Written Answers of 13 January 1988

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Data Protection Act
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number and percentage of firms who should have registered under the Data Protection Act and have not yet done so.

  Mr. Renton
  The Data Protection Registrar originally estimated that approximately 300,000 applications should be received from those required to register under the Data Protection Act. By 31 December 1987 there were 135,149 entries on the register and some 18.000 applications were still being processed. The registrar now considers that the original estimate was on the high side and that the current shortfall in registrations is no more than 100,000. He is continuing his drive to secure more registrations.

  Road Accidents (Sentences)
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish an inquiry into the range of sentences available to the courts in cases relating to road accidents and into the legal rights of victims' families in such cases.

  Mr. John Patten
  A review of offences and penalties in road traffic law, under the chairmanship of Dr. Peter North, is nearing completion. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport expects to receive the report shortly.

  The rights of victims' families, which are outside the review's remit, include a right to damages recoverable in civil proceedings, and normally paid by the offender's insurers or the Motor Insurers Bureau; and in England and Wales the same right as other citizens to bring prosecutions for criminal offences. The Government are doing much to assist victims of crime in general and their families—for example, through the financial help we are giving to victim support schemes — in England and Wales, £9 million over three years from 1987–88. I have no plans for a separate inquiry in relation to victims of road traffic offences.

  Crown Properties (Fire Services)
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current establishment of the Fire Services Inspectorate covering Crown properties in England and Wales; how many of these posts are at present occupied; when the occupants are due to retire; and what arrangements are being made to fill vacancies caused by retirement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The complement of Crown inspectors in the premises and inspection group of the fire service inspectorate is one grade 11 inspector and 10 assistant inspectors; two posts are presently occupied; the 260
  grade II inspector is due to retire at the end of 1988. Vacancies are being advertised in the national press frorn 21 January.

  Sexual Equality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission on amending the Sex Discrmination Act to place a duty on local authorities(a) to eliminate unlawful discrimination between the sexes and (b) to promote equality of opportunity between the sexes.

  Mr. John Patten
  In 1986 the Equal Opportunities Commission published a consultative document "Legislating for Change?" which proposed that a duty be imposed on all bodies carrying out a service or undertaking of a public nature to work towards the elimination of discrimination on grounds of sex or marriage and to promote equality of opportunity between men and women generally. The commission's full proposals for amending the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 are expected shortly.

  Departmental Staff (Ethnic Groups)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what positive action he has taken to increase the proportion of employees of his Department who are drawn from ethnic minority groups; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  We are committed to equal opportunities in employment, and keen to attract ethnic minority recruits into the Home Office. A number of measures have been taken to encourage suitable applications for those grades recruited directly by the Department. Advertisements emphasise our commitment to equal opportunities and have, where it is likely to be productive, been placed in the ethnic minority press or in local papers in areas with high ethnic minority populations. Links have been established with some local communities. In addition, all members of departmental recruitment boards receive training designed to ensure that all candidates, of whatever ethnic group, are treated fairly.

  About 10 per cent. of respondents to a recent survey of new entrants to the Department stated that they were from ethnic minorities. But these groups are under represented in certain areas of work, and particular attention is being paid to possible ways of remedying this. For example, the prison service aptitude tests have been revised and are designed to ensure that they are free from cultural bias. All departmental recruitment schemes are now subject to ethnic monitoring, and we shall be using the information gathered to consider what further action may be needed.

  Citizen Registration Fee
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation he has received from the Association of London Authorities regarding the citizen registration fee; whether he intends to reply; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend received a letter dated 4 November 1987, from the association's race policy adviser, asking that the £60 fee for registration under the
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  British Nationality Act 1981 should be waived and seeking a meeting. His private secretary replied on 8 December explaining that there is no power to waive the fee, and in consequence a meeting to discuss the request was not considered useful.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the statement by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on his strategy for the coming year.

  Mr. Hurd
  I am today placing copies of the commissioner's strategy statement for 1988 in the Library. I am also sending a copy to all right hon. and hon. Members whose constituencies fall wholly or partly within the Metropolitan police district. I hope to meet London Members soon to discuss the statement.

  I have discussed the commissioner's statement with him. The force goal for 1988 is to continue to improve the quality of service to the public by:

  (a) The reduction of criminal opportunity through crime prevention, public contact, involvement and cooperation.

  (b)

  (i) The enhanced detection of specific criminal offences (for example, robbery, burglary, drug misuse, racial attacks, sexual offences against women and vandalism) in accordance with locally or centrally identified priorities.

  (ii) A concerted attack on organised crime and the elimination of resulting profits.

  (c) The enhanced support, care and concern for victims of crime including the victims of domestic violence.

  (d) Improved effectiveness both in the preservation of public tranquility through closer community-police relations and in the policing of public disorder through better tactical control, communications, equipment and training.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Wildlife Conservation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the financial and technical assistance given by Her Majesty's Government each year since 1979 to countries and organisations for the purpose of wildlife conservation.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Aid statistics are not collated on a basis which would enable us to identify aid for wildlife conservation. The Overseas Development Administration is currently co-funding under the joint funding scheme with the World Wildlife Fund and other nongovernmental organisations a number of projects which include wildlife conservation amongst their aims. It also supports other activities under the bilateral aid programme, such as a communal areas wildlife monitoring unit in Zimbabwe.

  Sugar Producers (Diversification)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been allocated by his Department to sugar producing countries in each of the past five years to assist them to diversify into the production of other foodstuffs; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Chris Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 24 November at column 118.

WALES

  Arts Council of Wales
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the income in real terms for the Arts Council of Wales for each of the years from 1979–80; what extra allocations of cash he will make to Theatre Clwyd, Mold; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  £ million

  1979–80

  8·094

  1980–81

  7·534

  1981–82

  7·605

  1982–83

  8·467

  1983–84

  7·905

  1984–85

  8·225

  1985–86

  7·924

  1986–87

  8·238

  1987–88

  8·005

  The Department does not directly provide Theatre Clwyd, Mold with any financial assistance.

EMPLOYMENT

  Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the current breakdown of Nuclear Installations Inspectorate staffing in the following work areas: long-term safety reviews of Magnox reactors, Sizewell B and Hinckley C, spent fuel reprocessing, currently operating Magnox reactors, currently operating advanced gas-cooled reactors, other nuclear installations, radioactive waste and other areas.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information currently available indicates that the approximate amount of time spent by the HSE's nuclear installations inspectors on different areas of work is as follows:

  Percentage

  Long-term safety review of magnox reactors

  5

  Sizewell B and Hinckley Point C

  13

  Spent fuel reprocessing

  8

  Operational magnox reactors

  14

  Operational advanced gas-cooled reactors

  15

  Other nuclear installations

  5

  Radioactive waste

  10

  Other work

  30

  Nuclear Installations, Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the current staffing levels of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, Factory Inspectorate and Agricultural Inspectorate; and what are the expected levels for 1988–89 and 1989–90.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 January 1988 the number of inspectors in each inspectorate was as follows:
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  Number

  Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

  114

  Factory Inspectorate

  554

  Agricultural Inspectorate

  150

  Following an increase in the provision for 1988–89, the Health and Safety Executive plans to increase during 1988–89 the number of nuclear installations inspectors to 120, the number of factory inspectors to about 585 and the number of agricultural inspectors to about 160. Final decisions on staffing levels for later years have not yet been taken.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of persons

  Table A

  Average number of unemployed registrants in the United Kingdom

  Unemployed less than 6 months

  Unemployed 6 months to 1 year

  Unemployed over 1 year

  Unemployed over 2 years

  Unemployed over 3 years

  1979

  810,099

  237,121

  359,651

  n/a

  n/a

  1980

  1,085,364

  284,233

  368,651

  190,233

  116,177

  1981

  1,369,155

  619,856

  595,708

  234,964

  137,660

  1982

  1,424,433

  681,917

  1,034,891

  377,101

  173,464

  Table B

  Average number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom

  Unemployed less than 6 months

  Unemployed 6 months to 1 year

  Unemployed over 1 year

  Unemployed over 2 years

  Unemployed over 3 years

  Unemployed over 5 years

  1983

  1,348,688

  639,082

  1,110,898

  521,559

  324,513

  n/a

  1984

  1,318,098

  610,779

  1,229,378

  671,596

  396,149

  90,097

  1985

  1,341,881

  607,263

  1,332,260

  793,514

  494,469

  149,180

  1986

  1,352,052

  606,079

  1,354,252

  845,019

  570,050

  227,656

  1987

  1,206,243

  549,276

  1,260,030

  796,948

  562,964

  272,087

  Table C

  Number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom—October 1987

  Unemployed less than 6 months

  Unemployed 6 months to 1 year

  Unemployed over 1 year

  Unemployed over 2 years

  Unemployed over 3 years

  Unemployed over 5 years

  1,136,008

  443,140

  1,172,236

  756,238

  537,865

  276,454

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Wheelchair Users
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what arrangements currently exist for members of the public who are wheelchair users who wish to lobby hon. Members or attend the business of the House; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The arrangements which exist within the Palace of Westminster for the assistance of wheelchair users are set out in the leaflet "Visits of Disabled Persons" obtainable from the Serjeant at Arms. I am arranging for a copy to be sent to the hon. Member. In the event of mass lobbies by disabled persons it is usual for special arrangements for the reception of wheelchair users to be made. These arrangements vary depending upon the size of the lobby.
  264
  unemployed for less than six months, six months to one year, over one year, over two years, over three years, arid over five years in each year since 1979; and what are the latest estimates.

  Mr. Cope
  Direct comparisons of unemployment by duration since 1979 are not possible because of changes in the method of compilation. The following is the available information. Table A shows the average number of unemployed registrants in the United Kingdom for each year from 1979 to 1982, who had been unemployed for the durations requested, except for those unemployed over five years, for which figures were not separately identified. Table B shows the average number of claimants who have been unemployed for all durations requested for each year from 1983 to 1987, and table C shows the numbers at 8 October 1987, the latest date for which figures are available.

  Turtle Soup and Veal
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to exclude turtle soup and veal from restaurant menus within the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Turtle soup is not available in the House of Commons restaurants and cafeterias; only mock turtle soup is served. Veal will continue to be served, but all veal supplied to the House is humanely killed.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General whether he will make a statement on the Crown Prosecution Service proposal to use civil servants with no legal
  265
  qualifications to review charge and evidence in order to determine whether a case will be prosecuted after police investigation; and whether there will be any cases that will not go before a legally qualified person before determination.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service has for some time relied upon certain members of its staff who may have no legal qualifications to carry out an initial screening of a range of less serious cases referred to the CPS by the police, and it is intended that this practice should continue.

  Those concerned have all received a period of relevant training and work under the supervision of a Crown prosecutor. The screening which they conduct is for the purpose of ensuring that there are no deficiencies in the evidence or other matters arising, including matters which may be relevant to questions of public interest, which might prevent the case proceedings to a first hearing before a magistrates' court. If their screening discloses no such obstacle, then that prosecution will proceed to its first hearing, where it will be presented before the court by a qualified lawyer. Should the defendant then plead guilty, that case will thus be disposed of. But should he not do so, so that the case is adjourned to a later date, then it will be referred to a Crown prosecutor who will conduct his or her own review.

  If, on the other hand, on the initial screening it should appear that the case cannot or should not proceed, then again it will be referred to a Crown prosecutor for further consideration. In particular, no proceedings may be discontinued by a member of staff who is not a Crown prosecutor and at all times it is the Crown prosecutor who is responsible for the process of review.

  The Crown Prosecution Service regards this system as a useful and efficient deployment of its staff which presents no risk whatsoever to the interests of justice; and considers that it does not represent any failure by the service to fulfil the responsibilities imposed on it by the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.

  Compensation Settlements
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will initiate legislation, in consultation with the Law Society, to prevent companies from making it a condition of a compensation settlement that the solicitors involved do not act for other claimants.

  The Attorney-General
  The Government do not at present consider that legislation would be appropriate. The Law Society is giving consideration to the matter as a question of professional practice, and the Government will await the outcome of its deliberations.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Departmental Responsibility (Scotland)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report those areas of his departmental responsibility which extend to Scotland.

  Mr. Robert Jackson
  The Education (Fees and Awards) Act 1983 extends to Scotland; the regulations made under 266
  it by the Secretary of State for Education and Science apply so far as universities are concerned to Scotland as well as to England and Wales.

  My right hon. Friend also make grants available to the eight Scottish universities on the advice of the University Grants Committee.

  My right hon. Friend has responsibility for the funding of research through the science budget which includes expenditure by the research councils in Scotland.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he will take to ensure that girls will have equal chances of a place at a city technology college.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  CTCs, as independent schools, will come under section 22 of the Sex Discrimination Act and will be required as a condition of grant to aim at a balanced intake of boys and girls. This will be set out in funding agreements which those running CTCs will enter into, on an annual basis, with my right hon. Friend. Equal opportunity provision is a firm objective of the initiative.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the Medical Research Council has any plans to fund research into HIV2; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Medical Research Council is already supporting studies of HIV-2 infection. This work is being supported through the Tropical Medicine Research Board, a joint board of the M RC and the Overseas Development Administration. I understand that the MRC laboratories in The Gambia are working on these studies in close collaboration with the Gambian Government. The council is also aware of a proposal to monitor the possible spread of HIV-2 to the United Kingdom.

  Corporal Punishment
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will seek powers to ensure that corporal punishment will be illegal in city technology colleges; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The provisions of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 covering corporal punishment in schools may be applied under section 47(5)(a)(iii) to prescribed independent schools which are maintained or assisted by a Minister of the Crown. My right hon. Friend intends to lay regulations before Parliament to bring city technology colleges within the scope of this section.

  Education Reform
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received concerning the proposals in the Education Reform Bill to enable London boroughs to opt out of Inner London education authority control.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has continued to receive representations on this matter from a wide range of organisations and from many members of the public. Copies of responses, other than those from individuals, have been placed in the Libraries of the Palace.

  School Meals
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to how many local education authorities charge more than 60p for school meals.

  Mr. Dunn
  In June 1987, which is the latest date for which figures are available, 58 of the 97 local education authorities in England charged more than 60p for school meals.

  Assisted Places Scheme
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in respect of the assisted places scheme, he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since the inception of the scheme (a) the number of pupils for whom fees have been paid and (b) the mean and median amounts of these fees, per pupil, and for the latest available year (i) the lowest and highest fees paid and (ii) the number of pupils who have had fees paid in each band of £100.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  This information is either not available in the form requested or could only be produced at disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member with available data.

  Teachers
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information his Department has on the numbers of teachers recruited by local education authorities, in the latest period for which he has information, in the Greater London area, who obtained their qualifications(a) in the United Kingdom but not in England and Wales and (b) in overseas countries; and whether he has any plans for revising the arrangements for granting recognition of such qualifications.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The number of full-time qualified teachers appointed to maintained nursery, primary or secondary schools in Greater London, excluding those teachers from other public sector posts, during the year ending 31 March 1986 was as follows:

  Number

  Trained in United Kingdom but not in England and Wales

  99

  Trained in overseas countries

  76

  My right hon. Friend has no plans to alter the principle that those who apply for qualified teacher status in England and Wales on the basis of a course completed elsewhere should be awarded that status only if their course is comparable with courses approved in England and Wales.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research his Department has conducted, commissioned or otherwise supported on the subject of the relationships between schools, local education authorities and teacher training establishments in so far as they affect trainee teachers on training practice and the subsequent recruitment of such trainees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department has commissioned a number of research projects on various aspects of teaching 268
  practice within initial teacher training courses, but these have not investigated subsequent recruitment of trainees. Teaching practice experience is just one of a number of factors relevant to a qualified teacher's decision on where to seek a post.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in exercising his responsibilities for the training and supply of teachers, he is seeking to redress shortages in London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department together with the Teaching as a Career Unit has a substantial national publicity programme aimed at boosting recruitment to initial teacher training and entry to teaching. This programme is already having some success as measured by the 13 per cent. increase in recruitment to initial teacher training courses this academic year. Much of this programme is directed towards recruitment in London and the south-east. As a special measure the Department and TASC are planning to mount a careers fair in London aimed at attracting more people into teaching, particularly in the shortage areas, in London and the south-east. We are in close touch with both the local authority associations and with individual authorities concerned about the specific recruitment problems in Greater London.

  Minority Groups (Teaching Profession)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action his Department is taking to encourage members of ethnic minority groups to enter the teaching profession.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department is actively encouraging the development of a number of new initial teacher training courses specially designed to attract more students from the ethnic minorities. This is reflected in the Department's teacher recruitment publicity and is part of the remit of the Teaching as a Career Unit, which we set up in April 1987. The collection by local education authorities of statistics on the ethnic origins of school teachers, announced by my right hon. Friend in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 28 October, at column 261, will help us monitor progress.

  Universities (Academic Freedom)
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps the Government intend taking prior to the current Education Reform Bill reaching the statute book to ensure that individual universities' statutes give sufficient protection to academic freedom.

  Mr. Jackson
  We believe that the Education Reform Bill will ensure that individual universities statutes give protection to academic freedom in the following ways:

  i. by specifying the grounds on which the statutes are to provide for dismissal; namely, redundancy and good cause;

  ii. by requiring the commissioners to provide for an appeals machinery for staff who are dismissed. This should ensure that all academic staff have an effective measure of protection against any victimisation by their colleagues on account of their views;

  iii. by requiring the commissioners to send their draft modifications to, amongst others. Organizations

  269
  representing the staff concerned, affording such organizations an opportunity to make representations on those modifications, and to take those representations into account;

  iv. by providing for all instruments made by the commissioners to be subject to the approval of Her Majesty in Council who may remit them to the commissioners for reconsideration. It will be for the Privy Council, in considering whether to recommend to Her Majesty that amendments to university statutes put forward by the commissioner should be confirmed, to satisfy itself that the Government's objective of protecting academic freedom has been properly met.

  In addition, the Bill requires the commissioners, in exercising their functions, to have regard to the need to apply the principles of justice and fairness. Further, the Bill will strengthen the protection academic staff have in another important respect: it will remove the exclusive jurisdiction of the visitor in cases of the dismissal of academic staff, and so will enable staff to bring actions in the courts for wrongful dismissal, which they cannot now do. This right of access to the courts will be in addition to the access that academic staff like other employees already have to industrial tribunals over claims for unfair dismissal.

PRIME MINISTER

  Government Data Network
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Security, the Treasury, the Inland Revenue, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the development of the Government data network;

  (2) what plans Her Majesty's Government has for handling tax, national insurance, passports, criminal records, value added tax returns, and welfare benefits on a computer network; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I am satisfied with the coordination between Departments, who on 11 January finalised memoranda of agreement with the consortia who will be invited to tender for the provision of the Government data network. The memoranda are based on plans for some of the data used for tax, national insurance and welfare benefits, but not currently for passports or criminal records, to be carried on the network. There are no plans to set up a central computing capability to link any of these applications; the proposed Government data network is intended to support each Department in meeting its own business needs for data transmission.

  Honesty in Government
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what action she is taking to maintain and promote standards of honesty in Government; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  There are rules governing the general principles of conduct by Ministers and civil servants.

  Public Record Office Documents
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the sealed envelope and papers headed "Leader of the Opposition," the existence of which in the Public 270
  Record Office became known on 1 January have been subjected to a 75-year rule; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  A file from my office dating from 1957, listed in the Public Record Office under the heading "Leader of the Opposition", has been closed for 75 years under section 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958. The file was closed in accordance with the criteria set out in paragraphs 26–27 of the White Paper "Modern Public Records", Cmnd 8531, March 1982.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what she estimates would be the uniform business rates payable on the following Government buildings compared with the commercial rates in 1987–88(a) the Department of the Environment, (b) the Treasury, (c) No. 10 Downing street, (d) the Foreign Office, (e) the Department of Trade and Industry, (f) the Scottish Office, (g) the Welsh Office, (h) the Ministry of Defence and (i) the Ministry of Agriculture.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 11 January at column 1. Information on the contributions in lieu of rates made by the Treasury, and the effects of the introduction of the uniform business rate on those contributions, is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  "Inside Intelligence"
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister on what date the book "Inside Intelligence" by Anthony Cavendish was referred to the D Notice Committee; on what date the committee cleared the book; whether any alterations or deletions were requested by the committee; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  Discussions between the Defence Press and Broadcasting Committee and the press, broadcasting authorities and publishers are regarded as having taken place in confidence. It is not our policy to comment on discussions on individual books.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister why Sir Philip Woodfield, the security services counsellor, refused a request from Anthony Cavendish for an interview about his proposed book "Inside Intelligence"; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The responsibilities of Sir Philip Woodfield as staff counsellor for the security and intelligence services were set out in my reply of 2 November 1987, column 512, to my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. Whitney). I do not propose to comment on the details of how Sir Philip Woodfield discharges those responsibilities.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps were taken by her Press Secretary on 1 January to publicise the fact that an injunction had been granted to Her Majesty's Government against the Sunday Times and The Observer newspapers restraining publication of extracts from the book "Inside Intelligence" by Anthony Cavendish; what

  271
  is the general practice with regard to the timing, source and scope of Government briefings on such subjects; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The No. 10 Press Office informed the Press Association of the injunction obtained on 1 January. The practice with regard to timing, source and scope of such briefings varies according to the circumstances.

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will meet representatives of voluntary bodies concerned with conservation to discuss the disposal of nationally owned nature reserves.

  The Prime Minister
  The Nature Conservancy Council is considering this matter as part of its current review of national nature reserves. There are regular opportunities for the voluntary bodies to discuss issues which concern them at meetings with the NCC and with Ministers.

  "The Secret Servant"
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister whether Sir Patrick Reilly sought the approval of Her Majesty's Government to be interviewed by Mr. Anthony Cave-Brown during preparation of his book "The Secret Servant" a biography of Sir Stewart Menzies; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We have no record of approval being sought for such an interview.

ENVIRONMENT

  Nitrate Protection Zones
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply,Official Report, 2 December 1987, column 916, if he has completed his consideration of the creation of nitrate protection zones; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend has not yet completed his consideration of this subject.

  Hedgerows
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many miles of hedgerows have been lost in England during the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The current rate of hedgerow removal is not easy to establish and information is not available over this particular time scale. Results from the monitoring landscape change survey published in 1986 and conducted by Huntings Technical Services Ltd. for the Countryside Commission and this Department (a copy of which is in the Library of the House), indicated that hedgerow length in England fell from approximately 359,000 miles in 1969 to approximately 315,000 miles in 1985. However, figures produced by a MAFF survey show an average loss of 500 miles per year in England and Wales between 1981 and 1985. Work is continuing to enable us to improve our information on both the rate of removal and the extent of new planting, so that the position can be kept under review.

  Local Council Borrowing
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about local council borrowing from the National Association of Local Councils; and what response he has given.

  Mr. Chope
  The association has sought an increase of 26 per cent. in the overall annual borrowing allocation for parish councils. It has been invited to submit further information in support of its request.

  Storm Damage
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details by local authority of(a) original bids and (b) final allocations of funds from the Countryside Commission's "Task Force Trees for Replanting" following damage sustained in the inclement weather of 16 October 1987.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The following information relates to the special allocations made by the Countryside Commission for 1987–88.

  £000

  Gross Bid

  Net Bid

  Allocation

  Bedfordshire

  Bedfordshire CC

  10

  10

  3

  Berkshire

  340

  306

  93

  Berkshire CC

  310

  279

  80

  Reading BC

  30

  27

  13

  Buckinghamshire

  Buckinghamshire CC

  58

  51

  20

  Cambridgeshire

  53

  49

  21

  Cambridgeshire CC

  37

  35

  14

  Cambridge City

  16

  14

  7

  Dorset

  23

  22

  9

  Dorset CC

  9

  9

  3

  Bournemouth BC

  6

  6

  3

  Poole BC

  8

  7

  3

  East Sussex

  1,094

  907

  293

  East Sussex CC

  648

  521

  200

  Brighton BC

  41

  35

  18

  Eastbourne BC

  81

  68

  25

  Hove BC

  93

  80

  25

  Hastings BC

  231

  203

  25

  Essex

  998

  882

  151

  Essex CC

  845

  756

  120

  Lee Valley Park

  13

  12

  6

  Braintree DC

  140

  114

  25

  Hampshire

  1,261

  1,080

  204

  Hampshire CC

  1,000

  855

  120

  Eastleigh BC

  51

  44

  22

  Hart DC

  65

  58

  25

  Portsmouth BC

  27

  24

  12

  Southampton City

  118

  99

  25

  Hertfordshire

  Hertfordshire CC

  82

  82

  33

  Isle of Wight

  Isle of Wight CC

  151

  136

  55

  Kent

  1,374

  1,253

  350

  Kent CC

  520

  520

  200

  Canterbury City

  114

  97

  25

  Dover DC

  187

  160

  25

  273

  Gross Bid

  Net Bid

  Allocation

  Maidstone BC

  100

  90

  25

  Sevenoaks DC

  370

  312

  50

  Swale DC

  83

  74

  25

  London

  3,556

  2,631

  880

  Barnet

  100

  84

  42

  Bexley

  50

  45

  22

  Brent

  10

  9

  5

  Bromley

  293

  293

  50

  Camden

  64

  57

  28

  City

  200

  90

  45

  Ealing

  115

  104

  50

  Enfield

  45

  38

  19

  Greenwich

  48

  44

  22

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  46

  34

  17

  Haringey

  136

  81

  40

  Harrow

  60

  49

  24

  Havering

  55

  43

  21

  Hillingdon

  35

  30

  15

  Hounslow

  179

  161

  50

  ILEA

  8

  7

  4

  Islington

  72

  65

  32

  Kensington and Chelsea

  37

  33

  16

  Lambeth

  167

  150

  50

  Lewisham

  60

  54

  27

  LRB

  5

  5

  3

  Merton

  231

  208

  50

  Newham

  277

  240

  50

  Southwark

  118

  106

  50

  Sutton

  255

  230

  50

  Tower Hamlets

  18

  16

  8

  Wandsworth

  312

  274

  50

  Westminster

  100

  81

  40

  Norfolk

  80

  80

  34

  Norfolk CC

  60

  60

  24

  Norwich City

  20

  20

  10

  Oxfordshire

  Oxfordshire CC

  25

  20

  6

  Southern Water

  12

  11

  6

  Suffolk

  276

  276

  139

  Suffolk CC

  228

  228

  115

  Ipswich BC

  48

  48

  24

  Surrey

  130

  113

  56

  Surrey CC

  75

  65

  32

  Waverley BC

  55

  48

  24

  West Sussex

  678

  513

  206

  West Sussex CC

  133

  111

  67

  Adur DC

  150

  62

  25

  ArunDC

  153

  122

  25

  Chichester DC

  35

  29

  15

  Crawley BC

  30

  27

  14

  Horsham DC

  93

  84

  25

  Mid Sussex DC

  63

  59

  25

  Worthing BC

  21

  19

  10

  The Countryside Commission arrived at the figures for net bids by deducting costs which were ineligible under the terms of the special scheme; and, where this was separately identified, by deducting the contribution which the local authority itself proposed to make.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what funds have been(a) paid out and (b) allocated to the London borough of Newham for damage sustained during the inclement weather on 16 October 1987.

  Mr. Chope
  No payments have yet been made to the London borough of Newham under the scheme of special financial assistance for dealing with the storm damage on 274
  16 October. My Department has not yet received a claim from the borough. No specific sum has been budgeted for Newham, nor any other authority under the scheme. Payments will be made on the basis of eligible expenditure in each authority's claim.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give his Department's latest estimate of the costs to local authorities arising from the damage caused by inclement weather on 16 October 1987.

  Mr. Chope
  In advance of receiving local authorities' claims for special financial assistance the Department does not have sufficiently reliable information available to provide such an estimate.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount his Department has(a) paid out and (b) budgeted for damages arising from the consequences of inclement weather on 16 October 1987.

  Mr. Chope
  Up to 12 January only four claims have been received, and no payments have yet been made under the scheme of special financial assistance for dealing with storm damage on 16 October 1987. My Department has initially budgeted £25 million in 1987–88. This estimate is provisional and will be amended as necessary in the light of claims received. Provision will also be made in Main Estimates for 1988–89 for such payments.

  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is in a position to respond to the request from Kent county council for special financial assistance in respect of the severe weather during the 1986–87 winter.

  Mr. Ridley
  I have today written to the leader of Kent county council indicating that we have concluded that the weather conditions experienced in the county last winter were such as to justify invoking a scheme of special financial assistance under the Bellwin arrangements, and an exclusion from total expenditure.

  In reaching this decision we have had particularly in mind the exceptionally severe weather conditions experienced by Kent compared with normal winter weather for the county and that, as a direct result of these conditions, communities were put at risk and suffered severe hardship and inconvenience which required immediate relief.

  My officials have written to Kent with full details of the scheme. It will provide for grant to be paid at a rate of 75 per cent. on emergency-related expenditure above a threshold. This threshold will be the same as that used in relation to the storm emergency last October: the product of a 1p exclusive rate for the county council and 0·15p rate for non-metropolitan district councils.

  I am also consulting local authority interests about an exclusion from total expenditure in respect of authorities' 25 per cent. share of eligible expenditure above the threshold and have asked that those wishing to comment on this proposal should do so by 5 February 1988.

  It is open to other authorities who believe that they qualify for assistance under the terms of this scheme to make a case to the Department, and if it is accepted, to make a claim for special financial assistance.

  The responsibility for dealing with such emergencies remains with local authorities. The Government regard special financial assistance as an exceptional measure. They will decide each case on its merits.

  Rate Rebates
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of households with below average incomes but above average reateable values are in receipt of rate rebate.

  Mr. Howard
  41 per cent. of homes with above average rateable values are occupied by households with below average incomes. Information on the proportions of such households receiving rate rebates at present is not available.

  London Residuary Body
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the current number of residential mortgages remaining with the London Residuary Body.

  Mr. Waldegraye
  At the end of December, 31,446 residential mortgages remained with the LRB.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details by boroughs of the amounts distributed by the London Residuary Body since the commencement of the current financial year.

  Mr. Chope
  Firm figures in respect of the amount distributed by the London Residuary Body since the commencement of the current financial year will not be available until LRB's 1987–88 accounts have been audited and certified. However, LRB's latest estimate, as set out in its 1987–88 budget, of distributable revenue balances during the year is shown at table A.

  Table A

  Distribution of Estimated Revenue Balances 1987–88

  Balances

  £

  Inner London

  City of London

  28,938

  Inner Temple

  615

  Middle Temple

  591

  Camden

  1,066,273

  Greenwich

  1,277,872

  Hackney

  1,108,238

  Hammersmith & Fulham

  891,910

  Islington

  992,390

  Kensington and Chelsea

  813,299

  Lambeth

  1,439,232

  Lewisham

  1,373,624

  Southwark

  1,276,099

  Tower Hamlets

  869,449

  Wandsworth

  1,529,664

  Westminster

  1,058,589

  Total Inner London

  13,726,783

  Outer London

  Barking and Dagenham

  878,315

  Barnet

  1,780,273

  Bexley

  1,291,467

  Brent

  1,506,612

  Bromley

  1,760,768

  Croydon

  1,885,482

  Ealing

  1,728,260

  Enfield

  1,566,310

  Haringey

  1,165,571

  Harrow

  1,192,168

  Havering

  1,409,679

  Hillingdon

  1,373,033

  Hounslow

  1,156,114

  276

  Balances

  £

  Kingston upon Thames

  791,430

  Merton

  972,294

  Newham

  1,232,952

  Redbridge

  1,347,617

  Richmond upon Thames

  954,562

  Sutton

  1,002,438

  Waltham Forest

  1,277,872

  Total Outer London

  26,273,217

  Total All Boroughs

  40,000,000

  In accordance with the Local Government Reorganisation (Capital Money) (Greater London) Order 1987 (SI 1987/118), LRB notified all boroughs on 17 December 1987 of revised estimates of distributable capital receipts and associated spending power during 1987–88. These are set out at tables B and C respectively.

  TABLE B

  Distribution of estimated capital receipts cash 1987–88

  Total borough distribution

  £

  Inner London

  City of London

  110,000

  Camden

  5,985,000

  Greenwich

  4,985,000

  Hackney

  6,391,000

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  4,005,000

  Islington

  5,746,000

  Kensington and Chelsea

  3,519,000

  Lambeth

  7,871,000

  Lewisham

  5,987,000

  Southwark

  7,004,030

  Tower Hamlets

  4,032,000

  Wandsworth

  5,614,000

  Westminster

  4,109,000

  Total Inner London

  65,358,000

  Outer London

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,477,000

  Barnet

  4,516,000

  Bexley

  3,236,000

  Brent

  5,936,000

  Bromley

  4,447,000

  Croydon

  4,847,000

  Ealing

  5,227,000

  Enfield

  4,035,000

  Haringey

  5,633,000

  Harrow

  3,078,000

  Havering

  3,580,000

  Hillingdon

  3,707,000

  Hounslow

  3,481,000

  Kingston upon Thames

  1,902,000

  Merton

  2,664,000

  Newham

  5,182,000

  Redbridge

  3,425,000

  Richmond upon Thames

  2,483,000

  Sutton

  2,474,000

  Waltham Forest

  3,773,000

  Total Outer London

  76,103,000

  Total all boroughs

  141,461,000

  277

  Table C

  Distribution of estimated spending power 1987–88

  Total borough distribution

  £

  Inner London

  City of London

  137,000

  Camden

  7,697,000

  Greenwich

  6,195,000

  Hackney

  8,237,000

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  5,052,000

  Islington

  7,408,000

  Kensington and Chelsea

  4,422,000

  Lambeth

  10,102,000

  Lewisham

  7,529,000

  Southwark

  8,992,000

  Tower Hamlets

  5,102,000

  Wandsworth

  6,927,000

  Westminster

  5,105,000

  Total Inner London

  82,905,000

  Outer London

  Barking and Dagenham

  2,944,000

  Barnet

  5,266,000

  Bexley

  3,764,000

  Brent

  7,386,000

  Bromley

  5,180,000

  Croydon

  5,666,000

  Eating

  6,280,000

  Enfield

  4,719,000

  Haringey

  7,155,000

  Harrow

  3,603,000

  Havering

  4,176,000

  Hillingdon

  4,371,000

  Hounslow

  4,180,000

  Kingston upon Thames

  2,195,000

  Merton

  3,150,000

  Newham

  6,494,000

  Redbridge

  3,996,000

  Richmond upon Thames

  2,909,000

  Sutton

  2,870,000

  Waltham Forest

  4,517,000

  Total Outer London

  90,821,000

  Total all boroughs

  173,726,000

  These figures reflect the substantial progress already made by LRB in disposing of surplus land and property previously held by the Greater London council, to the benefit of the ratepayers of London.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if all moneys owed to the London Residuary Body by Government Departments have now been paid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 22 October 1987. Discussions between the LRB and the Department are continuing, as are investigations by the district auditors.

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any compensation has been paid to MEPC plc during the period of Mr. Christopher Benson's chairmanship of the London Docklands Development Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  No.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many responses his Department received to the consultation document Competition in the Provision of Local Authority Services issued in 1985; of these responses, how many were from local authorities, including the Inner London education authority and local authority associations; and of the responses from those authorities how many supported the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering into the provision of local authority services;

  (2) how many of those responses received by the Government to the consultation document "Competition in the Provision of Local Authority Services," issued in 1985, were from employers' associations or any other organisations representing actual or potential contractors for local authority services; and of the responses from those organisations, how many were in favour of the introduction of compulsory competitive tendering into the provision of local authority services and how many were in favour of introducing competition over a period of a few years.

  Mr. Chope
  Over 450 responses to the consultation paper were received and a list of respondents was placed in the Library on 30 October 1985. Some 240 were from local authorities or local authority associations, and some 60 from private contractors or associations representative of their interests. It is not easy to summarise the views put forward on this complex subject, but the hon. Gentleman is free to ask consultees what they said.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of households with below average incomes live in properties the rateable value of which is more than the average domestic rateable value for the authority in which they are situated.

  Mr. Howard
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is yet in a position to update his estimates of the impact of the community charge on individual households.

  Mr. Howard
  I have today placed in the Library a note which updates the principal exemplifications of the impact of the community charge, originally contained in the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714).

  These later figures confirm that:
  domestic rates are very badly related to ability to pay. For the lowest income group (those with an income of up to £50 pw) rates amount to 4·1 per cent. of net income. The community charge amounts to 3·4 per cent.;
  community charges on average will be less than domestic rates at all income levels up to £150 pw;
  many poorer people pay more in rates than those who are better off even in the same local authority area. This is because 41 per cent. of households living in homes with above average rateable values have below average incomes; 40 per cent. of those with above average incomes live in homes with below average rateable values;
  80 per cent. of single pensioner households and 75 per cent. of other single adult households will gain from these proposals;

  279
  when fully implemented 53 per cent. of households (9·8 million) will gain from the introduction of the community charge.

  These figures demonstrate that domestic rates do not reflect ability to pay, that the poorest households stand to gain from the community charge, and that, contrary to recent opinions reflected in a recent poll, the majority of households will in fact gain from these proposals.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the numbers of single pensioners to whom his reference of 69 per cent.,Official Report, column 1325, 17 December, represents in respect of the poll tax.

  Mr. Howard
  I have today placed in the Library updated estimates which show that overall some 24 million single pensioners (66 per cent.), in England, would benefit from the full implementation of the community charge and nearly 2 million (80 per cent.) of single pensioner households would do so.

  Water Supplies
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his latest estimate of the cost to the water industry of complying with the EEC recommendations about the levels of water pollution;

  (2) what time scale is now envisaged by his Department to allow water authorities to bring their domestic water supplies into conformity with EEC regulations regarding acceptable levels of pollution.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Griffiths) of 2 December 1987, at column 622, and 15 December 1987, at column 460 on the subject of drinking water quality.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify the areas containing the majority of the 900,000 people who receive drinking water containing nitrate in excess of the EEC's recommended levels.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The areas are in Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify by(a) the pollutant and (b) the level over the EEC recommendation the areas where domestic drinking water supplies do not comply with the latest EEC requirements.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the levels of pollutant contained in the domestic water supply in the London borough of Newham above those recommended by the EEC.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I am not aware of any pollutants exceeding the EC drinking water directive limits in the London borough of Newham.

  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what provisions will be made for home dialysis users, in the event of water privatisation, with regard to(a) setting levels of charges, and (b) disconnecting supplies for non-payment; and what representations he has received on this matter;
  280
  (2) whether there will be a code of practice for water public limited companies to deal with possible termination of supply in cases where general health might be at risk.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 11 January 1988]: Water authorities at present operate a code of practice in relation to payment of bills and disconnection of water supplies. Privatised water utility companies will be required to operate a similar code. Present arrangements to protect dialysis patients in respect of loss of supply and quality of supply will continue.

  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps will be taken to ensure that water public limited companies comply in all respects within the EEC directive on water quality; and whether he intends to seek amendments to the directive.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 11 January 1988]: The legislation to privatise the water authorities will give the EEC drinking water directive the force of law in the United Kingdom. The Commission is itself considering the process by which directives on water matters may be reviewed.

  Virus Research (Waste)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what form of monitoring is applied to the discharge of waste from the animal virus research centre at Pirbright; and what waste matters are involved.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Discharges of small quantities of low-level radioactive waste from the Animal Virus Research Institute are authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The institute is inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution to check that the discharges are within authorised limits. The inspectorate also monitors levels of radioactivity in the environment resulting from these discharges.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any licence applications have been made by(a) Lilly research centre, (b) Serono Diagnostics, (c) Mercia Diagnostics and (d) the central veterinary research laboratory for the discharge of radioactive waste; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Lilly Research Centre Ltd., Serono Diagnostics Ltd., Mercia Diagnostics Ltd., and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory are all authorised under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 to discharge small quantities of low-level radioactive waste. The authorisations are issued by my Department and the organisations are inspected under the 1960 Act by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution to check that any discharges of radioactive waste are within authorised limits.

  Threatened Species
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what efforts are being made by the Government to protect the species in the United Kingdom identified by the World Wildlife Fund as being threatened with extinction.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I understand that the report recently published by the World Wildlife Fund listing threatened
  281
  species did not identify any United Kingdom species. Nevertheless, the Government will be studying the report carefully.

  Nature Reserves
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his statutory duties with respect to England's national nature reserves.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the privatisation of nature reserves.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the preparation for sale of national nature reserves.

  Mr. Ridley
  I am responsible (with the approval of the Treasury) for determining the public funds made available to the Nature Conservancy Council via an annual grant-in-aid for the performance of its functions, including the establishment, maintenance and management of national nature reserves. Several of the conditions of the grant-in-aid affect NNRs, particularly those which reserve the right to myself to decide in certain circumstances whether the NCC should incur expenditure on the acquisition of land, or on payments under management agreements, needed to establish specific Reserves.

  I am also responsible for authorising any proposal by the NCC under its powers to acquire land compulsorily to establish a reserve, although these powers have only been exercised very rarely; my authority is also required to confirm byelaws for the protection of reserves.

  In addition, I also have discretionary powers to give the NCC directions concerning the discharge of any of its functions.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on his policy on the future ownership, control and management of Britain's national nature reserves;

  (2) if he has asked the Nature Conservancy Council to examine ways of selling the national nature reserves in their ownerships and control.

  Mr. Ridley
  The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 provided the framework almost 40 years ago for a policy under which nature reserves are normally established and protected by agreement between private landowners and the Nature Conservancy Council, without the need for public ownership. Successive Governments have operated that policy. Of the 160,000 ha of reserves declared by 31 March 1987, only 43,000 ha (27 per cent.) are publicly owned by the NCC. Many of the most outstanding reserves — including several in the Norfolk Broads, upper Teesdale, Avon gorge, the Gower peninsula and the Scottish highlands — have been successfully protected for many years in private ownership.

  In line with my general policy that all non-departmental public bodies should be asked to keep their land holdings to the minimum necessary for their functions, I have asked them, including the NCC, to examine their portfolio and consider whether there is greater scope for both existing and future reserves to be kept in private ownership with appropriate conservation safeguards. The review will consider also the size of the NNR network, methods of
  282
  further improving reserve management and the possibility of generating more income (for example from visitors) that could be ploughed back into conservation. I expect to receive a report on these matters from the NCC later this year when they have fully considered the position.

  King's Cross (Fire)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional funds have been allocated to the London borough of Camden for costs arising directly out of the King's Cross fire disaster.

  Mr. Chope
  None.

  Local Government Reform
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in discussions between his Department and the London residuary body about the payment of outstanding Government grants for which provision has been made in the Greater London Council's 1985–86 closing accounts.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department and the LRB are cooperating with the district auditor to clarify further entitlement to certain Government grants.

  Manor House, Millbank
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to acquire the use of Manor house, Millbank; at what cost, and under what form of tenure.

  Mr. Chope
  I am not aware of any building on Millbank known as Manor house.

  Ozone Layer (Convention)
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why agreement to Community signature of the Montreal protocol to the Vienna convention for the protection of the ozone layer was given before parliamentary scrutiny procedures were complete; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  When international negotiations were approaching their conclusion the Commission sought the Council's agreement to Community signature of the protocol to the Vienna convention by means of document 8335/87 dated 11 September 1987. The Council's authorisation was given by means of urgent written procedure in time for a conference on plenipotentiaries in Montreal at which the protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer was adopted on 16 September. The Community (and the United Kingdom) signed the protocol on the same day.

  The House was in recess at the time and it was not possible for the normal scrutiny procedures to be carried out. The Government did, however, keep the House informed of developments, at column 319 on 27 November 1986, at column 134 on 24 March 1987, and at column 379 on 23 July 1987, and have since reported on the outcome of the diplomatic conference, at column 277 on 28 October 1987. The Select Committee on European Legislation has recommended that this subject should be further considered by the House when the Commission has tabled proposals for common rules for the Community, as

  283
  contemplated in the protocol. The text of the protocol will be published shortly as a Command Paper and laid before the House before ratification, in accordance with the usual practice.

TRANSPORT

  Tolls
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy with regard to the level of toll charges on esturial crossings.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Government policy is that toll revenue should be sufficient to recover the cost of each undertaking in accordance with its enabling legislation, but that account needs to be taken of local circumstances. Decisions on particular applications for the revision of tolls are taken in the light of all the evidence available at the time.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the debt of the Mersey road tunnels which can he recovered by tolls at a realistic level.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  One of the objectives of current discussions with the Merseyside passenger transport authority is to arrive at a joint assessment of the proportion of debt which the undertaking can service and repay. That assessment has only just begun and I cannot anticipate the outcome.

  Plutonium Nitrate
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to carry out full destructive testing of air transport and packaging options proposed for the movement of plutonium nitrate; and what standards or safety guidelines are currently used for the design and operations of such air transport options.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are no plans to transport plutonium nitrate by air.

  British Nuclear Fuels plc is examining options for the return of reprocessed plutonium oxide to Japan in the 1990s. A programme to develop and test a suitable package for air transport is currently being undertaken. The Department is being kept informed of progress and in due course the design will be submitted for approval. The package is being designed to the standards prescribed by the United States Government. The International Atomic Energy Agency is currently reviewing the international regulations covering these matters.

  Breath Tests
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) casualties, (b) deaths, (c) breath tests, and (d) positive breath tests there were during the Christmas period for each year from 1979 to 1987, by police authority.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Cars (Headlights)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to monitor the experiment in Canada of cars driving at all times with headlights lit; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Canadian authorities have said that they will monitor the effect of their recent law which requires all new motor vehicles to be fitted with daytime running lights. These lights may be in several forms, but they are required to light up automatically whenever the engine is running. We will be interested in the results.

  Accident Remedial Schemes
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make it his policy to accept all accident remedial schemes on highways as eligible for transport supplementary grant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No.

  Transport supplementary grant (TSG) is paid in support of expenditure on roads of more than local importance, such as roads forming part of the primary route network (PRN), designated roads in London, bypasses and other roads that relieve communities of longer-distance through traffic, and links to the PRN and motorways. Expenditure on accident remedial schemes on all such roads may be accepted for TSG. There are no plans to change the scope of TSG, which represents the national taxpayer's interest in local roads. Schemes of purely local significance are funded by local authorities from the other sources of finance available to them.

  Public Transport (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many proposals for investment in public transport in London since 1984 have been assessed on a cost-benefit basis.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Major investment proposals by London Regional Transport which require specific approvals are appraised on a financial and cost-benefit basis. Since 1984, in addition to projects for which there was clear financial justification, we have received and approved in every case six LRT proposals which depended upon non-financial benefits. In the same period, among the proposals submitted by British Rail two approvals for additional rolling stock were justified in part by the need to meet agreed service quality targets.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money his Department provided, or intends to provide, either directly through the London Docklands Development Corporation or through transport supplementary grant, for investment in new roads in docklands and for public transport in docklands.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department is supporting £1·884 million of expenditure with transport supplementary grant (TSG). We will consider further schemes for support with TSG if proposed by the boroughs. We have funded half the initial cost of £77 million of the Dock lands light railway through London Regional Transport and we shall be meeting some £83 million of the estimated £150 million cost of the Bank extension, the remainder being contributed by the Canary Wharf Development Company. Trunk road schemes giving access to docklands worth £175 million have been completed or are tinder construction and a further £360 million of expenditure is planned.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Wildlife Conservation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts are being made by Her Majesty's Government to prevent the importation into Hong Kong of rare and endangered species of wildlife for use as restaurant food.

  Mr. Eggar
  Hong Kong is a party to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).

  The import, export and possession of rare and endangered species of animals and plants are controlled by law in Hong Kong, and their import for use as food is prohibited there.

  Checks are made at all entry points into Hong Kong to prevent the illegal importation of such animals and plants: in 1987, 136 seizures were made and offenders prosecuted.

  Inspections are also conducted at local restaurants and markets to ensure that no such animals are offered for sale as food. In 1987, 80 visits were made resulting in 14 seizures and prosecutions.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the annual report on Hong Kong will be laid before Parliament.

  Mr. Eggar
  The report has been laid before Parliament today. It is also being published today, and copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in the implementation by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Eastern European countries of the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act during the last six months.

  Mr. Mellor
  During the last six months to 31 December 1987, Soviet and East European implementation of their Helsinki commitments continued to carry special significance in the light of the third CSCE follow-up meeting currently under way in Vienna. Overall, compliance with CSCE commitments continued to be unsatisfactory, with persistent breaches of the provisions relating to human rights and fundamental freedoms, although the record varied from country to country.

  Security in Europe: Principles regarding relations between participating states; confidence-building measures and certain aspects of security and disarmament (basket I).

  Violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms covered by principle VII, including freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief continued.

  In the Soviet Union there was little significant change in practice towards principle VII. Performance over the last six months was disappointing in some areas, when compared with the more encouraging rate of change up to July. Some hundreds of people are still known to be detained for political reasons, including the Estonian Helsinki monitor, Mart Niklus, whose case has been raised by Her Majesty's Government on a number of occasions.
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  A formal amnesty, published in June in connection with the 70th anniversary of the October revolution, did not benefit as many political prisoners as had been hoped. It did not cover inmates of mental hospitals receiving treatment for political reasons, although some people in this category have been released recently. Although virtually no new criminal prosecutions on political grounds were known to have occurred—one exception being the case of Ivan Pankratchenko, given a 10-year sentence in October for "anti-Soviet agitation and propaganda" — some activists were subjected to an extensive range of harassment. Several old-style press attacks on individuals were published. Soviet criminal legislation, including some of the articles most commonly used to sentence political or religious activists, is reported to be under review. It was officially suggested that article 190/1 of the RSFSR criminal code in particular (slandering the Soviet state) might be abolished and article 70 revised. But no amendments have yet been published.

  The theoretical freedom of religion enshrined in the Soviet constitution has remained a dead letter for many of those wishing to profess their religion without being subject to petty controls and harassment from party and state organs. Many believers such as the Orthodox priest, Vladimir Rusak, remain imprisoned for their faith, although the Baptist, Anna Chertkova, was finally released from psychiatric hospital in December after a long campaign in the United Kingdom to free her. However, there were articles in several newspapers defending believers' rights and criticising the authorities for infringing them.

  The welcome and steady increase in the numbers of Jews, Armenians and Germans allowed to emigrate from the Soviet Union noted in the first half of the year continued. Some long-standing Jewish refuseniks were given permission to leave, including Ida Nudel, Vladimir Slepak, Alexander Ioffe, Pavel Abramovich, Iosif Begun and Viktor Brailovsky. Analysis of Jewish emigration shows that in practice the "first degree" rule, introduced in January, permitting emigration only by close family members, was waived in some cases and that former security objections were dropped in others. An interdepartmental review commission was established to examine refusals; however, the initial experience of its working has been discouraging. The process is still arbitrary and subject to local differences. Marking something of a break with past practice, former emigrants (mainly Jewish) were allowed to return to the USSR in some numbers—and even to leave again, in individual cases. But others were unable to return, having been stripped of their citizenship when they first emigrated. One such case is that of Mrs. Inna Budanova, currently resident in the United Kingdom.

  In non-Russian areas of the Soviet Union, some intellectuals expressed outspoken demands for greater linguistic and cultural rights. Some demonstrations by national groups with grievances (Jews, Balts, Crimean Tartars) were permitted; others, particularly those not witnessed by Western journalists, were suppressed, sometimes with force.

  The record of Bulgarian CSCE implementation in the last six months showed little change from that in earlier periods. Principle VII continued to be widely flouted, both for ethnic Bulgarians and ethnic Turks. Religious practice for all non-orthodox denominations remained difficult. Although the appointment of a new Catholic bishop of

  287
  Plovdiv was allowed, the functioning of the Catholic church was closely circumscribed. The Muslim community continued to receive the worst treatment. There was strict supervision of Turkish populated areas during a Muslim festival in August to prevent traditional rituals. The use of the Turkish language in public remained banned. There were also reports of harassment of ethnic Turks by the Bulgarian militia.

  There was no significant improvement in Czechoslovakia's implementation of CSCE provisions. While freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed, the freedom of religious practice continued to be strictly limited and regimented by the state. But harassment of religious activists appears to have been limited recently to temporary detention, surveillance and interrogation. Among the positive developments was the release of all but one of the members of the Jazz Section imprisoned earlier in the year. Karel Srp remained in detention. Harassment of other dissidents and members of unofficial groups continued at a relatively low level. To our knowledge no Charter 77 activists were charged in the last six months, although some were detained and interrogated. In September police refrained for the first time from breaking up a public Charter meeting, but since then groups gathering in private have been disrupted by the authorities on spurious grounds.

  The overall implementation of the final act by the GDR remained unsatisfactory despite certain positive aspects. The Evangelical and Roman Catholic churches held large gatherings at which church views were clearly expressed. For the first time in over two decades, a rabbi was appointed for the Jewish community. There was the first ever non-state organised peace demonstration in September, but in November the authorities took action, including the arrest of a number of people, to suppress the activities of an environment library attached to a Protestant church in East Berlin. The death penalty was abolished and a general amnesty was announced. The order to shoot those attempting to flee the country continued in force, though there have been few reported incidents of shots having been fired.

  Hungary continued to be the most open of the Eastern European countries with a fairly good, but not flawless, record of compliance with CSCE commitments. Church-state relations remained harmonious. The role of dissidents took on a slightly higher profile, which provoked some harassment of minor samizdat publications. Several conscientious objectors to military service remained in gaol.

  Polish implementation of the human rights provisions of the final act improved during the last six months. No custodial sentences for political prisoners were imposed, although heavy fines were handed down for activities such as the distribution of illegal literature. There was a high degree of religious tolerance, although limits continued to be placed on publications by churches and other religious bodies.

  Over the last six months, the Romanian regime distinguished itself by its ugly repressiveness. Unlike its Eastern European neighbours, Romania's CSCE implementation record continued to deteriorate in all aspects of human rights. Although no information on political trials became available, prisoners of conscience continued to be detained. Religious toleration existed only in so far as it did not conflict with official policy. Romania continued to
  288
  pay lip service to promoting the effective exercise of human rights and freedoms, while repressing the population through the maintenance of a climate of fear.

  Confidence and security building measures

  Warsaw pact countries continued to comply strictly with the commitments entered into in September 1986 with the adoption of the Stockholm document. In the last six months four observable Warsaw pact exercises and nine observable NATO exercises took place, including two involving United Kingdom troops. British observers participated in a Soviet-GDR exercise in September. Hungary notified "as an act of good will" one exercise (Bazalt-87) held in October, even though it fell below the notifiable level. Observers from six Warsaw pact countries (all except Romania) attended the Purple Warrior exercise in the United Kingdom in November.

  Co-operation in the field of Economics, of Science and Technology, and of the Environment (Basket II)

  There were some interesting new developments, though the resulting practical benefits were few. In the Soviet Union a relaxation of the visa regime for participants in joint ventures was announced. The Soviet joint venture legislation was amended in September but its terms remain too restrictive to attract many companies. So far only 13 ventures — with medium or small firms — have been concluded, although the Soviet Union may be considering further amendments to make the ventures more attractive. Both Hungary and Poland have implemented economic and financial measures of interest to Western business. But in general there was virtually no improvement in the conditions for business men from the West; (and in Romania conditions remained particularly unsatisfactory). Throughout the Eastern countries housing, hotel rooms and office facilities continued to be generally inadequate and expensive. Telecommunications facilities were still poor. Economic and commercial information remained inadequate and unreliable.

  Environmental problems drew an increasing amount of public comment, both from Eastern Government officials and citizens. The Hungarians appointed an Environment Minister in December; the first in Eastern Europe. Additional resources have been promised, especially in the USSR, but it seems that attention to pollution is still not a major priority.

  Co-operation in Humanitarian and Other Fields (Basket III)

  In most Eastern countries, there was little improvement in opportunities for outside contact. In the Soviet Union there was a gradual improvement in the processing of exit visas and a significant increase in the number of exit visas granted for temporary family visits. But it was still the case that only a fortunate few were able to travel abroad. The Soviet press itself carried critical comment on the bureaucratic obstacles to travel still in place. As already noted, emigration levels rose significantly for some groups, but decisions on applications remained arbitrary or subject to dubious state security restrictions. The substantial and welcome increase in GDR citizens under pensionable age allowed to visit the West continued, though the procedures for granting visas remained inconsistent and the number of those allowed to emigrate remained at a low level. The Hungarians announced that liberalised travel rules would be introduced in 1988. Poland introduced a more relaxed passport policy and Czechoslovakia made marginal

  289
  improvements in its travel regime, but Bulgaria and Romania continued to resist changes to facilitate human contacts.

  The official Soviet media continued to be relatively open under the policy of glasnost, with a measure of debate on a wide range of sensitive issues, such as Soviet history, psychiatric abuse, and legal institutions. However, differences of emphasis about the scope of the policy emerged from the speeches of Soviet leaders. In any case, it became clear that the policy was not intended to apply to some of the most critical samizdat publications, such as glasnost. Radio Liberty, Radio Free Europe, Deutsche Welle and Israel Radio remained jammed. So too did the BBC Polish service on shortwave, apparently from within the Soviet Union, though we have been promised by the Poles that this will cease from 1 January. Some of the many new informal groups began to be attacked in the press and leading members were harassed. Attempts were made in December to disrupt an unofficial humanitarian seminar in Moscow. There were some small positive developments in Eastern Europe; for example, difficult subjects, like AIDS, and major accidents began to be treated more openly in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and the GDR. In Poland the appearance of the first legal "independent" press organ, Res Publica was an important step. But overall access to information remained severely restricted. Availability of Western publications was generally poor (partly as a result of financial constraints) and conditions for journalists remained difficult or, in the case of Romania, became worse.

  Co-operation and Exchanges in the field of Culture and Education

  There were no major new developments in these fields.

  Over the last six months cultural co-operation with the Soviet Union increased following the signing earlier in the year of United Kingdom-Soviet memorandum of understanding covering information, culture and education. The Kirov ballet toured Britain, the Royal ballet visited some Soviet cities and Soviet culture was strongly represented at this year's Edinburgh festival. A cultural agreement also came into effect with Hungary in July and the British Council resources in Hungary were increased to cover new activities.

  Visits and stays by research workers or academics were largely governed by an increasing number of bilateral agreements. These generally worked well, although the East remained keen to ensure that educational exchanges focused on scientific and technical areas which corresponded to state requirements. Exchanges with Romania were hampered because nominees frequently failed to get permission to travel.

  Malaysia
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had any discussions with the Government of Malaysia about the breach of human rights in Malaysia.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have made no formal representations to the Malaysian Government about the recent detentions under the Internal Security Act. But we are naturally monitoring the situation closely in consultation with our European partners.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Nephrops Tails
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the recent Fisheries Council meeting considered the European Community Commission's proposal to reduce the size of nephrops tails to 31 mm in the Irish sea; whether the Commission's proposal has his support; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have at this stage nothing to add to the written reply given to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 18 December last.

  Intervention Stocks
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current level of intervention stocks held within the United Kingdom by product.

  Mr. MacGregor
  A note setting our the volume of intervention stocks in the United Kingdom on the latest available dates, broken down by commodity, is deposited in the Library of the House and is updated monthly.

  Irish Sea (Fish Stocks)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the implications for fish stocks in the Irish sea of the presence of United States nuclear submarines; what assessment he has made of the radioactivity risk to fish stocks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  My Department carries out extensive monitoring for radioactivity in the aquatic environment, including fish stocks, around the British Isles, and the results are published annually and placed in the Library of the House. These surveys indicate that levels of radioactivity in the Irish sea, from whatever source, pose no risk to fish stocks.

  Alternative Energy
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants or incentives are currently available to farmers who wish to utilise wind energy, hydro-power and biomass energy; and if he has any future proposals for grants or incentives.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Under the agriculture improvement scheme, grants are available at rates of 30 per cent. in the less-favoured areas and 15 per cent. elsewhere for wind and water powered pumps and for the utilisation of biomass energy.

  Grants are also available at the same rates for solar and other forms of permanent and durable energy saving agricultural investments and for thermal insulation, vapour sealing or gas sealing for the control of temperature or atmosphere in buildings designed for agricultural use.

  The rates of grant for thermal insulation of heated glasshouses is up to 50 per cent.

  I am keeping these grants under review.

  Sugar Beet
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the current amount of sugar beet in storage within the EEC.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Sugar beet is not normally stored except for a short period between harvesting and processing into sugar. According to the Commission's latest estimates, total sugar stocks at the end of September 1987, including normal commercial stocks for use within the Community, totalled 2·8 million tonnes. There is no sugar currently in public intervention storage.

  Chile
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his right hon. Friend the Minister of State will be visiting Chile; what is the purpose of the visit; and whom he will be meeting.

  Mr. MacGregor
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of State is visiting Chile from 11 to 17 January. The purpose of this visit is trade promotion and he plans to have meetings with the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of External Relations, the Minister of the Economy, the President of the Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura, and the Director General of Pro Chile (the governmental export promotion organisation). He will also be attending a lunch with the British/Chilean chamber of commerce and is meeting various British business men. In addition, he expects to have dinner with representatives of the Chilean opposition.

SCOTLAND

  Women Teachers
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of teachers qualified to teach mathematics, physics and craft design and technology in Scotland are women; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The proportions in 1984 were: mathematics 0·30, physics 0·15, technical 0·002. Craft design and technology is not a recognised subject description in Scotland.

  The Government's aim is to bring about an increase in the proportion of girls gaining qualifications relevant to careers in science and technology.

  Education Reform
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received with regard to the proposed national core curriculum and the promotion of equal opportunities for girls and boys in schools and colleges in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  None.

  Academic Staff
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to increase the proportion of academic staff in each of the following categories(a) women, (b) blacks, and (c) those from a working-class background; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The recruitment of academic staff is a matter for the appropriate employing authorities.

  BMA (Ministerial Meeting)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the meeting between the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Stirling (Mr. Forsyth), the British Medical Association and the royal colleges on 23 December 1987.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have placed in the Library a copy of the agreed statement which was issued at the conclusion of the meeting.

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for the privatisation of nature reserves in Scotland for which he has responsibility.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  National nature reserves throughout Great Britain are the responsibility of the Nature Conservancy Council which is funded on a Great Britain basis by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, and I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today on my right hon. Friend's behalf. Local nature reserves are the responsibility of local authorities.

  Salmon Net Fishing
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what advice he has received from the fresh water fisheries laboratory at Pitlochry regarding extension of weekly close time for salmon net fishing; and what reference was made to conservation as a ground for that advice;

  (2) what advice he has received from the marine laboratory in Torrie regarding the extension of weekly close time for salmon net fishing; and what reference was made to conservation as a ground for that advice.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The scientific evidence is not conclusive in this matter and was only one of a number of considerations taken into account by Ministers before reaching a decision to increase the close time.

  Parole
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to announce the membership of the review of parole policy and related matters which is to be chaired by Lord Kincraig.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The membership of the review group is as follows:

  Mr. J. M. Brownlee (Governor, HM Prison Edinburgh).

  Mr. G. Esson (Deputy Chief Constable, Grampian Police).

  Mr. A. C. M. Johnston, QC (Advocate).

  Dr. H. Kirk (Forensic Psychiatrist, Tayside Health Board).

  Mr. R. Lander (Businessman, Scotlander PLC).

  Dr. J. McManus (Lecturer in Jurisprudence, Dundee University).

  Sheriff C. G. B. Nicholson, QC (Member of Scottish Law Commission).

  Mr. T. B. Skinner (Member of Parole Board).

  Mr. B. Williams (Lecturer in Social Work, Dundee University: Vice-chairman of council of Scottish Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders.

  I am delighted that persons of such calibre have been able to accept my invitation to serve on Lord Kincraig's review group.

  Any person wishing to submit views should write to the secretary, Review Group on Parole and Related Matters, St. Andrew's house, Regent road, Edinburgh EH1 3DE.

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any further items have been accepted in lieu of tax in the current financial year.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I am pleased to announce that the following items have been accepted in lieu of tax:

  Item

  Amount of Tax Satisfied

  A series of 20 watercolour illustrations by J. M. W. Turner for Thomas Campbell's "Poetical Works" published 1837

  £233,750

  The illustrations have been allocated to the national galleries of Scotland in accordance with the condition upon which they were offered.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the blood or blood products of the Scottish national blood transfusion service is sent to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and abroad.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 January 1988]: In the most recent accounting period for which figures are available (1 April 1987 to 30 September 1987), 3·94 per cent. of Scottish production of whole blood and red cell products was sent to England. No whole blood or red cell

  Male and female life expectancy at age 60, 65 and 70 years

  Age

  60

  65

  70

  Country

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  Scotland1

  15·7

  20·0

  12·6

  16·4

  9·8

  13·0

  England

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Wales2

  16·2

  20·9

  12·9

  17·0

  10·0

  13·5

  England and Wales2

  16·8

  21·4

  13·4

  17·5

  10·4

  13·9

  1 1984–86 based.

  2 1983–85 based.

  I understand that figures for some other countries are given in "World Health Statistics Annual 1986".
  294
  products were sent to Wales, Northern Ireland or abroad. In the same period, 0·6 per cent. of Scottish production of plasma products was sent to England; no such products were sent to Wales or abroad. The Scottish national blood transfusion service processes plasma collected in Northern Ireland and returns the plasma products so derived for use in that country: no other plasma products were sent to Northern Ireland.

  The Scottish national blood transfusion service also stands ready, in response to a particular emergency, to send blood and blood products to other parts of the United Kingdom, and abroad (although the quantities normally involved are relatively small). The latest example was at the time of the King's Cross underground fire.

  Life Expectancy
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has for male and female life expectancy at age (i) 60 years, (ii) 65 years and (iii) 70 years for(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) EEC member states, (e) Norway, (f) Sweden, (g) Iceland and (h) Finland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 December 1987]: The information is not available on a comparable basis. The information which is readily available is as follows:

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the implications for the economy of the current state of British manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Major
  The current state of British manufacturing industry is excellent, with strong growth in output, productivity and exports in 1987. We expect further healthy expansion in 1988.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he has yet received from the European Court of Justice its decision on the case initiated by the EEC Commission arguing that the United Kingdom should levy value added tax on industrial and commercial buildings and on the supply of gas, electricity, water, sewerage and protective clothing and footwear to industry and commerce; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when he expects to receive the decision of the European Court of Justice on the case raised by the Commission under the sixth directive relating to value added tax on gas, electricity, water, sewage and protective clothing supplied to industry and commerce and the building of shops, offices and factories; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The European Court of Justice has not yet delivered its judgment; it is expected to do so in the early months of this year.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the decision of the European Court of Justice on the case raised by the Commission on the levying of value added tax on spectacles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The judgment of the European Court is expected fairly soon.

  Occupational Pensioners
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if people with occupational pensions, such as teachers, who are not working but not yet on a retirement pension, will receive a backdated sum uprating their pensions in line with those on state retirement pensions and benefits who are due to receive a backdated sum due to a miscalculation in the benefit uprating of April 1987.

  Mr. Brooke
  No. I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 18 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, South (Sir W. Clark) at columns 845–46.

  Commemorative Coins
  Mr. Nelson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Her Majesty's Government have plans to issue any new commemorative coins.

  Mr. Lawson
  Her Majesty the Queen has been graciously pleased to approve my recommendation that a special £2 coin be issued to commemorate the tercentenary 296
  of the Bill of Rights in 1989. There will be a normal version of the coin issued at face value, and collectors' versions, in precious metal and base metal, issued at a premium.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Area Health Boards
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make it his policy to ensure that all area health boards in Northern Ireland provide the same level and quality of acute medical services and that the distribution of resources to them reflects this policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 11 January 1988]: The level of services required to meet the needs of the population of each health and social services board's area is not necessarily the same since there are differences in the age and sex structures of the population and in levels of morbidity and social deprivation, all of which influence the need for hospital care.

  My aim is to endeavour to relate the distribution of resources to provide an adequate and reliable service. To this end a review of the procedures for allocating resources is currently being carried out in consultation with the boards, and is expected to be completed in the early part of the year.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Safety
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current timetable for the completion of the long-term safety reviews by the nuclear installations inspectorate of the following reactors: Sizewell A, Berkeley, Oldbury, Trawsfynydd, and Hinckley A.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive requires nuclear power station operators to carry out overall longterm reviews of safety of Magnox stations after about 20 years of operation and submit these to it. The NII publishes its findings of these assessments.

  The CEGB has completed its review of Berkeley and the NII's findings on this review will be published shortly. According to the current timetable, the CEGB should complete reviews of the other stations listed during 1988. The NII's findings on each review will be published thereafter.

  Alternative Sources of Energy
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he has of the contribution from renewable sources of energy to(a) electrical supplies and (b) overall energy supply in the years (i) 2000 and (ii) 2020.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Hydro power contributes the equivalent of about 2 million tonnes of coal equivalent to the United Kingdom energy supply per annum. Small quantities of electricity are also generated from wind power and landfill gas. In addition, some heat-producing renewables have now become established as economically attractive and are beginning to make a small but useful contribution. This overall position is not expected to change significantly by 2000; the contribution by 2020 and
  297
  beyond is unpredictable since it will depend upon economic circumstances and the success of the research and development we are currently conducting.

  The appraisal of a wide range of energy technologies considered to be relevant for the United Kingdom was published in July as Energy Paper 54. The background papers prepared by ETSU for this study have also been published as ETSU R43: these contain estimates of both the technical potential and the potential contribution for all the renewable technologies. Copies of both publications are in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has for encouraging the commercialisation of biomass energy; and if he has any plans for joint initiatives with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department has research, development and demonstration programmes on biomass energy. These programmes embrace a range of projects from assessment studies to design, development and field trials. Where biofuels are already being developed and exploited by industry, no Government support is envisaged. Some biofuels, though considered to be economic now, are not yet being used to a significant extent; these are being demonstrated through my Department's energy efficiency demonstration scheme. Support is also being given under the biofuels programme for work which would not otherwise be undertaken; for example, to improve equipment and techniques for biomass use so that these can become economic and commercially acceptable.

  No joint initiatives are planned with other Government Departments, although we shall continue to consult them and industry through advisory committees and other means as appropriate.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are his proposals for encouraging the commercialisation of wind energy; and if he plans any joint initiatives with the Department of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department is continuing to press ahead with its research and development programme on wind energy which is intended to provide a basis for commercial exploitation of this resource by the late 1990s.

  The programme is being carried out in collaboration with the generating boards and with a number of major British companies active in the wind energy field, which have already established significant export opportunities for their products.

  No joint initiatives are planned with other Government Departments, although we shall continue to consult them through advisory committees and other means as appropriate.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what grants or incentives are currently available to members of the public who wish to utilise wind energy, hydro power, passive solar heating and biomass energy; and if he has any proposals for further grants or incentives.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department is supporting comprehensive research, development and demonstration programmes aimed at exploiting the United Kingdom's significant renewable energy sources. The Department's programmes are aimed at producing economically 298
  competitive and environmentally acceptable renewable technologies which can compete in the market. There are no grants currently available to members of the public who may wish to utilise renewable energy and we have no plans to introduce grant aid for renewable sources. The renewable technologies would not be best served in the long term by distorting the market by grant aid or other subsidies for their use.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what grants or incentives are currently available to industrial concerns which wish to utilise wind energy, hydro power, passive solar heating and biomass energy; and if he has any proposals for further grants or incentives.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department is supporting comprehensive research, development and demonstration programmes aimed at exploiting the United Kingdom's significant renewable energy sources. The Department's programmes are aimed at producing economically competitive and environmentally acceptable renewable technologies which can compete in the market. The Department of Trade and Industry, through its support for innovation scheme, makes funds available to industry for highly innovative research and development projects in this area. The European Commission offers grants for research and development and for demonstration projects for the renewable technologies. There are no grants available to industrial concerns which may wish to use renewable energy and we have no plans to introduce such measures.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has for the commercialisation of passive solar heating in buildings; and if he plans any joint initiatives with the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department supports a comprehensive research and development programme on passive solar heating and lighting in both domestic and non-domestic buildings. Its aim is to encourage the commercial integration of passive solar design into the United Kingdom energy economy by the early 1990s. To do this, the programme gathers information on the benefits of passive solar design which, when incorporated with other energy efficient design techniques, can significantly reduce the energy requirements of buildings. This information is obtained from a series of design studies, field trials and studies of the relevant markets for the technology.

  Increased emphasis will be given over the next few years to technical transfer, with the results of our programme put in a form that it is intended will influence building designers, developers and users. Over the next three years a wide range of design handbooks, housing layout guides, books and technical reports will be published. In addition we are examining a number of innovative technical transfer techniques which will further promote the take-up of this technology.

  No joint initiatives are planned with the Department of Trade and Industry, but we shall continue to consult it, and other Government Departments, through advisory committees and other means as appropriate.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of staff employed in his
  299
  Department are engaged in work related to (a) energy efficiency, (b) renewable sources of energy, (c) nuclear fusion, (d) the fast breeder reactor and (e) other nuclear issues.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Staff directly employed on energy efficiency are some 6 per cent. of total staff, those on renewables are between 1 and 2 per cent., and those on nuclear some 5 per cent. The figure for nuclear represents staff in atomic energy division. It would be misleading to break down this percentage into time spent on individual projects, since this varies significantly over time.

  UKCS (Drilling)
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the current levels of drilling activity on the United Kingdom continental shelf.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The total number of well starts during 1987 was 298. This is 12 per cent. above the level of 1986 when 266 wells were drilled.

  A breakdown of these figures is as follows:

  1986

  1987

  Offshore

  Exploration

  73

  69

  Appraisal

  40

  63

  Total

  113

  132

  Onshore

  Exploration

  37

  31

  Appraisal

  18

  7

  Total

  55

  38

  Development

  Offshore

  85

  126

  Onshore

  13

  2

  Total

  98

  128

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Computers
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much Britain's share of world trade in computers changed between 1979 and 1986; and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Butcher
  Between 1979 and 1986 Britain's share of all OECD countries' exports of computers fell by about half from 13·5 per cent. to 6·5 per cent.

  This was against a background of a fivefold increase in Japan's share and substantial falls in the shares of other major exporters such as the United States and France.

  Nevertheless, our exports of computers are worth over £1,000 million each year and we are the fourth largest exporter among OECD countries.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the trade balance in computers changed between the second quarter of 1979 and the second quarter of 1987; and what was the comparable 300
  figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Butcher
  Britain's trade balance in computers, as measured by the ratio of our exports to our imports fell by about 40 per cent. between 1979 and 1986. Japan's ratio rose by over 800 per cent. and that of the United States fell by 80 per cent. Excluding Japan, the ratio for OECD countries as a whole fell by 27 per cent.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the percentage of Britain's domestic market met by imports of computers changed between 1979 and June 1987; and what arc the comparable figures in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Butcher
  Data for international comparisons are not available. For the United Kingdom information is available only up to 31 March 1987. The ratio of the value of imports to home demand was 89 per cent. in 1979 and 101 per cent. in the year ending March 1987. The value of imports is distorted by the inclusion of imports for re-export.

  Regional Aid
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to publish his White Paper on regional aid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his Department's review of regional policy.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We published yesterday a White Paper following a review of my Department's activities, including regional policy.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received about his plans for regional development.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Changes in regional industrial policy were announced yesterday. I have no doubt that we shall receive a number of representations about them.

  Treeton Enterprise Centre
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what number of jobs is likely to be created at the Treeton enterprise centre he visited in December 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Treeton enterprise centre comprises 14 workshop units, employing 40 people to date. Fifty-five people are likely to be employed there by 1989.

  Electronics
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the trade balance in electronics changed between the second quarter of 1979 and the second quarter of 1987; and what are the comparable figures in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Butcher
  Britain's trade balance in electronic: goods, measured by the ratio of exports to imports, fell by 17 per cent. between 1979 and 1986.
  301
  Among the top 10 OECD exporters of electronic goods, Japan saw an increase of more than 60 per cent. in its export-import ratio, and the United States a fall of more than 40 per cent. over the period.

  Excluding Japan, the largest exporter in this category, the average for the OECD countries was a fall of 25 per cent.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much Britain's share of world trade

  OECD Countries Exports of Electronic Goods1

  Exports

  Per cent. of total

  Change in share per cent.

  United States $ million

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  Australia

  97

  121

  0·2

  0·1

  -42

  Austria

  807

  1,640

  1·3

  1·2

  -6

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  1,789

  2,690

  2·8

  1·9

  -30

  Canada

  1,652

  3,667

  2·6

  2·6

  3

  Denmark

  659

  1,004

  1·0

  0·7

  -29

  Finland

  270

  710

  0·4

  0·5

  22

  France

  4,597

  7,420

  7·2

  5·4

  -25

  Germany

  9,467

  15,718

  148

  11·3

  -23

  Greece

  22

  18

  0·0

  0·0

  -61

  Ireland

  582

  2,894

  0·9

  2·1

  130

  Italy

  2,455

  4,770

  3·8

  3·4

  -10

  Japan

  14,133

  45,021

  22·0

  32·5

  47

  Netherlands

  3,523

  5,117

  5·5

  3·7

  -33

  New Zealand

  9

  26

  0·0

  0·0

  30

  Norway

  217

  537

  0·3

  0·4

  15

  Portugal

  161

  330

  0·3

  0·2

  -5

  Spain

  422

  923

  0·7

  0·7

  1

  Sweden

  1,955

  3,171

  3·0

  2·3

  -25

  Switzerland

  1,245

  2,195

  1·9

  1·6

  -18

  Turkey

  3

  17

  0·0

  0·0

  135

  United States

  14,751

  31,280

  23·0

  22·6

  -2

  United Kingdom

  5,350

  9,427

  8·3

  6·8

  -18

  OECD less Iceland

  64,166

  138,696

  1 Standard International Trade Classification, divisions 75 (part) 76 77 (part) 79 (part) 87 (part) and 89 (part).

  Note: Because the amount of trade varies widely among these countries, changes in the ratio of exports to imports provide a more reliable measure than changes in the balances.

  Source: OECD.

  Monopolies and Mergers Commission
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he is yet in a position to make a statement on the future role of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State yesterday announced the conclusions of a review of some aspects of competition policy, including some aspects of the MMC's work. The M MC will retain its current role, but the Government expect that it will be possible to make further progress in cutting the length of time taken by merger investigations.

  South Korea
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current value of exports to South Korea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The latest figures available show that for the 10 months January to October 1987, our exports to South Korea amounted to £350 million, an increase of 50 per cent. over the corresponding period in 1986.
  302
  in electronics changed between 1979 and 1986; and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Butcher
  Data on world trade are not readily available. Information on OECD countries' shares of total OECD exports are in the table.

  Mechanical Engineering
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the trade balance in mechanical engineering changed between the second quarter of 1979 and the second quarter of 1987; and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  Britain's trade balance in mechanical engineering goods, as measured by the ratio of our exports to our imports fell by 25 per cent. between 1970 and 1986. The average fall among OECD countries was 16 per cent. Among the top 10 OECD exporters of mechanical engineering goods, Japan saw an increase of nearly 40 per cent. in its export-import ratio and the United States saw a fall of nearly 60 per cent.

  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the percentage of Britain's domestic market met by imports of mechanical engineering changed between 1979 and June 1987; and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development country.
  303
  Mr. Atkins
  Information on OECD countries' import penetration in mechanical engineering goods is in the table.

  Import Penetration in Mechanical Engineering Products1

  1979

  1985

  Import Penetration

  Percentage change

  Production

  Imports

  Exports

  Production

  Imports

  Exports

  1979

  1985

  1985–89

  US$ Billion

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Australia

  4·7

  2·5

  0·4

  4·1

  4·4

  0·3

  37

  54

  45

  Austria

  3·3

  2·3

  2·1

  4·2

  2·6

  2·6

  66

  61

  -7

  Bel'Lux

  4·8

  4·0

  3·3

  3·2

  3·9

  3·1

  73

  97

  33

  Canada

  6·9

  8·1

  4·0

  12·2

  10·7

  5·5

  73

  62

  -16

  Denmark

  2·9

  1·8

  2·0

  2·6

  2·1

  2·1

  66

  80

  22

  Finland

  1·9

  1·3

  0·9

  2·7

  1·8

  1·5

  56

  59

  4

  France

  34·5

  9·5

  11·3

  29·9

  11·0

  10·5

  29

  36

  24

  Germany

  53·1

  10·5

  31·6

  43·2

  13·1

  32·2

  33

  54

  65

  Greece

  0·5

  1·1

  —

  0·3

  0·8

  —

  70

  69

  -1

  Ireland

  0·8

  1·3

  0·7

  0·9

  1·8

  2·4

  93

  811

  771

  Italy

  19·3

  4·9

  12·3

  18·4

  7·0

  14·4

  41

  64

  54

  Japan

  73·0

  2·9

  14·2

  100·6

  4·0

  28·9

  5

  5

  13

  Netherlands

  4·2

  4·6

  3·7

  2·8

  6·2

  4·9

  89

  153

  71

  New Zealand

  0·6

  0·6

  0·1

  0·7

  1·0

  0·1

  53

  62

  18

  Norway

  1·64

  1·6

  0·6

  2·5

  2·4

  0·8

  67

  59

  -12

  Portugal

  0·3

  0·8

  0·2

  0·4

  0·7

  0·3

  87

  94

  8

  Spain

  5·67

  2·2

  1·7

  4·8

  3·0

  2·0

  36

  51

  45

  Sweden

  7·7

  3·1

  4·7

  6·4

  3·9

  5·1

  51

  74

  46

  United States

  161·1

  12·8

  30·1

  219·5

  32·2

  38·8

  9

  15

  70

  United Kingdom

  30·6

  9·6

  13·4

  26·6

  13·6

  14·6

  36

  53

  47

  Total OECD2

  416·69

  85·5

  137·1

  485·9

  125·9

  170·2

  23

  28

  22

  Notes:

  1 International Standard Industrial Classification Major Group 382.

  2 Excluding Iceland, Switzerland and Turkey.

  '—' Value less than half the final digit shown.

  Overseas trade figures include imports for re-export and exports for re-import. For a number of countries this entrepot trade is substantial and import penetration ratios are distorted.

  Source: OECD.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much Britain's share of world trade in mechanical engineering changed between 1979 and 1986 and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  OECD countries exports of mechanical engineering

  Exports

  Percentage of total

  Change in share

  1979 US $ billion

  1986 US $ billion

  1979 Per cent.

  1986 per cent.

  Australia

  0

  0

  0·3

  0·2

  -18

  Austria

  2

  4

  1·6

  2·2

  38

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  3

  4

  2·5

  2·1

  -18

  Canada

  4

  5

  2·9

  3·0

  5

  Denmark

  2

  3

  1·5

  1·5

  1

  Finland

  1

  2

  0·7

  1·0

  42

  France

  11

  12

  8·3

  6·7

  -19

  Germany

  31

  42

  23·6

  23·5

  0

  Greece

  0

  0

  0·0

  0·0

  21

  Ireland

  0

  1

  0·2

  0·3

  32

  Italy

  10

  16

  7·5

  9·0

  21

  Japan

  13

  27

  9·9

  15·5

  56

  Netherlands

  3

  5

  2·5

  2·6

  5

  New Zealand

  0

  0

  0·0

  0·1

  24

  Norway

  1

  1

  0·4

  0·4

  -10

  Portugal

  0

  0

  0·1

  0·2

  174

  Spain

  2

  2

  1·2

  1·1

  -8

  Sweden

  4

  6

  3·2

  3·2

  0

  Switzerland

  6

  8

  4·2

  4·5

  9

  Turkey

  0

  0

  0·0

  0·1

  1

  United States

  26

  26

  19·6

  14·9

  -24

  304
  Mr. Atkins
  Data on world trade are not readily available. Information on OECD countries' shares of total OECD exports are in the following table.
  305

  Exports

  Percentage of total

  Change in share

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  US $ billion

  US $ billion

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  United Kingdom

  13

  14

  9·9

  7·9

  -20

  OECD less Iceland

  133

  177

  1 Not meaningful.

  Notes:

  1. Standard International Trade Classification divisions 71 (part), 72, 73, 74.

  2. Because the amount of trade varies widely among these countries, changes in the ratio of exports to imports provide a more reliable measure than changes in the balances.

  Source: OECD.

  Car Imports
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the percentage of Britain's domestic market met by imports of motor cars changed between 1979 and June 1987; an what are the comparable figures in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  Data on import penetration for OECD countries are incomplete and not available beyond 1985. In the United Kingdom, imports accounted for 51 per cent. of the value of sales of motor vehicles in 1985, compared with 41 per cent. in 1979, a proportionate increase of 23 per cent. Among those OECD countries for which data are available, including most major producers, there was an average proportionate increase of 29 per cent., ranging from 72 per cent. in the United States to a fall of 20 per cent. in Italy.

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to introduce legislation to enable accountancy firms to incorporate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  Yes. We intend to remove the existing statutory prohibition on the audit of companies by corporate bodies when we implement the EC eighth company law directive. I placed a note giving further details in the Library on 10 December last year, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Page).

  Civil Research and Development
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to increase the level of research and development spending by Government and industry.

  Mr. Butcher
  It is my Department's intention to increase its support for its total research and development programme, including its support for EC research and development programmes.

  My Department has recently undertaken a review of innovation policy and its conclusions were announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 12 January. The review concluded that the balance of existing innovation policy should be altered and that greater emphasis should be placed on encouragement of collaborative programmes and technology transfer. It also noted that the general scheme for
  306
  providing innovation grant assistance to individual companies should be ended, although small high technology companies should continue to be encouraged.

  We are encouraging United Kingdom industry to increase its funding of research and development, but it is not for Government to plan what industry should spend.

  Electricity Prices
  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the impact of electricity price increases on(a) British Steel, Teesside and (b) ICI Wilton.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  British Steel and ICI have both sent letters to my Department expressing concern about the proposed increases.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the outlook for manufacturers costs.

  Mr. Butcher
  In his Autumn Statement my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer forecast that manufacturers' total cost per unit of output would rise by 2 per cent. in 1988.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the deficit or surplus which the United Kingdom experienced in manufactured trade with(a) the EEC and (b) the rest of the world, in the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The information is in the table:

  United Kingdom balance of trade in manufactures1

  Balance of payment basis

  Overseas trade statistics basis

  Twelve months ending

  European Community

  Rest of World

  European Community

  Rest of World

  September 1987

  -9·9

  3·5

  -10·8

  1·3

  November 1987

  ֵ

  ֵ

  -11·0

  1·2

  1 Standard International Trade Classification sections 5 to 8. Figures on a balance of payments basis are available only quatterly. On the overseas trade statistics basis imports, but not exports, include the cost of insurance and freight charges.

  ֵ Not available.

  Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics

  Department of Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what effect he forecasts on the exports of manufacturing industries in 1988 arising from current exchange rates.
  307
  Mr. Alan Clark
  Exports depend on many factors in addition to exchange rates. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be making a new forecast at Budget time.

  Textiles
  Mr. Wall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the percentage of Britain's domestic market met by imports of textiles changed between 1979 and June 1987; and what is the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  The latest available data refer to 1985, when the level of import penetration in the United Kingdom was 42 per cent., compared with 28 per cent. in 1979, a proportionate increase of about 48 per cent. The average proportionate increase among the OECD countries was 2 per cent., ranging from an increase of

  OECD countries trade in textiles1

  US $ billion

  Exports

  Imports

  Export/import ratio per cent.

  Change in export/import ratio per cent.

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  Australia

  0·1

  0·1

  1·0

  1·2

  11

  12

  13

  Austria

  1·0

  1·2

  1·0

  1·2

  92

  99

  8

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  3·2

  3·9

  2·1

  2·2

  152

  175

  16

  Canada

  0·2

  0·4

  1·4

  1·8

  18

  22

  24

  Denmark

  0·4

  0·5

  0·7

  0·8

  53

  57

  8

  Finland

  0·2

  0·2

  0·5

  0·6

  28

  30

  8

  France

  3·4

  3·9

  3·9

  4·7

  88

  83

  -6

  Germany

  6·1

  8·2

  6·5

  6·8

  94

  120

  28

  Greece

  0·4

  0·5

  0·2

  0·6

  195

  95

  -51

  Ireland

  0·4

  0 4

  0·5

  0·4

  86

  89

  4

  Italy

  4·2

  6·0

  2·6

  3·6

  163

  167

  2

  Japan

  4·0

  5·5

  2·1

  2·3

  190

  243

  28

  Netherlands

  2·2

  2·5

  2·1

  2·4

  104

  103

  -1

  New Zealand

  0·1

  0·1

  0·3

  0·4

  22

  38

  68

  Norway

  0·1

  0·1

  0·4

  0·5

  25

  22

  -12

  Portugal

  0·6

  0·8

  0·2

  0·5

  310

  147

  -52

  Spain

  0·6

  0·8

  0·3

  0·6

  189

  137

  -28

  Sweden

  0·4

  0·5

  0·9

  0·9

  41

  54

  32

  Switzerland

  1·4

  1·9

  1·0

  1·3

  135

  144

  7

  Turkey

  0·3

  0·9

  0·0

  0·2

  704

  587

  n/m

  United States

  3·2

  2·6

  2·3

  5·8

  139

  44

  -68

  United Kingdom

  2·8

  2·5

  3·6

  4·6

  79

  54

  -32

  OECD less Iceland

  35·3

  43·6

  33·8

  43·6

  104

  100

  -4

  1 Standard International Trade Classification division 65.

  Note: Because the amount of trade varies widely among these countries, changes in the ratio of exports to imports provide a more reliable measure than changes in the balances.

  Source: OECD.

  Small Firms (Audits)
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to change the need for full auditing requirements for small companies.

  Mr. Maude
  I have nothing to add to the statement made by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 22 May 1986.

  Direct Selling Association
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give assistance to the Direct Selling
  308
  about 60 per cent. recorded by the USA, on a very low level of penetration, to a fall of 9 per cent. recorded by Canada.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the prospects for the textile industry in the calendar year 1988.

  Mr. Atkins
  Provided that United Kingdom textile firms remain competitive, the prospects for 1988 should be good.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the trade balance in textiles changed between the second quarter of 1979 and the second quarter of 1987; and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  Data are not readily available on a quarterly basis. Information relating to OECD countries' trade in textiles is in the table.

  Association in its implementation of the voluntary code of practice recently agreed with the Office of Fair Trading; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The Government welcome the Direct Selling Association's revised code of practice. Responsibility for enforcing and publicising the code lies with the association and its member companies. However my Department and the Office of Fair Trading will draw attention to the benefits of the code as suitable opportunities arise.

  Mobile Telephones
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has regarding the introduction of a common European standard to the telecommunications industry enabling mobile telephones to be functional throughout the European Community.

  Mr. Butcher
  An agreement was reached in May 1987 in the European Conference of Posts and Telecommunications (CEPT) on the technology to be used for a Europewide mobile telephone network.

  In parallel with this, a joint effort between operators and manufacturers is under way id the special mobile group of CEPT to define the detail of the technical standard.

  It is planned that a Europewide mobile telephone service will be introduced in 1991.

  Stokes and Poises (Metrication)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will introduce legislation to metricate stokes and poises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  It is already the case, since 1 January 1986, that these two units may be used only as supplementary indications. In accordance with Council directive 80/181/EEC on units of measurement, dynamic and kinematic viscosities are now stated in terms of pascal seconds and metres squared per second respectively which are metric units.

  OECD Exports

  US$ Million

  Per cent. of OECD

  Percentage change in share

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  Australia

  18·6

  22·5

  1·8

  1·5

  -13

  Austria

  15·4

  22·4

  1·5

  1·5

  5

  Belgium

  56·2

  68·6

  5·3

  4·7

  -12

  Canada

  55·9

  86·7

  5·3

  5·9

  12

  Denmark

  14·6

  21·2

  1·4

  1·4

  5

  Finland

  11·1

  16·3

  1·1

  1·1

  6

  France

  98·0

  119·3

  9·2

  8·1

  -12

  FR Germany

  171·5

  242·4

  16·2

  16·5

  2

  Greece

  3·9

  5·6

  0·4

  0·4

  5

  Iceland

  0·8

  1·1

  0·1

  0·1

  0

  Ireland

  7·2

  12·6

  0·7

  0·9

  27

  Italy

  72·1

  97·5

  6·8

  6·6

  -3

  Japan

  102·8

  210·8

  9·7

  14·3

  48

  Norway

  13·5

  18·2

  1·3

  1·2

  -2

  Netherlands

  63·6

  80·6

  6·0

  5·5

  -9

  New Zealand

  4·6

  5·7

  0·4

  0·4

  -10

  Portugal

  3·5

  7·2

  0·3

  0·5

  49

  Spain

  18·2

  27·1

  1·7

  1·8

  7

  Sweden

  27·5

  37·3

  2·6

  2·5

  -2

  Switzerland

  26·5

  37·2

  2·5

  2·5

  1

  Turkey

  2·5

  7·4

  0·2

  0·5

  117

  USA

  181·8

  217·3

  17·1

  14·8

  -14

  United Kingdom

  90·8

  107·0

  8·6

  7·3

  -15

  OECD total

  1,060·6

  1,472·3

  Source: OECD Series 'A' (via I P Sharp) (New Zealand—OECD Series 'C')

  Engineering Industry
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has received representations from Northern Engineering Industries about incentives to exporters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No. I have received no representations from Northern Engineering Industries on this subject.

  Inner-city Policy
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a further statement about his responsibilities for inner-city regeneration.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Prime Minister has asked me to assist her in the co-ordination of Government action on inner cities, and its presentation.

  While there will be no change in the departmental responsibilities of Ministers with programmes involved in inner city regeneration, I will in particular be available as an initial point of contact in Government for private sector companies wanting to offer their support for our action for cities.

  World Trade
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much Britain's share of world trade declined between 1979 and 1986; and what information he has as to whether that decline was greater in any other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Changes in OECD countries' shares of world trade, measured according to their exports as a proportion of total OECD exports, are in the table.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, when he next meets his counterparts in the European Community, he will raise the subject of the reform of the European regional development fund.

  Mr. Atkins
  The ERDF is at present under general review in Brussels together with the Community's other structural funds. I therefore expect many discussions on this subject this year.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the value of the grants allocated to England from the European regional development fund since its inception.

  Import penetration in rubber and plastics1

  1979

  1985

  Import penetration

  Percentage change

  Production

  Imports

  Exports

  Production

  Imports

  Exports

  1979

  1985

  1985–1979

  3$ billion

  3$ billion

  3$ billion

  3$ billion

  3$ billion

  3$ billion

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Australia

  2·5

  0·4

  —

  2·8

  0·6

  —

  13

  18

  36

  Austria

  1·4

  0·4

  0·4

  1·3

  0·4

  0·5

  31

  36

  16

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  2·0

  1·0

  0·9

  1·6

  0·9

  1·0

  48

  61

  27

  Canada

  3·0

  0·9

  0·3

  4·6

  1·2

  0·8

  25

  25

  -1

  Denmark

  0·6

  0·3

  0·3

  0·6

  0·4

  0·3

  51

  61

  20

  Finland

  0·4

  0·2

  0·1

  0·5

  0·2

  0·2

  44

  41

  -6

  France

  12·0

  1·8

  2·3

  10·2

  1·8

  2·3

  16

  19

  20

  Germany

  9·6

  2·5

  3·2

  8·4

  2·5

  3·5

  28

  34

  21

  Greece

  0·7

  0·1

  —

  0·6

  0·1

  —

  11

  15

  30

  Ireland

  0·4

  0·2

  0·1

  0·3

  0·2

  0·2

  47

  55

  18

  Italy

  6·9

  0·7

  2·1

  7·2

  0·9

  2·1

  12

  15

  21

  Japan

  32·8

  0·4

  1·5

  45·3

  0·5

  2·6

  1

  1

  -6

  Netherlands

  1·7

  1·1

  0·7

  1·4

  1·1

  0·8

  53

  68

  29

  New Zealand

  0·5

  0·1

  —

  0·5

  0·1

  —

  11

  18

  63

  Norway

  0·5

  0·3

  0·1

  0·5

  0·3

  0·1

  39

  46

  17

  Portugal

  0·4

  —

  —

  0·5

  0·5

  —

  11

  54

  417

  Spain

  4·3

  0·1

  0·6

  3·8

  0·2

  0·6

  3

  5

  53

  Sweden

  1·1

  0·6

  0·4

  1·1

  0·6

  0·4

  48

  50

  5

  United States of America

  47·3

  3·6

  1·5

  75·4

  7·7

  2·1

  7

  9

  29

  United Kingdom

  10·4

  1·3

  1·4

  7·4

  1·7

  1·3

  13

  22

  73

  Total OECD2

  138·5

  16·2

  16·1

  173·9

  22·2

  19·1

  12

  13

  7

  Notes:

  1 International Industrial Classification Major Groups 355 and 356.

  2 Excluding Iceland, Switzerland and Turkey.

  3 United States $.

  '—' Value less than half the final digit shown.

  Overseas trade figures include imports for re-export and exports for re-import. For a number of countries this entrepot trade is substantial and import penetration ratios are distorted.

  Source: OECD.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the trade balance in rubber and plastics changed between the second quarter of 1979 and he second quarter of 1987; and what was the comparable
  312
  Mr. Atkins
  £1,276 million.

  Rubber and Plastics
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the percentage of Britain's domestic market met by imports of rubber and plastics changed between 1979 and June 1987; and what was the comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  Information on OECD countries' import penetration in rubber and plastics is in the table.

  figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  Data are not readily available on a quarterly basis. Information relating to OECD countries' trade in rubber and plastics is in the table.
  313

  OECD Countries trade in rubber & plastics1

  U.S. $ billion

  Exports

  Imports

  Export/Import Ratio Percentage

  Change in Exp/Imp Ratio Percentage

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  1979

  1986

  Australia

  0·1

  0·1

  0·6

  0·8

  14

  12

  -10

  Austria

  0·6

  1·0

  0·8

  1·2

  75

  86

  14

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  3·0

  3·9

  1·7

  2·4

  175

  163

  -7

  Canada

  0·7

  1·7

  1·4

  2·0

  49

  82

  67

  Denmark

  0·2

  0·3

  0·8

  1·1

  28

  32

  16

  Finland

  0·2

  0·3

  0·5

  0·7

  36

  241

  14

  France

  4·5

  5·7

  3·5

  4·7

  129

  121

  -6

  Germany

  7·6

  10·7

  5·1

  7·4

  149

  145

  -3

  Greece

  0·0

  0·1

  0·3

  0·4

  13

  14

  15

  Ireland

  0·2

  0·2

  0·4

  0·4

  52

  53

  2

  Italy

  2·6

  3·5

  2·6

  3·9

  99

  90

  -9

  Japan

  3·1

  5·2

  1·2

  1·8

  259

  284

  9

  Netherlands

  3·5

  4·8

  1·7

  2·5

  202

  190

  -6

  New Zealand

  0·0

  0·0

  0·2

  0·3

  7

  11

  66

  Norway

  0·3

  0·4

  0·4

  0·6

  71

  69

  -3

  Portugal

  0·0

  0·1

  0·3

  0·3

  6

  37

  467

  Spain

  0·7

  1·0

  0·7

  1·2

  95

  80

  -16

  Sweden

  0·7

  1·0

  1·1

  1·4

  63

  69

  10

  Switzerland

  0·5

  0·9

  1·0

  1·4

  47

  59

  24

  Turkey

  0·0

  0·1

  0·1

  0·3

  2

  35

  n/m

  United States

  4·6

  5·3

  3·4

  5·6

  136

  95

  -30

  United Kingdom

  2·6

  3·2

  2·7

  4·1

  96

  79

  -18

  OECD less Iceland

  35·6

  49·5

  30·6

  44·7

  116

  111

  -5

  Note:

  1 Standard International Trade Classification divisions 23 58 62.

  2 Because the amount of trade varies widely among these countries, changes in the ratio of exports to imports provide a more reliable measure than changes in the balances.

  Chemicals
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by how much the percentage of Britain's domestic market met by imports of chemicals changed between 1979 and June 1987; and what was the

  Import Penetration in Chemicals1

  1979

  1985

  Import penetration

  Percentage change

  Production

  Imports

  Exports

  Production

  Imports

  Exports

  1979

  1985

  1985/1979

  US$ billion

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Australia

  5·0

  1·7

  0·8

  5·0

  2·1

  1·4

  29

  37

  28

  Austria

  3·6

  2·1

  1·4

  4·0

  2·2

  1·7

  49

  49

  —

  Belgium/Luxembourg

  8·7

  5·7

  7·2

  7·2

  6·1

  7·7

  79

  109

  38

  Canada

  8·4

  3·5

  3·2

  12·9

  5·0

  4·5

  40

  38

  -6

  Denmark

  1·7

  1·8

  1·0

  1·8

  2·0

  1·4

  72

  85

  17

  Finland

  1·9

  1·2

  0·6

  2·7

  1·4

  0·8

  47

  42

  -11

  France

  32·7

  10·6

  12·4

  31·3

  11·6

  14·4

  34

  41

  18

  Germany

  54·5

  13·3

  23·5

  46·6

  15·2

  25·5

  30

  42

  39

  Greece

  1·1

  0·8

  0·2

  0·9

  0·9

  0·2

  46

  56

  21

  Ireland

  0·8

  1·2

  0·9

  0·8

  1·2

  1·5

  110

  258

  134

  Italy

  20·2

  7·6

  6·2

  23·5

  9·2

  7·1

  35

  36

  2

  Japan

  67·4

  5·3

  7·2

  88·5

  8·2

  9·5

  8

  9

  16

  Netherlands

  12·9

  6·1

  10·7

  11·7

  6·9

  11·7

  74

  100

  36

  New Zealand

  0·7

  0·7

  0·1

  0·8

  0·9

  0·2

  53

  60

  13

  Norway

  1·8

  1·2

  0·9

  2·0

  1·3

  1·1

  59

  60

  1

  Portugal

  0·7

  0·9

  0·2

  0·8

  0·8

  0·4

  61

  69

  13

  Spain

  7·5

  2·7

  1·4

  6·9

  2·7

  2·1

  31

  37

  19

  Sweden

  4·1

  2·7

  1·5

  4·0

  2·9

  2·0

  51

  59

  15

  United States

  144·2

  8·9

  20·2

  222·7

  17·0

  22·0

  7

  8

  16

  United Kingdom

  34·5

  8·0

  10·9

  29·4

  9·8

  12·9

  25

  37

  47

  Total OECD2

  412·4

  85·9

  110·6

  503·5

  107·5

  128·2

  22

  22

  1

  Notes:

  1 International Industrial Classification Major Groups 351 and 352.

  2 Excluding Iceland, Switzerland and Turkey.

  — Value less than half the final digit shown.
  314
  comparable figure in the average, best and worst performing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country.

  Mr. Atkins
  Information on OECD countries' import penetration in chemicals is in the table:
  315
  Overseas trade figures include imports for re-export and exports for re-import. For a number of countries this entrepot trade is substantial and import penetration ratios are distorted.

  Source: OECD.

  Retail Sales
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the value of retail sales in October 1987 and 1986.

  Mr. Butcher
  The estimated values of retail sales were £8,120 million in the four-week trading period for October 1987 and £7,480 million in the corresponding period for 1986.

  Toys (Safety Mark)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his policy on efforts in the toymakers' industry to introduce a safety mark for toys.

  Mr. Maude
  The Government welcome and support the initiative of the United Kingdom toy industry to promote the safety of toys through the "Lion Mark" and other means.

  Exports (Spain)
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the value of British exports to Spain in the first six months of(a) 1986 and (b)

  Mr. Alan Clark
  United Kingdom exports to Spain for the first six months of 1986 and 1987 were respectively £873·4 million and £1,056·9 million.

  Consumer Protection
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to introduce new legislation to protect consumers.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie) on 18 November and to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, South-West (Mr. Page) on 16 December.

  In addition, the Government intend shortly to introduce regulations to implement the EC directive on misleading advertising. We are also considering proposals for regulations under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 on misleading price indications.

  Export Promotion
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to promote exports by small and medium-sized firms.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Our existing services to exporters are designed to be of particular use to smaller companies. About 75 per cent. of companies that use them have fewer than 200 employees. The measures my right hon. and learned Friend announced yesterday include additional support for such companies. In particular, the consultancy assistance now available to companies with fewer than 500 employees is an important new initiative designed to help them plan their approach to exporting, and we are planning to introduce soon a repackaging of our export services which we think will meet more closely the needs of exporters, particularly the smaller or inexperienced exporter.

  British Steel Corporation Stainless
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give the profits of British Steel Corporation Stainless, Sheffield, for each of the last six years, respectively; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty Government's plans for the future of British Steel Corporation Stainless.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  For reasons of commercial confidentiality, the BSC does not publish full trading accounts for individual businesses within the corporation. Profit and loss figures for BSC Stainless, which has works in Sheffield and South Wales, are therefore not available. As I indicated on 3 December, the Government intend to privatise BSC as a single entity, and the future of BSC Stainless will therefore be considered in the context of BSC as a whole.

  Shipbuilding
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last discussed with his European counterparts the European Commission's proposals in "Shipbuilding — Industrial, Social and Regional Aspects"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  An early version of the Commission's document "Shipbuilding — Industrial, Social and Regional Aspects" was tabled at the October 1986 Industry Council. The most recent version, including proposals for the Renaval programme of assistance in shipbuilding closure areas, has yet to be fully discussed.

  On 22 December last, during industry Council discussion of the Resider steel areas programme, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster urged the early adoption of the Renaval proposals for shipbuilding areas also. I hope that both programmes will be adopted early this year.

  British Steel (Denationalisation)
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a further statement on the detailed timetable for the denationalisation of British Steel.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  As I indicated on 3 December, the Government intend to privatise BSC as soon as possible, subject to market conditions. The necessary legislation will be introduced later in the current Session. No decisions have yet been taken, however, on the detailed timetable for the privatisation.

  Output
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has regarding the output of the service industries and manufacturing output between the second and third quarter of 1987.

  Mr. Butcher
  Between the second and third quarter of 1987 output of both service and manufacturing industries rose by 2 per cent. in volume terms.

  British Steel
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next proposes to meet the chairman of British Steel to discuss prospects for the industry.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  No date has yet been fixed for our next meeting, but I expect to meet the chairman of British Steel on a number of occasions during 1988.

  British Caledonian
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the implications for the areas of his Department's responsibilities of the latest development in the takeover attempts for the British Caledonian airline.

  Mr. Maude
  The proposed merger between British Airways and British Caledonian has been investigated by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which concluded that the acquisition, having regard to proposals as developed by BA during the course of the inquiry, might be expected not to operate against the public interest. My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State has made it clear that he expects BA's proposals to be implemented in full.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the professional information technology staff in his Department, including programmers, systems analysts and managers, are based in London and the south-east.

  Mr. Butcher
  Of the professional information technology staff engaged in administrative computing in the Department of Trade and Industry, 50 per cent. are based in London and the south-east.

  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the trainees for professional information technology posts within his Department are(a) female and (b) more than 30 years of age.

  Mr. Butcher
  Of the trainees for professional information technology posts engaged in administrative computing in the Department of Trade and Industry, 37 per cent. are women and 22 per cent. are more than 30 years of age.

  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the professional information technology staff in his Department, including programmers, systems analysts and managers are(a) female and (b) more than 30 years of age.

  Mr. Butcher
  Of the professional information technology staff engaged in administrative computing in the Department of Trade and Industry, 33 per cent are women and 67 per cent. are more than 30 years of age.

  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many professional level information technology staff are employed by his 318
  Department, including programmers, systems analysts and managers; and how many trainees there are for such posts.

  Mr. Butcher
  There are 457 professional-level information technology staff engaged in administrative computing who are employed by the Department of Trade and Industry and of these 76 are trainees.

  Departmental Responsibilities
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list in the Official Report those areas of his departmental responsibility which extend to Scotland.

  Mr. Atkins
  In general, the responsibilities of the Department of Trade and Industry extend to Scotland, and it has lead responsibility for policy in the fields. In some matters, notably regional industrial policy, operational responsibility in Scotland lies with Scottish Ministers and Departments.

  Pens (Safety)
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether he will introduce legislation to ban pen tops of the type that caused the death of Billie Walker, of Braunstone, Leicester;

  (2) whether he will institute research into the safety of pens available to schoolchildren;

  (3) whether he will consult Biro Bic Ltd. to seek the voluntary withdrawal by them from the market of pens with the type of tops which caused the death of Billie Walker of Braunstone, Leicester.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to the answer given in respect of his oral question on Monday.

  My officials will be monitoring the progress being made towards introducing safer models both by the supplier of the pen top implicated in the death of Billie Walker and of other pen suppliers. I have no plans to introduce specific legislation on pen tops, but suppliers are already obliged, under the general safety requirement of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, to supply consumer goods, including pens, which are reasonably safe having regard to all the circumstances. Producers and importers will also be subject to the product liability provisions of the Act, which come into force on 1 March.

  Inner City Task Force (North Kensington)
  Sir Brandon Rhys Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1987,Official Report, column 541, he will set out the figures there shown for the North Kensington task force area, relating to housing ownership and tenure, as percentages of the total population, and give the equivalent figures for Greater London and for the United Kingdom as a whole, in a similar form.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  It is not possible to give an aggregated figure for the United Kingdom because different categories were used in the survey for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. With this qualification, the information requested is as follows:
  319

  Persons percentage housing by household

  North Kensington

  Greater London

  England and Wales

  Persons

  Percentage

  Persons

  Percentage

  Persons

  Percentage

  Owner occupied freehold

  1,778

  7·02

  2,999,238

  46·23

  25,030,293

  52·53

  Owner occupied leasehold

  1,308

  5·16

  418,355

  6·45

  3,877,112

  8·14

  Council etc·

  10,672

  42·15

  2,005,994

  30·92

  13,671,990

  28·69

  Housing association

  7,575

  29·92

  227,427

  3·51

  774,674

  1·63

  Rent and business

  41

  0·16

  12,316

  0·19

  225,901

  0·47

  By employment

  362

  1·43

  94,098

  1·45

  937,767

  1·97

  Other rent unfurnished

  1,543

  6·09

  424,585

  6·55

  2,183,064

  4·58

  Other rent furnished

  2,041

  8·06

  304,718

  4·70

  947,404

  1·99

  Total

  25,320

  100·00

  6,486,731

  100·00

  47,648,205

  100·00

  Source: 1981 census of population.

  Director General of Oftel
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the Director General of Oftel; and what subjects he discussed.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I last met the Director General of Telecommunications on 18 November. We discussed a number of current and longer-term telecommunications issues.

  Companies (Subsidiaries)
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to introduce legislation to prevent companies from leaving subsidiaries out of their group accounts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  We are considering possible changes to the law governing which companies have to be included in consolidated accounts, in the context of the EC seventh company law directive.

  International Tin Council
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the total expenditure incurred by Her Majesty's Government for legal and administrative costs of the International Tin Council since 25 October 1985.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 11 January 1988 at column 129.

  Pacer Trains
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Pacer trains have been sold abroad to date.

  Mr. Atkins
  None to date.

  Small Business Organisations
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives of small business organisations; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I regularly meet members of the small business community and take note of their views on a wide range of issues.

  Advertising Services (Report)
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of advertising services in specialised magazines for campers, climbers and walkers is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The report is published today.

  The commission found that a complex monopoly existed in favour of Holmes McDougall Ltd, High Magazine Ltd, Rambler Ltd. and Mountain Magazine Ltd. which are publishers of magazines intended for campers, climbers and walkers. These companies followed a policy of refusing to accept advertisement containing information about the price of the goods advertised in their magazines.

  The commission concluded that the operation of this policy by the publishers restricted or distorted competition and amounted to an action by each of them which operates against the public interest. The commission found that the operation of the policy had three particular adverse effects. First, it has hindered or prevented readers of the magazines from making an informed choice of goods arid supplier according to the balance of their individual priorities between personal service and lower prices.

  Secondly, it has restricted competition in prices between specialist retailers and the mail order companies which sell at lower prices. Finally, it has narrowed the range of prices at which particular goods are offered, arid it has increased the average price level.

  The commission has recommended that the Secretary of State should make an order which would declare it unlawful for publishers of specialist magazines intended for campers, climbers and walkers to operate the policy of refusing to accept advertisements containing price information.

  I accept the findings of this report and the commission's recommendation that an order should be made under the Fair Trading Act to remedy the detriments to the public interest. I am consequently arranging for the publication shortly of a notice setting out the terms of the proposed order and inviting interested persons who wish to make representations to do so.

  Self-regulating Organisations
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about progress on recognising self-regulating organisations under the Financial Services Act.
  321
  Mr. Maude
  The Financial Services Act provides that the Securities and Investments Board may not recognise a self-regulating organisation without the consent of the Secretary of State. The Act also requires the Secretary of State to refuse his consent if he considers, after receiving and considering a report on the matter from the Director General of Fair Trading, that the rules of the organisation have, or are intended or likely to have, to any significant extent the effect of restricting, distorting or preventing competition or, if they have or are intended or likely to have that effect to any significant extent, the effect is no greater than is necessary for the protection of investors.

  I announced that my right hon. and noble Friend had given leave to the board to recognise the Financial Intermediaries, Managers and Brokers Regulatory Association on 14 December. He has now considered the rules submitted by the Association of Futures Brokers and Dealers (AFBD) to the board, and has received and considered a report on it by the Director General of Fair Trading. He has concluded that on the basis of the information presently available to him he does not consider that those rules have, or are intended or likely to have, to any significant extent the effect described above. He has therefore today given his consent to the board for the recognition of AFBD.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the Internal Market Council held on 18 December 1987.

  Mr. Maude
  The Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, agreed the key elements of a directive on the provision of non-life insurance services. This represents significant progress towards a free market in financial services within the Community. The Council also agreed directives on member states arrangements for the inspection of laboratories to verify compliance with good laboratory practice; on the rules governing the classification, packaging and labelling requirements for dangerous preparations; and establishing a mandatory range of quantities in which spirit drinks and sparkling wines must be sold. It discussed proposals for directives on member states laws on trade marks and on the disclosure of major shareholdings in listed companies.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the names of all the people appointed to public bodies by his Department who are currently in office, giving for each the office concerned and the date of appointment.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 12 January 1988]: This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Steel Imports
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the amount, by cash, by tonnes, for each year since 1980, annually of imports of(a) hot rolled steel and (b) all steel into the United Kingdom from (i) the EEC and (ii) the rest of the world.
  322
  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 12 January 1988]: Due to changes in statistical definitions for steel products, information is only readily available for total imports of ECSC treaty products. The figures are as follows:

  (a) United Kingdom imports of ECSC treaty products3

  Value

  Quantity

  £ million cif

  million tonnes

  (i) From EEC

  19801

  659·9

  2·66

  1981

  496·3

  2·13

  1982

  591·8

  2·24

  1983

  582·1

  2·07

  1984

  674·7

  2·21

  1985

  800·5

  2·35

  19862

  850·3

  2·53

  1987 January-November2

  868·1

  2·57

  (ii) From the rest of the world

  19801

  327·7

  1·33

  1981

  158·9

  0·68

  1982

  256·0

  1·06

  1983

  209·1

  0·84

  1984

  208·2

  0·74

  1985

  258·9

  0·86

  19862

  289·8

  1·02

  1987 January-November2

  255·9

  0·87

  1 The country split for the 1980 value is estimated. 1980 affected by steel strike.

  2 1986 and 1987 EEC figures include Spain and Portugal.

  3 The amounts shown mainly cover hot rolled products but also include cold rolled sheets and plate.

  (b) United Kingdom imports—United Kingdom steel industry products

  Value

  Quantity

  (£ million cif)

  (million tonnes)

  (i) From EEC

  19801 3

  844·3

  3·05

  19813

  673·3

  2·51

  19823

  802·7

  2·61

  19833

  742·7

  2·36

  19843

  905·5

  2·63

  1985

  1,038·8

  2·75

  19862

  1,078·1

  2·90

  1987 (Jan-Nov)2

  1,081·3

  2·91

  (ii) From the rest of the world

  19801 3

  426·5

  1·57

  19813

  233·0

  0·80

  19823

  352·7

  1·22

  19833

  292·0

  0·98

  19843

  327·8

  0·92

  1985

  363·2

  1·00

  19862

  410·6

  1·22

  1987 (Jan-Nov)2

  358·2

  1·00

  Notes:

  1 1980 affected by steel strike.

  2 1986 and 1987 EEC figures include Spain and Portugal.

  3 1980–1984 United Kingdom steel industry products included small amounts of railway tyres, wheels and axles; also castings and forgings.

  Source: Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau.

  Scientific Research (Exploitation)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is giving any assistance to the Centre for the Exploitation of Science and Technology in its efforts to improve the way British industry exploits the fruits of scientific research; and if he will make a statement.
  323
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Centre for Exploitation of Science and Technology (CEST), which will operate as a completely independent body, is jointly funded by contributions from industry and Government. The Department of Trade and Industry, with the Department of Education and Science and the Advisory Council on Science and Technology are together providing £1 million over five years. The main contribution, however, is from industry with some 18 companies already committing £5 million to the centre's launch. Other companies are expected to join once the centre is underway.

  I welcome the setting up of CEST as an important step in helping to create the conditions in which United Kingdom companies can exploit opportunities for innovation. I expect it to do this by improving industry's access to the most up-to-date information on trends and developments in science and technology from around the world and by helping to bring together the scientific community, industry and the relevant parts of the Government.

DEFENCE

  Falklands Campaign
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the relationship between the benefits paid to those injured in the Falklands campaign and to their families, to those paid to the families of those killed or similarly injured in Northern Ireland; how much would be paid in each case to(a) a man losing a leg and (b) a widow left with two young children; and what are the payments made for a comparable injury or death resulting from military action in any other area of the world.

  Mr. Freeman
  The range of benefits available under the provisions of the armed forces pension scheme in respect of those killed or injured as a result of duty in Northern Ireland, or in any other area of the world, are the same as for those of casualties of the Falklands campaign. Actual amounts payable vary according to the rates of benefit in force at the date of death in service or invaliding from service.

  Benefits payable under the scheme in the event of death attributable to service vary according to rank. Those payable in respect of attributable injury which results in invaliding from service vary according to rank and degree of disability and, in certain circumstances, may also be affected by length of service given. Examples of benefits payable in 1982, that is at the time of the Falklands campaign, are as follows:

  a. On attributable invaliding, after four years reckonable service, with total loss of one leg:

  Private (and equivalent)

  Captain (and equivalent)

  £

  £

  Service Pension

  121,447

  125,267

  Lump Sums

  2,974

  5,839

  1 Index-linked from date of award.

  2 Per annum.

  324

  b. On attributable death in service, for a widow left with two eligible children in her care:

  Private (and equivalent)

  Captain (and equivalent)

  £

  £

  Forces Family Pension

  123,405

  127,130

  Lump Sums

  7,435

  14,598

  1 Index-linked from date of award.

  2 Per annum.

  Additional benefits would also be payable under the war pension scheme administered by the Department of Health and Social Security.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money has been donated to the South Atlantic Fund since its inception; how much has been distributed in each year for(a) the welfare of those who suffered as a result of the Falklands conflict and (b) the welfare of those who continue to work in the arduous conditions of the South Atlantic; and how much money remains in the fund.

  Mr. Freeman
  The most recent report published by the trustees, a copy of which was forwarded to the right hon. Member with my letter of 30 October 1987, states that to 31 October 1986, £15,168,652 in donations had been received. Accounts for the fund's financial year ending 31 October 1987 have not yet been published.

  The annual reports show that grants have been made for each of the fund's accounting periods as follows. Within the figure for the period ending 31 October 1983 certain grants were made for the welfare of those continuing to defend the Falkland Islands as stated on page 6 of the trustees' annual report for 1983.

  Grants

  £

  27 May 1982–31 October 1983

  12,792,695

  1 November 1983–31 October 1984

  794,344

  1 November 1984–31 October 1985

  85,900

  1 November 1985–31 October 1986

  143,679

  As at 31 October 1986 the balance in hand was £3,498,012.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table giving for the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Army, the Royal Air Force, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and RNSTS, and the Merchant Navy., the following information about the Falklands war and South Atlantic Fund: (1) the number who died:(a) with and (b) without dependants, (2) the number who were injured: (a) with and (b) without dependants, (3) the total distributed from the fund to individuals who had been or are members of each service, (4) the total distributed from the fund to families of those who died in each service and (5) the amount given to each of the services for general use and the terms on which this was given.

  Mr. Freeman
  The numbers killed totalled 255 as follows:

  (a)

  (b)

  Totals

  With dependants

  Royal Navy

  86

  53

  Royal Marines

  27

  16

  Army

  123

  62

  325

  (a)

  (b)

  Totals

  With dependants

  RAF

  1

  1

  RFA/RNSTS

  10

  6

  Merchant Navy

  6

  5

  Chinese unofficials

  2

  2

  There were 777 service and civilian casualties arising from the conflict. This figure is increasing as further disabilities come to light. It is not possible to say how many of the injured had dependants as this information is not held centrally.

  As regards any analysis of grants by service or to families of those who died, the trustees of the South Atlantic fund have not published such data.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the South Atlantic Fund had sufficient money to help widows so that they would be as well off as they would have been had their husbands not died;

  (2) what assumptions were made about the income that would have been earned had the man concerned not died, in calculating the amount paid to widows of those killed in the Falklands conflict; and for how many years it was assumed that this income would have lasted.

  Mr. Freeman
  The aim of the trustees, within the framework of charity law and the assets of the fund, has been to help all those who suffered or were bereaved to live, as far as possible, the kind of life they might have expected had the conflict not taken place. In considering grants to widows the trustees have had to bear in mind both the earnings potential of their deceased husbands and the long-term needs from the fund of those men who suffered injury.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been means-tested by the South Atlantic Fund before a grant was made; if this is universal; what income and capital is taken into account; and if there were objections to means testing.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for the trustees. However, I understand that there has been no general means testing, though the trustees have taken into account state pensions and benefits but not personal assets or personal insurance and other similar personal provision.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if, when the South Atlantic Fund is closed and the residual assets transferred to the service benevolent funds, he will ensure that each service gets money according to the numbers belonging to it that were injured or killed in the Falklands conflict;

  (2) if he will request the trustees of the South Atlantic Fund to ensure that, when monies are transferred on the closure of the fund, they will not be greatly in excess of what will be needed to meet all due claims from beneficiaries in perpetuity.

  Mr. Freeman
  These are matters for the trustees who have decided to extend further the life of the fund to not later than July 1989.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what complaints have been received from beneficiaries of the South Atlantic Fund regarding the criteria for grants, the method of assessment and the method and timing of pay; what was their nature; and what response was made.
  326
  Mr. Freeman
  These are matters for the trustees.

  Training Land
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many acres of land in the United Kingdom are currently used for the purposes of military training.

  Mr. Freeman
  The area of United Kingdom land used for military training, ranges and camps totalled 459,318 acres as at 1 April 1987, the latest date for which complete figures are available. This figure includes both land and foreshore and 81,000 acres which MOD has rights over only.

  Land Disposal
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many acres of land held by his Department have been disposed of to local authorities or private developers for the purpose of home construction in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Freeman
  I regret that records are not maintained in the form required that would enable this information to be provided. I can, however, say that between 1 April 1982 and 1 April 1987 the Defence estate has been reduced by 21,047 acres.

  Departmental Land
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will detail by(a) grade and (b) location all listed properties on land held by his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  I will write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the latest estimate of the acreage of all land belonging to, or used by, his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  The figures for Ministry of Defence land holdings in the United Kingdom at 1 October 1987 are as shown:

  acres

  Freehold

  553,055

  Leasehold

  39,482

  Rights only

  93,086

  The Ministry of Defence owns virtually no land overseas but some 309,000 acres are either made available to the Department by host Governments or leased; the Department additionally has rights of access over 197,600 acres.

  Service Personnel (Hirings)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will give details of the machinery by means of which serving members of the armed services are hired for activities associated with private individuals, companies and associations;

  (2) if he will give details of the amounts received from the hire of serving members of the armed services during the most convenient accounting period.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 12 November 1987 at columns 304–5.

  Private Security Companies
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid by his Department for services provided by private security companies in the most recent available period.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  For the year 1987 the value of centrally placed contracts with private security companies is expected to be in the order of £1·2 million.

  Information on contracts placed locally is not held centrally. However, these will be of very low value.

  Private Landlords
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what annual rents have been paid out by his Department to private landlords in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  I regret the information is not held in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, figures for each financial year from 1982–83, the earliest for which detailed information is immediately available, show MOD paid out the following amounts as rent or other related charges for married quarters, land and other buildings hired in the United Kingdom and overseas.

  £ million

  1982–83

  61·442

  1983–84

  59·549

  1984–85

  67·814

  1985–86

  72·361

  1986–87

  85·590

  BP Share Launch
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply of 12 November 1987,Official Report, column 306, the sum of £2,293 has now been recovered from the publicity company involved in the BP share launch ceremony.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes. The sum of £2,293 has now been recovered from BP.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Community Care
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet received Sir Roy Griffiths' report on community care.

  Mr. Newton
  No.

  Nursing Training
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money in real terms expressed at constant prices has been spent on nursing training in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Newton
  The information requested is as follows:

  £ million at 1986–87 constant prices

  1977–78

  498

  1978–79

  479

  1979–80

  479

  1980–81

  503

  328

  £ million at 1986–87 constant prices

  1981–82

  490

  1982–83

  482

  1983–84

  480

  1984–85

  453

  1985–86

  441

  1986–87

  439

  Notes:

  The figures for each year are estimates made up from two elements

  (a) The expenditure of English Regional Nurse Training Committees (for the years 1977–78 to 1982–83) and the grants made to the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health visiting for salaries of nurse teachers and other training costs (for 1983–84 to 1986–87).

  (b) The salaries and superannuation costs, but not national insurance costs, of learners paid by Health Authorities. These salary costs do not take account of the service contribution made by learners during training which varies according to the particular course and the School of Nursing.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will procure from North West Thames regional health authority estimates available to them from the strategic plan of the Paddington and North Kensington district health authority of the number of beds needed for AIDS patients in 1992, for publication in the Official Report.

  Mr. Newton
  The district health authority has not yet published figures for beds required in 1992 for AIDS patients. However, I understand that work is well advanced on the production of a further draft strategic plan which has yet to be approved for issue by the health authority. Should my hon. Friend wish to pursue the matter further, he may wish to contact the chairman of the Paddington and North Kensington authority direct.

  No Smoking Day
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) for how many years the Health Education Authority has retained the public relations company, Peter E. Firth and Co., for the promotion of National No Smoking Day;

  (2) what fee is to be paid by the Health Education Authority to the public relations company, Peter E. Firth and Co., for the promotion of National No Smoking Day;

  (3) what expenses have been agreed to be paid by the Health Education Authority to the public relations company, Peter E. Firth and Co., for the promotion of National No Smoking Day 1988;

  (4) how many public relations consultants were asked to tender for the contract to promote National No Smoking Day 1988.

  Mrs. Currie
  I understand that the National No Smoking Committee, which is composed of a wide range of charitable and public bodies including the Health Education Authority, has retained the public relations firm Peter E. Firth and Company since 1984 for the promotion of National No Smoking Day. The firm was invited with two others to tender in 1986, when it was awarded the contract for the 1987 and 1988 events. The fees and expenses to be paid in 1988 are a matter for the committee.

  South Tees Health Authority (Urology Department)
  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the length of the waiting lists in the urology department in the South Tees health authority in the current year and in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Newton
  The requested information is given in the table, together with in-patient cases treated during each year.

  South Tees District Health Authority Urology Waiting List at 31 March

  Year

  Number of cases on in-patient waiting list

  In-patient cases treated

  11982

  209

  924

  1983

  270

  1,145

  1984

  248

  1,054

  1985

  153

  1,372

  1986

  211

  1,490

  1987

  272

  n/a

  1 NHS activity affected by industrial action

  n/a = not available

  Toxic Distress Allergies
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are being taken to ensure that general practitioners are up to date in modern toxic distress allergies and environmental illnesses.

  Mr. Newton
  The management of allergies and environmental illnesses feature in the undergraduate medical curriculum and in vocational training for general practice. Established general practitioners decide how best to keep their knowledge up to date; they may also refer patients to physicians specialising in allergic disorders and specialists in occupational medicine.

  Private Hospitals (Unused Capacity)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake measures to encourage the National Health Service to explore unused capacity in the private hospital section.

  Mr. Newton
  Health authorities are encouraged to consider the use of non-National Health service health care provision where this would be a cost-effective way of providing NHS services. In 1986, patients from 121 health authorities received treatment from non-NHS health care institutions. As part of this year's waiting list initiative activity, health authorities have set up over 20 projects, treating approximately 2,700 patients, with non-NHS providers. In October 1987 my right hon. Friend contributed the foreword to a district health authority by district health authority directory of private acute hospitals, produced by BUPA and distributed throughout the NHS; this provided essential information for NHS managers considering the use of non-NHS facilities. We have supported two pilot schemes (in the Trent and West Midlands regions) involving BUPA in negotiating with non-NHS hospitals for the treatment of NHS patients under contract. The waiting list fund for 1988–89 has been increased from £25 million to £30 million. As part of the initiative for the coming year, we are encouraging DHAs to consider worthwhile projects which use facilities beyond their own, including the private sector.

  Late Abortions
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many and what proportion of late abortions in England and Wales are for women resident in Scotland.

  Mr. Newton
  There is no universally accepted definition of late abortion. However, the number of notifications of abortions performed under the Abortion Act 1967 on women usually resident in Scotland, carried out in England and Wales at 21 completed weeks gestation and over, for 1986 is 46, which represents 1·69 per cent. of all abortions at this gestational age carried out in England and Wales.

  Capital Schemes (North-West Region)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many capital schemes of over £1 million(a) have been completed and (b) are under construction, in the National Health Service north-west region since 1979.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information held centrally on health building schemes, each cost over £1 million, for northwestern region shows that 37 schemes have been completed since 1979 and nine more are currently under construction.

  Married Couples (Capital Cut-off)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to change the provisions of the Social Security Act so that the capital cut-off for a married couple is no longer subject to the same £3,000 limit as a single person.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is a long-established principle of income-related benefits that a married couple living together are treated as a single financial unit. It would be both impractical and costly to treat all adults as individuals for benefit purposes. The capital cut-off which applies to each financial unit is to be raised to £6,000 from April when income support replaces supplementary benefit. An income of £1 a week will be assumed on capital between £3,000 and £3,250 and a further £1 a week for every band of £250 held up to £6,000. The same level will also apply to housing benefit and family credit.

  Hospital Projects
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many hospital projects costing at least £1 million have been started and completed since 1979.

  Mrs. Currie
  Information held centrally shows 254 health building projects, each costing over £1 million, have been started and completed since 1979.

  Health Authorities (Audits)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make it his policy to require health authorities to be audited by independent auditors appointed by the Audit Commission with a duty to report on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which they manage and deploy their resources; and if he will make a statement.
  331
  Mr. Newton
  We have no plans to do so, but officials are in close touch with officers of the Audit Commission about ways of developing the National Health Service audit function.

  The Secretary of State is required by the National Health Services Act 1977 to appoint auditors for the statutory audit of the accounts of health authorities. The statutory auditors, who include five major firms of commercial auditors, work to standards which we have approved and which are fundamentally the same as the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies standards, adapted and extended as necessary for application to the external audit of health authorities. The primary duty placed on the auditors is the certification of the annual accounts, but the standards include responsibility for ensuring that health authorities have adequate arrangements for achieving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in their deployment of resources through testing the adequacy of health authorities' systems for achieving value for money.

  The activity of the statutory audit branch is examined each year by the Comptroller and Auditor General who, in addition to obtaining assurance about the certification of the annual accounts, also reviews and takes into account the value for money audit when making his own inquiries into the deployment of NHS resources.

  Single Payments
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide a breakdown for each of the last four years for which figures are available of single payments made to the following categories of claimants from his Department's Brighton office: pensioners, single parents and long-term unemployed.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that figures for single payments made to single parents and to the long-term unemployed are not kept by local offices. Figures for single payments made to pensioners from the Brighton DHSS office are as follows:

  Year

  Number

  Amount £

  April 1983—April 1984

  680

  44,925

  April 1984—April 1985

  1,132

  58,755

  April 1985—April 1986

  1,471

  78,045

  April 1986—April 19871

  11,683

  1101,007

  1 The figures for 1986–87 are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will identify the average size of single payments made to claimants from his Department's Brighton office for each of the last four financial years together with details of how many payments were made in the following bands: £0 to £50, £50 to £100, £100 to £150, £150 to £200, £200 to £250, £250 to £300, £300 to £350, £350 to £400, £400 to £450, £450 to £500 and over £500 for each of those years.

  Mr. Scott
  Details of how many single payments were made in each of the bands quoted is not kept.

  During the last four financial years the average size of each single payment made by the Brighton DHSS office was as follows:
  332

  Financial year

  Average amount of payment £

  1983–84

  65·77

  1984–85

  61·84

  1985–86

  71·64

  1986–871

  185·10

  1 The figure for 1986–87 is provisional and subject to amendment.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide details for the last four years for which figures are available of the number of single payments made by his Department's Brighton office for(a) household furniture, (b) clothing, (c) bedding and (d) replacement household equipment, and as a result of urgent payments made to replace domestic and household goods affected by natural disasters (fire, flood and so on).

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultation was undertaken by his Department with local authorities and welfare organisations to determine local needs and the formula by means of which the balance was determined between grants and loan budgets under the social fund for 1988–89 for each local office of his Department.

  Mr. Scott
  The division of the national social fund budget between grants and loans was based on research carried out on our behalf by the social policy research unit. An explanation of the basis of social fund allocations to local offices for 1988–89 is available in the Library. In deciding community care grant allocations for future years we will be carrying out a local consultation process, the precise details of which will be announced closer to the time.

  Manor Hospital, Walsall
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the extension to the Manor hospital, Walsall is now to be opened for full use; and if there are any financial reasons for delay.

  Mrs. Currie
  The timing and opening of new capital schemes is a matter for the regional and district health authorities to determine in the light of available resources. The hon. Member may therefore wish to write to the chairman of the West Midlands RHA for the information he seeks.

  Radiotherapy Unit, Southend
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to make a decision on the proposal by the North East Thames regional health authority to close the radiotherapy unit in Southend; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  We hope to make a decision as soon as possible.

  Eraldin
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library any information ICI gave his Department regarding the level and total of payments it made for each type of adverse reaction that occurred from the drug Eraldin.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 2 November 1987]: We have found no record that ICI informed the Department of the details of payments made under the Eraldin voluntary compensation scheme. Certain information about payments was given by ICI in confidence under the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, but cannot be disclosed without a breach of that confidence.

  Hospitals
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how the nursing establishment for individual hospitals is computed; and what methods are used to refine such computations from time to time.

  Mr. Newton
  This is a matter for individual health authorities to determine.

  Glaucoma
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report the exact number of sufferers of glaucoma whose final diagnosis resulted from initial detection during the course of a National Health Service sight test in each of the past 10 years.

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

  Agency Nurses
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number, and cost at current and at 1987 prices to the National Health Service, of agency nurses employed for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 14 December 1987]: The information requested is given in the table.

  Expenditure1 on Non-NHS Staff (Agency, Etc.)—Nursing

  Agency Nursing and Midwifery Staff (whole-time equivalent) as at 30 September

  Per annual accounts £000

  At 1986–87 prices £000

  1979

  4,020

  1979–80

  30,348

  50,517

  1980

  4,220

  1980–81

  44,199

  62,060

  1981

  3,760

  1981–82

  43,288

  55,357

  1982

  3,040

  1982–83

  34,525

  41,185

  1983

  2,440

  1983–84

  30,614

  34,912

  1984

  3,750

  1984–85

  40,157

  43,863

  1985

  4,120

  1985–86

  51,297

  52,841

  1986

  5,450

  1986–87

  70,788

  70,788

  1 Source: Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals. (Annual accounts of their predecessor authorities for the years prior to 1982–83).

  Note: The figures for the earlier years have been expressed at 1986–87 prices by the use of the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  22 Figures are whole time equivalent rounded to the nearest ten.

  Nurses and Midwives
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of(a) nurses and (b) midwives whole-time equivalents, excluding agency staff, in each district health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 14 December 1987]: The information is given in the tables:

  National Health Service nursing and midwifery staff in post1 2 by regional health authority at 30 September 1986

  Whole-time equivalent

  Region

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  Northern

  25,820

  1,530

  Yorkshire

  28,360

  1,850

  Trent

  34,990

  2,140

  East Anglian

  14,470

  950

  North West Thames

  25,820

  1,490

  North East Thames

  31,110

  1,820

  South East Thames

  27,740

  1,760

  South West Thames

  22,540

  1,190

  Wessex

  21,620

  1,320

  Oxford

  15,640

  1,220

  South Western

  25,590

  1,340

  West Midlands

  39,770

  2,580

  Mersey

  21,020

  1,230

  North Western

  35,430

  2,410

  London post-graduate special health authority

  4,310

  210

  England

  374,210

  23,030

  National Health Service nursing and midwifery stuff in post1 2 by district health authority at 30 September 1986

  Whole-time equivalent

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  Northern Regional Health Authority

  Total

  25,820

  1,530

  Hartlepool

  740

  50

  North Tees

  1,170

  100

  South Tees

  2,400

  170

  East Cumbria

  1,470

  80

  South Cumbria

  1,100

  50

  West Cumbria

  1,120

  80

  Darlington

  1,130

  70

  Durham

  1,070

  90

  North West Durham

  690

  40

  South West Durham

  1,520

  80

  Northumberland

  3,060

  120

  Gateshead

  1,380

  70

  Newcastle

  4,680

  240

  North Tyneside

  920

  60

  South Tyneside

  880

  60

  Sunderland

  2,410

  180

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority

  Total

  28,360

  1,850

  Hull

  2,440

  130

  East Yorkshire

  1,640

  60

  Grimsby

  1,280

  100

  Scunthorpe

  1,080

  60

  Northallerton

  500

  30

  York

  2,240

  130

  Scarborough

  800

  50

  Harrogate

  1,070

  60

  Bradford

  2,540

  230

  Airedale

  1,310

  80

  Calderdale

  1,440

  110

  Huddersfield

  1,920

  100

  Dewsbury

  920

  110

  Leeds Western

  3,160

  160

  335

  Whole-time equivalent

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  Leeds Eastern

  2,930

  200

  Wakefield

  2,020

  100

  Pontefract

  980

  130

  Trent Regional Health Authority

  Total

  34,990

  2,140

  North Derbyshire

  1,990

  140

  Southern Derbyshire

  3,690

  170

  Leicestershire

  5,990

  360

  North Lincolnshire

  2,210

  110

  South Lincolnshire

  1,890

  130

  Bassetlaw

  660

  30

  Central Nottinghamshire

  2,030

  160

  Nottingham

  4,980

  360

  Barnsley

  1,510

  110

  Doncaster

  2,280

  150

  Rotherham

  1,650

  120

  Sheffield

  6,010

  310

  East Anglian Regional Health Authority

  Total

  14,470

  950

  Cambridge

  2,320

  160

  Peterborough

  1,480

  120

  West Suffolk

  1,520

  100

  East Suffolk

  2,480

  130

  Norwich

  3,550

  230

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  1,330

  60

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  1,080

  80

  Huntingdon

  660

  60

  North West Thames Regional Health Authority

  Total

  25,820

  1,490

  North Bedfordshire

  1,320

  120

  South Bedfordshire

  1,760

  150

  North Hertfordshire

  910

  90

  East Hertfordshire

  900

  90

  North West Hertfordshire

  3,060

  70

  South West Hertfordshire

  1,040

  120

  Barnet

  2,560

  140

  Harrow

  1,140

  120

  Hillingdon

  1,880

  110

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  1,680

  140

  Ealing

  1,710

  80

  Brent

  1,940

  50

  Paddington and North Kensington

  1,850

  110

  Riverside

  3,940

  100

  North East Thames Regional Health Authority

  Total

  31,110

  1,820

  Basildon and Thurrock

  2,130

  130

  Mid Essex

  1,810

  100

  North East Essex

  2,810

  130

  West Essex

  1,450

  120

  Southend

  1,800

  120

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  3,120

  160

  Hampstead

  1,990

  50

  Bloomsbury

  3,090

  60

  Islington

  1,330

  130

  City and Hackney

  2,330

  150

  Newham

  1,060

  20

  Tower Hamlets

  2,090

  110

  Enfield

  1,290

  110

  Haringey

  1,220

  90

  Redbridge

  1,310

  150

  Waltham Forest

  2,240

  110

  South East Thames Regional Health Authority

  Total

  27,740

  1,760

  336

  Whole-time equivalent

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  Brighton

  2,180

  40

  Eastbourne

  1,610

  60

  Hastings

  1,170

  80

  South East Kent

  1,470

  100

  Canterbury and Thanet

  2,400

  150

  Dartford and Gravesham

  1,820

  120

  Maidstone

  1,420

  60

  Medway

  1,420

  200

  Tunbridge Wells

  1,850

  120

  Bexley

  1,430

  120

  Greenwich

  1,790

  120

  Bromley

  1,940

  140

  West Lambeth

  2,240

  140

  Camberwell

  1,780

  160

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  3,220

  160

  South West Thames Regional Health Authority

  Total

  22,540

  1,190

  North West Surrey

  1,550

  110

  West Surrey and North East Hants

  1,570

  90

  South West Surrey

  1,130

  70

  Mid Surrey

  1,820

  70

  East Surrey

  1,700

  50

  Chichester

  1,330

  60

  Mid Downs

  1,640

  120

  Worthing

  1,350

  70

  Croydon

  2,300

  140

  Kingston and Esher

  1,460

  100

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  1,240

  40

  Wandsworth

  2,700

  160

  Merton and Sutton

  2,640

  110

  Wessex Regional Health Authority

  Total

  21,620

  1,320

  East Dorset

  2,890

  150

  West Dorset

  1,850

  60

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  3,400

  250

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  3,840

  220

  Winchester

  1,160

  110

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  1,610

  80

  Salisbury

  1,350

  70

  Swindon

  1,580

  160

  Bath

  2,930

  160

  Isle of Wight

  1,010

  60

  Oxford Regional Health Authority

  Total

  15,640

  1,220

  East Berkshire

  1,970

  190

  West Berkshire

  2,720

  210

  Aylesbury Vale

  1,630

  60

  Wycombe

  1,180

  140

  Milton Keynes

  630

  80

  Kettering

  1,350

  120

  Northampton

  2,250

  160

  Oxfordshire

  3,840

  250

  South Western Regional Health Authority

  Total

  25,590

  1,340

  Bristol and Weston

  3,070

  200

  Frenchay

  2,610

  30

  Southmead

  1,920

  190

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  2,730

  150

  Exeter

  3,350

  110

  337

  Whole-time equivalent

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  North Devon

  940

  40

  Plymouth

  2,750

  210

  Torbay

  1,530

  60

  Cheltenham and District

  1,200

  90

  Gloucester

  2,290

  130

  Somerset

  3,120

  150

  West Midland Regional Health Authority

  Total

  39,770

  2,580

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  1,150

  50

  Herefordshire

  1,190

  50

  Kidderminster and District

  1,260

  30

  Worcester and District

  1,650

  100

  Shropshire

  2,640

  170

  Mid Staffordshire

  1,700

  90

  North Staffordshire

  3,890

  240

  South East Staffordshire

  1,800

  100

  Rugby

  430

  30

  North Warwickshire

  1,260

  110

  South Warwickshire

  1,840

  80

  Central Birmingham

  2,520

  250

  East Birmingham

  1,360

  30

  North Birmingham

  1,290

  140

  South Birmingham

  2,420

  100

  West Birmingham

  2,440

  130

  Coventry

  2,530

  180

  Dudley

  1,960

  120

  Sandwell

  1,470

  80

  Solihull

  950

  180

  Walsall

  1,800

  130

  Wolverhampton

  2,110

  170

  Mersey Regional Health Authority

  Total

  21,020

  1,230

  Chester

  1,600

  140

  Crewe

  1,680

  110

  Halton

  570

  20

  Macclesfield

  1,570

  60

  Warrington

  2,370

  100

  Liverpool

  4,860

  290

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  2,460

  150

  Southport and Formby

  1,160

  40

  South Sefton

  2,070

  140

  Wirral

  2,600

  180

  North Western Regional Health Authority

  Total

  35,430

  2,410

  Lancaster

  2,160

  70

  Blackpool Wyre and Fylde

  2,380

  120

  Preston

  2,390

  150

  Blackburn Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  2,620

  160

  Burnley Pendle and Rossendale

  2,520

  150

  West Lancashire

  930

  50

  Chorley and South Ribble

  580

  40

  Bolton

  1,720

  180

  Bury

  1,000

  90

  North Manchester

  2,250

  120

  Central Manchester

  1,890

  170

  South Manchester

  2,860

  170

  Oldham

  1,410

  130

  Rochdale

  1,100

  110

  338

  Whole-time equivalent

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  Salford

  3,160

  170

  Stockport

  2,030

  170

  Tameside and Glossop

  1,250

  130

  Trafford

  1,150

  70

  Wigan

  1,900

  150

  1 Figures include qualified nurses and midwives, learners and unqualified staff but exclude agency staff.

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

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of whole-time equivalents(a) nurses and (b) midwives each year since 1979; and if he will estimate the proportion of the change since 1979 attributable to (i) the change in standard hours and (ii) other reasons.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 14 December 1987]: The information is given in the table.

  NHS nursing and midwifery staff1 2 3 at 30 September—in England wholetime equivalents (WTE)

  Year

  Nursing and midwifery

  Nursing

  Midwifery

  1979

  358,400

  338,100

  20,400

  1980

  370,100

  349,800

  20,300

  1981

  391,800

  370,600

  21,100

  1982

  397,100

  376,400

  20,700

  1983

  397,100

  374,800

  22,300

  1984

  397,500

  374,700

  22,800

  1985

  401,200

  378,100

  23,100

  1986

  402,700

  379,400

  23,300

  1 Includes qualified nurses and midwives, learners and unqualified staff, and agency staff.

  2 Figures are independently rounded to nearest one hundred whole-time equivalents.

  3 Figures have not been adjusted to take account of the reduction in hours introduced during 1980–81. But it is estimated that about 23,900 (WTE) of the increase in the combined total of nursing and midwifery staff is due to this reduction. The balance of 30,300 (WTE) is for additional service provision.

  Hospital and Community Health Service
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in tabular form for the four Thames regions jointly and separately the comparable information given for HCHS current funding in his Department's evidence to the Social Services Select Committee about trends in actual and planned expenditure in health services earlier in the current year.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 15 December 1987]: The table provided in the Department's evidence to the Social Services Select Committee is drawn from the Government's public expenditure survey database. Directly comparable information in terms of expenditure by individual health authorities is not available.

  An analysis of trends in expenditure in the Thames regions over the period 1982–83 to 1986–87 is given in the table. Expenditure figures for 1987–88 will not be available until after the end of the financial year.
  339

  Thames Regions: Trends in actual expenditure on hospital and community health services

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  North West Thames

  Net spending (£ million)

  624·6

  666·3

  691·6

  719·6

  789·2

  Charges (£ million)

  8·6

  9·1

  9·6

  9·2

  8·6

  Total spending (£ million)

  633·2

  665·4

  701·2

  728·8

  777·8

  Increase (per cent.)

  —

  5·1

  5·4

  3·9

  6·7

  Inflation etc in service (per cent.)

  —

  5·1

  5·8

  5·2

  6·9

  Change in purchasing power (per cent.)

  —

  0·0

  -0·4

  -1·2

  -0·2

  Change in real terms (per cent.)

  —

  0·5

  0·9

  -2·0

  3·8

  Cash releasing cost improvements

  new (£ million)

  —

  —

  10·6

  14·4

  15·8

  recurrent (£ million)

  —

  —

  10·6

  24·2

  39·8

  increase (per cent.) new cost improvements

  —

  —

  1·5

  1·9

  2·1

  Margin available for service development in year (per cent.)

  —

  0·0

  1·1

  0·7

  1·9

  North East Thames

  Net spending (£ million)

  788·9

  829·2

  869·2

  902·8

  986·1

  Charges (£ million)

  11·7

  12·0

  12·2

  11·6

  11·0

  Total spending (£ million)

  800·7

  841·1

  881·3

  914·2

  976·1

  Increase (percentage)

  —

  5·1

  4·8

  3·7

  6·8

  Inflation etc. in service (percentage)

  —

  5·1

  5·8

  5·2

  8·9

  Change in purchasing power (percentage)

  —

  0·0

  -1·0

  -1·4

  -0·1

  Change in real terms (percentage)

  —

  0·4

  0·4

  -2·2

  3·7

  Cash releasing cost improvements

  new (£ million)

  —

  —

  11·7

  17·2

  16·4

  recurrent (£ million)

  —

  —

  11·7

  27·8

  45·3

  increase (percentage)—new cost improvements

  —

  —

  1·4

  1·8

  1·7

  Margin available for service development in year (percentage)

  —

  0·0

  0·4

  0·4

  1·6

  South East Thames

  Net spending (£ million)

  691·3

  729·7

  762·1

  797·9

  847·6

  Charges (£ million)

  9·2

  9·7

  10·0

  9·6

  9·6

  Total spending (£ million)

  700·4

  739·4

  772·1

  807·5

  857·1

  Increase (percentage)

  —

  6·6

  4·4

  4·6

  8·1

  Inflation etc. in service (percentage)

  —

  5·1

  5·8

  5·2

  6·9

  Change in purchasing power (percentage)

  —

  0·4

  -1·3

  -0·6

  -0·7

  Change in real terms (percentage)

  —

  0·9

  0·0

  -1·4

  3·0

  Cash releasing cost improvements

  new (£ million)

  —

  —

  14·0

  14·3

  12·7

  recurrent (£ million)

  —

  —

  14·0

  29·0

  43·1

  increase (percentage)—new cost improvements

  —

  —

  1·9

  1·8

  1·5

  Margin available for service developments in year (percentage)

  —

  0·4

  0·6

  1·2

  0·8

  South West Thames

  Net spending (£ million)

  525·7

  554·0

  580·9

  603·8

  645·5

  Charges (£ million)

  4·7

  5·1

  5·4

  4·5

  4·6

  Total spending (£ million)

  530·4

  559·1

  586·3

  608·3

  650·1

  Increase (per cent.)

  —

  5·4

  4·9

  3·8

  6·9

  Inflation etc. in service (per cent.)

  —

  5·1

  5·8

  5·2

  6·9

  Change in purchasing power (per cent.)

  —

  0·3

  -0·9

  -1·4

  0·0

  Change in real terms (per cent.)

  —

  0·8

  0·4

  -2·2

  3·7

  Cash releasing cost improvements

  new (£ million)

  —

  —

  6·9

  8·5

  10·9

  recurrent (£ million)

  —

  —

  6·9

  15·0

  25·3

  increase (per cent.)—new cost improvements

  —

  —

  1·2

  1·3

  1·7

  Margin available for service development in year (per cent)

  —

  0·3

  0·3

  -0·1

  1·7

  Thames Regions

  Net spending (£ million)

  2,830·5

  2,769·2

  2,803·8

  3,024·0

  3,227·4

  Charges (£ million)

  34·2

  35·9

  37·1

  34·8

  33·7

  Total spending (£ million)

  2,664·7

  2,805·1

  2,940·9

  3,058·8

  3,261·0

  340 341

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Increase (per cent.)

  —

  5·3

  4·8

  4·0

  8·8

  Inflation etc. in service (per cent.)

  —

  5·1

  5·8

  5·2

  6·9

  Change in purchasing power (per cent.)

  —

  0·2

  -0·9

  -1·1

  -0·3

  Change in real terms (per cent.)

  —

  0·6

  0·4

  -1·9

  3·5

  Cash releasing cost improvements

  new (£ million)

  —

  —

  43·2

  64·3

  55·8

  recurrent (£ million)

  —

  —

  43·2

  95·8

  154·5

  increase (per cent.)—new cost improvements

  —

  —

  1·5

  1·7

  1·7

  Margin available for service development in year (per cent.)

  —

  0·2

  0·6

  0·6

  1·4

  Change in GDP deflator

  —

  4·60

  4·40

  8·04

  3·01

  Notes:

  Income and expenditure figures are based on health authorities' summarised accounts; figures for 1986–87 are provisional. Real terms growth has been calculated using the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  Ancillary Staff
  Ms Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give, for each year since 1979, the average number of whole-time equivalent ancillary staff employed per unrestricted principal in general practice in England and Wales;

  (2) if he will give the total and a breakdown for each family practitioner committee, for the last full year for which figues are available of (a) the average number of whole-time equivalent ancillary staff per unrestricted principal in general practice and (b) the number of unrestricted principals in general practice who employ less than their full entitlement under the ancillary staff scheme of two whole-time equivalent ancillary staff.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 18 December 1987]: Information on employment of ancillary staff by individual doctors and on ancillary staff in general is not available in the form requested. In respect of ancillary staff in the ancillary staff scheme the information as at 1 October each year is as follows:

  Date

  Ancillary Staff per Unrestricted Principal (Average for England and Wales

  1979

  0·94

  1980

  0·96

  1981

  0·98

  1982

  1·01

  1983

  1·06

  1984

  1·10

  1985

  1·14

  1986

  1·20

  Dalkon Shield
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the Dalkon shield was withdrawn in Britain; when his Department circulated advice of its withdrawal; what action was recommended to them; what efforts were made to inform women using the shield of the risks of side effects; and whether there was any media advertising or leafleting in doctors' surgeries or family planning clinics to inform women;

  (2) if he will estimate the number of women currently using the Dalkon shield;

  (3) if, when a medically related device is withdrawn because of side effects, he will make it his policy to place
  342
  advertisements in national newspapers to inform long-term users of the withdrawal and to urge them to contact their general practitioners;

  (4) how many regional health authorities organised recall systems for women using the Dalkon shield; and what was the departmental advice to health authorities;

  (5) if he will make representations to A. H. Robins to allow those making a late application for compensation because of damage from the Dalkon shield to have their cases considered;

  (6) what discussions were held with A. H. Robins, the manufacturer of the Dalkon shield, regarding its 1985 advertising campaign warning against continued use of the shield; and what conclusions were reached;

  (7) when the Committee on Safety of Medicines advised him to approve the use of the Dalkon shield; what action was taken by his Department when the shield was withdrawn from the United States market in 1974; on whose initiative it was withdrawn in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 11 January 1988]: The Dalkon shield was voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer, A. H. Robins, from the United Kingdom market in July 1974 immediately after similar action in the United States of America. The manufacturer notified all doctors of the withdrawal. Such devices had not by that time been made subject to licensing controls under the Medicines Act and therefore the Committee on Safety of Medicines was not required to advise on approval.

  I understand that, as a result of its investigations in the United States, the Food and Drugs Administration did not insist on withdrawal of the Dalkon shield from the United States market.

  The 1974 handbook of contraceptive practice sent to all GPs and family planning doctors advised annual follow up checks for users of intra-uterine devices generally, and the Department did not consider that it was necessary to issue specific guidance or to undertake publicity through the NHS.

  In 1980 and 1985, the manufacturers again wrote to all doctors about the tracing of women still fitted with the device and in 1985 the Committee on Safety of Medicines, in an issue of "Current Problems" sent to all doctors, referred to the possible risks of over-extended use of the Dalkon shield, as with any other IUD, and repeated the manufacturer's advice for removal in cases where the shield was still being worn. Advice sought by the

  343
  Department at that time from leading medical bodies, indicated that the number of women still using the device was likely to be very small.

  In 1985 the manufacturers had discussions with Ministers about their plans for publicising the need for women still using the device to see their doctors. They placed advertisements in the women's press.

  In 1986, at the direction of the United States District Court of Virginia, the manufacturers publicised, in the United Kingdom and other countries, the need to file any claims in connection with Dalkon shield by 30 April 1986, the date set by the court.

  It would not be appropriate for the Government to intervene in a matter of litigation. Late claims are a matter for the courts and no guidance was issued to health authorities on this matter. I am aware, however, of initiatives taken over a number of years in one regional health authority, West Midlands, to recall the shield and latterly to advise about claims.
  344
  The Government's general position if side effects of medical devices are reported is that the action which is; needed will be considered in the light of the particular circumstances of each case.

  Nurses
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the report on nurses' pay and conditions in London.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 12 January 1988]: I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the review of nursing services in London commissioned by the National Health Service management board. The report of the study team is now being finalised for submission in evidence to the nurses' pay review body.

  FORESTRY BODIES: STAFFING RATIOS
  FORESTRY BODIES: STAFFING RATIOS
  TOY PURCHASES: DTI ADVICE
  TOY PURCHASES: DTI ADVICE
  SOCIAL FUND COMMISSIONER
  SOCIAL FUND COMMISSIONER
  METROPOLITAN POLICE: 1988 STRATEGY
  METROPOLITAN POLICE: 1988 STRATEGY
  OZONE LAYER PROTECTION PROTOCOL
  OZONE LAYER PROTECTION PROTOCOL