsel any individuals who have anxieties about the service;

  (3) whether she will amend the terms of reference of the staff counsellor for the security and intelligence services, so as to allow him to counsel military information officers as well.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Departmental Correspondence
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her written answer of 11 December 1987,Official Report, column 278, in what circumstances she is prepared to give information on correspondence received from third parties.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to the reply already given to the hon. Gentleman on 11 December, at column 278.

  National Health Service
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the date and place of any official statement by any Minister of the Crown prior to 11 June 1987 concerning the proposed review of the finances of the National Health Service.

  The Prime Minister
  There was no such statement.

  South Africa and Namibia
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the names of all the South African citizens and Namibian citizens she has met in an official capacity over the past two years.

  The Prime Minister
  My normal practice will continue to be not to provide detailed information about my meetings with private individuals. Meetings in recent years with Chief Buthelezi, Bishop Tutu, Chief Mabuza, and Mrs. Helen Suzman were made public at the time.

  Trade Unions
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list in the Official Report the trade unions she personally, or officials acting on her behalf, met during the past five weeks; and where these meetings were held.

  The Prime Minister
  As I have told the House before, my normal practice is neither to confirm nor to deny whether meetings with private individuals have taken place, even in those cases where no such meeting has occurred.

  Stalker Report
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received from the Irish Government concerning the Stalker report and the Royal Ulster Constabulary's alleged shoot-to-kill policy; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement issued following the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 2 February, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Secret Services (Papers)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will arrange for the early release of papers relating to the activities of the secret services at the time of the fall of the Gough Whitlam Government in Australia; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The release of records will continue to be dealt with in the normal way in accordance with the provisions of the Public Records Acts.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Young People (Full-time Education)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will take steps to put beyond doubt the right of every young person, including those with special educational needs, aged between 16 and 19 years who seeks it to receive appropriate full-time education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  Clause 81 of the Education Reform Bill, which clarifies the existing law on this point, puts beyond doubt the duty of local education authorities to provide full-time education for all who seek it up to the age of 19, including those with special educational needs.

  School Crossing Patrols
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many unmanned school
  47
  crossing patrols there are (a) in the United Kingdom as a whole and (b) in north Yorkshire; and what proportions these numbers represent of the total number of school crossing patrols in each case.

  Mr. Dunn
  My Department does not collect information about school crossings and patrols.

  Higher Education (Research)
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has had in support of the recommendation from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils to differentiate between three levels of higher education institutions in the level and scope of their research activity; and what reply he has given to the board.

  Mr. Jackson
  A substantial majority of the 250 submissions which my right hon. Friend has received about the ABRC's discussion document "A Strategy for the Science Base", accept the need for greater differentiation of research roles in higher education; but most do not support the board's recommendation that this should be at the institutional level. My right hon. Friend will be making a statement on policy for the science base later this year.

  Inner London Education Authority
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about the future of the Inner London education authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  Since the introduction of the Education Reform Bill, the Department of Education and Science has received some 1,200 letters about education in inner London. My right hon. Friend announced on 4 February at columns 1178–9 that the Government had decided to introduce amendments to the Education Reform Bill, with the aim of transferring responsibility for education to the inner London boroughs and the City of London from 1 April 1990.

  Swimming Pools
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the number of swimming pools under the control of local education authorities in England and Wales; and what proportion are open-air.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information about the number of such swimming pools is not available.

  Secondary Schools
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in a table for each local education authority(a) the number of children starting secondary schools at the start of the 1987–88 academic year, (b) the number of complaints he has received or been notified of where parents are not satisfied with their child's allocated school for 1987–88 and (c) the number of children who, following complaints, were subsequently reallocated to the school of their choice in 1987–88.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information on the number of children admitted to secondary schools at the beginning of the 48
  academic year 1987–88 has not been collected centrally. Information on complaints in respect of individual local authorities cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

  Where parents do not get the school they want for their child, it is open to them to appeal to an independent local appeal committee, whose decision is binding on the local education authority or school governors concerned. From informal inquiries made in 1985, it appeared that some 9,000 such appeals were made in that year, of which around 40 per cent. were decided in the parents' favour.

  The Secretary of State does not consider an admissions complaint unless the case has first been referred to the independent local appeal committee, and his powers of intervention in such local matters are extremely limited. In calendar year 1987, the Secretary of State received over 380 complaints about school admissions decisions in England but did not consider that there were grounds to intervene under sections 68 or 99 of the Education Act 1944 in any of these cases. It is not known how many of the pupils concerned were subsequently allocated a place at their preferred school or at another school acceptable to their parents.

  Business and Technician Education Council
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the future of the Business Technician Education Advisory Council and its services.

  Mr. Jackson
  I understand that my hon. Friend is referring to the Business and Technician Education Council. This is a non-departmental public body established in 1983 as a successor to the former Business Education Council and Technician Education Council, themselves established in the mid-1970s to validate a wide range of vocational courses and examinations at technician level and equivalent. It is one of many bodies, operating in the vocational qualifications field, albeit the only one with NDPB status under my Department. It has an important part to play in the much wider rationalisation of vocational qualifications now being undertaken under the aegis of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. The council is currently taking steps to improve the marketing of its qualifications and its links with other bodies, and is reforming its structures and services to those ends. My right hon. Friend welcomes these steps, and looks to the council to continue its efforts to improve its own efficiency and responsiveness to the changing context in education and training.

  Schools (Opting Out)
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many bodies representing schools in the Easington area have expressed an interest to his Department in opting out of local government control.

  Mr. Dunn
  All individual schools which have approached the Department about this proposal have done so on the basis that their interest will be treated in confidence.

  Education Reform
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report his recent correspondence with the court of the University of Edinburgh on the Education Reform Bill, initiated on 22 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The exchange of correspondence is as follows.22 January 1988
  The Rt. Hon. Kenneth Baker, M.P.,
  Secretary of State for Education and Science,
  Elizabeth House,
  York Road,
  LONDON SE1 7PH.
  Dear Secretary of State,

  Education Reform

    EDUCATION REFORM BILL
    The University Court of the University of Edinburgh, which is the University's supreme governing body established under the Universities (Scotland) Acts, has discussed those sections of the Education Reform Bill which are of direct relevance to universities. The Court instructed us to write to you to convey its dismay and anxiety over a number of proposals in the Bill as it is now before Parliament.
    The Court was particularly concerned at two aspects— the powers to be vested in the Secretary of State, and the powers to be given to the Commissioners to be established under the Bill. Under section 94(1), the Secretary of State may by order confer or impose on either of the Funding Councils such additional functions as he thinks fit, and under section 94(3) "the Secretary of State may make grants to each of the Funding Councils … subject to such conditions as he may determine;" the Court regards these powers as unnecessarily wide and as an unnecessary accretion of authority to the executive arm of government. Similarly, section 132(1) of the Bill provides that "for the purposes of performing the duty imposed on them by section 131 … the Commissioners may make such modifications to the statutes of any qualifying institution as they consider necessary or expedient," subject to the approval of Her Majesty in Council, while under section 135(2), an Order in Council may amend, repeal, or revoke, any provisions of an Act of Parliament—such as, presumably, one of the Universities (Scotland) Acts; the Court has grave reservations about the constitutional propriety of thus over-riding the statutory provisions of Parliament. Finally with regard to the proposed Commissioners, the Court takes strong exception to the sweeping powers conferred under Schedule 9, Section 4, under which the Commissioners may, apparently without any constraint, "do anything which appears to them necessary or expedient for the purpose of … their functions," including requiring any University Officer "to furnish any information or to produe any documents relating to the institution …".

    £ million at 1987–88 prices

    1982–83 outturn

    1983–84 outturn

    1984–85 outturn

    1985–86 outturn

    11986–87 outturn

    21987–88 estimated outturn

    1988–89 plans

    1989–90 plans

    1990–91 plans

    Schools

    9,531

    9,646

    9,441

    9,244

    10,005

    10,633

    10,630

    10,635

    10,654

    Higher and further education

    4,930

    4,960

    4,946

    4,751

    4,789

    4,904

    4,866

    4,851

    4,806

    Miscellaneous educational services research and administration

    826

    878

    888

    888

    930

    975

    1,032

    1,071

    1,090

    Research Councils and related bodies

    589

    604

    612

    618

    635

    657

    669

    675

    655

    Total Department of Education and Science

    15,876

    15,980

    15,888

    15,502

    16,358

    17,169

    17,197

    17,232

    17,205

    The Court's attention has also been drawn to the lack of any reference in the Bill to the maintenance of academic freedom; the Court hopes that this omission will be rectified.
    Copies of this letter are being made available to the Press, and the text will be published in the University of Edinburgh Bulletin. A copy is also being sent to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
    Yours sincerely,
    Archie MacPherson Rector
    A. M. Currie
    Secretary to the University
    A MacPherson Esq BA
    Rector
    University of Edinburgh
    Old College
    South Bridge
    EDINBURGH EH8 9YL
    Dear Rector
    Thank you for you letter, also signed by Mr Currie, of 22 January to the Secretary of State about the provisions in the Education Reform Bill relating to the universities. I am replying as these are matters for which I have responsibility within the Department.
    We have received many letters on similar lines about the proper balance between necessary central powers and institutional autonomy. Detailed discussions of the Bill's higher education provisions will begin shortly in the Commons Standing Committee and a large number of relevant amendments have already been tabled which will allow these matters to be properly explored. I obviously cannot prejudge the outcome of this or the debate that will continue through the Bill's Parliamentary passage.
    Yours sincerely
    Robert Jackson

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table, based on table 12.1 of the public expenditure White Paper Cmnd. 288-II, with all figures converted to 1987–88 prices and in the manner of his reply, Official Report, 29 January 1987 columns 509–14.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The information requested is set out in the table. The figures have been revalued using the GDP (market prices) deflator, which is assumed to rise by 4·25 per cent. in 1987–88, 4·5 per cent. in 1988–89. 3·5 per cent. in 1989–90 and 3 per cent. in 1990–91. All figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest £1 million, so that the totals shown may not equal the sum of their rounded components.
  51

  1982–83 outturn

  1983–84 outturn

  1984–85 outturn

  1985–86 outturn

  11986–87 outturn

  21987–88 estimated outturn

  1988–89 plans

  1989–90 plans

  1990–91 plans

  Central government

  Voted in Estimates Schools

  Building grants to voluntary and special schools

  48

  45

  52

  58

  50

  55

  68

  70

  74

  Music and ballet schools

  4

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  4

  4

  4

  Assisted places scheme

  11

  18

  25

  32

  40

  49

  53

  55

  54

  City technology colleges

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  18

  30

  30

  Higher and further education (including teacher training)

  Universities

  Capital

  151

  141

  137

  144

  154

  154

  147

  141

  142

  Current

  1,568

  1,555

  1,527

  1,478

  1,474

  1,562

  1,614

  1,620

  1,609

  Voluntary and direct grant institutions

  Capital

  5

  5

  6

  5

  5

  7

  6

  5

  5

  Current

  107

  105

  97

  92

  91

  95

  93

  90

  90

  Adult education

  14

  15

  15

  16

  16

  16

  17

  16

  16

  Postgraduate awards to humanities students and other student awards

  8

  5

  5

  4

  5

  6

  5

  5

  5

  Miscellaneous services, research and administration

  Youth service

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Research programme and other education services

  19

  23

  24

  25

  24

  27

  45

  69

  75

  Administration and inspection costs

  40

  53

  55

  55

  57

  58

  65

  63

  63

  Compensation payments

  5

  5

  6

  6

  6

  7

  7

  7

  7

  Research Councils etc. Capital

  96

  90

  88

  97

  96

  93

  85

  99

  77

  Current (including postgraduate science awards)

  494

  513

  523

  521

  538

  564

  584

  576

  578

  Total voted expenditure

  2,573

  2,581

  2,568

  2,541

  2,564

  2,703

  2,812

  2,855

  2,833

  Other central government Schools

  -5

  -4

  -4

  -4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total central government

  2,569

  2,576

  2,563

  2,537

  2,564

  2,703

  2,812

  2,855

  2,833

  Of which: Total central government capital expenditure

  296

  277

  282

  302

  307

  310

  309

  318

  300

  Local authorities

  Relevant current spending Schools

  Under fives

  342

  352

  377

  377

  411

  441

  443

  456

  463

  Primary schools

  2,926

  2,876

  2,832

  2,809

  3,118

  3,370

  3,403

  3,486

  3,539

  Secondary schools

  4,416

  4,447

  4,397

  4,248

  4,645

  4,957

  4,895

  4,819

  4,797

  Special schools

  476

  491

  492

  497

  523

  544

  546

  541

  538

  Meals and milk

  512

  507

  488

  468

  471

  469

  431

  416

  404

  Transport

  230

  233

  227

  224

  219

  213

  205

  204

  205

  Non-maintained school fees

  143

  140

  138

  126

  125

  125

  123

  118

  114

  Teachers' centres

  29

  28

  31

  34

  37

  39

  42

  42

  41

  Child guidance

  35

  34

  35

  38

  41

  45

  45

  45

  45

  Pupil support

  32

  32

  37

  37

  38

  38

  38

  38

  38

  Higher and further education

  Advanced further education

  759

  757

  763

  776

  782

  780

  774

  782

  789

  Non-advanced further education

  1,094

  1,108

  1,137

  1,053

  1,100

  1,098

  1,104

  1,084

  1,045

  Adult education

  95

  102

  106

  109

  116

  123

  125

  127

  127

  Discretionary students awards and support

  151

  157

  162

  163

  176

  189

  200

  200

  200

  Miscellaneous services, research and administration

  Youth service

  121

  130

  133

  135

  143

  150

  160

  163

  162

  Recreational services and research

  57

  65

  66

  62

  66

  68

  75

  76

  75

  Administration and inspection costs

  543

  568

  573

  578

  610

  642

  664

  677

  691

  Total relevant current spending

  11,960

  12,026

  11,994

  11,735

  12,622

  13,291

  13,273

  13,273

  13,273

  Non-relevant current spending Mandatory student awards3

  833

  874

  848

  764

  733

  742

  733

  732

  728

  52 53

  1982–83 outturn

  1983–84 outturn

  1984–85 outturn

  1985–86 outturn

  11986–87 outturn

  21987–88 estimated outturn

  1988–89 plans

  1989–90 plans

  1990–91 plans

  Local authority capital4

  Schools

  332

  338

  311

  297

  284

  281

  316

  311

  309

  Higher and further education

  145

  137

  142

  146

  137

  134

  50

  50

  49

  Miscellaneous education services Youth service

  15

  12

  13

  12

  12

  12

  8

  7

  7

  Other education services

  22

  17

  15

  10

  7

  7

  6

  6

  5

  Total local authority capital

  514

  505

  482

  466

  441

  434

  379

  374

  371

  Total local authorities

  13,308

  13,404

  13,324

  12,965

  13,795

  14,467

  14,385

  14,378

  14,372

  Total Department of Education and Science

  15,876

  15,980

  15,888

  15,502

  16,358

  17,169

  17,197

  17,232

  17,205

  1 The 1986–87 figures incorporate a distribution by sector of total current spending by local authorities based on thcr provisional outturn expenditure on education.

  2 The 1987–88 figures incorporate a provisional distribution by sector of total current spending by local authorities based on their budgets.

  3 Includes payments to public sector higher education institutions as reimbursements of fees for EC students.

  4 Local authority capital expenditure figures are net of receipts attributable to education. They include provision for the Urban Programme.

  Teachers (Pay)
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many responses he has received to the Green Paper on teachers' pay and conditions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Thirty-seven responses to the Green Paper, "Teachers' Pay and Conditions: a Consultative Document" (Cm 238), have so far been received in the Department from organisations and two from individuals.

  Pupil Statistics
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now publish in the Official Report for each of Waltham Forest, Merton, Enfield, Haringey, Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hillingdon, Kingston, Sutton,

  Pupils aged 11 to 15 in all maintained schools

  Number of pupils studying in the authority

  Pupils from authority studying in other LEAs

  ILEA pupils studying in the authority

  Pupils from other 1LEAs studying in the authority

  Net inflow (-) or outftow(+)

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  (e)

  At January 1987

  Barnet

  15,448

  948

  342

  2,530

  -1,582

  Brent

  10,798

  2,801

  133

  654

  2,147

  Ealing

  13,091

  1,839

  94

  699

  1,140

  Enfield

  15,645

  938

  61

  1,045

  -107

  Haringey

  8,740

  1,786

  455

  827

  959

  Harrow

  9,625

  1,367

  7

  540

  827

  Hillingdon

  12,876

  618

  2

  668

  -50

  Kingston

  7,025

  662

  58

  885

  -223

  Merton

  8,466

  728

  384

  1,116

  -388

  Newham

  13,334

  468

  46

  399

  69

  Richmond

  6,925

  857

  741

  1,758

  -901

  Sutton

  10,017

  1,033

  43

  1,432

  -399

  Waltham Forest

  12,203

  839

  32

  300

  539

  ILEA

  104,574

  4,647

  5,817

  -1,170

  At January 1986

  Barnet

  15,860

  931

  323

  2,405

  -1,474

  Brent

  11,660

  2,735

  129

  718

  2,017

  Ealing

  13,909

  1,874

  87

  637

  1,237

  Enfield

  16,332

  876

  59

  1,087

  -211

  Haringey

  9,369

  1,966

  369

  694

  1,272

  Harrow

  9,964

  1,397

  7

  464

  933

  Hillingdon

  13,632

  553

  1

  752

  -199

  54
  Harrow, Newham and Richmond, and for the area covered by the Inner London education authority (a) the number of secondary pupils (b) the number of pupils studying in another local education authority area (c) the number of pupils educated who come from the Inner London education authority area, (d) the number of pupils educated from other local education authority areas and (e) the net inflow-outflow of pupils for the last date for which figures are available and in each of the past four years.

  Mr. Dunn
  [holding answer 4 February 1988]: The following information relates to pupils aged 11 to 15 in all maintained schools and is taken from authorities' regular returns to the Department for rate support grant purposes. The figures for January 1987 and the previous three years are as follows:
  55

  Number of pupils studying in the authority

  Pupils from authority studying in other LEAs

  ILEA pupils studying in the authority

  Pupils from other 1LEAs studying in the authority

  Net inflow (-) or outftow(+)

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  (e)

  Kingston

  7,251

  588

  51

  818

  -230

  Merton

  8,958

  683

  394

  1,153

  -470

  Newham

  13,898

  524

  39

  371

  153

  Richmond

  6,971

  922

  657

  1,535

  -613

  Sutton

  10,260

  1,002

  38

  1,301

  -299

  Waltham Forest

  13,034

  843

  34

  318

  525

  ILEA

  109,739

  4,572

  6,202

  -1,630

  At January 1985

  Barnet

  16,182

  912

  285

  2,248

  -1,336

  Brent

  12,533

  2,576

  124

  723

  1,853

  Ealing

  14,678

  2,018

  76

  561

  1,457

  Enfield

  17,092

  846

  78

  1,160

  -314

  Haringey

  10,069

  2,014

  309

  625

  1,389

  Harrow

  10,349

  1,354

  10

  478

  876

  Hillingdon

  14,047

  517

  6

  508

  9

  Kingston

  7,386

  527

  61

  685

  -158

  Merton

  9,415

  58S

  365

  1,079

  -494

  Newham

  14,499

  463

  48

  363

  100

  Richmond

  6,981

  1,015

  567

  1,330

  -315

  Sutton

  10,521

  932

  35

  1,225

  -293

  Waltham Forest

  13,668

  742

  27

  286

  456

  ILEA

  116,146

  4,475

  6,166

  -1,691

  At January 1984

  Barnet

  16,388

  882

  260

  2,087

  -1,205

  Brent

  13,419

  2,460

  98

  692

  1,768

  Ealing

  15,449

  1,991

  98

  581

  1,410

  Enfield

  17,850

  766

  76

  1,189

  -423

  Haringey

  10,982

  1,907

  285

  600

  1,307

  Harrow

  10,716

  1,304

  14

  414

  890

  Hillingdon

  14,731

  439

  5

  529

  -90

  Kingston

  7,713

  444

  77

  635

  -191

  Merton

  9,835

  538

  318

  1,157

  -619

  Newham

  15,164

  397

  47

  333

  64

  Richmond

  6,879

  1,076

  480

  1,028

  48

  Sutton

  10,906

  948

  50

  1,141

  -193

  Waltham Forest

  14,370

  690

  19

  270

  420

  ILEA

  123,436

  4,366

  5,898

  -1,532

  1 Including pupils from ILEA (c).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Mellor
  In accordance with item 69 of the programme of action for equal opportunities for women in the civil service, published by the Cabinet Office (Management and Personnel Office) in 1984, all staff in the diplomatic and aid wings have been notified that the display of sexually offensive material in the workplace will be regarded as a serious matter and may be dealt with as a disciplinary offence.

  Diplomatic Personnel
  Sir Brandon Rhys Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of diplomatic personnel who are resident in the constituency of Kensington; and what is the number of members of their families resident in Kensington.

  Mr. Mellor
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Bophuthatswana
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what interpretation of the relationship between the territory of modern Bophuthatswana and the native reserves established for the Southern Botswana by British Governments is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Bophuthatswana based.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Our policy is based on the fact that Bophuthatswana was created out of the Republic of South Africa, as a key element in the policy of separate development, to which we are wholly opposed.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have applied for licences for fishing in the Falkland Islands control zone next season; what fees are being levied; and what limits are to be placed on times of fishing, location, species and catch size.

  Mr. Mellor
  For the 1988 fishing season, the Falkland Islands Government received licence applications to fish in the Falkland Islands interim conservation and management zone for fishing vessels from the United
  57
  Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Poland, Chile, Taiwan, Republic of Korea and Japan. The season for finfish began on 1 January and for Loligo squid, on 1 February. The Illex squid season begins on 1 March. The seasons end on 30 June. Copies of the fees schedule, and information on the mesh regulations and fishing areas have been placed in the Library of the House, as have details of licence allocations for 1988.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many licenses issued for fishing in 1987 in the Falkland Islands protection zone were not taken up and reallocated and how many were awarded to undertakings, individuals or companies whose primary business was not fishing.

  Mr. Mellor
  I will reply as soon as possible.

  EC Legislation (Plain Language)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he supports the campaign launched by the consumers in the European Community Group and European Research into Consumer Affairs for plain language in European Community proposals and legislation; and if he will encourage Ministers to promote this issue within the Community at every opportunity.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Yes.

  Herald of Free Enterprise
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Belgian authorities about the carriage of toxic chemicals on board the Herald of Free Enterprise and on the discovery, subsequent to the vessel foundering of toxic items which are now being held in Belgium; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  My right hon. and learned Friend has had no contact with the Belgian authorities on this matter. I understand, however, that there have been contacts between other Departments and the Belgian authorities on this subject.

  Nuclear Exports (Japan)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government expect to communicate to the European Commision full details of any draft nuclear export agreements with Japan for technology and nuclear materials transfer, in compliance with article 103 of the Euratom Treaty.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 25 January]: We have no agreement with Japan for technology and nuclear materials transfer. The hon. Member may have in mind the contract between British Nuclear Fuels Plc and Japanese Nuclear Fuel Services. I am advised that this contract does not fall within the scope of article 103 of the Euratom treaty.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether there have been any consultations on the introduction of new energy conservation measures in the House.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Energy conservation measures are included in the Parliamentary Works Office programme of work. I understand that the proposals for 1988 will be coming forward for consideration by the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee shortly.

  Official Report
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what action he will take to prevent the number of mistakes now appearing in the Official Report.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I assume the hon. Gentleman is referring to some minor typographical errors. The attention of Hansard is automatically drawn to any lapses. The quality of the printing of Hansard is under regular review by a liaison committee consisting of senior Official Report and HMSO personnel, and remains higher than that of any comparable daily publication.

  Privy Council Office (Periodicals)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list all the periodicals subscribed to by the Privy Council since 1970.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The information requested is not available for the period before 1980. The periodicals subscribed to by the Privy Council Office since 1980 are as follows:

  Campaign*

  Economist Farmers Weekly*

  Financial Weekly*

  Listener

  New Scientist

  New Society

  New Statesman

  Now*

  Private Eye

  Spectator

  Times Literary Supplement

  Tribune

  UK Press Gazette*

  * No longer obtained.

  Other periodicals are borrowed from other sources, as and when required.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Breeding Sows
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of breeding sows in each English and Welsh region and county pig herd for each year from 1979 to date of the most recently available figures.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The information is contained in the table.
  59

  County by Standard Statistical Region

  Total breeding pig herd 1979–86

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  England and Wales

  717,672

  701,116

  713,883

  736,195

  727,395

  690,098

  715,167

  714,539

  Cleveland

  4,229

  4,015

  3,877

  4,323

  4,246

  4,004

  3,869

  4,351

  Cumbria

  6,064

  6,514

  6,386

  6,164

  6,345

  6,415

  6,373

  6,223

  Durham

  4,820

  4,911

  5,245

  4,841

  4,976

  5,000

  5,158

  5,184

  Northumberland

  2,913

  2,863

  2,668

  2,672

  2,476

  2,449

  2,302

  2,289

  Tyne and Wear

  802

  607

  567

  612

  561

  376

  474

  385

  North Region

  18,828

  18,910

  18,743

  18,612

  18,604

  18,244

  18,176

  18,432

  Humberside

  73,568

  73,919

  76,144

  78,954

  78,696

  78,774

  81,363

  83,142

  North Yorks (North Allerton)

  35,051

  35,243

  48,952

  54,890

  54,357

  56,429

  59,935

  61,363

  North Yorks (Beverley)

  —

  —

  8,814

  9,458

  9,808

  9,151

  9,653

  11,078

  North Yorks (Harrogate)

  20,120

  21,276

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  South Yorkshire

  6,124

  6,074

  6,069

  5,857

  6,381

  5,959

  5,895

  6,609

  West Yorkshire

  12,247

  11,946

  11,873

  13,149

  12,490

  12,201

  15,181

  15,319

  Yorks and Humberside

  147,110

  148,458

  151,852

  162,308

  161,732

  162,514

  172,009

  177,511

  Derbyshire

  5,342

  4,813

  4,982

  6,096

  5,680

  5,505

  5,381

  5,537

  Leicestershire

  8,050

  7,327

  7,408

  7,552

  6,476

  6,476

  6,558

  6,769

  Lincolnshire

  31,799

  33,359

  32,592

  32,839

  31,150

  31,150

  31,069

  31,661

  Northamptonshire

  8,184

  8,270

  8,356

  8,576

  7,945

  7,945

  7,778

  7,683

  Nottinghamshire

  14,517

  14,373

  14,928

  14,474

  15,114

  15,114

  14,790

  14,707

  East Midlands Region

  67,892

  68,142

  68,266

  69,537

  70,244

  66,190

  65,576

  66,357

  Cambridgeshire

  25,072

  22,258

  22,387

  22,825

  21,902

  19,271

  18,133

  17,453

  Norfolk

  57,901

  56,451

  58,056

  59,547

  58,360

  54,493

  56,992

  57,231

  Suffolk

  61,187

  60,811

  60,832

  63,491

  60,155

  56,050

  57,223

  55,914

  East Anglia Region

  144,160

  139,520

  141,275

  145,863

  140,417

  129,814

  132,348

  130,598

  Bedfordshire

  8,468

  7,973

  7,811

  8,005

  8,123

  7,616

  8,864

  8,564

  Berkshire

  9,196

  8,718

  9,063

  9,562

  9,462

  8,585

  8,985

  8,631

  Buckinghamshire

  7,963

  7,260

  7,526

  7,136

  6,901

  6,522

  6,190

  6,038

  East Sussex

  5,774

  5,226

  5,298

  5,351

  4,996

  4,030

  4,381

  4,321

  Essex

  25,561

  23,504

  23,069

  21,668

  20,267

  19,161

  19,351

  18,692

  Greater London (East)

  306

  258

  285

  311

  249

  236

  373

  487

  Greater London (South East)

  1,697

  1,661

  1,518

  1,609

  1,308

  1,155

  1,257

  1,113

  Hampshire

  15,993

  15,224

  16,180

  16,745

  17,566

  14,994

  16,838

  17,557

  Hertfordshire

  6,163

  6,134

  5,918

  5,946

  5,393

  4,372

  4,161

  3,794

  Isle of Wight

  1,396

  1,344

  1,164

  1,120

  1,205

  1,195

  1,235

  1,058

  Kent

  13,519

  12,923

  12,218

  12,269

  11,495

  10,350

  9,704

  9,715

  Oxfordshire

  22,060

  22,524

  22,051

  23,683

  24,824

  24,523

  27,490

  26,194

  Surrey

  6,426

  6,210

  6,204

  6,025

  5,870

  4,934

  4,775

  4,216

  West Sussex

  7,081

  8,104

  8,891

  9,075

  8,969

  7,974

  7,748

  8,057

  South East Region

  131,608

  127,063

  127,196

  128,505

  126,628

  115,647

  121,352

  118,437

  Avon

  5,160

  5,010

  5,138

  4,933

  4,943

  4,576

  4,592

  4,647

  Cornwall

  13,084

  11,373

  11,770

  12,133

  11,461

  10,172

  10,393

  9,965

  Devon

  23,208

  22,663

  22,332

  22,717

  22,379

  21,412

  23,104

  23,820

  Dorset

  11,432

  13,401

  13,774

  14,306

  13,753

  14,327

  15,066

  13,110

  Gloucestershire

  8,280

  7,615

  8,062

  8,585

  8,476

  7,953

  8,004

  7,952

  Isles of Scilly

  2

  2

  1

  3

  2

  2

  2

  2

  Somerset

  18,670

  17,084

  18,565

  19,135

  19,058

  17,149

  19,015

  19,953

  Wiltshire

  15,716

  15,477

  16,839

  17,155

  16,844

  17,130

  17,145

  18,118

  South West Region

  95,552

  92,625

  96,481

  98,967

  96,916

  92,721

  97,321

  97,567

  Hereford and Worcester

  15,209

  15,252

  15,188

  15,359

  15,364

  14,266

  14,451

  14,492

  Shropshire

  16,657

  16,406

  17,428

  17,800

  17,673

  16,474

  16,155

  15,616

  Staffordshire

  12,013

  11,450

  11,650

  11,779

  12,842

  12,619

  13,357

  13,569

  Warwickshire

  6,721

  6,114

  6,095

  6,128

  6,178

  5,871

  5,807

  5,295

  West Midlands

  2,462

  2,167

  2,421

  2,658

  2,552

  2,297

  2,573

  2,672

  West Midlands Region

  53,062

  51,389

  52,782

  53,724

  54,609

  51,527

  52,343

  51,644

  Cheshire

  11,678

  11,419

  11,586

  11,728

  12,508

  11,450

  12,148

  11,457

  Greater Manchester

  4,649

  4,083

  4,172

  4,354

  4,453

  3,641

  4,063

  3,846

  Lancashire

  24,906

  22,743

  24,557

  24,394

  23,681

  22,881

  23,346

  22,010

  Merseyside

  1,379

  1,369

  1,488

  1,479

  1,228

  1,141

  978

  1,130

  North West Region

  42,612

  39,614

  41,803

  41,955

  41,870

  39,113

  40,535

  38,443

  60 61

  County by Standard Statistical Region

  Total breeding pig herd 1979–86

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  England

  700,824

  685,721

  698,398

  719,471

  711,020

  675,770

  699,660

  698,989

  Clwyd

  3,402

  3,366

  3,387

  3,327

  3,371

  2,788

  3,221

  3,252

  Dyfed

  4,797

  4,321

  4,498

  4,646

  4,680

  3,974

  4,098

  3,878

  Gwent

  1,993

  2,048

  1,844

  2,722

  2,766

  2,830

  2,902

  3,315

  Gwynedd

  1,977

  1,677

  1,525

  1,689

  1,359

  1,040

  1,123

  1,116

  Mid Glamorgan

  544

  481

  563

  542

  546

  395

  448

  409

  Powys

  3,119

  2,562

  2,578

  2,480

  2,345

  1,935

  2,260

  2,137

  South Glamorgan

  837

  797

  944

  1,141

  1,109

  1,137

  1,208

  1,189

  West Glamorgan

  182

  143

  143

  177

  199

  229

  247

  254

  Wales

  16,848

  15,395

  15,485

  16,724

  16,375

  14,328

  15,507

  15,550

  Pins-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Guidance has already been issued in my Department which makes clear that sexual harassment at work is not tolerated and in particular requires managers to ensure that potentially offensive material is not displayed in the workplace.

  Affatoxin
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement about the recent import of peanuts containing five times the safe amount of affatoxin and their subsequent sale as wild bird seed;

  (2) if he will introduce a statutory limit on the proportion of affatoxin contained in imported foods destined for wild animals.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Controls which exist for levels of contaminants in feeding stuffs for domesticated animals and birds do not cover materials fed to wild birds; these controls are harmonised throughout the European Community and I am not aware of any plans to extend them to wild species.

  Milk
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total volume of milk production in the United Kingdom for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  '000 tonnes

  1978

  17,905

  1979

  17,830

  1980

  17,819

  1981

  17,610

  1982

  18,457

  1983

  18,923

  1984

  17,873

  1985

  17,680

  1986

  17,856

  1987

  116,976

  1 Provisional.

  Sources: EEC Dairy Facts and Figures/Milk Marketing Board.

  Radioactivity (Cumbria)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what experimental work he is undertaking or sponsoring, within the restricted area of Cumbria, into the effects of radioactivity following the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I am arranging for a copy of my Department's post-Chernobyl agricultural research programme to be placed in the Library of the House.

ENERGY

  Anglo-French Electricity Supply Link
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the ratio of United Kingdom imports to exports of electricity supply via the electricity supply link between the United Kingdom and France for the years 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the performances of the United Kingdom and France electricity supply link; and what are the export figures via the link from the United Kingdom to France for the years 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987, expressed in gigajoules.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The existing cross-channel electricity supply link between England and France was not fully commissioned until October 1986.

  In 1985–86 France supplied the CEGB's system with 103 GWh (370,799 GJ) of electricity. There were no exports from England and France.

  In 1986–87 electricity exports from England to France were 188 GWh (676,798 Gil, while imports from France amounted to 6590 GWh (23,723,934 GJ). This represents a ratio of exports to imports of 1:35.

  Electricity System (Emergencies)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the headquarters of the Central Electricity Board's national grid control system of Southwark; what arguments were put to him about the technical value of the coherence of the electricity system in times of emergency; and what his response was.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I visited the Central Electricity Generating Board's national control centre twice last autumn, and had wide-ranging discussions.

  L. A. W. Mining Company Ltd.
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to licences granted by British Coal to L. A. W. Mining Company Ltd. and the dates when such licences were granted.

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

  Nuclear Safety
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning the future of the mobile maintenance unit based at Llandegai Owynedd and Fiddler's Ferry and the scientific services department based at Llandegai and Manchester; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have received no representations.

  Coal Imports
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will issue a direction to the Central Electricity Generating Board not to purchase foreign coal, and in particular coal exported from South Africa, for use in its power stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. However, I understand that the CEGB does not import any coal from South Africa.

SCOTLAND

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what additional regulations or advice his Department will produce to ensure that the collection of personal data for use in the community charge register complies with the terms of the first data protection principle; and if 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 if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend is considering this matter. Compliance with the Data Protection Act 1984 and the data protection principles is a matter for individual community charge registration officers and local authorities.

  Community Charge Register (Access)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to allow police, district health and social security specialist units or immigration officers routine access to the community charge register.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 28 January 1988 at column 324.

  Schools (Clydesdale)
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many pupils are at each primary and secondary school in Clydesdale constituency; and what is the teacher-pupil ratio at each school;
  64
  (2) if he will give, in respect of present primary and secondary schools in Clydesdale (a) the number of pupils in each school, (b) the number of teachers in each school and (c) the expected numbers resulting from falling rolls anticipated in 1991.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information on individual schools in Clydesdale can be obtained from Strathclyde regional council.

  Strathclyde Structure Plan
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect that his draft decision letter on the Strathclyde structure plan 1986 update will have on development of the green belt in Strathclyde.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Strathclyde structure plan update (1986) proposes no substantial changes to the structure plan policies concerning the Clyde Valley green belt. In his draft modifications to the update my right hon. and learned Friend equally proposes no important changes to these policies. The draft modifications to the proposals in the update concerning residential development require additional land to be made available for housing in certain areas. The identification of sites would be a matter for district councils, in consultation with local housebuilders. The effect on the existing green belt is unlikely to be significant.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to take account of evidence that 700 houses are now being built and 1,700 others are planned to be built on land previously rejected by house builders before issuing his final decision letter on the Strathclyde structure plan 1986 update.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Yes.

  Pre-Court Diversion Schemes
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the findings of his Office's research into pre-court diversion schemes.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A decision on the publication of two relevant reports on the subject will be taken when the second has been received.

  AIDS
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the decision of the United States national institutes of health to instruct all biological laboratories to review their safety guidelines following the reported infection of two laboratory workers with the AIDS virus after working with concentrated samples; and whether he will carry out such a review of procedures in medical and biological laboratories in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  We are aware of the decision of the United States national institutes of health. Following a review of procedures relevant to potential occupational HIV infection which was carried out by the advisory committee on dangerous pathogens, in July 1986 the Scottish Home and Health Department drew the attention of all health boards to revised guidelines drawn up by the
  65
  committee. These guidelines have been endorsed by the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive.

  Domestic Violence
  Mrs. Mararet Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what stage his Department has reached in its consideration of guidelines on police response to domestic violence.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Draft guidelines on the investigation of complaints of domestic violence are in course of preparation and will be the subject of consultation with relevant interests shortly.

  Road Contracts
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all the motorway and trunk road contracts in Scotland with a works cost of £1 million or more which his Department intends to award in 1988–89 showing, in each case, the total value of the contract and the expenditure likely to be incurred in that year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Consideration of the major trunk road contracts to be awarded in 1988–89 is not yet complete. My right hon. and learned Friend's normal practice is to announce in March of each year those major schemes which he expects to start in the following year.

  Residential Care and Nursing Homes
  Mr. Millan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he has sent to age Concern Scotland regarding its document "The Case for Change" relating to residential care and nursing homes in Scotland; and what discussions he proposes having on the document.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I received the letter from Age Concern Scotland on 21 January. I am studying the proposals it contains and expect to reply shortly.

  School Meals and Milk
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children in(a) Tayside region and (b) Dundee district authority aea will lose entitlement to free school meals and free welfare milk after the Social Security Act 1986 is fully implemented in April; and how many of these children attend schools for those with special educational needs.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not held centrally.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each local authority ward, in the Dundee district council area, the percentage of the working population who are unemployed at the latest available date; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1983.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is not available, as unemployment percentage rates are calculated only on a travel-to-work area, regional authority and Scotland basis.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish figures for unemployment in the 66
  Dundee, East constituency for each year since 1979; and what percentage of the total working population this represents in each year.

  Mr. Lang
  Unemployment statistics on a parliamentary constituency basis are available only from June 1983. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in the Dundee, East parliamentary constituency for December 1987 (the latest date for which information is available) and the corresponding figures for previous years. Unemployment percentage rates for parliamentary constituencies are not available.

  Dundee, East Parliamentary Constituency December

  Number of Unemployed Claimants

  1983

  8,015

  1984

  8,192

  1985

  8,245

  1986

  7,748

  1987

  7,004

  These figures are not directly comparable due to a change in the compilation of the statistics in March 1986. This information is available in the Library.

  Schools (Assaults)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statistics are kept on the number of assaults taking place in schools in(a) Scotland as a whole, (b) Tayside region and (c) Dundee district authority area; and if he will give the number of assaults on (i) teachers and (ii) pupils per year since 1979 in each of these geographical areas.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information on the number of assaults taking place in schools is not collected centrally.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the numbers of prosecutions taking place in each year since 1979 for assaults on teachers and pupils in Scottish schools.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Homelessness
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what sums have been allocated to each Scottish local authority for the relief of homelessness in each year since 1979.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In determining housing revenue account capital allocations, my right hon. and learned Friend takes account of housing authorities' planned programmes for tackling the needs of their areas, including the needs of the homeless. The allocations issued are not, however, hypothecated for specific purposes and it is for each authority to determine its own policies and priorities and to programme expenditure accordingly, within the resources available to it.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of homeless households in Scotland became homeless through mortgage arrears in each year since 1979; and if he will give this information for(a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each district council.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  For Scotland as a whole, the proportions of households categorised as
  67
  homeless who quoted a court order for mortgage default as a reason for the loss of their last or present accommodation are as follows:

  per cent.

  1984–85

  2·7

  1985–86

  3·3

  1986–87

  3·0

  This category was not separately identified prior to March 1984.

  Number of applications front homeless households in priority need

  Areas

  Financial Years

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  SCOTLAND

  6,419

  6,029

  7,326

  7,492

  6,984

  8,338

  8,815

  7,318

  Borders

  Berwickshire

  6

  0

  6

  3

  6

  6

  2

  4

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  22

  13

  21

  21

  14

  9

  10

  6

  Roxburgh

  25

  12

  14

  25

  13

  26

  17

  24

  Tweeddale

  11

  11

  19

  0

  0

  —

  —

  —

  Central

  Clackmannan

  239

  200

  230

  230

  183

  196

  183

  104

  Falkirk

  101

  64

  116

  147

  174

  1,473

  1,156

  351

  Stirling

  119

  115

  105

  153

  223

  152

  0

  1

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Annandale and Eskdale

  29

  22

  26

  27

  28

  14

  14

  6

  Nithsdale

  115

  83

  116

  130

  138

  135

  127

  149

  Stewartry

  21

  15

  11

  16

  20

  20

  24

  20

  Wigtown

  63

  61

  36

  18

  30

  28

  39

  63

  Fife

  Dunfermline

  181

  212

  245

  245

  214

  263

  367

  337

  Kirkcaldy

  157

  97

  116

  129

  145

  99

  126

  132

  North East Fife

  23

  41

  25

  31

  29

  36

  42

  34

  Grampian

  Aberdeen

  210

  143

  191

  149

  163

  200

  365

  373

  Banff and Buchan

  23

  19

  27

  13

  5

  18

  28

  46

  Gordon

  16

  24

  19

  16

  25

  51

  49

  52

  Kincardine and Deeside

  12

  3

  9

  8

  9

  1

  0

  2

  Moray

  73

  94

  80

  101

  86

  60

  68

  56

  Highland

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Caithness

  6

  3

  12

  5

  2

  1

  0

  0

  Inverness

  78

  59

  83

  74

  115

  67

  48

  46

  Lochaber

  19

  20

  58

  41

  32

  32

  20

  34

  Nairn

  11

  11

  10

  29

  32

  13

  16

  23

  Ross and Cromarty

  21

  33

  11

  0

  0

  20

  14

  19

  Skye and Lochalsh

  20

  20

  10

  15

  16

  21

  24

  26

  Sutherland

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Lothian

  East Lothian

  24

  51

  103

  115

  106

  164

  127

  58

  Edinburgh

  267

  206

  203

  192

  164

  253

  445

  575

  Midlothian

  30

  27

  145

  56

  61

  41

  70

  99

  West Lothian

  104

  75

  176

  98

  62

  67

  83

  72

  Strathclyde

  Argyll and Bute

  113

  80

  83

  70

  55

  58

  64

  86

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  3

  0

  0

  0

  15

  25

  26

  23

  Clydebank

  21

  61

  119

  87

  130

  291

  252

  103

  Clydesdale

  26

  15

  24

  14

  11

  21

  31

  45

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  23

  72

  62

  169

  16

  118

  61

  0

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  26

  28

  26

  27

  28

  38

  37

  34

  Cunninghame

  224

  185

  222

  255

  227

  254

  272

  245

  Dumbarton

  82

  94

  158

  80

  72

  120

  245

  334

  East Kilbride

  74

  76

  109

  102

  95

  109

  134

  147

  Eastwood

  7

  5

  9

  8

  9

  10

  7

  6

  Glasgow

  1,822

  1,879

  1,714

  2,339

  1,949

  1,545

  1,267

  1,198

  Hamilton

  150

  117

  221

  86

  137

  86

  96

  76

  Inverclyde

  188

  210

  208

  154

  152

  170

  209

  214

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  61

  94

  117

  54

  28

  51

  193

  66

  Kyle and Carrick

  156

  121

  260

  218

  244

  234

  221

  238

  Monklands

  99

  72

  139

  75

  86

  88

  134

  111

  Motherwell

  428

  364

  597

  522

  541

  292

  162

  109

  Renfrew

  366

  379

  464

  579

  495

  560

  927

  485

  Strathkelvin

  140

  136

  133

  73

  63

  58

  102

  173

  68
  Information at district council level is being prepared and I shall write to the hon. Member about this as soon as possible.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of homeless households in priority need in Scotland in each year since 1979; and if he will give this information for Scotland as a whole and for each district council area.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The table sets out the information requested, on a financial year basis:
  69

  Areas

  Financial Years

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Tayside

  Angus

  84

  49

  55

  78

  67

  55

  90

  121

  Dundee

  198

  155

  165

  171

  185

  399

  602

  549

  Perth and Kinross

  55

  67

  166

  200

  223

  244

  150

  190

  Orkney Islands

  10

  4

  9

  2

  10

  8

  2

  2

  Shetland Islands

  15

  18

  23

  19

  23

  26

  49

  28

  Western Isles

  24

  13

  20

  23

  28

  12

  18

  23

  Notes:

  1986–87—Returns are still outstanding for a few districts.

  Blanks indicate no returns received to date.

  Schools (Expenditure)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the capital allocation for expenditure on schools in 1987–88 made by his Department to each education authority in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Local authorities in Scotland receive an allocation of consent to incur liability to meet capital expenditure on schools, further education colleges and community education buildings. Within this overall level of consent they are free to determine which education building projects will proceed. They are also free to transfer consent between certain other capita programmes. Information on the level of the total capita allocations for education, and on the assumed schools element included in that total, for 1987–88 is given in the table.

  £000 at cash prices

  Region/Island Authority

  Total allocation for education 1987–88

  Assumed schools element

  Borders

  1,134

  932

  Central

  3,065

  2,854

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1,506

  929

  Fife

  4,180

  3,553

  Grampian

  3,965

  2,845

  Highland

  3,020

  2,181

  Lothian

  6,647

  4,842

  Strathclyde

  20,378

  18,239

  Tayside

  3,440

  2,715

  Orkney

  975

  923

  Shetland

  840

  679

  Western Isles

  4,360

  3,533

  Notes:

  1. Total allocation figures include where appropriate, assumed levels of capital financed from current revenue.

  2. Both sets of figures include the enhancement of consent issued in August 1987 for the purchase of equipment for science, technological and computing studies courses in secondary schools.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the bid by each Scottish local education authority to his Department for a capital allocation for expenditure on schools for 1987–88.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The bids made by local authorities in Scotland for consent to incur liability to meet capital expenditure on their education programmes in 1987–88 and the amounts included in such bids for school building, are given in the table.
  70

  £000 at cash prices

  Regional-Islands Authority

  Total bid for education building

  Bid for school building

  Borders

  1,348

  1,122

  Central

  3,008

  3,118

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3,387

  1,545

  Fife

  6,573

  5,034

  Grampian

  3,312

  2,657

  Highland

  4,130

  3,446

  Lothian

  8,555

  5,836

  Strathclyde

  24,888

  22,161

  Tayside

  3,701

  2,862

  Orkeny

  967

  910

  Shetland

  983

  643

  Western Isles

  5,158

  3,783

  Rates Relief
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those who are eligible to vote in local government elections in(a) Tayside region and (b) Dundee district authority are (i) domestic ratepayers, (ii) spouses of domestic ratepayers and (iii) people who receive any relief from domestic rates because of special needs.

  Mr. Lang
  This information is not held centrally.

  Epilepsy
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to issue further guidance to health boards in Scotland on the provision of health services for patients with epilepsy to that issued in 1968 in the Hutchinson report "The Medical Care of Epilepsy in Scotland;" and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have no plans to issue such guidance.

  Doctors and Consultants (Telephones)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about arrangements for funding emergency repair cover for the house telephones of doctors and consultants working in the National Health Service in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  British Telecom is in the process of changing the arrangements for the operation and funding of emergency repairs to telephones at National Health Service premises and at the homes of key personnel. The Scottish Home and Health Department is consulting interested parties about ways of ensuring that key personnel (including general practitioners and hospital
  71
  consultants) can be contacted quickly in cases of urgency, even when there is a fault on their home telephone line. The Department aims to identify arrangements which represent good value for public money, do not conflict with the terms of service of the key personnel concerned and, above all, are effective.

  Fine Defaulters
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage of inmates in Scottish prisons sent there due to fines defaults for each year since 1974.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is set out in the table:

  Fine Defaulters as percentage of Total Average Daily Population in Penal Establishments in Scotland

  Percentage

  1974

  5·7

  1975

  6·6

  1976

  6·6

  1977

  5·9

  1978

  6·1

  1979

  6·4

  1980

  7·9

  1981

  5·1

  1982

  4·8

  1983

  4·5

  1984

  5·4

  1985

  5·8

  1986

  5·9

  1987

  5·2

  Prison Statistics
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of inmates in Scottish prisons in each year since 1974.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The average daily penal population in 1987 is provisionally estimated as 5,446. For earlier years, corresponding figures are given in appendix 2 of the annual reports "Prisons in Scotland" for 1985 and 1986.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of inmates in Scottish prisons aged(a) between 16 to 18 years (b) between 18 to 21 years and (c) between 21 to 25 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Detailed information is not available on the age distribution of the penal population in Scotland. The average daily penal population in 1987 is provisionally estimated as 5,446—of these 987 were young offenders under sentence, aged under 21.

  An analysis by age of remand, direct sentenced and fine default receptions in 1986 was published in tables 8, 10 and 19 of Scottish Home and Health Department statistical bulletin No. 6/1987, "Prison Statistics Scotland 1986" (copies of which are available in the Library).

  Education (Under-sixes)
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish a report on the Scottish Education Department's review of provisions for the under-sixes.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The review has been discontinued and I do not intend to publish a report.

  Islay (Wild Birds)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will describe the measures taken to prevent disturbance to wild birds in the proposed special protection area known as the Rinns, by the licensed shooting of white-fronted geese on Islay.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The special interest of the Rinns of Islay, including the habitats of wild birds, is protected by the area having been notified as a site of special scientific interest by the Nature Conservancy Council. None of the licences issued for the shooting of white-fronted geese on Islay permit shooting on land contained within the Rinns SSSI.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the impact of the killing of white-fronted geese on Islay on the conservation efforts and the distribution of the Greenland race of the species; and if he will make his policy to refuse any further applications for licences.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  As the primary objective is to scare the geese away from land being cropped, we would expect only a relatively small number to be shot.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will be measuring the effectiveness of the licences recently issued for the killing of white-fronted geese; and if a report will be made.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The issue of licences to shoot white-fronted geese is part of an overall package of measures to contain the geese within protected areas and other land providing their natural habitats. The effects of the measures are being monitored and a report will be compiled at the end of the over-wintering period.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider giving financial compensation to the farmers on Islay for damage caused by white-fronted geese and withdrawing the licences issued for shooting; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Nature Conservancy Council has agreements with farmers within the sites of special scientific interest to compensate for goose damage. The protection of crops and improved grassland outwith these areas is essential to the continued viability of agricultural production on Islay and a more widely based compensation policy would not offer an appropriate solution.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of white-fronted geese killed to date; and if he anticipates issuing any further licences for killing them.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Shooting is primarily intended to scare the geese and inquiries made by officials of my Department have indicated that in the period to 31 January 1988 none had been killed. The position is being kept under review and consideration will be given to the case for issuing further licences if it can he demonstrated that serious damage to crops or improved grassland is being caused by the geese.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to the reply of 20 January,Official

  73
  Report, column 720, he received any advice from the Nature Conservancy Council in respect of the licences to shoot white-fronted geese.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Nature Conservancy Council was given advance notice of the proposal to issue licences to shoot white-fronted geese. It indicated that it could not support the proposal.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to the reply of 20 January,Official Report, column 720, he will detail the terms of the respective licences to shoot white-fronted geese, including the number of birds permitted to be killed under each licence.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Since the licence is a lengthy document I am sending a copy to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to the reply of 20 January,Official Report, column 720, he will indicate the evidence he considered in assessing the serious damage to crops for the purposes of issuing licences to kill white-fronted geese; and if he will indicate the extent to which alternative solutions were considered and tested.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  On receipt of an application for a licence to protect a farm from serious damage by white-fronted geese, experienced members of my Department's agricultural staff report on the numbers of geese feeding and the extent of the damage being caused to crops and grassland. A licence would not normally be issued unless significant numbers of geese were feeding on the land. White-fronted geese are difficult to keep away from crops for any length of time, and shooting is needed to complement other methods of scaring.

EMPLOYMENT

  London Docklands
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Manpower Services Commission has any projects targeted on London docklands apart from the general programmes.

  Mr. Cope
  In addition to the Manpower Services Commission's mainstream programmes which are designed to respond to local needs in London docklands, as elsewhere, the MSC has a number of other initiatives. For the London docklands these include a local collaborative project, which aims to establish a long-term partnership between employers and training providers and a local employer network to encourage the involvement of employers in local vocational education and training issues.

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will issue instructions for the removal of offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The programme of action to achieve equality for women which the Cabinet Office (Management and Personnel Office) issued in 1984 recommended that Departments should advise their staff that sexual harassment at work was not tolerated and 74
  would be treated as a disciplinary offence. The guidance issued to my staff gives examples of what might constitute sexual harassment. These include
  "displays and circulation of sexually offensive material, for example pin-ups".
  I do not therefore consider that any further instructions are needed.

  Wages (Underpayment)
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many cases of underpayment the wages inspectorate investigated in each of the past five years in(a) the Northunnel travel-to-work area, (b) the Chester travel-to-work area and (c) the Runcorn travel-to-work area; how many checks were the results of complaints by staff; how many the result of routine spot checks; and what were the outcomes.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Statistics are not compiled for areas smaller than the nine wages inspectorate divisions.

  Accidents at Work
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of(a) accidents, (b) serious injuries and (c) deaths arising at the workplace for each year since 1975.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher)Official Report 16 December 1987, at column 578.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any information on the breakdown of accidents at work in small companies since 1975.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, some details on this can be found in the publication "Health and Safety Statistics 1984–85", copies of which were placed in the Library.

  Major Accident Hazards
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of those industrial installations in west Glamorgan which are covered by the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 (S.I. 1984, No. 1902); and whether the amending European Community directive 87/216 has yet been applied to any of them.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The industrial installations in west Glamorgan notified to the Health and Safety Executive under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations 1984 are;

  1. BP Chemicals Limited, Port Talbot;

  2. British Gas Corporation, E M Edwards Works, Jersey Marine, Neath;

  3. BP Oil (Llandarcy) Refinery Limited, Llandarcy, Neath;

  4. BP Oil (Llandarcy) Refinery Limited, Queens Dock, Swansea;

  5. Calor Gas Limited, Aberdulais;

  6. Inc (Europe) Limited, Clydach.

  Compliance with the EC directive 87/216 is required by 24 September 1988. Regulations to implement the directive in Great Britain are currently being prepared.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many constituencies in(a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole have had a higher percentage rate of unemployment than Dundee East for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available. Unemployment rates are not calculated for areas smaller that travel-to-work areas.

  Employees in Employment in Great Britain

  June of each year

  Agriculture and Horticulture 1(0100)

  Coal Extraction and Solid Fuels (111)

  Shipbuilding and Repairs (3610)

  Iron and Steel (2210)

  1977

  358,000

  312,000

  142,000

  222,000

  1978

  354,000

  308,000

  141,000

  199,000

  1979

  339,000

  299,000

  135,000

  191,000

  1980

  332,000

  298,000

  122,000

  168,000

  1981

  324,000

  285,000

  113,000

  130,000

  1982

  320,000

  271,000

  114,000

  114,000

  1983

  312,000

  257,000

  109,000

  95,000

  1984

  302,000

  234,000

  89,000

  85,000

  1985

  304,000

  219,000

  82,000

  83,000

  1986

  292,000

  183,000

  79,000

  75,000

  1987

  283,000

  154,000

  72,000

  72,000

  1 Figures in brackets denote Groups and Activity Headings of the Standard Industrial Classification 1980.

  The figures are unadjusted for the effects of seasonal variations.

  The estimates for shipbuilding and repairs and iron and steel are subject to considerable potential estimation error due to the relatively small number of employees in these industries.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current estimate for unclaimed benefit in(a) Scotland as a whole, (b) Tayside region and (c) Dundee.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have been asked to reply.

  For statistical reasons it is possible to provide take-up estimates only for Great Britain as a whole. A convenient summary of the national position is shown on pages 272 and 273 of the 1988 public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 288).

WALES

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any proposals to increase the level of provision of mammography units and cervical cancer screening units in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of mammography units in Wales is to be increased as part of the centrally funded breast screening programme. The provision of cervical screening is the responsibility of district health authorities. Some £800,000 a year of central funding has been allocated over the last two years to help authorities develop and extend the service they provide.

  Regional Development Fund
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up-to-date estimate of the planned
  76
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many people have been employed in the agricultural industry in each of the last 10 years;

  (2) how many people were employed in the coal mining industry in each of the last 10 years;

  (3) how many people were employed in the shipbuilding and ship-repairing industries in each of the last 10 years;

  (4) how many people were employed in the steel industry in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Lee
  The available information is as follows:

  provision for payment of regional development grant, separately for old scheme and new scheme (a) gross and (b) net of European regional development fund receipts, for 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Planned regional development grant provision in Wales is as follows:

  £ million

  Old scheme

  New scheme

  1987–88

  22·0

  34·0

  1988–89

  17·0

  46·5

  1989–90

  2·0

  40·0

  1990–91

  0·6

  27·0

  These figures are gross of receipts from the European regional development fund. The provision for ERDF receipts towards RDG expenditure is £3·8 million in 1987–88 and £1·5 million in 1988–89. Information is not available at this stage on the likely level of ERDF receipts beyond 1988–89. The United Kingdom will, however, continue to claim reimbursement from the European Commission in respect of both regional development grant schemes.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total value of grants which Wales has received from the European regional development fund in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Net commitment to Wales from the European regional development fund was £54·9 million in 1985, £59·5 million in 1986 and £53·8 million in 1987.

  Regional Aid
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether regional selective assistance will be available for United Kingdom firms moving from one region of the
  77
  United Kingdom to Wales, or opening new branches in Wales following the change in policy announced on 12 January.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Regional selective assistance will continue to be available for all qualifying projects which improve employment opportunities in the assisted areas. Projects which move from elsewhere in Great Britain will be eligible for assistance on the additional employment which they create. Since 1984 relocation projects involving no net increase in jobs have not normally been assisted and that policy has not changed as a consequence of the announcements made on 12 January.

  Bus Deregulation
  Sir Raymond Gower
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the results to date of the deregulation of buses in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Initial research by the Department of Transport's Transport and Road Research Laboratory indicates that overall bus deregulation in Wales has been successful. Monitoring of the position is continuing.

  Bypasses
  Sir Raymond Gower
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many road bypass schemes have been completed in Wales since January 1987.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Two; the A48 Crosshands-Llanddarog bypass and A483 Ruabon bypass and Wynnstay link.

  Measles, Whooping Cough and Polio
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he plans any new schemes to increase parental compliance with the need for increased vaccination against measles, whooping cough and polio;

  Children vaccinated as percentage of the total born in the second previous year

  Health Authority and year

  Measles

  Diphtheria

  Whooping Cough

  Tetanus

  Polio

  Clwyd

  1981

  50·1

  81·2

  39·8

  81·3

  81·5

  1982

  53·6

  82·8

  45·6

  82·8

  83·3

  1983

  54·9

  84·9

  52·8

  84·9

  85·3

  1984

  57·1

  83·9

  59·7

  84·0

  84·1

  1985

  64·4

  86·0

  59·7

  86·0

  86·1

  1986

  71·4

  87·1

  62·7

  87·2

  87·3

  East Dyfed

  1981

  27·9

  86·1

  27·3

  87·9

  81·2

  1982

  30·8

  86·4

  31·1

  86·6

  82·3

  1983

  45·1

  83·7

  33·6

  83·7

  83·8

  1984

  53·5

  86·5

  44·9

  86·5

  86·5

  1985

  63·3

  87·7

  47·0

  87·7

  87·9

  1986

  65·0

  88·6

  50·0

  88·7

  88·2

  Gwent

  1981

  48·4

  84·2

  30·5

  84·2

  85·0

  1982

  51·7

  85·3

  38·0

  85·5

  86·2

  1983

  54·4

  86·2

  46·7

  86·3

  87·1

  1984

  57·4

  85·9

  53·9

  85·9

  86·2

  1985

  62·5

  87·4

  52·2

  87·4

  87·8

  1986

  64·6

  87·2

  54·1

  87·2

  87·7

  Gwynedd

  1981

  33·9

  80·6

  27·6

  80·8

  80·5

  78
  (2) by what percentage the uptake of (a) measles, (b) triple vaccine, including whooping cough, and (c) poliomyelitis vaccination fails short of the target level of 90 per cent. in each of the health authorities in Wales for each of the last six years.

  Mr. Grist
  Considerable efforts, including notably the designation of an appropriate individual in each district health authority to co-ordinate immunisation activity, have been made in recent years to achieve a significant improvement in the uptake rates for vaccination against a range of childhood infectious diseases. A public education campaign aimed both at raising awareness of the need for children to be protected against these illnesses and at motivating parents and health professionals alike has been promoted by Health Departments. There has been a marked improvement in the rates of vaccination against each of these diseases in all Welsh district health authorities, though some remain disappointingly low. Our officials will be considering with the Welsh Health Promotion Authority and district health authorities what further measures might be appropriate to achieve further improvement. In particular, consideration will be given to sensitive and appropriate methods of overcoming the resistance which continues to be evident in relation to the take-up of vaccination against both measles and whooping cough. The introduction of the new combined vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella later this year is expected to play a major part in this process.

  Health authorities in Wales were advised of the target uptake rate of 90 per cent. by 1990 for measles immunisation only in August 1985. At the same time they were invited to establish their own individual targets for diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and poliomyelitis. The tables set out the percentage uptake rates for immunisation against each of these diseases, by health authority, for the years 1981 to 1986 inclusive.
  79

  Health Authority and year

  Measles

  Diphtheria

  Whooping Cough

  Tetanus

  Polio

  1982

  37·5

  82·2

  35·8

  82·3

  81·9

  1983

  37·1

  79·8

  44·5

  80·0

  80·0

  1984

  46·0

  81·5

  52·9

  81·6

  81·1

  1985

  58·4

  86·2

  55·8

  86·2

  85·6

  1986

  68·0

  89·9

  60·1

  89·9

  90·1

  Mid Glamorgan

  1981

  28·6

  76·1

  18·6

  76·2

  76·8

  1982

  34·7

  79·7

  24·1

  79·6

  80·9

  1983

  36·6

  80·1

  31·7

  80·1

  80·7

  1984

  40·8

  79·1

  42·1

  79·0

  79·6

  1985

  48·5

  81·2

  42·3

  81·2

  81·5

  1986

  50·2

  81·0

  43·7

  81·1

  81·5

  Pembrokeshire

  1981

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1982

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1983

  61·8

  88·9

  60·6

  88·8

  89·1

  1984

  64·0

  85·8

  64·0

  85·8

  85·7

  1985

  71·3

  87·8

  64·1

  87·9

  88·1

  1986

  76·7

  87·4

  64·8

  87·5

  87·5

  Powys

  1981

  53·2

  74·6

  32·4

  74·5

  74·3

  1982

  56·4

  91·8

  46·9

  92·1

  93·2

  1983

  60·7

  91·0

  40·4

  91·0

  91·6

  1984

  64·9

  91·1

  63·3

  91·3

  91·4

  1985

  70·8

  94·5

  61·9

  94·6

  94·5

  1986

  76·9

  95·9

  65·1

  95·5

  96·5

  South Glamorgan

  1981

  27·2

  69·0

  22·4

  69·0

  69·1

  1982

  34·7

  77·8

  31·6

  77·8

  78·4

  1983

  37·6

  77·0

  40·4

  77·1

  77·2

  1984

  42·2

  75·2

  47·6

  75·2

  74·9

  1985

  53·8

  78·4

  49·5

  78·4

  77·1

  1986

  55·6

  79·0

  52·0

  79·0

  79·1

  West Glamorgan

  1981

  22·7

  70·3

  19·1

  70·3

  70·8

  1982

  25·9

  75·2

  24·4

  75·2

  75·4

  1983

  31·4

  76·7

  33·7

  76·9

  77·2

  1984

  35·9

  76·3

  43·0

  76·3

  76·3

  1985

  49·9

  79·7

  43·9

  79·7

  80·1

  1986

  56·5

  84·0

  51·3

  84·0

  85·0

  Wales

  1981

  35·0

  77·8

  26·2

  78·0

  77·6

  1982

  39·3

  81·4

  32·7

  81·5

  81·7

  1983

  43·9

  81·8

  41·6

  81·9

  82·3

  1984

  48·3

  81·3

  49·9

  81·3

  81·1

  1985

  57·3

  83·7

  50·4

  83·8

  83·7

  1986

  61·3

  84·9

  53·3

  84·9

  85·2

  n/a—Not available.

  Obstetric Units
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the obstetric units run by general practitioners for each area health authority in Wales have no provision of anaesthetic services.

  Mr. Grist
  This is a matter of operational policy for the health authorities concerned and I suggest that the hon. Gentleman writes to the district general managers.

  AIDS
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has about the decision of the United States national institutes of health to instruct all biological laboratories to review their safety guidelines following the reported infection of two laboratory workers with the 80
  AIDS virus after working with concentrated samples; and whether he will carry out such a review of procedures in medical and biological laboratories in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The Department receives advice on such matters from the Government's Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens and the expert advisory group on AIDS.

  In July 1986 comprehensive advice was issued to all concerned in the ACDP document "LAV/HTLVIII—the causative agent of AIDS and related conditions—revised guidelines". Guidance is constantly under review to ensure that it reflects the latest expert opinion both in the United Kingdom and abroad. We have no plans to initiate a special review to supplement these arrangements.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to the median waiting time for operations in each Welsh health district for the 10 most common types of operation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many men and how many women were in full-time employment in June 1979 and December 1987 in(a) Bridgend, (b) Mid Glamorgan and (c) Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In Wales, total male employment was 618,000 in June 1979 and 486,000 in September 1987 (the latest available date); equivalents for full-time female employment are 250,000 and 210,000 (these figures exclude self employed). Figures for Bridgend and Mid Glamorgan are not available, nor are separate figures for full-time male employees.

  Gwynedd Health Authority
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the chairman of Gwynedd health authority; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend and I, together with the Minister of State, met the chairman of Gwynedd health authority on 15 December 1987, when the authority's financial position and plans for financial recovery were discussed.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to the charge which will be payable for static caravans used as second or holiday homes under the community charge in Wales; and whether he will make it his policy that the charge will he the same as in England and Scotland.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Pembroke (Mr. Bennett).

DEFENCE

  Army Vehicles
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received about army vehicles driving on public highways after dark without lights; and what steps are taken to warn other road users when this occurs.

  Mr. Freeman
  No representations have been received about army vehicles driving on public highways after dark without lights. It is against regulations for army vehicles to use the public highway after dark unless in exceptional circumstances a special exemption has been secured; no such exemptions have been sought in recent years.

  Black Officers
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the name and rank of the highest ranking black officer in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The armed forces are fully integrated, non-discriminating organisations and no records are kept of the ethnic origins of personnel. Therefore, no information can be provided on the origins, number or rank of those from the ethnic minorities.

  Defence Procurement
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will give the value of procurement business given to Moores Wallisdown Ltd in each o' the years from 1980 to 1985 separately.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The overall value of HQ contracts placed with Moores Wallisdown Ltd. is as follows:

  £ '000

  1982–83

  30

  1983–84

  161

  1984–85

  nil

  1985–86

  238

  Information for earlier years could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will state the value of procurement business given to Altonjet in the years 1985, 1986 and 1987 separately.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have no record of any HQ contracts having been placed with this company. No central record is maintained of orders placed locally and an investigation could only be carried out at disproportionate cost.

  Research Contracts
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many research agreements or contracts his Department has currently placed with the University of Southampton; and what are the subjects into which the research is being carried out;

  (2) how many research agreements or contracts his Department has currently placed with the University of Birmingham; and what are the subjects into which the research is being carried out;

  (3) how many research agreements or contracts his Department has currently placed with the University of Aston in Birmingham; and what are the subjects into which the research is being carried out.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Mrs. Gordon) on 14 January at column 775.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many research agreements or contracts the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment has currently placed with universities and other establishments of higher education; and what is the total cost of these agreements and contracts.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Atomic Weapons Establishment has currently 41 research contracts or agreements placed
  83
  with universities and other establishments of higher education. The total value of these agreements and contracts is £2 million.

  Service Engagements (Termination)
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many soldiers from each regiment of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers left the Army without completing three years service; in each year since 1979;

  (2) how many soldiers from the Parachute Regiment left the Army before completing three years service in each year since 1979;

  (3) how many soldiers from the Royal Welsh Fusiliers left the Army before completing three years service, in each year since 1979;

  (4) how many soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders left the Army before completing three years service, in each year since 1979;

  (5) how many soldiers from each regiment of the Royal Engineers left the Army before completing three years service, in each year since 1979;

  (6) how many soldiers from each regiment of the Royal Signals left the Army before completing three years service, in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Captain Fred Holroyd
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any assistance was given by his Department to the Royal Ulster Constabulary inquiry in 1982 into the allegations of Captain Fred Holroyd, retired.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what full and careful investigations were carried out into the allegations made by Captain Holroyd, retired, and Mr. Colin Wallace, referred to in the Official Report, 3 March 1987, column 577, and when.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 20 July 1987, at column 93.

  Nuclear Tests (Radiation Victims)
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence up to which date the recent National Radiological Protection Board report studied mortality in relation to Britain's nuclear test veterans; by how many since that date the number of deaths from multiple myeloma among nuclear veterans has increased; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In planning the conduct of the study, before any mortality data had been obtained, NRPB decided that it would attempt to take account of all deaths prior to 1 January 1984. The main results of the study refer to that date, although the authors refer in passing to some notifications received later than the above cut-off date. The Government, in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 28 January at column 309, have already said they would co-operate in implementing the recommendations by NRPB to continue
  84
  the study for a further period of 10 years. The further data to which the hon. Member refers will be included in that extension to the study.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to receive notification from his West German counterpart of his Government's agreement to the further development phase of the European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The co-ordination of four separate national approvals is necessarily complex, and allowance must be made for the different timings involved. We are encouraging our partners to reach their decisions as quickly as possible.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the F18 fighter aircraft or any of its derivatives meets the agreed operational requirements of the proposed European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the future progress of the European fighter aircraft project.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Further to the reply I gave to the hon. Members for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) and for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid) on 10 November 1987 at column 157, the processing of national development submissions in each of the four partner nations is continuing. The development phase will be formally launched as soon as these activities have been brought to a successful conclusion. We expect this to be in the next few months.

  Service Personnel (Electors)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail the process by which members of each branch of the armed services may register as electors.

  Mr. Freeman
  Service personnel are encouraged to register as voters and may then vote in local, parliamentary and European elections. They register by service declaration form F/Vote/33 available in all ships, units or stations. Service declarations do not have to be completed annually. They are valid for the whole of the individual's service but may, of course, be amended.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to encourage service personnel in each branch of the armed forces to register as electors.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is our aim to achieve the highest possible level of service registration and we use a variety of means to encourage service men to register, including annual Defence Council instructions to commanding officers, compulsory displays of noticeboard information material, articles and advertisements in service magazines and newspapers, and radio broadcasts on British forces broadcasting services. All recruit training includes a period on voting rights and registration procedures. Families posted overseas are issued with further advice. Registration performance is monitored by each of the three services.

  Departmental Correspondence
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the written answer of 11 December 1987,Official Report, column 312, to what inquiries about correspondence between third parties and his Department he is willing to respond.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave on that occasion.

  Army Chaplains
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many chaplains are currently attached to the Army; and how many are of each rank.

  Mr. Freeman
  (holding answer 4 February 1988): There are currently 160 chaplains in the Regular Army. The numbers in each rank are:

  1 Major General (Chaplain General)

  1 Brigadier (Deputy Chaplain General)

  9 Colonels (1 Principal Roman Catholic Chaplain, 8 Chaplains Class I)

  35 Lieutenant Colonels (Chaplains Class II)

  64 Majors (Chaplains Class III)

  50 Captains (Chaplains Class IV)

  In addition, there are 108 chaplains commissioned into the Territorial Army and 140 Army Cadet Force chaplains. All TA and ACF chaplains join as chaplains class IV (Captains) and can attain the acting rank of chaplain class III (Acting Major) after six years service.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  RUC (Injury and Sickness)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Belfast, South of 27 January,Official Report, column 292, how many of the total days off sick or injured by members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary were

  Kneecapping cases

  Compensation refused

  Compensation awarded

  Year

  Claims received

  Claims withdrawn

  By Secretary of State

  By courts

  By Secretary of State

  By courts

  Claims outstanding

  Compensation paid (£)

  1977

  15

  1

  3

  3

  7

  1

  —

  16,841

  1978

  19

  3

  5

  2

  8

  1

  —

  29,797

  1979

  14

  2

  3

  2

  6

  1

  —

  16,200

  1980

  18

  2

  6

  1

  6

  3

  —

  36,100

  1981

  37

  2

  1

  9

  17

  7

  1

  170,600

  1982

  28

  3

  —

  2

  13

  8

  2

  168,150

  1983

  6

  —

  3

  2

  1

  —

  —

  1,750

  1984

  5

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  2

  85,500

  1985

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  1986

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1987

  5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  —

  Totals

  152

  13

  21

  21

  61

  21

  15

  524,938

  United States Politicians (Visits)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many locally and nationally elected United States politicians have been invited during each of the last 10 years to visit Northern Ireland at public expense; what positions they held; what was the full cost 86
  attributable to (a) injury and (b) sickness; and if he will give this information for the last five years, stating average days off per capita.

  Mr. Stanley
  The information in respect of the regular RUC is as follows:

  Injury on duty

  Average per member

  Sickness

  Average per member

  1983

  14,233

  1·78

  77,155

  9·64

  1984

  17,444

  2·15

  92,604

  11·39

  1985

  21,351

  1·58

  111,318

  13·48

  1986

  23,527

  2·86

  124,780

  15·15

  1987

  Figures not yet available

  Positive Vetting
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office between 1965 and 1985 failed positive vetting.

  Mr. Stanley
  As the Government have made clear previously, it would be inconsistent with the confidentiality of the positive vetting procedure to give information of this kind.

  Criminal Injury Claims
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available to indicate the numbers of criminal injuries claims for each year since 1975 arising from so-called punishment attacks, the total amounts of compensation paid and the number of cases contested in court.

  Mr. Stanley
  [holding answer 29 January 1988]: The information that is readily available relates only to criminal injury claims for punishment shootings in the form of "kneecapping" and is as follows:

  in each case; how many were involved in each party; how many brought their spouses or other relatives; and, in those cases, who paid.

  Mr. Stanley
  [holding answer 3 February 1988]: Invitations to United States politicians to visit Northern Ireland at public expense are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Mortgage Tax Relief
  Sir Peter Hordern
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals received mortgage tax relief in shared accommodation, not counting married couples; and what was the value of such relief in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  It is tentatively estimated that about 500,000 individuals (excluding married couples) are involved in multiple borrower mortgages. The direct revenue cost in 1987–88 of the additional mortgage interest relief which is available to sharers is estimated to be about £25 million.

  Capital Gains Tax
  Sir Peter Hordern
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue derived in the last year for which figures are available from capital gains tax on assets held for more than(a) 10 years, (b) 15 years and (c) 20 years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The liability to capital gains tax, expressed as a proportion of the total net liability accruing on the disposal of assets during 1985–86, is estimated to be about(a) 50 per cent., (b) 30 per cent. and (c) 20 per cent. respectively. These figures exclude tax on the capital gains of companies chargeable to corporation tax.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding the effects of capital gains tax upon the deployment of investment in British business.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any estimate of what a 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, 6p and 7p cut in the standard rate of income tax would represent as a percentage pay increase for a man on national average earnings.

  Increase in income after tax and national insurance (£ per annum) compared with indexation in 1988–89

  Multiple of average male earnings1

  1/2

  3/4

  1

  11/2

  2

  5

  Increased derived from:

  (a) 2 pence cut in basic rate

  (i) single

  77

  141

  204

  331

  459

  1,222

  (ii) married couple wife not earning

  48

  112

  176

  303

  430

  1,194

  (iii) married couple wife earning2

  82

  188

  294

  505

  716

  1,985

  (b) reduction of all higher rates of income tax to 40 per . cent.

  (i) single

  —

  —

  —

  —

  87

  5,971

  (ii) married couple wife not earning

  —

  —

  —

  —

  15

  5,685

  (iii) married couple wife earning2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  87

  7,794

  1 Average male earnings assumed to be £244·70 per week; an increase of 6·5 per cent. on 1987–88 in line with the assumptions used by the Government Actuary for reviewing National Insurance contributions (paragraph 3.02 of the Autumn Statement 1987).

  2 Assuming that the wife's earnings are the same multiple of average earnings as her husband's.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the estimated income tax forgone in 1986–87
  88
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The information is in the table:

  Reduction in basic rate of income tax

  Increase in income after tax as a percentage of gross earnings for a married man on average earnings, 1988–89

  Pence

  Per cent.

  1

  0·7

  2

  1·4

  3

  2·1

  4

  2·8

  5

  3·4

  6

  4·1

  7

  4·8

  It is assumed that the man's earnings are his only source of income. Average earnings are those for men in all occupations paid at adult rates who work a full week and whose pay is unaffected by absence. This figure is projected to 1988–89 in accordance with the assumptions given to the Government Actuary for reviewing national insurance contributions in paragraph 3.02 of the Autumn Statement 1987. The married man's allowance for 1988–89 is calculated by reference to the statutory formula for indexation.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional annual income net of tax and national insurance would result from (a) a 2p cut in the basic rate of income tax and (b) the reduction of all high rate income tax bands to 40 per cent. for (i) a person, (ii) an income tax payer, (iii) a household and (iv) average family of four.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 29 January 1988]: The effects of the proposed changes depend on the level of income. Estimates are given in the tables, for selected specimen incomes. The income tax changes are compared with the 1987–88 tax regime indexed to 1988–89 according to the statutory provisions and disregard any changes in the social security income related benefits to which the family may be entitled. The number of children in a family would not affect the tax liability.

  by the Treasury from taxpayers earning (a) between £20,000 and £50,000 and (b) more than £50,000 as a result of beneficial loans from employers;
  89
  (2) what was the estimated income tax forgone in 1986–87 by the Treasury from taxpayers earning (a) between £20,000 and £50,000 and (b) more than £50,000 as a result of loans from an employer to purchase a residence;

  (3) what was the estimated income tax forgone in 1986–87 by the Treasury from taxpayers earning (a) between £20,000 and £50,000 and (b ) more than £50,000 as a result of loans from an employer to purchase a car.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answers 4 February 1988]: Employees earning at a rate of £8,500 or more per year and all directors who receive an interest-free or cheap loan from their employer are liable to income tax on the difference between interest calculated at the official rate and the actual interest paid. When the benefit of the cheap loan is less than £200 in the year, no tax is charged. Estimates of the cost of this tax exemption are not available.

  Tax is not charged if the loan is such that any interest paid on it would be eligible for tax relief—for example, qualifying loans up to £30,000 to purchase a main residence. It is estimated that the total income tax forgone as a result of this exemption is around £100 million, but I regret that it is not possible to estimate the cost attributable to those earning over £20,000 per year.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the estimated income tax forgone in 1986–87 by the Treasury from taxpayers earning(a) between £20,000 and £50,000 and (b) more than £50,000 as a result of personal equity plans.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 4 February 1988]: The income tax relief on personal equity plans is in respect of dividend and interest payments on investments. Since personal equity plans were not available until January 1987, the income tax forgone in 1986–87 was negligible.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the estimated income tax forgone in 1986–87 by the Treasury from taxpayers earnings(a) between £20,000 and £50,000 and (b) more than £50,000 as a result of savings-related share option schemes.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 4 February 1988]: The total cost of income tax forgone in 1986–87 as a result of approved savings-related share option schemes is estimated at £50 million. I regret that it is not possible to subdivide this between different income groups.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the estimated income tax forgone in 1986–87 by the Treasury from taxpayers earnings(a) between £20,000 and £50,000 and (b) more than £50,000 as a result of the 1984 share option scheme.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 4 February 1988]: The cost of income tax forgone in 1986–87 as a result of approved Finance Act 1984 share option schemes is negligible since options must generally be held for at least three years in order to qualify for relief.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many earners did not directly benefit from the cut in the standard rate of income tax in 1987–88; and how many earners would not benefit from a further cut in the standard rate to 25 per cent. in 1988–89, assuming indexation of personal allowances.
  90
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 26 January 1988]: It is estimated that in 1987–88 and 1988–89 between 3 and 3·5 million earners (including part-time workers) would have insufficient income to benefit from reductions in the basic rate.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of reintroducing a reduced rate band of income tax, worth the same as that band in 1978–79 in real terms, in 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 26 January 1988]: The full-year direct revenue cost of reintroducing a reduced rate band of income tax in 1988–89, charging the first £1,650 of taxable income at 19 per cent. and worth the same to taxpayers in real terms as the band in 1978–89, would be about £3 billion. The cost assumes indexation of the current income tax bands and allowances according to the statutory formula.

  Budget Statement
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about his forthcoming Budget Statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend has received a large number of representations covering a variety of proposals.

  Luncheon Vouchers
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received seeking a review of the 15p tax-free allowance on luncheon vouchers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations. Decisions on changes in taxation are a matter for the Chancellor of the Exchequer and will be announced in his Budget Statement.

  Pension Funds
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will detail the type of information requested on pension funds by the Inland Revenue (technical division) special office, Sheffield.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Tax-approved pension funds are exempt from tax only on their income and gains derived from holding investments. In each case, inquiries have been made to establish whether the tax exemption applies to all the fund's activities.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to his answer of 25 January,Official Report, column 85, he will list the 12 pension funds from whom information has been requested.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 4 February 1988]: No. Information about particular taxpayers is confidential to the Inland Revenue.

  Private Health Insurance
  Mr. Chris Butler
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received seeking relief from the taxation of employees' contributions to private health care insurance.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations.

  Deputy Secretaries
  Mr. Tom Arnold
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the responsibilities of each of the deputy secretaries in his Department and the number and ranks of staff reporting to each.

  Mr. Brooke
  The information as at 1 January 1988 is as follows:

  Deputy Secretary (Grade 2) Overseas Finance

  Responsibilities:

  European Community Group

  Aid and Export Finance Group

  Senior UK Director of the European Investment Bank

  United Kingdom representation at international financial and economic meetings

  Two Grade 3, four Grade 5 and 38½ other staff

  Deputy Secretary (Grade 2) Public Finance

  Responsibilities:

  Fiscal Policy Group

  Financial Institutions and Markets Group

  Monetary Group

  Public Sector Finances Group

  North Sea Development and Policy

  Three Grade 3, eight Grade 5 and 99 other staff

  Deputy Secretary (Grade 2) Industry

  Responsibilities:

  Public Enterprises Group

  Industry, Agriculture and Employment Group

  Two Grade 3, five Grade 5 and 64 other staff

  Deputy Secretary (Grade 2) Public Services

  Responsibilities:

  Social Services and Territorial Group

  Local Government Group

  Home, Transport and Education Group

  Treasury Officer of Accounts and Purchasing

  Financial Management Group

  Running Costs Group

  Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency

  Chairman of the Public Expenditure Survey Committee

  Chairman of the Procurement Policy Committee

  Seven Grade 3, 18 Grade 5 and 635 other staff

  Deputy Secretary (Grade 2) Deputy Chief Economic Adviser

  Responsibilities:

  Public Enterprises Analytic Unit

  Manpower Statistics

  Economics of Taxation

  Public Expenditure Economics and Operational Research

  Micro Economic Analysis of Trade Issues

  One Grade 3, seven Grade 5, 56½ other staff

  Establishments and organisation group, econonic briefing division, the information division and the rating of Government property department (1,046 staff) report direct to the permanent secretary; the defence policy and material group, the general expenditue policy group and the central unit on purchasing (87½ staff) to the second permanent secretary (public expenditure); the forecast and analysis group and the medium-term and policy analysis group (36 staff) to the chief economic adviser; the international finance group (24 staff) to the second permanent secretary finance; the pay and personnel management group, the Civil Service catering organisation and superannuation division (982½ staff including 598½ industrial civil servants at CISCO) to the second permanent secretary (Civil Service management and pay); and the accountancy advice group (43 staff) reports to the accountancy adviser to the Treasury and the head of the Government accountancy service.

  Inland Revenue (Sheffield)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who is the head of the Inland Revenue (technical division) special office, Sheffield.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Mr. M. G. Longden.

  Pin-ups
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will issue instructions for the removal of all offensive pin-ups in all his departmental premises.

  Mr. Brooke
  Sexual harassment at work, of which the display of sexually offensive material is a form, is not tolerated and is dealt with, if appropriate, as a disciplinary matter through the usual Civil Service complaints procedures. Against the background of the general instructions and guidance which already exist, there is no evidence to suggest that any further instructions to deal with this particular form of sexual harassment are warranted in the Treasury.

  London Weighting
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the cost to the Exchequer of paying London weighting to those civil servants in receipt of such weighting over the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Brooke
  The estimated cost to the Exchequer of paying London weighting to civil servants in the last five financial years has been:

  £ million

  1983–84

  126·4

  1984–85

  126·8

  1985–86

  133·2

  1986–87

  141·3

  1987–88

  147·8

  These figures exclude additions to ERNIC, superannuation and pensions as a consequence of London weighting.

  Flotations
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long before flotation stockbroking firms were invited to make proposals for the tender and how long before flotation the firm eventually used was actually chosen, in the cases of(a) British Telecom, (b) British Gas and (c) Britoil.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  In the case of British Telecom, stockbroking firms were invited to tender in a press notice issued in October 1983. The broker was appointed in December 1983, and flotation took place in November 1984.

  In the case of the 1985 Britoil sale, brokers were invited to tender and were appointed in May 1985. The sale of the Government's residual shareholding was in July 1985.

  In the case of British Gas, brokers were invited to tender in June 1985 and the broker was appointed in July 1985. The flotation took place in November 1986.

  Income Distribution
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his reply of 8 April 1987,Official Report, columns 263–4, to give the income distribution table for 1987–88, and his estimate for 1988–89.

  Distribution total income1 1987–88

  Numbers

  Tax units aged under 65

  Tax units aged over 65

  Range of total income Lower limit

  Single people

  Married couples without wife's earned income

  Married couples with wife's earned income

  Single people

  Married couples without wife's earned income

  Married couples with wife's earned income

  £ per annum

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  1,0002

  1,160

  200

  20

  30

  10

  5

  2,0002

  1,090

  230

  70

  340

  30

  10

  3,000

  980

  160

  70

  410

  90

  30

  4,000

  910

  190

  100

  250

  180

  90

  5,000

  1,020

  210

  100

  140

  180

  90

  6,000

  920

  270

  150

  100

  160

  70

  7,000

  850

  350

  180

  70

  110

  70

  8,000

  650

  370

  240

  100

  70

  60

  9,000

  600

  410

  270

  50

  50

  60

  10,000

  760

  800

  740

  80

  50

  80

  12,000

  460

  830

  1,260

  70

  60

  70

  15,000

  310

  520

  1,530

  50

  40

  80

  20,000

  100

  180

  660

  30

  20

  50

  25,000

  40

  90

  310

  10

  10

  20

  30,000

  50

  110

  340

  20

  20

  20

  50,000

  20

  40

  70

  5

  10

  10

  1 Total income for income tax purposes.

  2 Excluding those who have no Inland Revenue tax record because their earnings are below the PAYE reporting limit.

  Distribution total income1 1988–89

  Numbers

  Tax units aged under 65

  Tax units aged over 65

  Range of total income Lower limit

  Single people

  Married couples without wife's earned income

  Married couples with wife's earned income

  Single people

  Married couples without wife's earned income

  Married couples with wife's earned income

  £ per annum

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  '000s

  1,0002

  1,090

  200

  20

  30

  10

  5

  2,0002

  1,000

  220

  60

  280

  20

  10

  3,000

  890

  140

  60

  390

  50

  20

  4,000

  840

  190

  90

  260

  180

  90

  5,000

  960

  190

  100

  160

  160

  80

  6,000

  870

  190

  110

  110

  170

  80

  7,000

  830

  280

  150

  60

  130

  60

  8,000

  710

  330

  190

  80

  90

  60

  9,000

  560

  380

  240

  70

  50

  50

  10,000

  980

  820

  620

  90

  70

  90

  12,000

  590

  890

  1,110

  80

  60

  80

  15,000

  360

  700

  1,650

  50

  40

  80

  20,000

  150

  220

  820

  30

  20

  50

  25,000

  50

  100

  410

  20

  20

  30

  30,000

  60

  130

  450

  20

  20

  30

  50,000

  30

  60

  100

  10

  10

  10

  1 Total income for income tax purposes.

  2 Excluding those who have no Inland Revenue tax record because their earnings are below the PAYE reporting limit.

  Tax Allowances
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his reply of 1 May 1986,Official Report, column to show what extra revenue would result from allowing all tax allowances, both personal and non-structural, at the standard rate of tax only.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 26 January 1988]: The direct revenue cost at 1987–88 levels of income
  94
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 26 January 1988]: The latest available estimates are given in the tables. They are based on projections from the 1984–85 survey of personal incomes and are therefore provisional.

  of allowing personal tax allowances at rates in excess of the basic rate of income tax is estimated to be about £810 million. Information on the similar cost of other income tax reliefs is available only in respect of mortgage interest, retirement annuity premiums, employees' superannuation contributions, the business expansion scheme, and donations to charities; in total it is about £750 million. It is not possible to estimate precisely the combined yield from restricting these reliefs and personal allowances to the basis rate, but it is thought to be about £1,750 million.

  95
  These estimates make no allowance for any possible behavioural effects if allowances and reliefs were to be restricted to the basic rate.

  Forestry
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implication of Her Majesty's Government policy on the fiscal regime for forests of the report by the economic consultancy PIEDA, commissioned by the Council for the Protection of Rural England on tax relief for forestry, a copy of which has been forwarded to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 1 February 1988]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will give careful consideration to this report along with the many other representations he receives at this time of year.

  Toxic Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what physical checks are made by Customs and Excise officers at all ports registered to receive toxic waste containers, to assess if the inventory carriage notes are commensurate with the materials carried.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 5 February 1988]: Customs and Excise officers do not normally make physical checks to assess whether inventory carriage notes are commensurate with the materials carried in toxic waste containers.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has anything to add to his answer to the hon. Member for Bridgend of 14 January,Official Report, at column 388, concerning privatisation.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 4 February 1988]: I have nothing to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) on 14 January.

  Number of patients by specialty on in-patient waiting list as at 31 March 1981 to 1987 for Macclesfield District Health Authority

  Specialty

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  General medicine

  0

  1

  0

  0

  18

  0

  0

  Geriatrics

  51

  27

  13

  14

  11

  0

  8

  General surgery

  1,144

  1,024

  1,047

  1,127

  550

  364

  261

  Ear, nose and throat

  179

  153

  149

  127

  85

  181

  37

  Traumatic and orthopaedic

  590

  658

  555

  463

  326

  310

  270

  Ophthalmology

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  71

  Urology

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  100

  Oral surgery

  135

  118

  75

  65

  40

  53

  43

  Orthodontics

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  2

  2

  Gynaecology

  372

  334

  337

  231

  201

  249

  139

  Mental handicap

  0

  8

  10

  3

  3

  0

  0

  Mental illness

  53

  48

  34

  17

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  2,524

  2,371

  2,220

  2,047

  1,237

  1,159

  931

  Mentally Ill People
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the cost per annum of caring for mentally ill patients at the lowest and highest dependency level.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Sheffield
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the figures for Sheffield health authority's in-patient waiting lists for each of the years from 1979 to the latest year for which figures are availble.

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

  Total number of patients on the in-patient waiting list for Sheffield District Health Authority from 31 March 1979 to 31 March 1987.

  Year

  Position at

  Total number of in-patients

  1979

  31 March

  12,111

  31 September

  11,277

  1980

  31 March

  10,919

  31 September

  10,673

  1981

  31 March

  10,932

  31 September

  11,280

  1982

  31 March

  11,924

  31 September

  14,678

  1983

  31 March

  14,216

  31 September

  13,489

  1984

  31 March

  12,488

  31 September

  12,549

  1985

  31 March

  11,659

  31 September

  11,307

  1986

  31 March

  11,903

  31 September

  11,002

  1987

  31 March

  11,051

  Macclesfield Health Authority
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will tabulate by specialty the waiting list figures in the Macclesfield health authority as at 31 March in each year since 1981.

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

  Mr. Newton
  The Department does not collect information on costs of caring for the mentally ill by dependency level. Health Service costing returns indicate that the cost per in-patient week in a mental illness hospital is £296 at 1987–88 prices.
  97
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what action he proposes to take in response to the criticisms of deficiencies in regional hospital authority plans identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the report on community care, HC 108; and what assessment he has made of the impact of such deficiencies of the ability of his Department to formulate an accurate national overview on community care for the mentally ill;

  (2) if it would assist his Department, in overseeing and guiding the development of community care policies, if some aspects of regional health authority plans could be produced to a standard format; what assessment he has made of the areas which could be standardised; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what action he proposes to take to ensure that information about the planned level of local authority services for the mentally ill is included in future National Health Service plans, in the light of the Comptroller and Auditor General's identification of the need for a balanced consideration of the service changes proposed.

  Mr. Newton
  We are considering how we can specify clearly in future planning guidance the key quantitative information we expect plans to contain. This consideration includes services for mentally ill people in the community, whether provided by health authorities themselves or by other agencies.

  Hospitals (Funding)
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will revise his policy of 1982 of not giving extra resources allocated to run newer bigger hospitals in areas where they have been built.

  Mr. Newton
  Special protection within regional health authority allocations for the revenue consequences of capital schemes ceased in 1977–78, when the recommendations of the resource allocation working party were implemented. Regional health authorities are responsible both for planning their capital investment with regard to the likely availability of revenue, and for ensuring that their annual revenue allocations to districts are sensitive to service plans, including new capital developments.

  Hospital Hostels (Places)
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many places in hospital hostels or their equivalent are available in each district health authority.

  Mrs. Currie
  "Hospital hostel" is the name that has been given to a form of accommodation commended in the 1975 White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Ill" (Cmnd. 6233) in which a small group of long stay patients requiring 24-hour medical and nursing supervision are provided with in-patient care in an informal domestic environment. We intend such units to form a permanent part of district psychiatric services; a number of evaluations have reported encouragingly on the quality of life obtained. I regret that present statistics do not distinguish places in this type of accommodation from other accommodation for psychiatric in-patients.

  Motor Oil
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any proposals for the compulsory 98
  labelling of motor oil, warning of the possible link between used motor oil and skin cancer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  The evidence from animal tests suggests that repeated exposure to used engine oil could lead to the development of skin cancers. However, there is no evidence of an increase in skin cancers among motor mechanics. Any risk will be reduced if those exposed follow good hygiene practice, including using clean protective overalls and washing their hands.

  Labelling is not a matter for the Department. I understand that my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Employment and for the Environment are considering the need for warnings, including labelling. Some manufacturers already label their oils and others are considering doing so. The trade associations recommend that vehicle and workshop manuals include a warning to follow good hygiene practice when changing the oil in vehicles.

  Residential Care Homes
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will list the residential care homes for the elderly run by local authorities in which cases of neglect and cruelty towards residents have resulted in disciplinary action or criminal prosecution against members of staff; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list those members of staff of municipal residential care homes for the elderly and handicapped who have been disciplined or prosecuted for neglect or cruelty towards residents.

  Mrs. Currie
  Disciplinary proceedings against local authority staff are a matter for the local authority concerned, while prosecutions are for the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions and the information requested is not recorded centrally.

  Resettlement Unit, Bishopbriggs
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has reviewed the guarantee given in 1986 that the resettlement unit at Bishopbriggs would not be closed until he is satisfied that there are suitable alternative facilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Since the Government's policy on resettlement units was announced on 5 February 1985, it has been our aim to ensure that suitable alternative schemes are in operation before the units close. That is still our objective and review teams and officials are working towards it, making useful progress in respect of most of the units.

  In the case of Bishopbriggs resettlement unit progress has been slow. Although we cannot guarantee that, regardless of eventualities, the unit will remain open indefinitely, we do believe that it should be possible to provide suitable alternative facilities before closure.

  Retirement Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to uprate the 25p additional amount paid to retirement pensioners aged 80 years and over; and if he will make a statement.
  99
  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans at present to increase the 25p addition. Basic pension is however increasing by £1·65 for a single person and £2·65 for a couple in April.

  Special Payments
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Seaham and Peterlee area will not receive the recently announced £8 special payment because their pension is paid from their husband's pension book; and if he will take steps to rectify this anomaly.

  Mr. Scott
  There are no married women whose retirement pensions are paid from their husbands' order books; all have their own order books and are therefore eligible for an £8 special payment.

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire Health Authority
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what has been the approved financial programme of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority for each year since 1974–75, expressed(a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a real term percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and on the 1974–75 approved financial programme;

  (2) what has been the cost of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority's development schemes for each year since 1974–75, expressed (a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a real term percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and as a real term percentage increase or decrease on the 1974–75 development scheme;

  (3) what directly allocated growth and capital funding the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority has received each year since 1974–75, expressed (a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a real term percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and on the 1974–75 allocations;

  Per annual accounts

  At 1987–88 prices

  As a percentage of total revenue expenditure

  Annual increase/(decrease) in real terms at 1987–88 prices

  £'000s

  £'000s

  Annual figure

  Increase/(decrease) in annual figure

  £'000s

  Per cent.

  1982–83

  23,581

  29,384

  74·95

  —

  —

  —

  1983–84

  25,038

  29,807

  74·55

  (0·40)

  423

  1·44

  1984–85

  26,375

  30,058

  74·43

  (0·12)

  251

  0·84

  1985–86

  27,477

  29,550

  73·69

  (0·74)

  (508)

  (1·69)

  1986–87

  29,666

  30,927

  74·27

  0·58

  1,377

  4·66

  1. The figures have been expressed at 1987–88 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2. Prior to 1 April 1982 the authority's predecessor health district formed part of the Hampshire area health authority and district based figures were not collected centrally.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what have been the costs incurred in each year since 1974–75 by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority for (i) cleaning, (ii) catering and (iii) laundry services, expressed(a) in cash terms, (b) in
  100
  (4) by how much in each year since 1974–75 funds budgeted by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority for annual National Health Services pay settlements have exceeded, or been exceeded by, the cost of such settlements expressed (a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a percentage excess-deficit.

  Mrs. Currie
  Allocations to the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority and the other information my hon. Friend requests are matters for the Wessex regional health authority. He may like to contact the regional chairman for the information he requires.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what funds the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority has raised in each year since 1974–75 through cost improvement programmes-savings against previous years or self-generated additional income, expressed(a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a real term percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and on the 1974–75 cost improvement programme.

  Mrs. Currie
  In 1986–87, the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority reported cash savings of £419,000 from its cost improvement programme. Information is not available centrally for earlier years, but the hon. Member may wish to approach Wessex regional health authority for this information.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage cost in each year since 1974–75 to the approved financial programme of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority of wages and salaries of National Health Service employees, expressed(a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a percentage increase or decrease for each year.

  Mrs. Currie
  Following is information derived from the annual accounts of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority since its establishment on 1 April 1982.

  real terms (based on 1987–88) and (c) as a percentage increase on the cost of the previous year and on the 1974–75 costs.

  Mrs. Currie
  Following is the information requested derived from the annual accounts of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority since its establishment on 1 April 1982:
  101

  Domestic/cleaning services

  Catering services

  Laundry services

  Expenditure per annual accounts

  Expenditure at 1987–88 prices

  Per cent. increase/(decrease) at 1987–88 prices

  Expenditure per annual accounts

  Expenditure at 1987–88 prices

  Per cent. increase/(decrease) at 1987–88 prices

  Expenditure per annual accounts

  Expenditure at 1987–88 prices

  Per cent. increase/(decrease) at 1987–88 prices

  £000

  £000

  over previous year

  over 1982–83

  £000

  £000

  over previous year

  over 1982–83

  £000

  £000

  over previous year

  over 1982–83

  1982–83

  2,120

  2,642

  —

  —

  1,588

  1,979

  —

  —

  211

  263

  —

  —

  1983–84

  2,171

  2,585

  (2·16)

  (2·16)

  1,663

  1,980

  0·05

  0·05

  223

  265

  0·76

  0·76

  1984–85

  2,147

  2,447

  (5·34)

  (7·38)

  1,739

  1,982

  0·10

  0·15

  227

  259

  (2·26)

  (1·52)

  1985–86

  2,046

  2,200

  (10·01)

  (16·73)

  1,829

  1,967

  (0·76)

  (0·61)

  210

  226

  (12·74)

  (14·07)

  1986–87

  1,931

  2,013

  (8·50)

  (23·81)

  1,870

  1,949

  (0·92)

  (1·52)

  196

  205

  (9·25)

  (22·05)

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been expressed at 1987–88 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2. Prior to 1 April 1982 the authority's predecessor health district formed part of the Hampshire Area Health Authority and district based figures were not collected centrally.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many in-patient cases have been treated by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75 and what has been the percentage increase or decrease on the preceding year and on the 1974–75 number of in-patient cases;

  (2) how many day-patient cases have been treated by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75; and what has been the percentage increase or decrease on the preceding year and on the 1974–75 number of day-patient cases;

  (3) how many out-patient cases have been treated by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75; and what has been the percentage increase or decrease on the preceding year and on the 1974–75 out-patient cases;

  (4) how many patients have been treated for chronic renal failure in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority district since 1974–75, or the year in which such treatment became significantly available, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the first year of significant statistics;

  (5) how many hip replacement operations have been performed in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority district since 1974–75, or the year in which such treatment became significantly available, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the first year of significant statistics;

  (6) how many coronary artery by-pass grafts have been performed in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority district since 1974–75, or the year in which

  NHS hospitals, Basingstoke and North Hampshire District Health Authority All specialties

  Year

  Number

  In-patients per cent. change over previous year

  Per cent. change over 1974

  Number

  Day cases per cent. change over previous year

  Per cent. change over 1974

  Number

  Out-patients per cent. change over previous year

  Per cent. change over 1974

  1974

  16,713

  0

  0

  3,341

  0

  0

  78,724

  0

  0

  1975

  15,540

  -7·0

  -7·0

  3,548

  6·2

  6·2

  60,647

  -23·0

  -23·0

  1976

  17,143

  10·3

  2·6

  5,000

  40·9

  49·7

  71,796

  18·4

  -8·8

  1977

  17,871

  4·2

  6·9

  3,551

  -29·0

  6·3

  76,533

  6·6

  -2·8

  102
  such treatment became significantly available, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the first year of significant statistics;

  (7) how many surgical beds have been available in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority each year since 1974–75, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the 1974–75 number of surgical beds;

  (8) how many patients have been treated in surgical beds in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the 1974–75 number of patients;

  (9) how many general medical beds have been available in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the 1974–75 number of general medical beds;

  (10) how many patients have been treated in general medical beds in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the 1974–75, number of patients;

  (11) how many geriatric patients attended day units in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority district in each year since 1974–75 expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and on the 1974–75 number of geriatric patients.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that I cannot give my hon. Friend all the information he seeks. The available information is given in the tables. My hon. Friend may like to approach the chairman of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority for the further information he requires.
  103

  Year

  Number

  In-patients per cent. change over previous year

  per cent. change over 1974

  Number

  Day cases per cent. change over previous year

  per cent. change over 1974

  Number

  Out-patients per cent. change over previous year

  per cent. change over 1974

  1978

  19,395

  8·5

  16·0

  2,996

  -15·6

  -10·3

  84,445

  10·3

  7·3

  1979

  17,864

  -7·9

  6·9

  3,065

  2·3

  -8·3

  89,592

  6·1

  13·8

  1980

  19,704

  10·3

  17·9

  4,188

  36·6

  25·4

  92,490

  3·2

  17·5

  1981

  19,563

  -0·7

  17·1

  4,188

  0·0

  25·4

  98·338

  6·3

  24·9

  1982

  20,148

  3·0

  20·6

  4·053

  -3·2

  21·3

  99,882

  1·6

  26·9

  1983

  20,701

  2·7

  23·9

  3,533

  -12·8

  5·7

  105,677

  5·8

  34·2

  1984

  22,171

  7·1

  32·7

  3,291

  -6·8

  -1·5

  104,603

  -1·0

  32·9

  1985

  22,128

  -0·2

  32·4

  4,117

  25·1

  23·2

  103,510

  -1·0

  31·5

  1986

  23·201

  4·8

  38·8

  4,431

  7·6

  32·6

  107,532

  3·9

  36·6

  Surgical specialties

  Daily average of available beds

  In-patients

  Year

  Number

  Per cent. change over previous year

  Per cent. change over 1974

  Number

  Per cent. change over previous year

  per cent. change over 1974

  1974

  304·5

  0

  0

  7,114

  0

  0

  1975

  300·2

  -1·4

  -1·4

  6,206

  -12·8

  -12·8

  1976

  278·2

  -7·3

  -8·6

  7,336

  18·2

  3·1

  1977

  287·7

  3·4

  -5·5

  7,563

  3·1

  6·3

  1978

  299·3

  4·0

  -1·7

  8,104

  7·2

  13·9

  1979

  299·7

  0·1

  -1·6

  7,809

  -3·6

  9·8

  1980

  308·5

  2·9

  1·3

  8,503

  8·9

  19·5

  1981

  314·4

  1·9

  3·3

  8,866

  4·3

  24·6

  1982

  313·2

  -0·4

  2·9

  8,970

  1·2

  26·1

  1983

  296·9

  -5·2

  -2·5

  9,374

  4·5

  31·8

  1984

  315·6

  6·3

  3·6

  9,805

  4·6

  37·8

  1985

  308·5

  -2·2

  1·3

  9,170

  -6·5

  28·9

  1986

  288·7

  -6·4

  5·2

  9,090

  -0·9

  27·8

  Medical specialities

  Daily average of available beds

  In-patients

  Year

  Number

  Percentage change over previous year

  Percentage change over 1974

  Number

  Percentage change over previous year

  Percentage change over 1974

  1974

  82·0

  0

  0

  2,772

  0

  0

  1975

  85·0

  3·7

  3·7

  2,669

  -3·7

  -3·7

  1976

  91·9

  8·1

  12·1

  2,845

  6·6

  2·6

  1977

  89·9

  -2·2

  9·6

  3,111

  9·3

  12·2

  1978

  104·3

  16·0

  27·2

  3,500

  12·5

  26·3

  1979

  98·4

  -5·7

  20·0

  3,089

  -11·7

  11·4

  1980

  101·9

  3·6

  24·3

  3,356

  8·6

  21·1

  1981

  103·1

  1·2

  25·7

  3,375

  0·6

  21·8

  1982

  106·2

  3·0

  29·5

  3,763

  11·5

  35·8

  1983

  110·5

  4·0

  34·8

  3,631

  -3·5

  31·0

  1984

  113·4

  2·6

  38·3

  4,083

  12·4

  47·3

  1985

  115·8

  2·1

  41·2

  4,051

  -0·8

  46·1

  1986

  115·0

  -0·7

  40·2

  4,163

  2·8

  50·2

  Geriatric regular day cases: Total attendances

  Year

  Number

  Percentage change over previous year

  Percentage change over 1982

  1974

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1975

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1976

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1977

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1978

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1979

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1980

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1981

  n.a.

  —

  —

  1982

  1,131

  —

  —

  1983

  2,608

  130·6

  130·6

  1984

  2,913

  11·7

  157·6

  1985

  2,893

  -0·7

  155·8

  1986

  2,455

  -15·1

  117·1

  104 105
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many visits by health visitors have been made in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority district in each year since 1974–75; and what has been the percentage increase or decrease on the preceding year and on the 1974–75 number of visits;

  (2) how many people have been visited by health visitors in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health

  Persons visited by health visitors (first visit)

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire District Health Authority

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Number of persons visited by Health Vistors

  13,883

  13,696

  13,986

  14,102

  14,239

  per cent. change year by year

  —

  -1·3

  2·1

  0·8

  1·0

  per cent. change from 1982

  —

  -1·3

  0·7

  1·6

  2·6

  Notes:

  1. A visit includes each occasion when professional help or advice is given by health visiting staff.

  2. The "first visit" refers to the first visit received by a person from any member of the health visiting staff during the calendar year for any problem.

  3. Visits to households where there is tuberculosis or other infectious diseases are not included in this table.

  Total visits made by health visitors

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire District Health Authority

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Total visits

  46,484

  44,569

  46,958

  49,135

  49,430

  per cent. change year by year

  —

  -4·1

  5·4

  4·6*

  0·6

  per cent. change from 1982

  —

  -4·1

  1·0

  5·7

  6·3

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost of capital projects undertaken by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, expressed(a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms based on 1987–88 figures

  Total capital expenditure

  Per annual accounts

  At 1987–88 prices

  Percentage increase/(decrease) at 1987–88 prices

  £000

  £000

  On preceding year

  On 1982–83

  1982–83

  2,427

  3,024

  —

  —

  1983–84

  2,356

  2,805

  (7·24)

  (7·24)

  1984–85

  3,081

  3,511

  27·17

  16·10

  1985–86

  3,314

  3,564

  1·51

  17·86

  1986–87

  3,682

  3,838

  7·69

  26·92

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been expressed at 1987–88 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2. The figures include sums in respect of capital schemes within the district recorded in the annual accounts of the Wessex Regional Health Authority. Expenditure incurred by the latter authority for the region as a whole is excluded.

  3. Prior to 1 April 1982 the authority's predecessor health district formed part of the Hampshire Area Health Authority and district based figures were not collected centrally.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many places there have been in adult training centres for the mentally handicapped in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, or the first year of the significant availability of such places, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the 1974–75 figure, or the first significant year;

  (2) how many adults attended training centres for the mentally handicapped in the Basingstoke and North
  106
  authority district in each year sinc 1974–75; and what has been the percentage increase or decrease on the preceding year and on the 1974–75 number of people visited.

  Mrs. Currie
  Basingstoke and North Hampshire District Health Authority was formed in 1982. Comparable figures are not available before that date when these data were collected by area health authority only. The available information is given in the table.

  and (c) as a real term percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and on the 1974–75, capital project cost.

  Mrs. Currie
  Following is the information derived from the annual accounts of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority since its establishment on 1 April 1982:

  Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, or the first year of the significant availability of places at such centres, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on the previous year and on the 1974–75 figure, or for the first significant year.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information on the number of places for mentally handicapped people in adult training centres is given in the table. It is based on the number of places reported by Hampshire social services department. The
  107
  information my hon. Friend seeks on the number of people attending adult training centres is not available centrally. He may wish to approach the Hampshire social services department for the further information he requires.

  Number of places for mentally handicapped people in adult training centres in the area covered by Basingstoke and North Hampshire DHA, and percentage changes, 1982–87.

  Percentage Change

  Number of places (at 31 March)

  On 1982

  On previous year

  1982

  232

  —

  —

  1983

  232

  0·0

  0·0

  1984

  246

  6·0

  6·0

  1985

  246

  6·0

  0·0

  1986

  252

  8·6

  2·4

  1987

  252

  8·6

  0·0

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what funds have been devoted by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority to the care and treatment of the mentally ill in each year since 1974–75, expressed(a) in cash terms, (b) in real terms based on 1974–75 and (c) as a real term percentage increase or decrease on each preceding year and on the 1974–75 allocation.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information on health authority expenditure by type of patient is not collected centrally: hospital costing returns submitted to the Department show expenditure on hospitals of different types and costing returns in respect of community health services show expenditure relating to the major areas of activity only.

  Following is information derived from the hospital costing returns submitted by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority since its establishment on 1 April 1982:

  Revenue expenditure on hospitals categorised "mental illness"

  Per costing returns

  At 1987–88 prices

  Percentage increase/(decrease) at 1987–88 prices

  £000

  £000

  On preceding year

  On 1982–83

  1982–83

  8,285

  10,324

  —

  —

  1983–84

  8,645

  10,291

  (0·32)

  (0·32)

  1984–85

  8,800

  10,029

  (2·55)

  (2·86)

  1985–86

  9,104

  9,791

  (2·37)

  (5·16)

  1986–87

  9,429

  9,830

  0·40

  (4·78)

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been expressed at 1987–88 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2. The figures exclude expenditure on hospitals categorised "mental handicap" and expenditure incurred for the mentally ill within community health services. The latter costs are not separately identifiable centrally.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many mentally ill patients have been treated

  NHS Staff by Main Staff Groups: in Post Basingstoke and North Hampshire District Health Authority 30 September

  Whole-time Equivalents1

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Medical and Dental2

  100

  90

  100

  90

  90

  Nursing and Midwifery3

  1,710

  1,730

  1,710

  1,660

  1,680

  108
  by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on each previous year and on the 1974–75 number of patients.

  Mrs. Currie
  The number of admissions of in-patients into mental illness hospitals and units, managed by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority, for each year since 1974, are shown in the table.

  The figures do not relate to individuals, and will include patients who have been discharged and readmitted during each year.

  Year of admission

  Number of admissions of mentally ill patients

  Percentage change in admissions on previous year

  Percentage change in admissions on 1974

  1974

  1,001

  1

  1

  1975

  982

  -1·9

  -1·9

  1976

  1,103

  +12·3

  +10·2

  1977

  1,060

  -3·9

  +5·9

  1978

  1,138

  +7·4

  +13·7

  1979

  1,129

  -0·8

  +12·8

  1980

  1,278

  +13·2

  +27·7

  1981

  1,252

  -2·0

  +25·1

  1982

  1,034

  -17·4

  +3·3

  1983

  1,133

  +9·6

  +13·2

  1984

  1,102

  -2·7

  +101

  1985

  1,305

  +18·4

  +30·4

  1986

  1,518

  +16·3

  +51·6

  1 Not available.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority district have received help to pay for residential and nursing care in each year since 1974–75, expressed also as a percentage increase or decrease on each previous year and on the 1974–75 number of patients.

  Mrs. Currie
  People in independent residential care or nursing homes can claim supplementary benefit to help with their fees. Information on the numbers claiming supplementary benefit in homes in the area of the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority could be obtained for this period only at disproportionate cost.

  Health authorities may enter into contractual arrangements with private health care providers, but must meet the costs incurred. Health authorities have no power to pay part of the costs of a patient's care in private establishments.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people, divided into convenient categories of employment, particularly specifying nursing staff, have been employed by the Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority in each year since 1974–75.

  Mrs. Currie
  Because of the 1982 NHS reorganisation, figures on a consistent basis are not held centrally for years prior to 1982.

  The available information from 1982 is shown in the table.
  109

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Professional and Technical (Excluding Works)

  200

  220

  220

  230

  250

  Works

  20

  20

  20

  20

  20

  Maintenance

  90

  90

  80

  80

  70

  Administrative and Clerical

  360

  390

  370

  380

  380

  Ancillary

  740

  730

  710

  660

  600

  Total NHS Staff

  3,230

  3,270

  3,220

  3,110

  3,080

  Source: DHSS Annual Censuses of NHS Medical and Non-medical Manpower.

  1 Figures are independently rounded to the nearest ten (10) whole-time equivalents.

  2 Includes permanent paid, honorary and locum staff. Excludes all Consultants and Senior Registrars whose contracts are held by the regional health authority.

  3 Includes agency staff.

  Drugs
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures he proposes to take to control the rising cost of the drugs bill to National Health Service hospitals.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department is taking a wide range of measures to control the drugs bill in National Health Service hospitals. In the last year each region has reviewed pharmaceutical buying and has drawn up an action plan to ensure maximum value for money, particularly in high-spend, high-volume medicines.

  The Department has also encouraged the formulation of local multi-disciplinary drug and therapeutic committees to promote the rational and economic use of drug therapy. These are now commonplace within health authorities, and an effective means they are adopting to achieve their objective is the use of hospital drug formularies. Following the Nuffield report, the Department is also reviewing clinical pharmacy which could further assist in improving the cost-effectiveness of expenditure on drugs in hospitals.

  Agency Staff
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what measures he proposes to take to control charges imposed on the National Health Service by agencies which provide locum staff replacements for hospitals;

  (2) what approaches he has made to the Wessex region with regard to the control of charges imposed on the National Health Service by agencies providing locum staff replacements for hospitals within the Wessex region;

  (3) what approaches or responses he has received from the Wessex region with regard to the control of charges imposed on the National Health Service by agencies providing locum staff replacements for hospitals within the Wessex region.

  Mr. Newton
  The Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority has expressed concern, in correspondence with officials, about the costs of locum medical staff engaged through agencies. A number of regional health authorities are currently collaboratng with the aim of containing such costs. We intend to consider the need and scope for central action in the light of their progress.

  Basingstoke District Hospital (Appointments)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in each year since 1974–75 have been taken to and from Basingstoke district hospital for day appointments by the ambulance service.
  110
  Mrs. Currie
  I am sorry that the information my hon. Friend seeks is not available centrally. He may like to contact the chairman of the Winchester health authority, which is responsible for the Hampshire ambulance service, for the information he requires.

  Thamesmead Town Limited
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for housing benefit by tenants of Thamesmead Town Ltd. include service charges; and what advice has been provided by his Department to Thamesmead Town Ltd., Greenwich council and Bexley council about the eligibility of service charges for housing benefit.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information on the number of applications for housing benefit by tenants of Thamesmead Town Ltd. which include service charges is not held centrally. Advice on both the existing regulations and the regulations which take effect in April has been issued to all authorities with responsibility for the administration of housing benefit, including the London boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley. The most recent guidance makes it clear that our policy remains that charges for services which the tenant has no option but to pay and which are connected with the provision of adequate accommodation should be eligible for housing benefit.

  Minister for the Disabled
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the responsibilities of the Minister for Social Security and the Disabled.

  Mr. Scott
  The Minister for Social Security and the Disabled has particular responsibility for co-ordinating policy on disablement and for benefits, aids and services for disabled people. These functions are discharged in conjunction with other departmental Ministers as necessary.

  AIDS
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has about the decision of the United States national institutes of health to instruct all biological laboratories to review their safety guidelines following the reported infection of two laboratory workers with the AIDS virus after working with concentrated samples; and whether he will carry out such a review of procedures in medical and biological laboratories in England.
  111
  Mr. Newton
  We are aware of the recent decision of the United States national institutes of health to instruct all biological laboratories to review safety guidelines. Such a review was carried out in the United Kingdom by the advisory committee on dangerous pathogens which, in 1986, issued revised guidelines on the safe handling of laboratory specimens containing the AIDS virus — including working with concentrated samples. These guidelines apply to all medical and biological laboratories in the United Kingdom and have been endorsed by the health departments, the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive.

  Abortions
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to(a) gather and (b) publish the names of individual doctors concerned in abortions after 18 weeks' gestation carried out in the private sector; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Information about doctors carrying out abortions in all private sector places approved under the Abortion Act is provided to the Department on a confidential basis.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the figure for the number of abortion notifications mentioning rape in cases where abortions were performed at or after 18 weeks' gestation in the latest period for which figures were collected.

  Mr. Newton
  Statistics on the number of abortion notification forms which mention rape may be provided reliably only for the period from 1 January 1987. The provisional number of abortion notification forms with any mention of rape, for gestation at 18 completed weeks and over for the period 1 January to 31 October 1987 inclusive is one.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of fully equipped emergency ambulances in the London ambulance service on 31 December 1987; what are the changes planned in that number for future years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  There were 363 emergency ambulances on 31 December 1987. Of these, the 263 "front-line" ambulances were all equipped with "motivus resuscitation packs"; the rest were day ambulances which are otherwise fully equipped but do not carry resuscitation packs.

  Following a detailed examination of day ambulances, the London ambulance service found that the work allocated to them could be more effectively dealt with by transferring the patient workload to non-emergency vehicles and front-line ambulances. On average, 450 walking and chair case patients per day will be transferred to non-emergency vehicles and 97 stretcher case patients per day will be transferred to front-line ambulances. Front-line and non-emergency staff complements are to be amended to take up the transferred work.

  As a result of removing the patient demand from 100 day ambulances, the total emergency fleet size of ambulances will be reduced as follows:
  112

  During Year

  Fleet Size

  Ended 31 December 1987

  363

  1987–88

  351

  1988–89

  314

  1989–90

  273

  This planned reduction of 90 ambulances will be closely monitored by the London ambulance service and pursued only if there proves to be sufficient flexibility in the fleet to deal with peaks in demand and large-scale incidents.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of crews of emergency ambulances rostered, or planned for, by the London ambulance service during each 24-hour cycle of normal weekdays in 1987; whether any changes are planned in that number for the future; and what are the reasons for any change of policy.

  Mrs. Currie
  The number of crews of emergency ambulances rostered by the London ambulance service during each 24 hours of normal weekdays in 1987 and planned for the future are:

  Shift period

  Number of rostered crews in 1987

  Number of rostered crews planned

  Early shifts

  170

  188

  Late shifts

  154

  151

  Night shifts

  94

  90

  The London ambulance service's aim is to achieve a better balance of resources throughout London in line with patterns of demand and a more effective relief system for covering absences. This will bring about a further improvement in the response time of ambulances to emergency incidents. Relief staff will be increased from 164 to 270, thereby increasing the actual number of manned front-line ambulances.

  The effect on the staffing levels of the service, including additional ambulance persons to convey non-emergency patients transferred from day ambulances is as follows:

  Proposed

  Change

  Staff rostered on front-line ambulances (including extra staff for day ambulance stretcher cases)

  1,161

  +17

  Relief staff

  270

  +106

  Emergency service staffing

  +123

  Day ambulance staff

  0

  -200

  Non-emergency ambulance personnel

  853

  +93

  Whole service

  2,284

  +16

  Sight Test
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many sight tests were carried out under the National Health Service during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will make an estimate of the number of such tests for which payment will be demanded, allowing for the proposed exemptions, if the charges proposed in the Health and Medicines Bill are enacted.

  Mr. Newton
  Some 10·75 million sight tests were conducted in England under the NHS in the 12-month period to 30 June 1987. We estimate that around 70 per cent. of sight tests would in future be paid for privately.

  Claimants (Wales)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the total number of claimants(a) claiming for board and lodging from his Department and (b) with dependent children in the latest year for which figures are available (i) in Wales and (ii) in each of the Department of Employment travel-to-work areas in Wales.

  Mr. Portillo
  In May 1987 an estimated 8,000 people were claiming for board and lodging accommodation charges in Wales. Less than 500 had dependent children. I regret that the information requested on the numbers in each of the Department of Employment travel-to-work areas in Wales is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. These estimates have been obtained from the Department's May 1987 quarterly

  2 August 1983

  31 July 1984

  31 July 1985

  13 August 1986

  29 July 1987

  Cleveland

  (Eston, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton)

  67,458

  75,340

  79,214

  78,781

  74,048

  Northumberland

  (Ashington, Berwick, Blyth, Hexham)

  19,543

  20,218

  21,298

  21,229

  21,235

  Durham

  (Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Darlington, Durham, Peterlee, Scaham, Stanley)

  59,262

  62,557

  65,603

  65,263

  63,247

  Tyne and Wear

  (Gateshead, Houghton-le-Spring, Jarrow, Newcastle St. James, Newcastle East, Newcastle West, North Shields, South Shields, Sunderland North, Sunderland South, Wallsend)

  144,005

  153,122

  160,354

  158,940

  157,404

  Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action at the dates specified.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were receiving supplementary benefit for 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 and the

  2 August 1983

  31 July 1984

  31 July 1985

  13 August 1986

  29 July 1987

  Darlington

  12,779

  13,406

  14,467

  15,005

  14,481

  Bishop Auckland

  13,587

  14,510

  14,937

  15,212

  14,290

  Peterlee

  6,411

  7,046

  7,392

  7,316

  7,304

  Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action at the dates specified

  Social Security Reform
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the basis and the sources from which he compiled the estimated number of claimants in Great Britain who will be eligible for transitional payments under the income support scheme.

  Mr. Scott
  The source used for estimating the number of transitional additions under income support is the 1986 annual statistical inquiry, the latest information available, uprated to take account of subsequent increases in benefit rates. The rules governing the award and calculation of transitional additions have been applied to this information to provide the estimates.
  114
  statistical inquiry. The sample size for this exercise is too small to obtain a precise figure of the number of claimants with dependent children.

  Supplementary Benefit (North-East)
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were receiving supplementary benefit for 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 and the latest figures for 1987–88, for(a) Cleveland, (b) Durham, (c) Northumbria and (d) Tyne and Wear.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information is not available in the precise form requested. The Department's local offices serving each district are listed although the boundaries are not conterminous.

  The number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit is as follows:

  latest figures for 1987–88, for his Department's local offices at (a) Darlington, (b) Bishop Auckland and (c) Peterlee.

  Mr. Portillo
  The number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit for the years requested is as follows:

  RPI Error
  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to rectify the anomaly as between persons with multiple benefits payable from one payment book receiving one payment and those with separate books for different benefits receiving one payment for each benefit, under the scheme intended to correct the effect of the error in the retail price index.

  Mr. Scott
  We do not propose to alter the arrangements for the special payments exercise, which is designed to combine as far as possible fairness with speed of payment. Having benefits combined on one order book does not
  115
  automatically mean that the claimant has suffered more than once from the error in the RPI. The ex-gratia special payments fully compensate the great majority of people who have combined books: less than 10 per cent. of them will be under-compensated for the RPI error because of the method of payment.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received regarding the offer of only one special payment to cover more than one social security benefit, following the error in the retail price index.

  Mr. Scott
  About 40.

  Social Security (Young Claimants)
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many 16 and 17-year-olds who are not still in education deliberately choose to remain on social security rather than take a job or accept a training place.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to the information contained in my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Barnsley, West and Penistone (Mr. McKay) on 7 December 1987, at column 57, and also to the reply which my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Employment gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist), on 17 November 1987, at column 509.

  NHS Pay Deal
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether Her Majesty's Government will fully fund the 1988–89 Health Service workers' pay deal;

  (2) whether Her Majesty's Government will pay the 1988–89 Health Service workers' pay rise from 1 April.

  Mr. Newton
  The additional funds which health authorities have been given for 1988–89 are intended to cover all pay and price rises. The Government will await the recommendations of the review bodies before taking any decisions on implementation and funding.

  General Practitioner Consultations
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost of each general practitioner consultation in England in 1986–87.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Oldchurch Hospital, Romford
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the results of the experimental reception system in the accident and emergency department Oldchurch hospital, Romford; and if he will make a statement on its possible adoption throughout the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Currie
  I understand that the nurse practitioner scheme, introduced in the accident and emergency 116
  department at Oldchurch hospital in 1986, has enabled patient care to be improved by reducing waiting times and inappropriate attendances.

  We welcome the scheme and the recognition given to it by the award of the RIPA-Hay first prize for managerial innovation in the public sector in 1987 to Barking, Havering and Brentwood health authority. I understand that the health authority will shortly be publishing information about the scheme to other health authorities.

  Nurses (Shifts)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the present pattern of nurses shifts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  I am not aware of any representations, although I am aware of some local difficulties over proposed changes in the pattern of nurses shifts.

  Detailed rostering arrangements are for local decision. Following reports by our auditors in 1983 of apparently wasteful use of nursing time due to log shift overlaps in some places, health authorities were asked to review this matter generally. Several health authorities have managed to re-order their nursing rosters to achieve more efficient working patterns without detriment to the service. It is important that others do the same and all should keep shift patterns under constant review.

  Health authorities are asked to report any changes in the deployment of nursing staff in their short-term programmes and the matter will also feature in the normal review process as necessary.

  Single Payments
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the expenditure on single payments by each local office of his Department as a sum per head of the claimants registered with each office.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 14 January 1988]: The information the hon. Member seeks has now been placed in the Library.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the relevant figures in table 14.1 of Cm. 288-II adjusted by the hospital and community health services pay and price deflator.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 26 January 1988]: The figures requested are given in the table for the years from 1982–83 to 1986–87. No forecasts of pay and price movements have been made for subsequent years. In addition health authorities had the benefit of recurrent savings of the order of £400 million over this period at 1986–87 prices from cash-releasing cost-improvement programmes.
  117

  Hospital community health and related services

  £ million

  1982–83 outturn

  1983–84 outturn

  1984–85 outturn

  1985–86 outturn

  1986–87 outturn

  Current expenditure

  Gross

  10,355

  10,364

  10,356

  10,368

  10,421

  Charges

  90

  96

  96

  99

  101

  Net

  10,264

  10,267

  10,260

  10,270

  10,320

  Capital expenditure

  Gross

  835

  846

  915

  940

  961

  Receipts

  23

  39

  57

  90

  149

  Net

  812

  808

  859

  850

  812

  Note: The above figures are at 1986–87 price levels, after adjusting for HCHS current and capital pay and price inflation.

  Mentally Handicapped Patients
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the amount of his Department's allocation specifically for the care of mentally handicapped patients.
  118
  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 5 February 1988]: In the main the Department does not allocate funds for specific purposes. Within a national framework of health care priorities it is for each health authority to determine how its resources, including allocations, should be used.

  CIVIL SERVANTS: LONDON PAY AREA RESIGNATIONS
  CIVIL SERVANTS: LONDON PAY AREA RESIGNATIONS
  SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE EC: ECC REPORT
  SOCIAL SECURITY IN THE EC: ECC REPORT
  SOCIAL FUND: CRISIS LOANS
  SOCIAL FUND: CRISIS LOANS
  ASHFORD REMAND CENTRE: PRISONERS' VISITS
  ASHFORD REMAND CENTRE: PRISONERS' VISITS
  ASHFORD REMAND CENTRE: PRISONERS' REGIME
  ASHFORD REMAND CENTRE: PRISONERS' REGIME
  BROADCASTING POLICY
  BROADCASTING POLICY
  PREVENTION OF TERRORISM (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) ACT 1984
  PREVENTION OF TERRORISM (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) ACT 1984
  CHERNOBYL FALLOUT: RESEARCH AND POLICY
  CHERNOBYL FALLOUT: RESEARCH AND POLICY
  ADULT STUDENT NUMBERS
  ADULT STUDENT NUMBERS
  BUILDING DESIGN AND CRIME
  BUILDING DESIGN AND CRIME
  NUCLEAR SUBMARINES: DECOMMISSIONING
  NUCLEAR SUBMARINES: DECOMMISSIONING