Written Answers of 21 January 1988

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Regional Aid
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many grants were given, and what was the total annual amount of regional aid granted in the district of Derwentside, in each of the last eight years.

  Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) offered

  Original Regional Development Grant (RDG I) paid

  Revised Regional Development Grant (RDG II) approved

  Number

  Value (£ million)

  Value (£ million)

  Number

  Value (£ million)

  1979

  3

  0·4

  0·8

  —

  —

  1980

  3

  0·4

  0·4

  —

  —

  1981

  11

  0·8

  0·4

  —

  —

  1982

  11

  2·6

  0·4

  —

  —

  1983

  19

  2·1

  0·8

  —

  —

  1984

  9

  0·3

  0·6

  —

  —

  1985

  2

  0·4

  0·5

  41

  1·2

  1986

  14

  1·4

  0·7

  111

  3·9

  1987

  12

  1·1

  0·1

  120

  3·1

  The RDG I figures relate to published information on individual payments of over £25,000 in the Consett and Stanley employment office areas which together almost exactly approximate to the Derwentside district. The number of RDG I payments made is not available. The Department does not maintain more detailed statistics.

  The RDG II scheme was introduced in November 1984.

  Business improvement service grant records are not maintained on a district basis.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many grants were made and what was the total annual amount of regional development grants, for each year since their inception, for the district of Derwentside.

  Mr. Atkins
  Information on regional development grants cannot be provided since the inception of the scheme in 1972. Sufficiently detailed records are available only from 1977 and these do not record the number of payments made. The amount of grant awarded in each year since 1977 and the number and value of grants approved under the revised scheme introduced in November 1984 are as follows:

  Original regional development grant (RDG I)

  Revised regional development grant (RDG II)

  Value (£ million)

  Number

  Value (£ million)

  1977

  1·3

  1978

  1·7

  1979

  0·8

  1980

  0·4

  1981

  0·4

  1982

  0·4

  768
  Mr. Atkins
  The number of grants offered and the total amount of regional aid granted in the district of Derwentside in each of the last eight years was as follows:

  Original regional development grant (RDG I)

  Revised regional development grant (RDC II)

  Value (£ million)

  Number

  Value (£ million)

  1983

  0·8

  1984

  0·6

  1985

  0·5

  41

  1·2

  1986

  0·7

  111

  3·9

  1987

  0·1

  120

  3·1

  The RDG I figures relate to published information on individual payments of over £25,000 in the Consett and Stanley employment office areas which almost exactly approximate to the Derwentside district. The Department does not maintain more detailed statistics.

  Advertising Costs
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the cost of the current advertising campaigns for his Department.

  Mr. Butcher
  Planned expenditure on advertising for the enterprise initiative campaign in the current financial year is £6·3 million.

  South Africa
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his reply to the right hon. and learned Member for Aberavon (Mr. Morris) on 21 October 1987,Official Report, column 814, what was the basis for Her Majesty's Government's estimate, that about 90,000 full-time job equivalents may be involved in the export of goods and services to South Africa.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The figure of about 90,000 job equivalents involved in exports of goods and services to South Africa was a broad estimate based on the aggregate level of trade with that country, together with an assumption about the relationship between output and employment.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the figures for exports from Scotland to the Republic of South Africa and for imports to Scotland from the Republic of South Africa, expressed as a percentage of total Scottish exports and imports in the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The information is not available.

  Space Research
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give a regional breakdown of the expenditure on United Kingdom space research during the last year for which full figures are available.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: These figures are not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on United Kingdom participation in the ERS-2 satellite and Columbus programmes.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: My right hon. and learned Friend is currently discussing with industry the scope for greater private sector involvement in the planning and financing of future space activities. We will take account of these discussions in assessing proposals for United Kingdom participation in the ERS2 and Columbus programmes alongside other priorities.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total value to the United Kingdom of exports of space technology and engineering in 1986–87.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: The information is not available.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what funds will be made available to the British National Space Centre for 1988–89 by his Department; what funds were made available for 1987–88; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1979–80 both outturn and 1987 prices.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: The following table shows DTI expenditure on space, which since October 1985 has been administered by the British National Space Centre, from 1979–80 to 1986–87, and the provisions for 1987–88 and 1988–89. The amounts are shown in cash and in 1986–87 prices using the general gdp deflator.
  770

  DTI Space Expenditure 1979–80 to 1988–89

  Outturn/provision

  1986–87 prices

  1979–80

  37·1

  61·8

  1980–81

  44·1

  61·9

  1981–82

  58·7

  75·1

  1982–83

  61·5

  73·4

  1983–84

  59·9

  68·3

  1984–85

  64·1

  70·0

  1985–86

  74·4

  76·6

  1986–87

  72·2

  72·2

  1987–88

  71·7

  68·8

  1988–89

  72·3

  66·4

  Inner-city Development Grant
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what definition of deprivation his Department uses in relation to the granting of inner-city development grants.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have been asked to reply.

  In England, priority for urban development grant and urban regeneration grant is given to the 57 urban programme areas. The selection of these areas, whose local authorities have been invited to submit inner-area programmes for support under the urban programme, is not based on any single measure of deprivation, but the following factors were taken into account:

  Unemployment:
  the scale, rate and concentration of residential unemployment, including information on long term and youth unemployment, and unemployment at ward level.

  Census information:
  selected census indicators of economic, social and housing stress, showing the scale, intensity and concentration of deprivation.

  Dereliction:
  information from the 1982 derelict land survey.

  Population:
  towns over 30,000.
  In addition to these specific factors, account was taken of the local and regional economic context.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Public Records
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Attorney-General what criteria the Lord Chancellor uses in determining the additional period for which papers withheld from the Public Record Office after 30 years should remain closed; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  Records may be closed for periods longer than 30 years under section 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958 and in accordance with the criteria set out in paragraphs 26 and 27 of the White Paper "Modern Public Records", Cmnd. 8531, March 1982. The period of closure is determined by reference to the particular nature of the record in question.

  Judicial Review Pamphlet
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will place in the Library a copy of the training pamphlet "The Judge over your Shoulder — Judicial Review of Administrative Decisions", prepared by the Treasury Solicitors Department.
  771
  The Attorney-General
  Yes. I have today placed a copy of "The Judge over your Shoulder" in the Libraries of the Houses of Parliament.

DEFENCE

  Home Defence
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of his Department's current budget is devoted to providing home defence, defined as the approximate military equivalent of civil defence, for the protection of the United Kingdom in the event of hostilities in Europe.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  There is no clear military equivalent to civil defence. I therefore refer the hon. Member to figure 10 of the 1987 "Statement on the Defence Estimates", which attributes £2,219 million to defence of the home base.

  Challenger Tank
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in encouraging the United Kingdom's North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies to purchase the new generation Challenger battle tank.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We will continue to encourage NATO allies, whenever it is appropriate and realistic to do so, to consider Challenger as a means of fulfilling their medium-term requirements for main battle tanks, in the context of the general approach described in my reply to the hon. Member on 2 November 1987, at column 602.

  Alvey Project
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will explain the purpose of the Alvey advanced information technology project.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  This is primarily a matter for my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

  However, the Alvey advanced information technology project is a five-year programme of pre-competitive collaborative research in the technologies of IT between Government, industry and academic institutions. It is funded and managed through the co-operation of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence and the Science and Engineering Research Council. The four major thrusts of the programme are intelligent knowledge-based systems, software engineering, VLSI (very large-scale integration) and man-machine interface. As these clearly have a relevance to defence systems, MOD has contributed financially and seconded manpower to the programme.

  Simulators
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in introducing low flight and air combat simulators into the Royal Air Force and in improving their realism; and what is the cost programme for these simulators.

  Mr. Freeman
  Simulators of increasing sophistication and realism are currently being introduced into service. RAF air crew have been training for several years in a prototype air combat simulator, and a production system 772
  was delivered to RAF Coningsby in November 1987. Orders have recently been placed for Harrier GR5 mission simulators which will include digitally generated visual systems to provide a low-level flying training capability.

  The training value of simulators remains limited by their inability to simulate all aspects of flying and they must, therefore, be seen as a supplement to low-level flying training and air combat exercises in aircraft. The total procurement cost of all RAF simulator programmes in 1986–87 was £22·4 million.

  Costs (Statistics)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will express total United Kingdom defence costs as an amount (i) per household, (ii) per taxpayer and (iii) per person in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The information requested, on the basis of the latest estimate of defence expenditure for 1987–88, is as follows:

  Defence expenditure

  £

  Per household

  877

  Per income tax payer

  763

  Per person

  331

  Vanguard Class Submarine
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is proposed that the Vanguard class submarines currently being built will be capable of carrying cruise missiles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Vanguard class submarines currently under construction are not designed to have the capability of carrying cruise missiles and there are no plans to modify them to provide this capability.

  Rolls-Royce plc (Winter Seminar)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a complete list of personnel from his Department and the armed forces attending the lunch and cocktail party and winter seminar organised by Rolls-Royce plc on 13 January; and what was the purpose of their attendance.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Ninety-four officers and civilian personnel from the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces attended the winter seminar organised by Rolls-Royce plc on 13 January. This reflected their responsibility to maintain close contact with major companies in the aerospace sector.

  Overspending
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a complete list of all items and projects for which he is responsible, estimated at £1 million or over likely overspent from the last Defence Estimates, together with the amount overspent or likely overspent for items and projects from when first placed in the Defence Estimates.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. While the terms of the question are not entirely clear, it would appear to cover a lot of ground
  773
  and a great deal of effort would be required to answer it. I am satisfied that the scale of effort would be disproportionate, particularly since the annual major project statement for defence equipment which my Department supplies to the appropriate Committees of the House shows a comparison, for projects for which approved expenditure on development and production combined exceeds £250 million, between the estimated cost at the time of approval and the currently estimated cost.

  NFR 90 Frigate
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when a decision is to be made about whether the United Kingdom will enter the next phase of the NFR 90 collaborative frigate project;

  (2) further to his answer of 12 November 1987, Official Report, column 298, if he will make a statement about the outcome of project definition and subsequent decisions in respect of the NFR 90 collaborative frigate project.

  Mr. Younger
  Following completion of international feasibility studies, we have been considering whether to participate in the next stage, project definition, of the collaborative project NFR 90 (a NATO frigate replacement for the nineties). NFR 90 could potentially meet the Royal Navy's requirement for an anti-air warfare escort coming into service at the turn of the century to replace the type 42 destroyers. Adoption of a standard frigate by NATO navies would yield valuable operational advantages in terms of interoperability.

  In the interests of sound and efficient procurement practice, we have been concerned to ensure proper coordination between work on the frigate and work on the principal armament it would require for Royal Navy service, namely a support defence missile system, which we hope to procure through a separate collaborative programme. Although our concerns on this score are not yet entirely allayed, I am pleased to say that, following discussion with our allies, we have now decided to join the project definition stage of NFR 90 and to sign the implementing memorandum of understanding. We are, however, making clear to our partners that our continued participation is conditional upon the agreement of a timetable which is both realistic in technical terms and properly matched to the timetables for the ship's major weapon systems.

  The arrangements for project definition include provision for reviews at various points by the participating nations to take stock of progress. In the light of the first such review, we shall consider whether the timetable proposed for the remainder of the project has the characteristics we are seeking, and we shall decide accordingly whether or not to continue our participation.

  Early Warning Systems
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if there is a ballistic missile early warning system in the United Kingdom purely for United Kingdom use;

  (2) whether (a) United Kingdom or (b) United States officials have initial access to information from the early warning system at RAF Fylingdales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The ballistic missile early warning system at RAF Fylingdales was constructed as a joint venture by the United Kingdom and United States 774
  Governments. The system is under RAF command and control and the early warning information is disseminated in parallel to both the United Kingdom and United States authorities.

  Cruise Missiles
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions cruise missiles have been taken outside the perimeters of their United Kingdom bases.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Cruise missiles have never been deployed during off-base training exercises.

  National Joint Ocean Surveillance Information Centre
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, further to his answer of 14 December 1987 concerning the United Kingdom national joint ocean surveillance information centre, what is its current cost to the Defence budget; and where it appears in the Defence Estimates.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Provision for the joint ocean surveillance information centre will be contained within defence Votes 2 and 4, with a very small amount also attributable to Vote 1. The estimated costs are commercial confidential.

  States of Alert
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the different states of alert, and explain their significance.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  For security reasons, it is not our normal practice to give details of alert states.

  Mould Radio System
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the installation of the Mould radio system has been completed; if it has complied with budget and time requirements for its installation; and if he will explain its purpose.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The installation programme for the Mould home defence radio system is ahead of schedule and within cost. Details of the project are classified.

  New Tactical Warhead
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether work has started at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston on the design of a new tactical warhead; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Work continues at the atomic weapons establishment at Aldermaston to keep abreast of the relevant nuclear technologies, but no decision has been taken to start the design of a new tactical warhead.

  Maritime Operations
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the updating of NATO's concept of maritime operations is likely to be completed.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I understand that no date has currently been set.

  Military Bases and Facilities
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a list in the Library of those United Kingdom military bases and facilities with more than 500 personnel and the estimated number of personnel in each.

  Mr. Freeman
  It would not be in the public interest to make available information on the numbers of personnel in United Kingdom military bases and facilities at the level of detail requested.

  Trident
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence upon what satellite guidance system it is currently anticipated Trident will be dependent.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Trident will not be dependent on any satellite guidance system.

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the latest estimate of the cost of the Trident system.

  Mr. Younger
  I am pleased to announce that for the second year running there has been a reduction in the estimated cost of the Trident programme, which now stands at £9,043 million.

  After allowing for the effects of inflation and exchange rate variations, there is a real reduction in the estimate over the one announced previously of some £376 million and a real reduction of £1,038 million over the original 1982 estimate, over and above the savings resulting from the decision to have United Kingdom missiles processed in the United States facility at King's bay, Georgia. The total will be spent over a period of 20 years.

  In line with established conventions adopted for the recosting of the defence programme, the estimate is based on the exchange rate used for the long term costing of the defence programme, namely £1-$1·62.

  The proportion of the programme to be undertaken in the United Kingdom has also reached its highest recorded level—64 per cent.

  The Select Committee on Defence previously asked that when announcing the annual revised estimate, I should report on the state of the project as a whole. I am pleased to say that the project remains on programme to enter service as planned in the mid-1990s. There has been no slippage in the in-service date since the decision to proceed with Trident II was announced in March 1982.I am, as last year, sending to the Chairmen of the Select Committee on Defence and the Public Accounts Committee a more detailed report covering the points on which the Select Committee on Defence sought advice. I am also placing a copy of the report in the Library of the House.

  Research and Development
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many research contracts or agreements for research and development his Department has with Southampton university; and into which subjects;

  (2) how many contracts or agreements for research and development his Department has with the university of Aston in Birmingham; and into which subjects;

  (3) how many contracts or agreements for research and development his Department is currently placing in United
  776
  Kingdom universities or other such educational establishments; and at what cost for the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88;

  (4) if he will list the universities, polytechnics, medical schools or other such educational establishments in the United Kingdom at which research directly or indirectly sponsored by his Department is taking place or has taken place over the last two years;

  (5) how many contracts or agreements for research and development his Department has with the university of Birmingham; and into which subjects.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Ministry of Defence currently has 753 research agreements and 76 contracts with a wide range of United Kingdom universities, polytechnics and other institutions of education. In addition, the MOD is participating with the research councils in making joint-funded grants for university research of relevance to defence.

  The cost of research and development in the academic sector during the financial years 1986–87 was £14 million and is forecast to be some £18 million in 1987–88. It is not our policy to give details of these arrangements. It is for the universities themselves to confirm their involvement.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has awarded any classified research contracts or agreements to United Kingdom universities or other such educational institutions.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There are currently no classified research contracts with universities or other educational establishments. It is however MOD's practice to place work at universities and other establishments of higher education by agreements rather than by formal contracts, and at present there are three classified agreements.

  Bruslee Shooting Range, Newtownabbey
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation took place with adjoining famers whose livelihood was likely to be affected prior to the establishment of Bruslee shooting range, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim.

  Mr. Freeman
  The MOD consulted Newtownabbey urban district council in January 1973 about the proposal to lease the Bruslee quarry site for a firing range. The council agreed to this in March 1973 and the range was opened in November 1976. Although not obliged by law to do so, it would have been for the council to canvas local opinion on the project. The range has been closed and the site was returned to the Newtownabbey district council on 31 December 1986.

  Army Equipment Exhibition
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made for the holding of a British Army equipment exhibition in 1988.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 13 November 1987 at column 333.

  RAF Training
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what reductions in flying hours in the Royal Air Force fast jet operational training programme are planned over the next three years;
  777
  (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Eustace report on Royal Air Force navigator training;

  (3) if he will make a statement on action taken to implement the recommendations of the Eustace report on Royal Air Force navigator training;

  (4) if he will place in the Library a copy of the Gibson report on Royal Air Force fast jet operational training, completed in August 1985;

  (5) if he will make a statement on action taken to implement the recommendations of the Gibson report on Royal Air Force fast jet operational training, which reported in August 1985.

  Mr. Freeman
  The recommendations of the Gibson report on Royal Air Force fast jet operational training which were made in August 1985 have subsequently been examined and work has started on implementation as appropriate. If all goes to plan, some useful reductions in flying hours should be seen over the next three years. The recommendations of the recent Eustace report on Royal Air Force long-term navigator training are still being considered and no decisions have been taken yet on implementation. Both reports are internal working papers and it would be inappropriate to place copies in the Library.

  Tornado Aircraft (Employment Implications)
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimates he has made of the employment implications for skilled and design staff of the Tornado mid-life update.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No final decision has yet been taken on the content of the proposed mid-life update programme for the Tornado GR1 aircraft. It is not possible to assess the employment implications for skilled and design staff, but, if approved, a mid-life update programme would help to sustain job opportunities over a range of disciplines.

  Eurofighter
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make representations to the other partners in the Eurofighter consortium to proceed with the Eurofighter in the light of the policy committee decision.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As would be expected, my right hon. Friend frequently exchanges views with his colleagues in the other EFA partner countries and this dialogue is continuing as each of the partners proceeds with its national consideration of the launch of full development of the project.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Eurofighter will be entirely European in design and content;

  (2) whether there are any provisions to prevent American companies competing for Eurofighter contracts.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The involvement of companies from nations not participating in the European fighter aircraft is, in principle, permissible. In order to maximise the involvement of the participating nations, such companies would be encouraged to acquire a partner—or partners —from within these nations. As the equipments for the European fighter aircraft are to be selected as a result of competition, it is not possible to forecast what if any involvement of industries from non-participating nations there might eventually be.
  778
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many jobs he estimates would be created at British Aerospace by the purchase of 250 Eurofighter aircraft.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is not possible at this stage to be specific about the number of long-term jobs which might be sustained at British Aerospace as a result of United Kingdom participation in the European fighter aircraft programme. However, it is clear that development and subsequent production of the aircraft would provide a significant programme of work well into the next century not only for British Aerospace but for the United Kingdom aerospace industry as a whole.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has of the potential for export of the Eurofighter.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is too early at this stage to make firm forecasts of the sales of the European fighter aircraft. However, there is likely to be a big demand for advanced combat aircraft during the lifetime of the European fighter aircraft.

  Radar Systems
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to give full support to the Ferranti/Fiat/Inisel ECR90 radar system against the American-developed APG 65.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The radar for the European fighter aircraft will be selected as a result of competition. Since that competition is currently under way, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.

PRIME MINISTER

  Hinton St. Mary
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Hinton St. Mary.

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

  North-West Region
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit the north-west in 1988.

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

  Eastlands
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Eastlands.

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

  Ramsbottom
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Ramsbottom.

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

  European Council (Tax Harmonisation)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will seek to raise the issue of the implications of tax harmonisation at the next meeting of the European Council; and if she will make a statement.
  779
  The Prime Minister
  No. The European Commission's proposals for tax approximation are being dealt with by Economic and Finance Ministers. They have commissioned an evaluation of the Commission's proposals from the Economic Policy Committee and will discuss the implications of the proposals in the light of the Committee's report.

  Africa (Visit)
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost to public funds of her recent visit to Africa.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 14 January, at column 353.

  "Their Trade is Treachery"
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if any disciplinary action has been taken against officials who failed to convey to Sir Robert Armstrong the fact that they had vetted proofs of Mr. Chapman Pincher's book "Their Trade is Treachery".

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Public Records
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if, pursuant to her answer of 13 January,Official Report, columns 269–70, she will specify which of the criteria governing the withdrawal of papers beyond 30 years set out in paragraphs 26 and 27 of the White Paper "Modern Public Records". Cmnd. 8531, applied to the 1957 file headed "Leader of the Opposition"; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  HMS Conqueror (Logbook)
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Prime Minister if, in the light of the information contained in the foreword by Clive Ponting to the recently published book "The Unnecessary War", a copy of which has been sent to her, she will establish an inquiry into the circumstances in which the logbook of HMS Conqueror was lost following the Falklands war; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to the statements made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Henley (Mr. Heseltine) on 30 November 1984, at columns 593–94, and by my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and Mailing (Mr. Stanley) on 25 October 1985, at column 227.

  Engagements
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 January.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 January.

  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 January.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 January.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 21 January.
  780
  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Traffic Wardens
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many traffic wardens are currently employed; how many were employed in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The number of traffic wardens in England and Wales on 31 December is as follows:

  Number

  1982

  4,597

  1983

  4,914

  1984

  4,860

  1985

  4,769

  1986

  4,793

  19871

  4,769

  1 On 31 October.

  Juvenile Crime
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to combat juvenile crime.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have a wide range of initiatives in hand for combating crime and others are in preparation. With 15 as the peak age for offending, many of them are aimed at offences commonly committed by juveniles. The key to success lies in effective local co-operation involving both the relevant services and the wider community. The recent report of the working party on juvenile crime, set up by the Standing Conference on Crime Prevention, shows the way forward.

  Broadcasting
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he now expects to publish his Green Paper on radio broadcasting.

  Mr. Renton
  As outlined in my answer earlier today to a question from the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace), we want to bring forward legislation based on our Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities", published last year. We have no plans for a further Green Paper on radio.

  Kent (Policing)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to meet the chief constable of Kent to discuss policing in the county.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend has no such meetings at present arranged.

  Prisoners (Custodial Costs)
  Mr. John Townend
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the annual cost to public
  781
  funds of all the prisoners convicted of murder held in Her Majesty's prisons, using as the basis of the calculation the average cost of keeping all prisoners in custody.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The average annual cost of keeping a person in custody in 1986–87 was £13,104. On 30 September 1987 an estimated 1,850 prisoners were serving life sentences for murder in penal establishments in England and Wales, but the uneven distribution of convicted murderers throughout the prison system makes it impossible to calculate the cost of keeping them in custody.

  BBC and IBA
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next intends to meet the chairmen of the British Broadcasting Corporation and Independent Broadcasting Authority; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to meet the chairman of the BBC or IBA, but we expect to keep in close touch with them over the next few months as our policy on broadcasting develops.

  Miss Salema Begum
  Mr. James Lamond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet arrived at a decision on the application by Miss Salema Begum at present on temporary admission in Oldham, to join her parents in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Renton
  I advised the hon. Member on 22 December that the outstanding inquiries — here and abroad—would take some time. I undertook to let him know the outcome in due course, and I hope to be able to do so shortly.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) women, (b) men and (c) children have been refused visas to visit the United Kingdom from those countries subject to such visa control since October 1986.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 17 December 1987, at column 628.

  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many male immigrants from North Yemen have been allowed to settle in Britain annually since 1983.

  Mr. Renton
  Information is readily available only on the numbers granted settlement in the United Kingdom on the removal of time limit and these are shown in the following table for the years 1983 to 1986. In addition, there may have been a small number accepted for settlement on arrival in the United Kingdom.

  North Yemeni males (all ages) accepted for of time limit1

  Year

  Number

  1983

  6

  1984

  11

  1985

  17

  1986

  14

  782

  1 Excludes any male children obtaining settlement at the same time as the mother and included on her passport.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide an indication of the number of individuals refused entry to the United Kingdom although in possession of a valid entry clearance in the last year.

  Mr. Renton
  The only comprehensive figures available of passengers refused entry while in possession of a valid entry clearance relate to the citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ghana and Nigeria who were refused entry at Heathrow, Gatwick and Dover since the extension of visa requirements to these countries. The totals for the year ending 2 January 1988 are as follows:

  Nationality

  Number

  India

  45

  Pakistan

  108

  Bangladesh

  47

  Ghana

  82

  Nigeria

  1104

  TOTAL

  386

  1 As from 1 February 1987.

  Welsh Police Forces
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chief constables of the Welsh police forces; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I visited Gwent constabulary on 26 September 1987 and discussed with the chief constable a number of policing matters. My right hon. Friend hopes to include a visit to the headquarters of the North Wales police in his programme of engagements for the coming year.

  Charities
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the Woodfield report on charities.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have received a number of representations from charitable organisations broadly in support of the report's recommendations.

  Five Precautions Act 1971
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the workings of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 as it relates to the workplace; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  Designation orders made under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 provide for general fire safety in places of work. Factories, offices, shops and railway premises, where more than 20 persons are employed to work at any one time or more than 10 persons are so employed elsewhere than on the ground floor, are required to have a fire certificate. This requires the provision of adequate means of escape and means for fighting fire and training for employees in action to be taken in the event of fire.
  783
  In premises which do not require a fire certificate the occupier must provide such means of escape in case of fire for the persons employed to work there as may reasonably be required and appropriate means for fighting fire.

  Parking (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make more resources available to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to enable him vigorously to enforce parking regulations in London.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The strength of the Metropolitan police has risen by some 5,000 police officers since this Government took office in May 1979. The strength of the civil staff has also risen — by some 1,400 — releasing a large number of officers from administrative posts for redeployment on operational duties. It is a matter for the Commissioner to determine how best to deploy his resources to meet the many demands on the Metropolitan police, but I know that he recognises the importance of the enforcement of parking and other traffic law. Proposals for improving the effectiveness of parking enforcement (including those arising from a recent scrutiny of the Metropolitan police traffic warden service) are currently being considered by a working party, in which the Home Office, the Department of Transport, the police and the local authority associations are all represented.

  Police Manpower
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on police manpower; and what recent discussions he has had with chief constables on this matter.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Total police strength at the end of October 1987 was 123,870, the highest ever recorded. Since then my right hon. Friend has approved further increases in police force establishments as part of the phased programme which he announced to Parliament on 20 May 1986, at column 124.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the current level of recruitment of police officers.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A total of 6,871 police officers were recruited in England and Wales including the Metropolitan police in the 10 months up until 31 October 1987, either to replace officers who retired or resigned or to enable forces to implement increases in establishment. Between May 1979 and October 1987, the strength of the police service, excluding those who are on secondment, increased by 12,019 police officers, from 109,998 to 122,017.

  Alcohol Sales (Minors)
  Mr. Sackville
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deter the sale of alcohol to minors from public houses and off-licences.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  As my hon. Friend the Minister of State said in reply to a question from the hon. Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 19 January, at columns 646–7, in the light of discussion within the ministerial group on alcohol misuse the Government intend to amend 784
  the Licensing Act 1964 to strengthen the offence of selling alcohol to young people under 18 and to increase the penalties for the offence. Appropriate amendments will be tabled to the Licensing Bill.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest figure for the number of prisoners infected with the HIV virus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 12 January 1988 the prison population of England and Wales included 44 inmates reported as having been identified as HIV antibody positive. One hundred and fifty four such cases had been reported since central monitoring began in March 1985.

  West Midlands Police
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chief constable of the west midlands; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend visited the West Midlands police on 11 December 1987, when he discussed with the chief constable a range of policing matters.

  Mentally Disordered Prisoners
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to implement the recommendations of the joint Home Office and Department of Health and Social Security working party, on the problems presented by mentally disordered offenders in prisons in England and Wales.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A number of the recommendations already have been or are being implemented. The recommendations aimed at increasing the extent to which mentally disordered offenders are detained other than in prison custody are to be taken forward in further discussion between Home Office and DHSS officials.

  Racial Equality
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to make any change to his policy on racial equality, in the light of the annual report of the Commission for Racial Equality.

  Mr. John Patten
  We remain committed to a fair and just society in which all individuals, whatever their race or colour, have equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities. We shall continue to support the work of the Commission for Racial Equality under its new chairman.

  Thamesmead (Prison)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects construction of the new prison at Thamesmead to be completed.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The new urban prison which is being constructed at Woolwich is currently due for completion in December 1990.

  Fresh Start Programme
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress being made to implement the fresh start prison programme.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Fresh start has been implemented at 105 establishments in England and Wales, including all those in the south-west and midland regions. Work is continuing to complete the process at the remaining 16 establishments by the end of February.

  DNA Testing
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress with DNA testing.

  Mr. Renton
  DNA profiling has been used in the analysis of evidential material in about 150 forensic science cases so far, and in analysing samples from mass screenings. The technique is to be used in analysing samples from a mass screening which is to be undertaken in Thames Valley in connection with investigations into an unsolved murder.

  Due weight is already given to the results of DNA tests submitted by applicants in support of entry clearance applications. The results of the pilot trial to evaluate the role of DNA testing in immigration procedures should be available shortly.

  Television Licences
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from pensioners' associations seeking the abolition of television licences for pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  During 1987, six written representations, including one petition, seeking free television licences for pensioners were received from pensioners' organisations.

  Rural Areas (Policing)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding the policing of rural areas.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is for chief officers of police to determine the most suitable methods of policing rural areas.

  Gartree Prison (Escape)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the outcome to date of the inquiry into the helicopter escape from Gartree prison.

  Mr. Hurd
  Two highly dangerous category A prisoners, Kendall and Draper, escaped by air from Gartree prison at about 3.15 pm on 10 December 1987. They were taken out in a helicopter whose pilot had been hijacked by an armed passenger. They disembarked a short distance from the prison and made good their escape by road. Police inquiries into the escape are continuing, but both men are still at large. Mr. G. H. Lakes CB, MC, deputy director general of the prison service, has completed his inquiry into the escape and has reported the results to me.
  786
  The escape was able to succeed mainly because, while Kendall and Draper were taking their normal exercise in a large open space under the supervision of prison staff, there was no physical barrier to stop the helicopter from landing in that part of the prison and no practical means of preventing it from leaving. The attempt was made easier because it came as a complete surprise to the staff and because those planning it had been able confidently to predict the time and place at which the escapers would be taking their outdoor exercise that day. The helicopter was on the ground for only 23 seconds and then in the air for less than five minutes before it landed again outside the prison. That was too short a period in which successfully to track it by radar in accordance with existing contingency plans, which have been further refined in the light of this incident.

  It has been suggested that reduced manning levels resulting from fresh start transitional arrangements may have contributed to the success of the escape. A comparison of staff deployment both before and after 1 November clearly indicates that manning arrangements were unchanged.

  Immediately after the escape an immediate and vigorous review of security measures was ordered and all establishments holding category A prisoners were put in a heightened state of alert. A number of practical steps were taken at once within dispersal prisons to frustrate any similar or other possible method of escape. Regime activities and arrangements for outdoor exercise have been changed and now make it significantly more difficult for individual category A prisoners to predict where they will be from day to day. Physical obstacles, for example wires strong enough to foul helicopter rotor blades, have been erected above exercise areas at a number of prisons, and will be installed at others very shortly, in order to impede a helicopter attempting to land in those areas. At suitable prisons observation posts at a level to watch for approaching aircraft will be manned at times when this is necessary. The prison service is reviewing the policy assumptions governing the arrangements for the security of category A prisoners. It has already introduced some changes which will bring the difficult job of preventing escape by highly dangerous prisoners under closer management attention.

  The current system of dispersal prisons was designed to contain highly dangerous prisoners securely. It also has to provide satisfactory regimes which allow control to be maintained. It has to operate with sufficient flexibility to enable inmates to be moved from one establishment to another within the system for security, control or other reasons. Steps have been taken to tackle the security weaknesses revealed by this escape and further measures are being considered to give added strength to the dispersal system.

  Prison Workshops and Farms
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to improve the profitability of prison workshops and farms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The implementation of a series of measures for the rationalisation of prison industries announced in March 1986, which included the setting of clear management targets by the prisons board, has
  787
  reduced the cost of employing inmates in prison workshops and improved the value for money obtained from the resources invested in providing this type of activity for prisoners. Work to maintain these trends is continuing. Prison farms and gardens consistently operate at a modest profit.

  Chief Constables
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief constables have been dismissed under section 5 of the Police Act 1964 since the Act came into force.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  One chief constable has been dismissed under section 29(1) of the Act, which empowers my right hon. Friend to require a police authority to exercise its power under section 5(4) to call upon the chief constable to retire in the interests of efficiency.

  Vandalism
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received seeking the abolition of the age limit below which parents cannot be held responsible-for vandalism caused by their children; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Parents are not responsible in law for criminal offences committed by their children, although they may be required to pay fines or other financial penalties imposed on children who have reached the age of criminal responsibility (10 years) but are under the age of 17. In 1987, the Home Office received about 20 letters suggesting that parents should be made liable for the criminal acts of their children; about half of them specifically suggested that such liability should extend to children below the age of criminal responsibility.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has regarding the non-availability of forms required for the registration of British citizenship in accordance with the British Nationality Act 1981; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  We are satisfied that there were supplies available to meet reasonable demands for all the forms subject to the 31 December 1987 deadline for the ending of certain rights to register. There was a temporary shortage of forms which were not subject to time limits, but orders are now being met and the backlog cleared.

  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make available the income and expenditure account for the administration of citizenship applications for 1986–87.

  Mr. Hurd
  I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the nationality fees income and expenditure account for the 12 months ended 31 March 1987.

  Television Violence
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to enable him to enforce through statutory powers the so-called 9 o'clock watershed as a safeguard for young poeple against scenes of violence and depravity on television.
  788
  Mr. Renton
  The responsibility for enforcing programme standards must rest with the broadcasting authorities. The Government recognise the need for stronger and more effective oversight of standards relating to the portrayal of violence and sex on television and to that end my right hon. Friend has announced his intention to set up the Broadcasting Standards Council.

  Drug Trafficking and Abuse
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what part his Department took in the Council of Europe's parliamentary hearing on drug trafficking and drug abuse, held in Paris on 11 and 12 January.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The head of the Home Office drugs branch was present throughout, and delivered a paper, in his capacity as chairman of the committee of senior officials of the Council of Europe's Pompidou group.

  Inner London Education Authority
  Mr. Thorne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has made a new electoral arrangement order for the Inner London education authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  Yes. I have signed an order implementing the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England contained in its report No. 533, which was submitted to me on 24 March 1987 This provides for single member wards to come into effect for the next ordinary elections of the ILEA in 1990 as required by section 19(3) of the Local Government Act 1985. The commission was required to hold the review by paragraph 3 of schedule 9 to the 1985 Act, which also requires me to make an order implementing the commission's recommendations, with or without modifications. As the House knows, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science has introduced a Bill which includes provisions on the future of ILEA. Under his proposals, the size of the elected ILEA will be reduced if boroughs successfully apply to assume education responsibilities for their area. This does not effect the 1985 Act requirement that provision should be made for single member wards for future ILEA elections.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Disarmament
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the most recent responses by ambassadors at the United Nations 40-nation disarmament committee in Geneva on(a) nuclear disarmament initiatives from the United Kingdom under article VI of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and (b) United Kingdom initiatives on verification procedures in support of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

  Mr. Mellor
  Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons requires the parties to it to pursue negotiations on effective measures connected with nuclear disarmament. The conference on disarmament provides a valuable forum for discussion of these issues, but since the United States and the Soviet Union
  789
  possess between them the overwhelming preponderance of nuclear weapons it is universally recognised that the primary responsibility for negotiations must fall to them. The resolution of outstanding verification procedures in support of a comprehensive test ban treaty does not require "initiatives", which are unlikely to solve the real technical difficulties; rather, it needs scientific work, which is conducted by the conference on disarmament's ad hoc group of scientific experts, in which the United Kingdom plays a constructive part.

  Nuclear Materials (Libya and Pakistan)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he possesses that nuclear materials owned by EURATOM, and under safeguards, have been illegally diverted from the Federal Republic of Germany to Libya and Pakistan.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have no evidence of illegal diversion of nuclear material from the Federal Republic of Germany to Libya and Pakistan. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany are currently investigating such allegations with the assistance of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The agency stated on 18 January that it was satisfied there had been no unauthorised diversion of nuclear material in significant quantities. We await further details.

  United Kingdom-USSR (Bilateral Agreements)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report (a) all bilateral cultural, trade, science and technology co-operation, defence and arms control agreements currently in force between the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, (b) all multilateral cultural trade, science and technology cooperation, defence and arms control agreements signed, respectively, by the United Kingdom and Soviet Governments and (c) all United Nations decrees, charters and other agreements on cultural, trade, science and technology co-operation, and arms control matters signed both by the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Mellor
  Bilateral agreements under which activity is currently conducted include the following (year of signature and brief explanation where needed in brackets):United Kingdom-Soviet Protocol on Consultations (1975. Provides for regular ministerial and official level discussions on a wide range of political issues).
  Long-term Economic and Industrial Co-operation Programme (renewed in 1986).
  United Kingdom/USSR Credit and Financing Agreement (1987).
  United Kingdom/Soviet Programme for Scientific and Technological Co-operation (1975).
  Memorandum of Understanding on Energy, Trade and Co-operation 1986).
  Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in Agriculture and Food Production (1986).
  United Kingdom/Soviet Agreement on Co-operation in the Field of Medicine and Public Health (1975).
  United Kingdom/USSR Cultural Agreement (renewed 1987. Provides for exchanges in arts, science and education fields).
  Memorandum of Understanding on Information/Cultural (1987. Provides for closer contacts between the media and in other areas).
  United Kingdom/USSR Co-operation Agreement (1987).
  Agreement on Prevention of Incidents at Sea (1986).
  790
  Agreement concerning the Establishment of a Direct Communication Link (1967. Hotline).
  Agreement on the Prevention of Accidental Nuclear War (1977).

  For the remainder of the question, the answers are not readily available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  South Africa
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the restrictive measures and sanctions which have been imposed against South Africa since 1983; and to what extent they are in line with measures that have been suggested by(a) the Commonwealth and (b) the European Community.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The restrictive measures imposed by us against South Africa since 1983, together with an indication of whether they were adopted in common with our European and/or Commonwealth partners, are as follows:

  1. Measures agreed at the Meeting of EC Foreign Ministers September 1985

  (i) A re-affirmation of an embargo on exports of arms and para-military equipment to South Africa (United Nations Security Council resolution 418 of 4 November 1977);

  (ii) A re-affirmation of an embargo on imports of arms and para-military equipment from South Africa (United Nations Security Council resolution 558 of 13 December 1977);

  (iii) A refusal to co-operate in the military sphere;

  (iv) The recall of military attachés accredited to South Africa and refusal to grant accreditation to military attachés from South Africa;

  (v) Discouraging cultural and scientific agreements except where these contribute towards the ending of apartheid or have no possible role in supporting it; and freezing of official contacts and international agreements in the sporting and security spheres;

  (vi) The cessation of oil exports to South Africa;

  (vii) The cessation of exports of sensitive equipment destined for the police and armed forces of South Africa;

  (viii) The prohibition of all new collaboration in the nuclear sector.

  2. Measures agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Nassau, October 1985

  (i) The strict enforcement of the mandatory arms embargo against South Africa;

  (ii) A re-affirmation of the Gleneagles declaration of 1977, which called upon Commonwealth members to take every practical step to discourage sporting contacts with South Africa;

  (iii) Agreement upon the commendation to other Governments of the adoption of the following further economic measures against South Africa:

  (A) A ban on all new Government loans to the Government of South Africa and their agencies;

  (B) A readiness to take unilaterally what action may be possible to preclude the import of Krugerrands;

  (C) No Government funding for trade missions to South Africa or for participation in exhibitions and trade fairs in South Africa;

  (D) A ban on the sale and export of computer equipment capable of use by South African military forces; police or security forces;

  (E) A ban on new contracts for the sale and export of nuclear goods, material and technology to South Africa;

  (F) A ban on the sale and export of oil to South Africa;

  (G) A strict and rigorously controlled embargo on imports of arms, ammunition, military vehicles and para-military equipment from South Africa;

  791

  (H) An embargo on all military co-operation with South-Africa;

  (I) The discouragement of all cultural and scientific events except where these contribute towards the ending of apartheid or have no possible role in promoting it.

  3. Measures which the United Kingdom agreed to implement following the Commonwealth Review Meeting, Marlborough House, August 1986

  (i) A voluntary ban on new investment in South Africa;

  (ii) A voluntary ban on the promotion of tourism to South Africa;

  (iii) The implementation of any EC decision to ban the import of coal, iron and steel and of gold coins from South Africa.

  4. Measures agreed at the EC Meeting of Foreign Ministers, September 1986

  (i) A ban on imports of certain South African iron and steel;

  (ii) A ban on imports of certain South African gold coins;

  (iii) A ban on certain new investment in South Africa.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Teacher Training (Report)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a list of the 26 institutions in England that formed the sample on which was based Her Majesty's Inspectorate's survey "Quality in Schools: the Initial Training of Teachers."

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The following English polytechnics and colleges were included in the sample of institutions in Her Majesty's inspectorate's report "Quality in Schools: the Initial Training of Teachers":

  Bath College of Higher Education

  Bedford College of Higher Education

  Birmingham Polytechnic

  Bishop Grosseteste College, Lincoln

  Bradford and Ilkley Community College

  Christchurch College, Canterbury

  Edge Hill College of Higher Education

  Hertfordshire College of Higher Education

  Humberside College of Higher Education

  Kingston Polytechnic

  La Sainte Union College of Higher Education, Southampton

  Leeds Polytechnic

  Liverpool Polytechnic

  Manchester Polytechnic

  Nene College, Northampton

  Newman College, Birmingham

  Polytechnic of the South Bank

  Portsmouth Polytechnic

  College of Ripon and York, St. John

  Rolle College, Exmouth

  St. Martin's College, Lancaster

  St. Mary's College, Twickenham

  College of St. Paul's and St. Mary, Cheltenham

  Trent Polytechnic

  West London Institute of Higher Education

  West Midlands College of Higher Education

  Pupil Performance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the relative performance of(a) state maintained and (b) independent schools in England and Wales at (i) GCE O-level grades A to C and CSE grade 1 and (ii) GCE A-level, in 1965, 1975 and 1985, taking into account the number and percentage of pupils educated in each sector in each of these years.
  792
  Mrs. Rumbold
  Indicators of relative school performance would require information on the attainments and aptitudes of pupils on entry to the school or proxies for this, not collected by the Department. The GCE O-level grades A to C and CSE grade 1 examination achievements of school leavers from maintained and independent schools are as follows, expressed in terms of the number of leavers from each sector.

  For GCE A-level the attainments are expressed in terms of the 17-year-old population. Because attendance post-16 is not compulsory, it is not appropriate to express A-level attainments as a percentage of school rolls.

  Table 1

  School Leavers, England1 expressed as a percentage of leavers in each category

  Academic year

  11964–65

  1974–75

  1984–85

  Maintained schools

  Percentage of leavers with

  1 or more higher2 grades at O-level or CSE

  3n.a.

  46·1

  52·2

  5 or more higher2 grades at O-level or CSE

  16·9

  19·1

  23·7

  Total leavers (000s)

  600·10

  608·84

  690·99

  Independent schools

  Percentage of leavers with

  1 or more higher2 grades at O-level or CSE

  3n.a.

  94·2

  93·5

  5 or more higher2 grades at O-level or CSE

  67·3

  72·7

  75·8

  Total leavers (000s)

  45·70

  42·87

  45·22

  All schools

  Percentage of leavers with

  1 or more higher2 grades at O-level or CSE

  35·9

  49·2

  54·7

  5 or more higher2 grades at O-level or CSE

  20·5

  22·6

  26·9

  Total leavers (000s)

  645·78

  651·71

  736·21

  Source: School leavers sample survey. Data subject to sampling error.

  1 England and Wales for 1974–75.

  2 O-level grades A-C, CSE grade 1.

  3 Not available.

  Table 2

  School Leavers, England1 leavers with GCE A-level passes as a percentage of the 17-year-old population2

  Academic year

  11964–65

  1974–75

  1984–85

  Maintained schools

  1

  1·6

  2·6

  2·5

  2

  2·2

  3·2

  3·3

  3 or more

  3·8

  5·7

  6·8

  Total

  7·6

  11·4

  12·6

  Independent schools

  1

  0·5

  0·5

  0·4

  2

  0·7

  0·8

  0·6

  3 or more

  1·4

  2·4

  2·9

  Total

  2·6

  3·7

  3·9

  All schools

  1

  2·1

  3·1

  2·9

  2

  2·9

  4·0

  3·9

  793

  Academic year

  11964–65

  1974–75

  1984–85

  3 or more

  5·2

  8·0

  9·7

  Total

  10·2

  15·2

  16·5

  17-year-old population (000s)

  812

  662

  763

  Source: School Leavers sample survey. Data subject to sampling error.

  1 England and Wales for 1964–65.

  2 GAD estimates of the population.

  University Entrants
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information his Department has as to the proportion of university entrants whose father's occupation is given as being in social classes Him, IV and V; how this compares with 1958, 1968 and 1978 in the United Kingdom; and what equivalent information he has about other countries.

  Mr. Jackson
  In 1986, 21 per cent. of university entrants were from social classes IIIm, IV or V. In 1978 the comparable figure was 23 per cent. Information for 1958 and 1968 is not available, but it is estimated that in 1955, 1961 and 1971 the equivalent figures were 25, 25 and 27 per cent. respectively.

  The OECD has published some information on parental occupations for higher education students in a few countries, but this is not strictly comparable as each country has its own classification of occupations.

  Nursery Schools
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which authorities provide an educational welfare officer service for nursery schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  The information requested is not centrally available. All local education authorities maintain an education welfare service, but it is for them to decide on its deployment. DES circular 2/86 on "School Attendance and Education Welfare Services" set out the Government's view that the objectives and emphasis of education welfare services should remain firmly rooted in promoting regular attendance at school. Attendance at nursery schools is not compulsory.

  Widowers' Pensions
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will, in consultation with teacher's representatives, remove the discrimination against women teachers regarding the payment of widowers' pensions on contributions made prior to April.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Discussions are continuing with representatives of teachers and their employers about the arrangements for covering pre-April 1988 service when automatic survivors benefits for female teachers are introduced into the teachers superannuation scheme. Although male and female teachers have paid the same contribution rate since 1972, that rate, determined by the Government Actuary in his actuarial valuations of the scheme, took into account only the existing benefits of the 794
  scheme. The contributions already paid by teachers do not reflect the cost of covering pre-April 1988 service for survivors benefits for female teachers.

  Leeds Education Authority
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much Leeds education authority spent on books and equipment per pupil for each year since 1982; what is the estimate for 1987–88; and what is the comparable average expenditure for metropolitan districts over the same period, as a whole.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Based on the returns of expenditure for 1982–83 to 1985–86 made to the Department of the Environment by local authorities and pupil returns made to the Department of Education and Science the overall expenditure on books and educational equipment per primary and secondary pupil for Leeds and for the metropolitan districts as a whole are as given in the table. The figures for 1987–88 are taken from "Education Statistics, 1987–88 Estimates" published by the Chartered Institute of Pulbic Finance and Accountancy; a copy of which is in the Library.

  Expenditure on books and equipment per pupil Primary and secondary schools (at November 1986 prices)

  Leeds

  Metropolitan districts

  £

  £

  1982–83 (actual)

  10·65

  24·83

  1983–84 (actual)

  11·82

  27·83

  1984–85 (actual)

  11·23

  29·96

  1985–86 (actual)

  12·03

  29·63

  1987–88 (estimates)

  17·86

  38·28

  Equipment Donations
  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has had any representations concerning the payment of value added tax on donations of equipment to higher educational institutions.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have received two such representations.

  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps have been taken to encourage companies to donate equipment, particularly computers, to higher educational institutions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  There are various tax incentives to encourage company donations of equipment to higher education institutions. These will very shortly be brought together in a convenient form in a guide to be published by the Manpower Services Commission on the current tax treatment of companies' expenditure on education and training. As far as computers are concerned, the Computer Board for the Universities and the research Councils is ready to consider proposals for schemes of matching support involving donations of equipment.

  Student Grants
  Mr. Bendall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the regulations in respect of educational grants to university students are likely to be amended to improve the position of self-employed parents.
  795
  Mr. Jackson
  The regulations make no distinction between self-employed and other parents, and it is not proposed to introduce one.

  Bickleigh Down (Primary School)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will pay the final instalment of grant for the new primary school at Bickleigh Down, Roborough, near Plymouth, details of which were submitted to his Department on 20 February 1987 for the amount of £39,086·84; and if he will make a statement as to why there has been an 11 month delay.

  Mr. Dunn
  When my right hon. Friend approved the establishment of the new voluntary aided school at Bickleigh Down, the Exeter diocesan education committee was informed that grant would be paid on the whole of the governors' approved net building expenditure on the provision of the new school less the proceeds of the sale of the premises of the former Bickleigh CE primary school.

  Before the final payment of grant can be made, the Department needs to know the proceeds of the sale of the Bickleigh premises. The Exeter diocesan education committee has been made aware of this requirement but, as yet, the Department has received no response. Until one is forthcoming it will not be possible to make any further payments of grant.

SCOTLAND

  Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the announcement made on the withdrawal of regional development grant for Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  I have not received any representations following the announcement of the ending of regional development grant for Scotland.

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to respond to the Countryside Commission for Scotland's report, "Forestry in Scotland"; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Countryside Commission for Scotland published its report "Forestry in Scotland" in July 1986 and initially did not seek a Government response in order that it might pursue its ideas with the industry and the conservation movement in the first instance. However, the commission has recently informed the Government that it would wish a formal response and this is now under consideration.

  Water Rates
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the percentage rise in average water rates for Scotland has been between 1979 and the latest date available in(a) cash and (b) real terms.

  Mr. Lang
  Comparison of rates between years before and after 1985 is not straightforward, because of revaluation. The percentage rise in average domestic water 796
  rate bills for Scotland between 1979–80 and 1987–88 has been 156·7 per cent. in cash terms and 47·9 per cent. in real terms.

  Winget-Type Housing
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total numbers of Winget-type houses in each district council area of Scotland where such houses exist.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Glasgow district council has 1,268 Winget-type houses in its area.

  Prisons (Statistics)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the certified normal prison accommodation and the actual population on the latest available date for(a) Her Majesty's prison, Peterhead, (b) Her Majesty's prison, Aberdeen, (c) Her Majesty's prison, Perth, (d) Her Majesty's prison, Saughton, Edinburgh, (e) Her Majesty's prison, Shutts and (f) Her Majesty's prison, Barlinnie, Glasgow.

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

  HM prison

  Design capacity

  Current available capacity

  Population at 19 January 1988

  Peterhead

  180

  1130

  124

  Aberdeen

  151

  151

  180

  Perth

  519

  1478

  481

  Edinburgh

  547

  547

  610

  Shotts

  528

  1371

  342

  Barlinnie

  983

  983

  989

  1 Temporary reduction in capacity due to work in progress following recent incidents.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those persons sentenced to a period of immediate imprisonment in Scotland in 1986 were sentenced to a period of six months or less.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  84·3 per cent.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average weekly cost of keeping a person in prison in Scotland at the latest available date.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  £260.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average prison remand population in Scotland during 1987.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The 1987 figures are not yet available.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the prison remand population for Scotland at the latest available date.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  At lock-up on 19 January 1988 there were 938 remand prisoners in Scotland.

  Prison Population
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average prison population in Scotland for 1987.
  797
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The 1987 figures are not yet available.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the prison population for Scotland at the latest available date; and what was the comparable figure in 1979, 1983 and 1985.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The figures are as follows:

  Date

  Prison population

  16 January 1979

  4,753

  18 January 1983

  5,039

  22 January 1985

  4,979

  19 January 1988

  5,287

  Scottish Economy
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what estimates have been made of the effect of taking up of the ECR 90 option for the Eurofighter on employment in Scotland's electronics industry;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the impact of the adoption of the European radar system on the Scottish economy;

  (3) what assessment he has made of the contribution of Ferranti to the Scottish economy.

  Mr. Lang
  Ferranti's Scottish group employs 9,500 and is therefore a major employer making a substantial contribution to the Scottish economy. Turnover in 1986–87 was over £280 million.

  My right hon. and learned Friend and I both keep in contact with Ferranti about its efforts to supply the ECR 90 radar for the European fighter aircraft. In addition, Scottish Office officials liaise closely with colleagues in the MOD.

  If the ECR 90 is selected in the competition now in progress it will maintain employment within Ferranti's Scottish group well into the next century as work on current contracts, including equipment for the Tornado aircraft, comes to an end. Success would also enable Ferranti to maintain its capability to design radar and other avionic equipment to the most exacting technological standard and to compete effectively in important international markets.

  In addition to being important to Ferranti, the adoption of the ECR 90 for Eurofighter should also provide new opportunities for Scottish electronic sub-contractors.

  Housing Repairs
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest figures for houses in need of urgent repairs(a) in urban areas and (b) in rural areas.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not held centrally.

  Coatbridge Project
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Scottish Development Agency and others concerning the effectiveness of the Coatbridge project; what consideration he is giving to widening the project geographically to cover all of Monklands district; and if he will make a statement.
  798
  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I have indicated to the Scottish Development Agency that we regard Lanarkshire as an area which continues to need the special attention of the agency. In the first instance, however, it is for the agency and its partners in the Coatbridge project to consider any extension outside the geographical area at present covered or beyond the period currently agreed. I have been told by the agency that it intends to start discussions with its partners about extension in both respects soon.

  Last year the agency and my Department completed a research project which established ways to measure the achievements of an area initiative. This has not yet been applied to the Coatbridge project.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations have been received(a) in favour of and (b) against the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received 853 representations since the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Bill was enacted in May last year. Since many representations have included comments in favour of some of the proposals and against others, it is not possible to provide the information in the form requested.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to inform Scottish local authorities of the level of the proposed unified business rate for 1989–90; and on what basis the business rate will be calculated.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 27 November to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) at column 132.

  South African Consul General for Scotland
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the South African consul general for Scotland; and what was the purpose and outcome of the meeting.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I received a courtesy call from the South African consul general on 10 February 1986 in Edinburgh. No issues of substance were discussed.

  Inflation
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the average rate of inflation in Scotland in each year from 1977 to 1987.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 26 October 1987]: No official estimates are available.

  Job Training Scheme
  Mr. Me Allion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, for each new job training scheme contracted managing agent in the Dundee area, what are the monthly figures since the start of the scheme for entrants during each period showing how many(a) were male, (b) were female, (c) were six to 12 months unemployed, above and below the age of 25 years, (d) were 12 to 24 months unemployed, above and below the age of 25 years,

  799
  (e) were unemployed 24 months or more, above and below the age of 25 years, (f) were disabled, (g) were of ethnic minority origin and (h) entered work placements; and how many leavers there were in each period, and of those how many (i) found work, (ii) failed to attend, (iii) went to a further education course or other training, (iv) completed the job training scheme course, (v) left because of sickness and (vi) left for other reasons; and what are the latest cumulative figures of entrants and leavers.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 14 December 1987]: It is not Government policy to publish comparative information on the performance of individual managing agents.

EMPLOYMENT

  Resignations
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many civil servants by grade resigned from his Department in the financial year 1986–87; what percentage of the total number of staff employed by his Department this represents; and what measures he is taking to reduce the level of staff turnover.

  Mr. Lee
  The figures requested are as follows:

  Resignations for year ending 31 March 1987

  Number

  Administrative Assistant

  2,369

  Administrative Officer

  2,847

  Typist

  161

  Executive Officer

  282

  Administrative Trainee/

  Management Trainee/Higher

  Executive Officer (Development)

  1

  Higher Executive Officer

  45

  Senior Executive Officer

  13

  Grade 7 and above

  7

  Others

  257

  Total

  5,982

  Notes:

  1. 'Others' includes industrial staff.

  2. Casual staff are excluded.

  3. Part-time staff are counted as whole units.

  This represents 9·44 per cent, of the total number of staff employed by the Department of Employment Group.

  We continue to use a range of personnel measures to reduce the level of staff turnover including effective recruitment of the staff we need, realistic levels of pay, reasonable working conditions, career development and training, good communications and employee involvement in the work, and recognition of a job well done.

  Benefit Offices (Staff)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of staff turnover in unemployment benefit offices in(a) the Greater London area and (b) the south-east of England area in 1986–87.

  Mr. Lee
  The level of staff turnover in 1986–87 was as follows:

  The Greater London area 17·1 per cent.

  The South East of England 13·1 per cent.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each health and safety inspectorate area office, any asbestos stripping operations which have taken place, or are planned for 1987 and 1988, which did not or will not receive any visit from inspectors to ensure compliance with current legislation.

  Mr. Nicholls
  A record of the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  HSE (Staff)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many construction inspectors there are in post in each area office of the Health and Safety Executive; how many resigned in 1987; and how many it is planned to recruit in 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The number of inspectors employed on construction work in each area office of the Health and Safety Executive at 1 January 1988 is as follows:

  HSE Area Office

  Number

  South West

  5

  South

  5

  South East

  5

  London North

  10

  London South

  110

  East Anglia

  3

  Northern Home Counties

  4

  East Midlands

  3

  West Midlands

  3

  Wales

  3

  Marches

  4

  North Midlands

  3

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  3

  West and North Yorkshire

  4

  Greater Manchester

  3

  Merseyside

  3

  North West

  4

  North East

  3

  Scotland East

  4

  Scotland West

  4

  1 Construction inspectors for the London area are all based at London south area office.

  Fourteen trainee inspectors are also currently employed on construction work in the Executive's area offices.

  Factory inspectors are allocated to groups responsible for inspection of different industries and during their careers inspectors move between groups; it is therefore not possible to tell how many have resigned from work on construction.

  It is planned to recruit enough factory inspectors to bring the total number of experienced inspectors in construction groups nationally to around 100 by 1990.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many trainee factory inspectors were recruited to the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1980; and how many it is planned to recruit in 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The number of class II factory inspectors recruited in each year since 1980 is as follows:

  Number

  1980

  17

  1981

  —

  1982

  —

  801

  Number

  1983

  —

  1984

  11

  1985

  3

  1986

  39

  1987

  32

  It is planned to recruit enough factory inspectors to bring total numbers in the inspectorate, currently 554, to around 585 by the end of 1988.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many class IB factory inspectors resigned from the Health and Safety Executive in 1987.

  Mr. Nicholls
  During 1987, 19 of the class IB factory inspectors resigned.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors there are in each area offices of the Health and Safety Executive in the grades of(a) principal inspector, (b) inspector class IB, (c) trainee factory inspector II Q, (d) trainee factory inspector class II T and (e) trainee inspector.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested for each grade and HSE area office is as follows (1 January figures).

  Area

  Inspectors

  1IA

  IB

  2II

  Southwest

  5

  16

  5

  South

  6

  15

  3

  South East

  6

  14

  5

  London North

  7

  20

  5

  London South

  10

  15

  9

  East Anglia

  6

  12

  3

  North Home Counties

  6

  13

  2

  East Midlands

  5

  13

  5

  West Midlands

  8

  13

  7

  Wales

  5

  11

  4

  Marches

  5

  13

  6

  North Midlands

  5

  9

  4

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  6

  14

  4

  West and North Yorkshire

  7

  17

  4

  Greater Manchester

  6

  15

  7

  Merseyside

  6

  11

  6

  North West

  5

  13

  2

  North East

  7

  12

  5

  Scotland East

  5

  12

  3

  Scotland West

  6

  13

  5

  Total

  122

  271

  94

  1 Inspector IA equates to principal inspector.

  2 Figures for class II inspectors are totals of trainee inspectors II T and II Q.

  Labour Statistics
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average annual percentage of(a) economically active males and (b) economically active females unemployed in the district of Derwentside, for each of the last eight years.

  Mr. Lee
  Information on the economically active population for small areas is available only from the 802
  decennial census of population, the last of which relates to April 1981. The following table shows the numbers of economically active males and females who were not in employment as a percentage of the total economically active, in the Derwentside local authority area, for all ages and for those aged 16 to 19 years at that date.

  Males Per cent.

  Females Per cent.

  All ages

  29·2

  10·1

  Aged 16–19

  27·7

  21·1

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people presently unemployed in the district of Derwentside have been unemployed for more than(a) one year, (b) two years and (c) three years.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is available from the library. On 8 October 1987 the numbers of unemployed claimants in the Derwentside local authority area who had been unemployed for more than one year, two years and three years were 2,679, 1,893 and 1,427, respectively.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average annual percentage of economically active males and economically active females, under 19 years of age, in the district of Derwentside, for each of the last eight years.

  Mr. Lee
  The latest available information comes from the 1981 census of population, which found that 64·3 per cent, of males and 54·3 per cent, of females aged 16 to 18 years and usually resident in the district of Derwentside were economically active.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have been registered as unemployed for more than one period of time in any one year in the district of Derwentside in each of the last eight years.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the number of(a) males and (b) females employed in the district of Derwentside, for each of the last eight years;

  (2) what proportion of the total employed population in the district of Derwentside were employed in (a) manufacturing industry and (b) service industries for each of the last eight years;

  (3) what was the number of people employed (a) full-time, and (b) part-time in the district of Derwentside, for each of the last eight years.

  Mr. Lee
  Information about employment in local areas is available only for years in which censuses of employment are conducted. The available employee estimates for the district of Derwentside, taken from the September 1981 and September 1984 censuses of employment, are as follows.
  803

  Employees in employment1

  Derwentside local authority district2

  September 1981

  September 1984

  Number (thousand)

  Per cent.

  Number (thousand)

  Per cent.

  All industries and services

  Male

  8,700

  9,600

  Female

  9,100

  8,900

  Male and Female

  18,800

  100·0

  18,500

  100·0

  Full-time

  13,900

  13,600

  Part-time3

  4,900

  4,900

  Manufacturing industries

  4,800

  25·7

  4,300

  23·5

  Service industries

  12,200

  65·0

  12,200

  66·2

  1 The figures exclude the self employed and members of HM Forces.

  2 The district is defined in terms of ward boundaries as at 1981.

  3 Part-time workers are defined as those working not more than 30 hours a week.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many private sector firms there are with(a) fewer than 24 employees, (b) between 25 and 49 employees, (c) between 50 and 199 employees, and (d) more than 199 employees, in the district of Derwentside; and what is the total number of people employed by firms in each category.

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

  Domestic Staff
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate is available to him of the employment creation potential of placing the cost of employing domestic staff in private households on the same footing as office staff, with regard to tax deductibility; and if he will make a statement.

  1987 European social fund allocations for Greater London

  Applicant name

  Organisation

  Beneficiaries

  £ aid

  1 Article

  1 Article

  Brent Asian Professionals' Association (BAPA)

  PB1

  60

  125,098·00

  12a

  41-

  Brent, London Borough of

  LA1

  8

  2,751·00

  12a

  41-

  Brent, London Borough of

  LA1

  8

  1,391·00

  12a

  42b

  British Refugee Council

  PB1

  260

  485,601·00

  12a

  41-

  British Refugee Council

  PB1

  449

  863,252·00

  12a

  42d

  British Refugee Council

  PB1

  36

  199,044·00

  12a

  42a

  British Refugee Council

  PB1

  39

  89,764·00

  12a

  42a

  Broadwater Farm Youth Association

  PB4

  15

  65,376·00

  12a

  41-

  Camden Training Centre

  PB1

  48

  176,413·00

  12a

  41-

  Camden Training Centre

  PB1

  48

  142,147·00

  12a

  42b

  Camden Training Centre

  PB1

  8

  12,914·00

  12a

  43-

  Community Service Volunteers

  PB1

  45

  59,456·00

  12a

  41-

  Community Service Volunteers

  PB1

  70

  86,452·00

  12a

  41-

  Community Service Volunteers

  PB1

  100

  380,760·00

  12a

  42a

  Connections Limited

  PB1

  30

  17,877·00

  12a

  43-

  Davy McKee (London) Ltd·

  PB3E

  30

  60,313·00

  12a

  41-

  Downham Community Workshop

  PB4

  24

  31,771·00

  12a

  41-

  East Ham College of Technology

  LA2

  11

  62,549·00

  12a

  41-

  F. & R. Cooling Limited

  PB3E

  2

  2,768·00

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Limited

  PB4

  40

  28,306·00

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Limited

  PB4

  40

  22,870·00

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Limited

  PB4

  30

  26,678·00

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Limited

  PB4

  7

  8,831·00

  12a

  42b

  Greenwich Training Company Limited

  PB4

  18

  14,999·00

  12a

  42b

  Greenwich Training Company Limited

  PB4

  6

  5,960·00

  12a

  42b

  Greenwich Young People's Theatre

  PB4

  12

  129,366·00

  12a

  41-

  Hackney African Organisation

  PB1

  20

  36,885·00

  12a

  42c

  Hackney African Organisation

  PB1

  20

  78,042·00

  12a

  41-

  Hackney African Organisation

  PB1

  20

  22,714·00

  12a

  43-

  Hackney Information Technology

  PB1

  6

  14,271·00

  12a

  41-

  804
  Mr. Lee
  No such estimate is available.

  Social Fund
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will itemise, by recipient organisation or body, European social fund allocations to projects based in Greater London in 1987, indicating the main purpose of the grant, the main category of beneficiary and the number of beneficiaries for each project.

  Mr. Cope
  The European Commission allocated the following amounts from the European social fund to projects based in Greater London for the calendar year 1987. The list does not, however, include national schemes run, for example, by the Manpower Services Commission and industrial training boards from which those living in Greater London will have benefited. Separate figures for Greater London for these national schemes are not readily available.
  805

  Applicant name

  Organisation

  Beneficiaries

  £ aid

  1Article

  1Article

  Hackney Information Technology

  PB1

  6

  11,499·00

  12a

  42b

  Hackney Pakistan Womens Welfare Centre

  PB1

  12

  7,446·00

  12a

  41-

  Hackney Pakistan Womens Welfare Centre

  PB1

  12

  3,765·00

  12a

  42b

  Hammersmith and Fulham Training Services

  PB4

  15

  31,542·00

  12a

  41-

  Haringey Womens Training and Education Centre Ltd.

  PB1

  90

  221,049·00

  12a

  42b

  Hillingdon Asian Women's Group

  PB4

  15

  15,145·00

  12c

  41-

  Hillingdon Asian Women's Group

  PB4

  15

  7,658·00

  12c

  42d

  Independent Media Traing Trust

  PB1

  15

  96,913·00

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  20

  25,734·00

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  20

  13,012·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  36,609·00

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  18,510·000

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  31,385·00

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  15,869·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  32

  19,584·00

  12a

  42a

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  7

  17,216·00

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  9,949·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  16

  19,052·00

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  4,841·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  15

  3,900·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  8

  6,013·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  7

  2,660·00

  12a

  42b

  Inner London Education Authority

  LA1

  15

  4,092·00

  12a

  42b

  Invalid Children's Aid Association

  PB1

  15

  92,293·00

  12a

  41-

  Islington Training Centre Ltd.

  PB4

  16

  8,745·00

  12a

  43-

  Islington Training Centre Ltd.

  PB4

  60

  65,367·00

  12a

  42b

  Islington Training Centre Ltd.

  PB4

  60

  22,994·00

  12a

  42b

  Lambeth Womens Workshop

  PB4

  48

  35,554·00

  12a

  42b

  Leetec Limited

  PB3E

  10

  17,342·00

  12a

  41-

  Lewisham Womens Training Centre Limited

  PB4

  12

  79,061·00

  12a

  41-

  Lewisham Womens Training Centre Limited

  PB4

  12

  63,705·00

  12a

  42b

  London Borough of Lambeth

  LA1

  24

  36,021·00

  12a

  41-

  London Borough of Lambeth

  LA1

  24

  18,213·00

  12a

  42b

  London Borough of Bexley

  LA1

  21

  11,701·00

  12c

  41-

  London Borough of Bexley

  LA1

  21

  5,916·00

  12c

  42d

  London Borough of Hackney (Economic Dev. Unit)

  LA1

  15

  14,892·00

  12a

  41-

  London Borough of Hackney (Economic Dev. Unit)

  LA1

  15

  7,530·00

  12b

  42b

  London Borough of Waltham Forest

  LA1

  25

  72,854·00

  12a

  42b

  London Borough of Hackney

  LA1

  14

  99,092·00

  12a

  41-

  London Co-operative Enterprise Board

  PB4

  40

  28,763·00

  12a

  42b

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  PB4

  100

  87,006·00

  12a

  42e

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  PB4

  200

  165,323·00

  12a

  42b

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  PB4

  100

  72,582·00

  12a

  42a

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  PB4

  100

  87,178·00

  12a

  41-

  London Energy and Employment Network

  PB4

  10

  10,390·00

  12a

  42a

  London Institute, London College of Fashion

  LA2

  25

  18,250·00

  12a

  42e

  London Institute, London College of Fashion

  LA2

  100

  78,000·00

  12a

  42e

  Londra Halkevi (Turkish Community Centre)

  PB1

  20

  33,745·00

  12a

  41-

  Manpower Services Commission

  MSC

  30

  85,844·00

  12a

  42a

  Newham Association for the Education and Training of Women

  PB1

  60

  29,334·00

  12a

  42b

  Newham Women's Activities Project

  PB1

  40

  7,764·00

  12a

  42b

  North Downham Tenants Association

  PB4

  20

  21,068·00

  12a

  41-

  North Downham Tenants Association

  PB4

  10

  8,488·00

  12a

  42b

  Pimlico Arts and Media Scheme

  PB1

  30

  30,232·00

  12a

  41-

  Polytechnic of North London

  PB1

  40

  3,821·00

  12a

  42d

  Polytechnic of the South Bank

  LA2

  40

  78,263·00

  12a

  41-

  Project Fullemploy Ltd.

  PB1

  10

  17,730·00

  12a

  41-

  Richmond Adult and Community College

  LA2

  60

  50,364·00

  12a

  42b

  Road Transport Industry Training Board

  PB2

  125

  82,953·00

  12a

  42e

  Road Transport Industry Training Board

  PB2

  34

  33,891·00

  12a

  41-

  South-West London Women's Training Workshop

  PB4

  15

  52,696·00

  12a

  41-

  South-West London Women's Training Workshop

  PB4

  15

  42,461·00

  12a

  42b

  Sargam Ethnic Craft Training Centre

  PB1

  30

  10,542·00

  12a

  42a

  Skillnet (Training Trust)

  PB1

  100

  65,279·00

  12a

  41-

  Skillnet (Training Trust)

  PB1

  100

  55,003·00

  12a

  41-

  Skillnet (Training Trust)

  PB1

  100

  44,320·00

  12a

  42b

  Skillnet (Training Trust)

  PB1

  1,000

  500,394·00

  12a

  41-

  South Bank Acoustic Engineering

  PB4

  13

  25,459·00

  12d

  41-

  Southall College of Technology

  LA2

  30

  9,688·00

  12a

  42b

  Southall ITEC

  PB1

  24

  10,489·00

  12a

  41-

  Southall ITEC

  PB1

  24

  8,452·00

  12a

  42d

  Southwark Women's Training Workshop

  PB4

  16

  59,178·00

  12a

  41-

  Southwark Women's Training Workshop

  PB4

  32

  59,549·00

  12a

  42b

  Southwark Aid/Southwark Hardware Servicing

  PB4

  8

  39,047·00

  12a

  42a

  Southwark Aid

  PB4

  20

  12,215·00

  12a

  42b

  Southwark Aid

  PB4

  20

  8,336·00

  12a

  41-

  806 807

  Applicant name

  Organisation

  Beneficiaries

  £ aid

  1Article

  1Article

  Southwark Aid

  PB4

  12

  7,664·00

  12a

  42b

  Spirax Sarco Ltd.

  PB3E

  11

  13,561·00

  12a

  41-

  Thames Polytechnic

  LA2

  30

  90,359·00

  12a

  41-

  Thames Polytechnic

  LA2

  30

  176,525·00

  12a

  42b

  Thames Polytechnic

  LA2

  30

  44,886·00

  12a

  42c

  The Paul Bogle Foundation

  PB1

  40

  81,909·00

  12a

  41-

  The Polytechnic of Central London

  LA2

  90

  32,149·00

  12a

  42c

  The Universities Settlement in East London

  PB1

  30

  60,567·00

  12a

  41-

  The Universities Settlement in East London

  PB1

  10

  17,400·00

  12a

  42b

  Tower Hamlets Community of Vietnamese Refugees

  PB1

  40

  17,104·00

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Training Forum

  PB1

  24

  75,215·00

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Advanced Technology Training

  PB1

  26

  62,054·00

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Advanced Technology Training

  PB1

  8

  13,914·00

  12a

  42b

  Tower Hamlets Advanced Technology Training

  PB1

  75

  176,894·00

  12a

  41-

  Training Initiatives Limited

  PB4

  14

  71,189·00

  12a

  42b

  United Medical and Dental Schools

  LA3

  80

  83,160·00

  12a

  41-

  Waltham Forest MENCAP

  PB1

  70

  42,854·00

  12a

  43-

  Willesden College of Technology

  LA2

  6

  2,104·00

  12a

  41-

  Willesden College of Technology

  LA2

  12

  2,128 00

  12a

  42b

  Wimpey Group Services Ltd.

  PB3C

  310

  175,088·00

  12a

  41-

  Women's Motor Mechanics Workshop Limited

  PB1

  32

  55,141·00

  12a

  42b

  Womens Education in Building Ltd.

  PB1

  60

  116,059·00

  12a

  42a

  Youth Business Initiative

  PB1

  218

  86,576·00

  12a

  41-

  The coding used is as follows:

  1 COMPUTER CODINGS FOR APPLICATIONS

  Organisation Types

  PB1 = Registered charities and friendly societies.

  PB2 = Industrial Training Boards.

  PB3 = Private companies.

  PB4 = Companies limited by guarantee.

  LA1 = Local authorities.

  LA2 = Educational establishments (excluding universities).

  LA3 = Universities.

  LA4 = Health Authorities.

  NATIND1 = Nationalised Industries.

  NATIND2 = Public Corporations e.g. BBC.

  MSC = Manpower Services Commission.

  DE = Department of Employment.

  OGD = Other Government schemes.

  Article Numbers

  12a = Vocational training.

  12b = Recruitment & wage subsidies.

  12c = resettlement & socio-vocational integration in connection with geographical mobility.

  12d = services and technical advice concerned with job creation.

  41- = Under-25 scheme.

  42a = unemployed people over the age of 25.

  42b = women over-25 who wish to return to work.

  42c = handicapped (over 25).

  42d = migrant workers (over 25).

  42e = people over 25 employed in small or medium-sized enterprises.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will itemise, by recipient organisation or body, European social fund allocations to projects based in Greater London for the current year, indicating the main purpose of the grant, the main category of beneficiary and the number of beneficiaries for each project.

  Mr. Cope
  The European Commission is not expected to announce its decision on the allocation of 1988 European social fund grants until April 1988 at the 808
  earliest. My Department will not be able to inform organisations of the result of their application until then. The following list details social fund applications and aid applied for which have been submitted to the European Commission for schemes to operate in Greater London during the calendar year 1988. The list does not, however, include national schemes run, for example, by the Manpower Services Commission and industrial training boards from which those living in Greater London will benefit. Separate figures for Greater London for these national schemes are not readily available.
  809

  1988 European social fund allocations for Greater London

  Applicant name

  £ Aid

  Beneficiaries

  Organisation

  1Article

  1Article

  Afro Caribbean Project

  68,655·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Afro Caribbean Harembi Project

  51,173·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Alfa (Access to Learning for Adults)

  69,852·00

  100

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Battersea Basement Studios

  56,209·00

  24

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Bexley London Borough

  11,786·00

  22

  LA1

  12c

  41-

  Bexley London Borough

  11,786·00

  23

  LA1

  12c

  42d

  Brent Asian Professionals' Association (BAPA)

  130,025·00

  60

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Bridge Self Enterprise Project

  63,300·00

  40

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  British Refugee Council

  500,612·00

  251

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  British Refugee Council

  978,930·00

  360

  PB1

  12a

  42d

  Broadwater Farm Youth Association Co Op Ltd

  69,150·00

  15

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  C. S. M. H. Employment Service

  159,000·00

  120

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  CAITS

  184,750·00

  34

  PB4

  12a

  42c

  Camden Itec Limited

  9,492·00

  10

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Camden Itec Limited

  21,115·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Camden Itec Limited

  134,910·00

  36

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Camden Training Centre Limited

  245,460·00

  63

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Camden Training Centre

  245,460·00

  63

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Carr-Gomm Society Ltd

  93,498·00

  100

  PB1

  12a

  42c

  Cinestra Pictures Ltd

  2,955·00

  5

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Cinestra Pictures Ltd

  2,955·00

  5

  PB4

  12a

  42a

  City of Westminster (Social Services Department)

  300,000·00

  40

  LA1

  12a

  42c

  City of London Polytechnic (Houndsditch)

  31,704·00

  6

  PB1

  12a

  41

  City of London Polytechnic (Houndsditch)

  12,719·00

  3

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  City of London Polytechnic (Houndsditch)

  24,215·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  City of London Polytechnic (Houndsditch)

  67,503·00

  6

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Community Service Volunteers

  77,650·00

  50

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Community Service Volunteers

  195,503·00

  45

  PB1

  12a

  42a

  Community Service Volunteers

  67,028·00

  45

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Community Service Volunteers

  112,900·00

  16

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Computer Technology for Women: London Link

  177,485·00

  60

  PB1

  12a

  42e

  Connections Limited

  19,855·00

  32

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Davy McKee (London) Ltd

  70,359·00

  33

  PB3E

  12a

  41-

  Docklands Skillnet

  40,895·00

  100

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Docklands Skillnet

  40,895·00

  100

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Docklands Skillnet

  84,913·00

  22

  PB1

  12a

  42a

  Docklands Skillnet

  408,967·00

  1,000

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Downham Young People's Business Centre

  47,662·00

  30

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  ELMV Shadwell Basin Project

  22,275·00

  60

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Fluor Daniel Ltd

  52,693·00

  25

  PB3E

  12a

  41-

  GEC Research Ltd

  103,528·00

  297

  PB3E

  12a

  41-

  Ghana Union London

  27,776·00

  10

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Ltd

  22,128·00

  15

  PB4

  12b

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Ltd

  29,975·00

  40

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Ltd

  29,975·00

  40

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Greenwich Training Company Ltd

  21,028·00

  15

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Greenwich Training Company Ltd

  16,557·00

  8

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Greenwich Training Company Ltd

  71,396·00

  20

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Hackney Youth in Action (Clapton Enterprises)

  22263·00

  8

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney Employment and Training Agency

  50239·00

  60

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney Pakistan Womens Welfare Centre

  7875·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney Pakistan Womens Welfare Centre

  7875·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Hackney Construction Services

  200357·00

  20

  LA1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney Construction Services

  168403·00

  15

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  Hackney African Organisation

  45105·00

  10

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney African Organisation

  4343500

  10

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney Information Technology

  24290·00

  18

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Hackney Information Technology

  20140·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney, London Borough of (Economic Dev. Unit)

  12000·00

  6

  LA1

  12a

  41-

  Hackney, London Borough of (Economic Dev. Unit)

  12000·00

  6

  LA1

  12a

  41

  Hammersmith and Fulham Training Services

  31575·00

  15

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Hammersmith and Fulham Training Services

  14255·00

  5

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Haringey Health Authority

  75000·00

  9

  LA4

  12a

  42a

  Haringey Women's Training and Education Centre Ltd.

  313024·00

  90

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Hillingdon Asian Women's Group

  24040·00

  25

  PB4

  12c

  41-

  Hillingdon Asian Women's Group

  24040·00

  25

  PB4

  12c

  42d

  Independent Media Training Trust Ltd.

  151844·00

  15

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Inner London Education Authority

  20810·00

  10

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  Islington Training Centre Ltd.

  62072·00

  60

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Islington Training Consortium

  86637·00

  99

  PB4

  12a

  42e

  Jobfit

  162500·00

  54

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Lambeth Women's Workshop

  46472·00

  48

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Lambeth Accord

  36541·00

  22

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Lewisham Womens Training Centre

  84789·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Lewisham Womens Training Centre

  85369·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Local Aid Limited

  62449·00

  16

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  810 811

  Applicant name

  £ Aid

  Beneficiaries

  Organisation

  1Article

  1Article

  Local Aid Limited

  124270·00

  32

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  London Borough of Waltham Forest

  64925·00

  30

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  London Borough of Lambeth

  24458·00

  18

  LA1

  12a

  41-

  London Borough of Lambeth

  24458·00

  18

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  London Borough of Baling

  17717·00

  5

  LA1

  12a

  41-

  London Borough of Ealing

  17717·00

  5

  LA1

  12a

  41-

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  12535·00

  10

  PB4

  12a

  42e

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  13410·00

  12

  PB4

  12a

  42e

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  49156·00

  33

  PB4

  12a

  42a

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  19201·00

  15

  PB4

  12a

  42d

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  109041·00

  107

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  195699·00

  182

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  London Co-operative Training Ltd.

  66842·00

  57

  PB4

  12a

  42e

  Londra Halkevi (Turkish Community Centre)

  38867·00

  25

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Mainstream

  37500·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  42c

  Manpower Services Commission

  123926·00

  36

  MSC

  12a

  42a

  Marconi Defence Systems Ltd.

  159820·00

  166

  PB3E

  12a

  41-

  Microjob

  260525·00

  75

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  National Steering Group on Equal Opportunities Women in NHS

  316000·00

  22

  LA4

  12a

  42b

  National Ethnic Minority Advisory Council

  67916·00

  18

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Newham, London Borough of

  538,161·00

  1,536

  LA1

  12a

  41-

  Newham, London Borough of

  62,080·00

  256

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  Newham, London Borough of

  17,885·00

  12

  LA1

  12a

  41

  Newham, London Borough of

  28,841·00

  4

  LA1

  12a

  41

  Newham, London Borough of

  25,227·00

  8

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  Newham, London Borough of

  30,260·00

  6

  LA1

  12a

  42b

  Newham Association for the Education and Training of Women

  38,179·50

  60

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Newham Association for the Education and Training of Women

  263,389·00

  60

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  North Downham Tenants Association

  17,980·00

  10

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Nottingdale Technology Centre

  206,323·00

  50

  PB1

  12a

  42a

  Pimlico Arts and Media Scheme

  38,725·00

  40

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Polytechnic of North London

  69,000·00

  80

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Polytechnic of North London

  57,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Priory Centre

  22,341·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Priory Centre Music Projects

  52,687·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Priory Print Shop

  30,630·00

  15

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Project Kiran

  50,220·00

  50

  PB1

  12a

  42c

  Richmond Adult and Community College

  104,564·00

  60

  LA2

  12a

  42b

  Riverside Systems Ltd.

  20,328·00

  4

  PB4

  12a

  42a

  Riverside Systems Ltd.

  20,124·00

  4

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Sargam Ethnic Craft Training Centre

  26,150·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Sargam Ethnic Craft Training Centre

  26,150·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  South West London Womens Training Workshop

  64,303·00

  15

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  South West London Womens Training Workshop

  64,303·00

  15

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Southall ITEC

  17,775·00

  24

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Southall ITEC

  17,775·00

  24

  PB1

  12a

  41d

  Southall ITEC

  23,025·00

  24

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Southall ITEC

  23,700·00

  12

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Southwark Aid Ltd.

  15,268 00

  12

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Southwark Aid Ltd.

  8,907·00

  20

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  Southwark Co-Op Development Agency

  7,365·00

  8

  PB4

  12a

  41

  Southwark Co-Op Development Agency

  7,365·00

  8

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Southwark Co-Op Development Agency

  12,656·00

  10

  PB4

  12a

  41-

  St. Mungo Community Housing Association Ltd.

  219,000·00

  90

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Taxi Trade Promotions Ltd.

  78,932·00

  25

  PB4

  12a

  42b

  Thames Polytechnic Ltd.

  131,423·00

  25

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Thames Polytechnic Ltd.

  131,423·00

  25

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Thames Polytechnic Ltd.

  215,350·00

  30

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Thames Polytechnic Ltd.

  131,423·00

  25

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Thames Polytechnic Ltd.

  131,423·00

  25

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  The Centaur Project

  65,781·00

  425

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  The Paul Bogle Foundation

  82,500·00

  40

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  The Paul Bogle Foundation

  37,500·00

  40

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  The Polytechnic of Central London

  32,900·00

  30

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Advanced Technology Training

  106,980·00

  75

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Advanced Technology Training

  106,980·00

  75

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Advanced Technology Training

  126,899·00

  50

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Tower Hamlets Training Forum

  37,036·00

  18

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Training Forum

  45,002·00

  24

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Tower Hamlets Training Forum

  54,937·00

  75

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Unity Association of Finsbury Park

  83,333·00

  25

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Unity Association of Finsbury Park

  16,667·00

  5

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Walker House Management Centre

  10,000·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Walker House Management Centre

  12,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  812 813

  Applicant name

  £ Aid

  Beneficiaries

  Organisation

  1Article

  1Article

  Walker House Management Centre

  12,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Walker House Management Centre

  12,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Walker House Management Centre

  12,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  42d

  Walker House Management Centre

  12,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Walker House Management Centre

  12,500·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Walker House Management Centre

  10,000·00

  30

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  West London Tamil School

  44168·00

  20

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  West London Tamil School

  34,658 00

  50

  PB1

  12c

  42a

  Willesden College of Technology

  4,050·00

  12

  LA2

  12a

  41-

  Willesden College of Technology

  8,000·00

  24

  LA2

  12a

  42b

  WINTECH (Ltd.)

  136,942·00

  40

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Women's Motor Mechanics Workshop Ltd.

  39,994·00

  16

  PB1

  12a

  41-

  Women's Motor Mechanics Workshop Ltd.

  39,994·00

  16

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  Women's Education in Building

  237,700·00

  60

  PB1

  12a

  42b

  The coding used is as follows:

  1 COMPUTER CODINGS FOR APPLICATIONS

  Organisation Types

  PB1 = Registered charities and friendly societies.

  PB2 = Industrial Training Boards.

  PB2 = Industrial Training Boards.

  PB3 = Private companies.

  PB4 = Companies limited by guarantee.

  LA1 = Local authorities.

  LA2 = Educational establishments (excluding universities).

  LA3 = Universities.

  LA4 = Health Authorities.

  NATIND1 = Nationalised Industries.

  NATIND2 = Public Corporations e.g. BBC.

  MSC = Manpower services Commission.

  DE = Department of Employment.

  OGD = Other Government schemes.

  Article Numbers

  12a = Vocational training.

  12b = Recruitment & wage subsidies.

  12c = resettlement & socio-vocational integration in connection with geographical mobility.

  12d = services and technical advice concerned with job creation.

  41- = Under-25 scheme.

  42a = unemployed people over the age of 25.

  42b = women over-25 who wish to return to work.

  42c = handicapped (over 25).

  42d = migrant workers (over 25).

  42e = people over 25 employed in small or medium-sized enterprises.

  YTS
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Government's undertaking that all unemployed 16 and 17-year-old school leavers would be offered a suitable YTS place by Christmas 1987 has been met; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  I am very pleased to say that the Government's undertaking for 1987 has been effectively met. Some 330,000 young people joined YTS during the year, and on 4 January 1988 only 2,305 young people were waiting for the offer of a place, most of whom have now been made an offer. The 1987 figure is an improvement on the 1986 figure (2,376) especially since it includes, for the first time, 17-year-olds, and reflects great credit on the Manpower Services Commission and the careers service.

  There will not be a specific Christmas undertaking in 1988. Instead the Government have given a new undertaking to guarantee a place on YTS for all 16 and 17-year-olds who want one. This guarantee will apply not just to school leavers but to young people who may have lost their job or left a YTS scheme. The availability of good quality training within YTS will ensure that in 1988 no one under 18 need be unemployed.

WALES

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which two institutions in Wales formed the sample on which was based Her Majesty's inspectorate's survey "Quality in Schools: The Initial Training of Teachers".

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Bangor normal college and the West Glamorgan institute of higher education.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate whether the two institutions included in Her Majesty's inspectors' report "Quality in Schools: The Initial Training of Teachers" provided British education degree courses which contained a method course designed for students to consider the application of their specialist subject to children's learning.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Yes, they did contain such a method course.

  Health Authorities (Cash Allocations)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give an estimate as to the effect of the
  815
  provisional cash allocations to Welsh district health authorities for 1988–89 on table 17 of "Results of Resources Formula for Distribution in Wales 1988–89;" and if he will publish in the Official Report an amended version of table 17 showing the results of his estimate on individual district health authorities in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The effect of the provisional cash allocations to Welsh district health authorities for 1988–89 on the results of the revenue formula assessment for that year is as follows:

  Table 17 Effect of allocation by formula incorporating all outstanding RCCS and taking into account the effect of the provisional cash allocations to health authorities in Wales in 1988–89.

  £ million 1988–89 prices

  Total Net Recurrent Element of Allocation 1988–89

  Specific Allowances 1988–89

  RCCS 1988–89

  Net Recurrent Residual Allocation 1988–89

  Notional Foromula Allocation (Adjusted for outstanding RCCS)

  Effect of Formula on Residual Allocation

  Projected Net Recurrent Allocation 1988–89

  Per cent. Change Suggested by Formula

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Per cent.

  Clwyd

  95·180

  16·849

  —

  78·331

  80·588

  +2·257

  95·180

  +2·4

  East Dyfed

  59·759

  12·228

  0·948

  48·479

  49·692

  +1·213

  60·707

  +2·0

  Pembrokeshire

  22·674

  1·279

  —

  21·395

  21·989

  +0.594

  22·674

  +2·6

  Gwent

  114·532

  26·309

  —

  88·223

  90·257

  +2·034

  114·532

  +1·8

  Gwynedd

  57·787

  8·194

  —

  49·593

  48·047

  -1·546

  57·787

  -2·7

  Mid Glamorgan

  134·733

  28·689

  —

  106·044

  106·586

  +0·542

  134·733

  +0·4

  Powys

  26·978

  9·142

  —

  17·836

  17·745

  -0091

  26·978

  -0·3

  South Glamorgan

  154·986

  61·557

  0·502

  93·931

  91·730

  -2·201

  155·488

  -1·4

  West Glamorgan

  99·349

  14·662

  —

  84·687

  81·885

  -2·802

  99·349

  -2·8

  765·978

  178·909

  1·450

  588·519

  588·519

  —

  767·428

  —

  Revaluation
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimates he has as to the likely effects on average rateable values in each local authority in Wales if a general revaluation were to take place, and if he will publish in the Official Report the estimate for each Welsh local authority, together with current average rateable values.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 18 January, at column 555, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. The same position applies for Wales.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total cost of the Welsh Development Agency, including grants each year since its establishment and the estimated number of jobs created in each year.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) on 19 January, at column 612, setting out the direct subvention to the WDA since its inception.

  The Welsh Development Agency contributes to the job creation process through a range of activities including the provision of factory space, investment and advice. It is not
  816

  Per cent. Change Suggested by 1988–89 formula assessment

  Per cent. Change Required as a result of 1988–89 Provisional Allocations

  Clwyd

  +2·5

  +2·4

  East Dyfed

  +2·8

  +2·0

  Pembrokeshire

  +5·2

  +2·6

  Gwent

  +1·7

  +1·8

  Gwynedd

  -3·1

  -2·7

  Mid Glamorgan

  +0·2

  +0·4

  Powys

  +0·1

  -0·3

  South Glamorgan

  -1·4

  -1·4

  West Glamorgan

  -3·4

  -2·8

  An amended version of table 17 of the formula assessment is given in the following table.

  possible to quantify the full cumulative impact in terms of jobs created. Information on job opportunities provided through the agency's factory building programme is published in its annual report and accounts, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The jobs forecast for the current financial year is given in table 17.10 of the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 288).

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will direct the Welsh Development Agency to build additional new advance factories at(a) Engineer park, Sandycroft and (b) Deeside industrial park, Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No. The 30 per cent, increase in Welsh Development Agency resources announced for 1988–89 will enable it to make an early start on a wide ranging and ambitious new programme of property initiatives in conjunction with private sector and other partners. The needs and potential of north-east Wales will be recognised fully in the new programme which I plan to announce shortly.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each district health authority in Wales(a) which services have been contracted out, (b) the dates of the awards of these

  817
  contracts, (c) what savings have been made or are expected from the process and (d) whether the authorities have notified him of their intention to contract out further specified services.

  Mr. Grist
  The information given in the following table relates to domestic cleaning, catering and laundry services which have been subject to competitive tendering. Details

  District health authority and details of contract

  Estimated savings (£) per annum

  In-house/Private contractor

  Date of commencement of contract

  Gwent

  Domestic:

  District Health Authority Headquarters

  5,080

  Private Contractor

  1986

  Gwynedd

  Domestic:

  Llandudno Hospital;

  58,000

  In-House

  5 July 1987

  Domestic:

  Arfon Offices

  92

  In-House

  5 July 1987

  Mid-Glamorgan

  Laundry:

  District Service

  200,000

  In-House

  1 April 1988

  Pembrokeshire

  Laundry:

  District Service;

  82,950

  Private Contractor

  30 July 1984

  District Service;

  —

  Private Contractor

  1 August 19871

  Domestic:

  Withybush Hospital

  164,618

  In-House

  4 February 1985

  Domestic:

  South Pembs/Tenby Cottage

  25,233

  In-House

  4 February 1985

  Domestic:

  Community Services

  6,782

  In-House

  4 February 1985

  Catering:

  Withybush Hospital in-house

  60,468

  In-House

  1 April 1986

  Catering:

  South Pembs/Tenby Cottage;

  In-House

  1 April 1986

  Powys

  Domestic:

  Phase I Machynlleth;

  15,000

  In-House

  25 November 1984

  Domestic:

  Phase II Llandrindod Wells Builth Wells;

  19,855

  In-House

  1 September 1985

  Domestic:

  Phase IVb New Ystradgynlais Hospital;

  No cost

  In-House

  1 January 1986

  Domestic:

  Phase III Llanidloes Hospital etc;

  18,000

  In-House

  1 July 1986

  Domestic:

  Phase IVa Mid Wales and Bronllys Hospitals etc plus District HQ;

  36,212

  In-House

  1 March 1987

  Catering:

  Phase la Ystradgynlais Hospital;

  No cost comparison

  In-House

  1 January 1986

  Catering:

  Phase Ib Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells and Knighton Hospitals;

  11,000

  In-House

  1 July 1986

  Catering:

  Phase II Llanidloes Hospital;

  16,000

  In-House

  1 September 1986

  Catering:

  Phase IV Brecon War Memorial and Brecon War Hospitals;

  8,565

  In-House

  1 September 1987

  Catering:

  Phase III Mid Wales and Bronllys Hospitals;

  82,548

  In-House

  1 December 1987

  West Glamorgan

  Domestic:

  District HQ and Trinity Buildings;

  19,868

  In-House

  1 August 1986

  Domestic:

  Outpatient Department, Neath General Hospital;

  3,393

  In-House

  1 August 1986

  Domestic:

  Public Corridors and Residences;

  In-House

  (i) Morriston

  5,000

  1 August 1986

  (ii) Singleton

  6,000

  3 November 1986

  (iii) Neath

  28,749

  6 April 1987

  (iv) Cefn Coed

  23,000

  19 October 1986

  Domestic:

  Health Centres and Clinics;

  32,000

  In-House

  1 December 1986

  Catering:

  Neath General Hospital;

  60,000

  In-House

  6 April 1987

  Laundry:

  District Services;

  199,538

  In-House

  4 August 1986

  1 Interim contract pending re-tendering exercise.

  The table contains details of contracts awarded up to 31 October 1987.

  National Museum of Wales
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with respect to the 15th report of Session 1986–87 from the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General's memorandum on the National Museum of Wales, whether the Comptroller and Auditor
  818
  of contracts relating to other ancillary services are not held centrally. All Welsh health authorities have complied or indicated that they will comply with the requirement which my right hon. Friend placed upon them in August 1987, that they test by competitive tendering at least 75 per cent, by value of their domestic cleaning, catering and laundry services by December 1988.

  General was provided with a copy of the agreement between the national museum and its former keeper of art, approved by the Welsh Office and signed on 8 April 1986.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  It is for the Comptroller and Auditor General to say what documents were provided to him during the course of his examinations.
  819
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with regard to the staffing recommendations of his Department's staff inspectors for the department of art of the National Museum of Wales in 1983–84, what were the professional qualifications of the two full-time and one part-time conservators in post at the time of the staff inspection.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The professional qualifications of staff employed by the National Museum of Wales are matters for the museum authorities.

  Nurses (Pay)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the maximum salary of a staff nurse and a ward sister in 1979 and in the current year; and what this represents as an increase in real terms.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is as follows:

  Salary 1979

  Maximum 1988

  Increase in real terms

  £

  £

  Percentage

  Staff nurse

  3,813

  8,600

  29

  Ward sister

  4,949

  12,000

  38

  NHS (Expenditure)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much in 1988 prices has been spent on capital investment in the National Health Service in Wales since April 1979.

  Mr. Grist
  It is estimated that the net capital expenditure on the National Health Service in Wales between April 1979 and March 1988 will have been £497·6 million at 1987–88 prices.

  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the expenditure on the National Health Service in Wales(a) in 1978–79 and (b) projected for 1988–89;

  Whole-time equivalents as at:

  March 1979

  September 1979

  September 1986

  December 1987

  Medical and Dental Staff

  n/a

  2,181

  2,470

  n/a

  Nursing and Midwifery Staff

  124,826

  124,567

  27,187

  27,759

  1 Adjusted to take account of the change from 40 to 37½ hours in the working week in 1980.

  Note:

  Figures are available for nursing and midwifery staff on a monthly basis but only at September for medical and dental staff (1987 figures are not yet available).

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the increase in the waiting list for inpatients in Wales(a) between March 1978 and March 1979 and (b) between March 1986 and March 1987.

  Mr. Grist
  The in-patient waiting list in Wales increased by 4,126 between March 1978 and March 1979. It decreased by 1,053 between March 1986 and March 1987.

  Hip Replacement Operations
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretarty of State for Wales how many hip replacement operations were carried out in Welsh hospitals in 1979 and for the latest year for which figures are available.
  820
  and what was the average spending per household on the National Health Service in Wales (i) in 1978–79 and (ii) projected for 1988–89.

  Mr. Walker
  The information requested is as follows: National Health Service net expenditure in 1978–79;

  Total expenditure

  £398·2 million

  Average spending per household

  £410·8

  Planned National Health Service net provision in 1988–89:

  Total provision

  £1,173·1 million

  Average spending per household

  £1,111·9

  In reply to the hon. Member for Ogmore (Mr. Powell) on 18 January, I stated that the gross NHS expenditure in Wales is planned to increase between 1978–79 and 1988–89 from £418 per household to £1,238. This information was given to me based on the number of households in 1979. The answer above takes account of the forecast increase in households—from 969,400 in 1979 to 1,055,000 in 1988. This increase largely represents a reduction in average household size (from 2·8 to 2·6) and not a significant increase in population. Therefore, the gross NHS spending in Wales will increase on current plans from £144·1 per person in 1978–79 to £426·7 per person in 1988–89, representing a real increase of more than 39 percent.

  Notes:

  1. The planned provision is subject to parliamentary approval of the Supply Estimates.

  2. The NHS totals include the administrative costs of the artificial limb and appliance service which will from 1 April 1988 be transferred to the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.

  Doctors and Nurses
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many doctors and nurses are employed in the National Health Service in Wales at the present time and in March 1979.

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

  Mr. Grist
  In 1986, the latest year for which complete information is available, 1,908 hip replacement operations were carried out in Welsh hospitals, compared with 1,551 operations in 1979.

  NHS (Treatment Statistics)
  Mr. Raffan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out for the National Health Service in Wales the increase in the treatment of in-patient cases(a) between 1974 and 1979 and (b) between 1979 and 1986, and the increase in new out-patient cases (i) between 1974 and 1979 and (ii) between 1979 and 1986.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is given in the following table:
  821

  Per cent.

  In-patient cases

  1974–79

  +20,722

  +6·3

  1979–86

  +84,175

  +24·1

  New out-patient cases

  1974–79

  -15,293

  -3·4

  1979–86

  +76,021

  +17·7

  A44
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he had any plans to improve the A44 trunk road by Rhydlydan, Ponterwyd, during the current year and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 18 January 1988, at column 545.

  Milk Quota
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many dairy farmers in Wales do not produce milk up to their allocated quota; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 19 January 1988, at column 615.

  Greencroft Hostel, Aston
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if, on his visit to Clwyd county council on 22 February, he will take steps to discuss with the director of social services, the council and other senior county officials the financial implications of closing the Greencroft hostel, Aston, Deeside, so far as adequate funding and staffing and the consequent placing of former residents of the hostel in homes and flats in the Deeside community is concerned;

  (2) if he will make extra financial allocations to Clwyd county council in order that the county will have sufficient cash successfully to locate the former residents of Greencroft hostel, Aston, Deeside, in the community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  It is for individual authorities to determine spending priorities for their areas, having regard to the financial implications of particular schemes and the resources available to them. The total amount of rate support grant made available for 1988–89, and the principles underlying its distribution between authorities, are published in the Welsh rate support grant 1988–89. The allocations were approved by the House on 15 December, and there is no scope for extra allocations. However, in setting current expenditure provision for Wales in 1988–89, an increase of £9·9 million (7·1 per cent.) was allowed for personal social services (including port health).

  My right hon. Friend expects soon to announce capital additional funding for the development of community-based services under the all-Wales mental handicap strategy in response to bids which have already been made by county joint planning teams.

  Ewes
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that there will be no 822
  change in the definition of ewes eligible for payment of variable premium in the foreseeable future; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The redefinition of an eligible ewe for the sheep annual premium scheme is one of a number of proposals which the Commission has put forward in its review of the sheepmeat regime. Further details are required before the Commission's proposal can be fully assessed.

  Tourism
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now respond to the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs' report on tourism in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The response has been released today and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

ENVIRONMENT

  Skillnet (Docklands)
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the places on Skillnet in docklands were taken up; how many students completed their courses; and what were the post-course destinations of students.

  Mr. Trippier
  Skillnet supported 1,270 training places during 1987. About 75 per cent, are expected to be filled. Two thirds of enrolled trainees generally complete their courses. Data on the post-course destinations of trainees are currently being collected.

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of the London Docklands development corporation on the recruitment of local labour.

  Mr. Trippier
  The London Docklands development corporation operates an open recruitment system, and welcomes applications from local people for all its posts. It encourages others in the area to employ local people.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what machinery exists for liaison between the London Docklands development corporation and the Manpower Services Commission.

  Mr. Trippier
  The LDDC are working closely with the MSC's docklands liaison group.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria are used when the London Docklands development corporation allocates expenditure on education and training.

  Mr. Trippier
  They are set out in detail in LDDC's published corporate plan at pages 37–42.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the social and community aims of the London Docklands development corporation.

  Mr. Trippier
  Broadly to ensure that docklands is an attractive place for people to live and work in. Greater detail is set out in its annual corporate plan, a copy of which is in the Library.
  823
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it is an aim of the London Docklands development corporation to seek to reduce unemployment in docklands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Yes—and the unemployment rate in docklands has fallen from 23 per cent, in January 1986 to 18 per cent, in October 1987.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many students have completed courses on London Docklands development corporation funded training projects; what were those courses; what qualifications they obtained; and what were the students' post-course destinations.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 23 October 1987 at column 891. No further information is readily available.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps the London Docklands Development Corporation takes to see that contractors offer employment to local labour.

  Mr. Trippier
  The LDDC encourages its contractors to employ local labour. It cannot require them to do so.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the average house price at the mortgage completion stage in the London Docklands development corporation area during 1987.

  (A) LDDC Actual Annual Expenditure 1981–87

  £ million

  1981–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Total

  Land Acquisition

  34

  16

  4

  8

  13

  75

  Land Reclamation

  9

  10

  11

  18

  16

  64

  Roads & Transport

  6

  8

  6

  8

  16

  44

  Services

  5

  7

  5

  6

  14

  37

  Environment

  5

  6

  3

  5

  8

  27

  DLR

  —

  2

  16

  13

  5

  36

  Housing

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Sub-Total (a)

  60

  51

  45

  58

  72

  286

  Community/Industry Support

  3

  4

  4

  4

  4

  19

  Estate Management

  2

  3

  3

  2

  2

  12

  Promotion and Consultancies

  4

  3

  3

  2

  2

  14

  Administration and Tax

  6

  8

  6

  8

  8

  36

  Sub-Total (b)

  15

  18

  16

  16

  16

  81

  TOTALS

  75

  69

  61

  74

  88

  367

  (B) Cost of Enterprise Zone benefits

  £ million

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  Capital allowances 1 (all United Kingdom Zones—net)

  20

  20

  20

  30

  60

  Rates Revenue foregone2

  —

  1·25

  1·49

  2·43

  2·32

  1 Estimated: 1985–86 prices (no figure is available for the Isle of Dogs Zone).

  2 Outturn prices.

  824
  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 13 January]: From an analysis of sales of new homes on land owned by them, LDDC currently estimate the median price paid for a property during the first three quarters of 1987 to be £65,900.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his current estimate of private sector money invested in the London Docklands development corporation area to date.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 13 January]: At 31 March 1987 an estimated £2·2 billion had been spent or committed by the private sector. A further £758 million is forecast for the current financial year. These estimates are published annually in the LDDC's annual report and in its corporate plan.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total amount of public money invested in the London docklands area through the Docklands Joint Committee, the Port of London Authority and the London Docklands development corporation, including the cost of enterprise zone benefits itemised by categories of expenditure, grant and allowance, on an annual basis from 1974.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 13 January]: The latest figures for LDDC expenditure, and for the cost of the Isle of Dogs enterprise zone benefits, are set out in the tables Information about the DJC and PLA expenditure in the London docklands area is not readily available.

  Ordnance Survey
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the full category A royalty is levied for all copies of the Temple Press-Ordnance Survey "Motoring Atlas of Great Britain" hardback edition.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Category B royalty rate is charged on the "Ordnance Survey Motoring Atlas" of Great Britain published in softback only. This is in line with the rates applied to private sector publishers for similar publications.

  Rent Arrears
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report in rank order starting with the local authority with the highest proportion of rent arrears, the total arrears of rent outstanding for domestic properties owned by each English local authority at the latest available date, together with the percentage figure which their arrears represent of each authority's total rent roll and the number of tenants with arrears of more than four weeks.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have today arranged to be placed in the Library tables setting out the figures on the cumulative arrears of rent owed to each local authority in England as at 1 April 1987, together with the percentage those arrears represent of the rent collectable. The authorities are ranked according to the percentage figure. Information on the number of tenants with arrears of more than four weeks is not collected centrally.

  Housing Waiting Lists
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households were recorded on local authority housing waiting lists on 1 April 1987 in England as a whole and for each region of England.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The information provided by local authorities in their 1987 housing investment programme returns is as follows:

  Households on local authority waiting lists, April 1987

  Standard region

  Thousands

  North

  112

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  160

  East Midlands

  110

  East Anglia

  43

  Greater London

  264

  Rest of South East

  200

  South West

  87

  West Midlands

  132

  North West

  181

  England

  1,289

  Local authorities' criteria for inclusion of names on the waiting lists are not uniform and the frequency of reviewing the lists varies.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households were housed by local authorities from their waiting lists through allocation procedures(a) during 1983–84, (b) during 1984–85, (c) during 1985–86 and (d) during 1986–87, for England as a whole and for each region of England.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In their annual housing investment programme returns local authorities report the number of 826
  dwellings which have been let on secure tenancies to households under normal waiting list allocation procedures. The information is as follows:

  New secure tenants housed from waiting lists

  Thousands

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Standard region

  North

  17·4

  18·3

  19·0

  18·5

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  24·4

  23·5

  25·9

  25·6

  East Midlands

  17·3

  17·5

  16·1

  16·0

  East Anglia

  5·6

  5·4

  4·8

  4·2

  Greater London

  13·6

  10·9

  10·7

  9·3

  Rest of South East

  22·0

  21·4

  20·2

  18·5

  South West

  10·1

  9·8

  9·2

  9·0

  West Midlands

  20·6

  19·1

  18·4

  18·5

  North West

  30·1

  30·5

  29·1

  29·8

  England

  161·0

  156·4

  153·2

  149·4

  Homeless Families
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the public sector revenue costs of housing homeless families(a) in Greater London and (b) in English non-metropolitan areas (i) by providing them with newly-built council dwellings, (ii) by providing them with council dwellings acquired from the private sector and newly improved for letting and (iii) by providing them with bed and breakfast accommodation; and if he will publish these figures on a comparable basis with those published in his replies to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 16 January 1987. Official Report, columns 331–2, and on 4 March 1987, Offical Report, column 639.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Estimates for 1986–87 are as follows:

  Greater London

  English non-metropolitan areas

  £

  £

  New build

  7,400

  4,600

  Acquisition and renovation

  6,700

  4,500

  Bed and breakfast

  31

  14

  Notes:

  i. the estimates for new build and for acquisition and renovation show the total first year costs to local authorities of the accommodation shown;

  ii. estimates of average new built and renovation costs were derived from information provided by local authorities in housing subsidy and can show significant variation from authority to authority and year to year reflecting differences in the mix of work undertaken;

  iii. the bed and breakfast figures are gross costs per household day and are based on returns to CIPFA from those local authorities providing information on both gross expenditure on bed and breakfast and the number of household days of bed and breakfast provided.

  Home Improvements
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish the full results of his Department's distribution of grants inquiry of 1983; and when he will bring forward legislation to reform the current system of grant aid for home improvements in the private sector.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We plan to publish a further report on the Department's distribution of grant inquiry as soon
  827
  as possible, though the main results have already been published in Cmnd. 9513. Legislation to reform the home improvement system will be brought forward at the first suitable opportunity.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is(a) the amount and (b) the proportion of net income after rebates, adjusted for family size, which households paid in domestic rates in 1987–88; and what estimates he has made of what these figures would be if the community charge were in operation in 1987–88, broken down into decile groups.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave today to the hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle).

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent it will be open to local authorities after the break-up of a marriage or cohabitation to recover any arrears of the poll tax which have accrued during the period of the relationship from either of the partners; and to what extent this will depend on whether the partner from whom the authority seeks recovery had his or her own income during the period when the arrears accrued.

  Mr. Howard
  It will be open to local authorities to recover arrears from either partner. In deciding whether to proceed against either partner or both, I would expect them to take account of each partner's income and assets.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a local authority wishing to hold a woman responsible for arrears of poll tax which accrued in the name of a man with whom she was living, but to whom she was not married, will have to establish whether the man and woman in question were living together as husband and wife.

  Mr. Howard
  Yes.

  Sport and Leisure Facilities
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from organisations in the county of Durham on competition in the management of local authority sport and leisure facilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Northern Council for Sport and Recreation is the only organisation based in the county of Durham to have responded directly to the consultation paper which we issued on this subject on 28 September 1987. The local authority associations have of course responded on behalf of their members and many local authorities (but none in Durham) have also submitted comments direct. The paper invited views by 11 December 1987 and all the responses received are now being considered in detail before any final decisions are taken.

  Right to Buy
  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the abolition of the housing cost floor restrictions in relation to the right to buy.
  828
  Mr. Waldegrave
  The White Paper "Housing: The Government's Proposals" proposed that the cost floor rule under the right to buy should be abolished. The responses are still under consideration.

  Westminster City Council
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will exercise his powers under section 22(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1982 to require the Audit Commission to direct an extraordinary audit of Westminster city council with specific reference to its sale of cemetaries at 5p each and their subsequent resale for £2 million; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Each local authority property transaction is subject to audit in the normal course, and I understand that these cases have been raised with the auditor by a Westminster elector. Extraordinary audit is not needed.

  Housing Benefit
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of householders living in council housing within the district of Derwentside are in receipt of housing benefit.

  Mrs. Roe
  The information supplied to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy by Derwentside district council shows that at November 1987 75 per cent. of their tenants were in receipt of housing benefit in the form of a standard or certificated rent rebate.

  Derwentside District Council
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were employed by the district council of Derwentside in 1979 and at the latest date available.

  Mr. Chope
  In September 1979 Derwentside district council employed 1,555 people; in September 1987 (the latest available date) it employed 1,316 people.

  Residuary Bodies
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the total administrative costs to date from their establishment of the residual bodies for the former Greater London council area and each of the metropolitan counties and (b) the expenses incurred by the chairpersons and other members of all these residual bodies.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the 1985–86 annual reports and accounts of the residuary bodies published on 18 November 1986 and to the 1986–87 annual reports and accounts of the six metropolitan residuary bodies published on 25 November 1987. The London residuary body's 1986–87 annual report and accounts should be published shortly. Costs in respect of 1987–88 will not be known until the 1987–88 accounts have been audited and certified.

  Local Authority Services (Charges)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, when and in what form he proposes to introduce measures to give effect to the Government's
  829
  intention to seek enabling powers on charging for local authority services as announced in his statement of 22 July 1987, Official Report column 275.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government will introduce the necessary enabling power at the earliest practical legislative opportunity.

  Derelict Land
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made as to how much derelict land owned by local authorities and public bodies could be sold for private development.

  Mr. Trippier
  Under part X of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, a register of unused and underused land owned by certain public bodies, including local authorities, has been compiled. At the end of December 1987 about 91,000 acres of such land were entered on the register. In broad terms it is estimated that about 70 per cent. of this land has some potential for development.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of those local authorities and public bodies which currently own derelict land in excess of 1 sq mile.

  Mr. Trippier
  The amount of land entered on the registers of unused and underused land on 31 October 1987 owned by each of the following bodies exceeded 1 sq mile (640 acres) in total:

  Blackburn Borough Council

  Bristol City Council

  British Coal

  British Rail

  British Steel Corporation

  Central Electricity Generating Board

  Commission for New Towns

  Derwentside District Council

  Department of Health and Social Services

  Department of the Environment (including Property Services Agency)

  Hampshire County Council

  Kingston upon Hull City Council

  Leeds City Council

  Leicester City Council

  Ministry of Defence

  Nottinghamshire County Council

  Plymouth City Council

  Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council

  Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority

  Telford Development Corporation

  Thamesdown Borough Council

  Thames Water Authority

  Tyne and Wear Residuary Body

  Wansbeck District Council

  Warrington Development Corporation

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to take action to reduce the amount of derelict land held by local authorities in the light of the report "Why Wasteland?" published by the Adam Smith Institute, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  A programme of forced disposals of unused and underused land owned by public bodies, using the power under part X of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 is under way. So far the statutory procedures have been initiated on 242 sites owned by local authorities, covering nearly 1,400 acres. I am considering what further action is necessary.
  830
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require local authorities to sell waste land for private housing development.

  Mr. Trippier
  Part X of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 empowers me to direct public bodies, including local authorities to dispose of land entered on the register of unused and underused land. I have no intention of extending those powers to require disposal for a particular use.

  Housing for Senior Management
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to issue for England a circular relating to housing for senior management along the lines of Welsh Office circular 44/87.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have no plans for any planning policy guidance on housing for senior management.

  Overseas Nuclear Incidents
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the proposals for implementing the Government's national response plan for dealing with overseas nuclear incidents are to be finalised and published.

  Mr. Ridley
  I am pleased to announce that following the Prime Minister's statement of 30 June last year, proposals for implementing the national response plan have now been finalised. In the extremely unlikely event of another accident like Chernobyl, the national radiation monitoring network (Rimnet) which will be set up as part of the plan will be able to detect and monitor its consequences.

  Rimnet will provide for radiation monitoring data from across the country to be assembled and analysed rapidly. It will be linked into modern communications systems that enable information bulletins to be supplied to the media and the public in a routine and regular way. This will ensure that people are kept fully informed of the development of the incident and the consequences of any, nuclear incident overseas.

  The first phase, of the system will be installed in the first half of this year. This will provide a fully operational radiation detection network and associated procedures for disseminating information about any incident. The system will be tested in an emergency simulation exercise in the autumn. The network will be progressively upgraded with the aim of having a fully automated system by 1989.

  It will also be possible to use Rimnet, along with other contingency plans, to help deal with the consequences of any nuclear accident in this country.

  The Government's proposals have been published today in a booklet: "The National Response Plan and Radiation Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET). A Statement of Proposals" published by HMSO. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licence applications have been made to his Department in each of the past five years for the discharge of radioactive waste.
  831
  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 13 January 1988]: The total number of authorisations issued by this Department for the disposal or discharge of radioactive waste in each of the past five years is set out in the table. These have each been in response to a specific application from the organisation responsible for the waste generation.

  Year

  Number of authorizations

  1983

  249

  1984

  204

  1985

  232

  1986

  239

  1987

  280

  Rates
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply of 16 December 1987,Official Report, columns 521–22, what is the average cash figure paid in rates by the highest and lowest paid 10 per cent. of households under the current rebate system; and what is this figure expressed as a percentage of their incomes.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: The information requested is not available. Table 5 of the material placed in the Library on 13 January provides a comparison between net domestic rates and the community charge, on the basis of a 20 per cent. minimum payment by all ratepayers and community charge payers. This shows that households with net incomes of under £50 per week, for example, would on average pay 3·4 per cent, of their incomes in community charges, compared with 4·1 per cent, in rates.

TRANSPORT

  A12 (M11-Aldgate)
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the A12 trunk road between the M11 and Aldgate.

  1982–83

  11983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Heavy goods licence issues

  Provisional

  52,700

  28,719

  57,041

  60,632

  69,401

  First full

  24,721

  12,553

  25,036

  27,426

  28,823

  Renewals

  291,652

  131,392

  258,735

  263,043

  261,918

  HGV licences withdrawn for various reasons

  2,668

  1,333

  2,281

  2,772

  3,066

  Public service licence issues

  58,958

  56,699

  12,360

  13,612

  57,218

  PSV licences withdrawn for medical reasons

  412

  419

  659

  895

  1,173

  1 The heavy goods vehicle driver licence data for this year reflect a change in the period of accounting.

  Some 840,000 drivers held full HGV licences and 180,000 have full PSV entitlement.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Job Dispersal
  Mr. Sheldon
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement on his policy for dispersal of
  832
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The A12 trunk road currently ends at the Green Man roundabout, Leytonstone. We are planning a new all-purpose dual carriageway from the M11-A12 junction at Redbridge roundabout which will extend it as far as the A102(M) at Hackney Wick and relieve the traffic-congested shopping and residential streets through Stratford, Leyton, Leytonstone and Wanstead. Subject to completion of the necessary statutory procedures, work should start in 1990 and take at least three and a half years. Options for dealing with problems in the area between Aldgate and Hackney are being considered as part of the east London assessment study.

  Road Programme
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many schedules are in the forward road construction programme.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are 351 national schemes in the forward road construction programme. Fourty-five of these are under construction and 306 in preparation.

  Vehicle Licences
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public service vehicle licences and how many heavy goods vehicle licences of the various classes have been in force over each of the last five calendar years; how many new public service vehicle and heavy goods vehicle licences have been issued, and how many withdrawn in each of those years; and how many of the licences in each category have been withdrawn for the reason of ill-health or incapacity of the licence-holder.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The following information about heavy goods and public service vehicle driver licences is available in respect of all traffic areas:

  Civil Service posts; if he will set out the number of such dispersed posts; and how many will be in the north-west, the north and Scotland.

  Mr. Lawson
  [holding answer 18 January 1988]: Since 1979 some 5,560 Civil Service posts have been dispersed from London under the Government's dispersal programme, including 1,930 posts to Scotland and some 1,210 to the north-west; no posts have been dispersed to the northern region. Further moves to Scotland of at least 125 posts are planned under this programme.
  833
  In addition, Departments have, under the Government's wider location policy, dispersed staff on their own initiative. Forty staff of the Data Protection Registrar were located at Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 1984; by the end of 1987–88, the Department of Health and Social Security will have created over 500 new jobs at its Newcastle central office and a net addition of around 350 posts at the family credit centre at North Fylde; plans have now been approved to move 60 Ministry of Defence posts to Cheadle Hulme in Cheshire; the Inland Revenue opened a new office in Cumbernauld in 1987 (32 posts) and will be dispersing later this year some London tax office and head office staff to Manchester (36 posts), to Stockport (17 posts) and to Glasgow (12 posts).

  For the future, Departments will be encouraged to consider all suitable locations, including those for the north-west, the north and Scotland, on the basis mentioned in my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General's answer on 18 January, at columns 475–76, to the hon. Member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram). Any specific plans will be announced as and when they are prepared.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Cost-sharing Agreements
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide his estimate of the total annual amount forgone by the Exchequer under the cost-sharing agreements and special arrangements with the United States, based on the difference between current practice and market interest rates and United Kingdom taxes applying.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I regret that the information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Profit-sharing
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to provide more information to the public about the tax reliefs available for share-based profit-sharing and about profit-sharing generally.

  Mr. Lawson
  This Government continue vigorously to promote awareness of the benefits of increased profit-sharing, whether in the form of employee share schemes or cash-based schemes. These efforts include the publication and dissemination by the Inland Revenue of a variety of leaflets and booklets providing information about the tax reliefs which are associated with schemes approved or registered under the Finance Acts of 1978, 1980, 1984 and 1987.

  The success of this publicity is indicated by the growing popularity of these schemes. More than 1,400 all-employee share schemes have now been approved covering well over 10,000 companies; and 430 profit-related pay schemes, covering over 70,000 employees, have already been registered under the provisions of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1987.

  Profit-related Pay
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any new proposals on profit-related pay.

  Mr. Lawson
  I cannot anticipate my Budget Statement.

  Central Office of Information
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson)Official Report, 15 January, column 406, he will indicate the reasons for the increase in total expenditure for the Central Office of Information, in constant prices, from £60·5 million in 1982–83 to £141 million in 1987–88.

  Mr. Brooke
  Expenditure by the Central Office of Information increased between 1982–83 and 1987–88 to meet the policy requirements of Departments.

  EC (Budget)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table of Britain's net contribution to the EEC in each financial year from 1981–82, together with the latest estimate for the current financial year, on the same basis as the table attached to the answer of 18 November 1986,Official Report, column 176; and if he will initiate an inquiry into the reasons why Treasury estimates of net EEC contributions have required upward revisions in many of these years.

  Mr. Brooke
  I see no need for such an inquiry. Information on the United Kingdom's net payments to European Community institutions for 1981–82 is contained on page 68 of last year's public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 56-II) and for 1982–83 onwards on page 33 of the 1988 White Paper (Cm. 288-II). The reasons for the increase in the estimate of our net payments in 1987–88 and later years were explained in my replies to my hon. Friend of 9 November 1987, at columns 68–69. Information on differences between forecasts and outturn for past years is contained in previous years' public expenditure White Papers and in the annual statements on the Community budget.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the refunds of value added tax under section 20 of the Value Added Tax Act 1983 for the last five years per year for(a) county councils and (b) district councils, giving separate figures for Scotland, Wales and England.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 14 January 1988]: The detailed analysis requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. However, the following table shows the net sums repaid annually to local government bodies, the bulk of which relates to refunds under section 20 of the Value Added Tax Act 1983 and under the predecessor legislation for each of the last five years.

  Year

  Total VAT refund £

  1982–83

  707,180,000

  1983–84

  834,410,000

  1984–85

  957,950,000

  1985–86

  1,081,200,000

  1986–87

  1,198,300,000

THE ARTS

  Departmental Costs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what was the total cost to public funds of the Office of Arts and Libraries in the financial year 1987–88; and if he will publish corresponding estimates for the years 1979–80 to 1986–87.

  Mr. Luce
  The total cost to public funds of the central Government expenditure programme of the Office of Arts and Libraries in the financial year 1987–88 is estimated at £360·6 million. The corresponding figures for the years since 1983–84, when the OAL was established as a separate Department, are as follows. They include provisions for the British Museum (Natural History).

  Year

  £ million

  1983–84

  244·3

  1984–85

  267·5

  1985–86

  284·2

  1986–87

  337·3

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Council of Agriculture Ministers
  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting on 18 and 19 January in Brussels; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Discussion at the Council concentrated almost exclusively on mechanisms for stabilising expenditure under the common agricultural policy and on new Commission proposals for a wider scheme for taking land out of agricultural production. Both would form part of the package of issues on the future financing of the Community that will be before the meeting of Heads of Government on 11 and 12 February. No conclusions were reached and the Council will resume on Saturday.

  Considerable progress was made on working out the details on a satisfactory scheme for the set-aside of agricultural land, but there is still some work to be done to achieve a satisfactory scheme. I had to express my deep concern at some suggestions floated during discussion in relation to expenditure stabilisers. The German presidency will be producing new proposals for discussion at the weekend.

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Number

  £ million

  Number

  £ million

  Number

  £ million

  United Kingdom

  46

  0·3

  59

  0·7

  68

  0·5

  Rest of EC

  321

  5·4

  444

  7·6

  352

  18·6

  The vast majority of these irregularities relate to failures to meet conditions of scheme where fraud was not suspected. However, it seems likely that the relatively small number of likely frauds accounted for a significant part of the money.

  Dairy Farmers
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many dairy farmers there are in England, Scotland and Wales; what were the corresponding figures in each of the three countries in 1980 and 1985; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The numbers of registered milk producers are as follows:—

  Year

  England

  Wales

  Scotland

  1980

  35,494

  7,864

  3,330

  1985

  30,825

  6,990

  2,942

  1987

  29,428

  6,720

  2,842

  In 1970, the comparable figures were:—

  64,246

  16,019

  5,383

  Figures relate to March of each year.

  Source: Milk Marketing Boards.

  Food Labelling
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the response of the food industry to his guidelines on nutrition labelling which he published in July 1987.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Both food manufacturers and food retailers have shown considerable interest in adopting the standard format for nutrition labelling set out in the guidelines and in giving this information to consumers on the labels of their products. There have been two practical problems which have needed resolution, but I am pleased to announce that adjustments to the guidelines covering the category in which trans-fatty acids should be declared and the way in which, for the time being, dietary fibre shall be assessed have resolved these matters. I am, therefore, hopeful that these small adjustments will result in a high level of uptake by the industry of these guidelines.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has of the level and cost of fraud under the common agricultural policy for each of the last three years in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the rest of the Community.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: Member states are obliged to report quarterly to the Commission on irregularitiees in claims, even where the money may be recovered. The number and value of irregularities reported in the last three years for which figures are available were:

  It is not possible by definition to state the level of undetected fraud. The Government are concerned to minimise fraudulent claims under the CAP and welcome the Commission's recent initiative to devote more resources to this important area.

  Family Incomes
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update to 1985 the reply given to the hon. Member for Kensington (Sir B. Rhys Williams)Official Report, 27 January, column 215, showing the

  Number of working families with children at various income levels: Great Britain 1985

  Thousands

  Gross weekly income excluding state benefits £

  Total

  One parent families

  Two parent families

  One wage families

  Two wage families

  Number of dependent children

  1

  2

  3

  4 or more

  Under 80

  90

  10

  70

  70

  10

  40

  40

  10

  1

  80–89

  20

  1

  20

  20

  1

  20

  10

  1

  1

  90–99

  50

  10

  40

  40

  10

  40

  10

  1

  1

  100–109

  100

  10

  90

  70

  30

  40

  40

  20

  1

  110–119

  130

  10

  120

  80

  40

  60

  50

  10

  10

  120–129

  130

  20

  110

  100

  30

  70

  60

  10

  1

  130–139

  170

  30

  140

  130

  40

  80

  70

  10

  10

  140–149

  150

  10

  140

  100

  60

  70

  60

  10

  10

  150–159

  260

  10

  240

  170

  90

  130

  100

  30

  1

  160–169

  190

  10

  170

  100

  90

  90

  80

  20

  1

  170–179

  230

  10

  220

  110

  120

  120

  90

  20

  1

  180–189

  200

  10

  190

  120

  80

  90

  80

  20

  10

  190–199

  250

  10

  240

  130

  110

  120

  100

  20

  10

  200–219

  480

  10

  470

  220

  260

  170

  230

  60

  20

  220–239

  440

  10

  430

  170

  270

  170

  180

  70

  30

  240–259

  370

  10

  360

  120

  250

  130

  160

  60

  20

  260–279

  360

  1

  360

  110

  250

  130

  170

  40

  10

  280–299

  290

  10

  280

  100

  190

  110

  130

  30

  10

  300 and over

  1,480

  10

  1,470

  480

  1,010

  550

  700

  170

  60

  Total

  5,390

  220

  5,180

  2,460

  2,940

  2,240

  2,340

  610

  200

  1 Less than 5,000.

  Notes:

  1. The figures are derived from the 1985 Family Expenditure Survey and are subject to sampling error. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and so rows and columns may not sum exactly to the totals shown.

  2. Gross weekly income is the income reported in 1985 without any updating.

  3. A "working family" is defined as one where at least one parent is in full-time employment or self-employment. The figures include families where the head has been sick or unemployed for less than three months—in these cases income has been taken as the family's income when the head was in work.

  4. The figures exclude any families not living in private households.

  5. A "two wage family" is one where the second wage exceeds £4 a week.

  Number of out of work families of working age children at various income levels—Great Britain 1985

  Thousands

  Gross weekly income including state benefits

  Under £50

  £50 to£59

  £60 to £69

  £70 to £79

  £80 to £89

  £90 to £99

  £100 to £109

  £110 to £119

  £120 to £139

  £130 to£139

  £140 to £149

  £150 and over

  Total

  Total

  90

  40

  140

  180

  230

  220

  150

  100

  70

  50

  30

  150

  1,450

  One parent families

  70

  30

  120

  110

  110

  90

  60

  30

  30

  10

  10

  30

  690

  Two parent families

  20

  10

  20

  80

  120

  140

  90

  70

  40

  40

  20

  110

  760

  Number of dependent children:

  One

  80

  20

  110

  110

  110

  60

  30

  20

  10

  10

  10

  50

  630

  Two

  10

  10

  30

  60

  100

  110

  60

  40

  20

  10

  10

  60

  510

  Three

  *

  10

  *

  10

  20

  30

  50

  20

  10

  10

  10

  20

  180

  Four or more

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  20

  10

  20

  30

  20

  10

  10

  130

  National Insurance benefits being received:

  None (a)

  30

  10

  10

  10

  20

  30

  30

  20

  10

  *

  10

  90

  260

  (b)

  60

  20

  110

  150

  180

  140

  90

  50

  50

  30

  10

  10

  890

  UB (a)

  *

  10

  *

  10

  *

  10

  10

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  50

  (b)

  *

  *

  *

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  *

  *

  *

  *

  60

  SB/SSP (a)

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  10

  (b)

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  10

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  10

  IVB (a)

  *

  *

  10

  *

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  20

  80

  (b)

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  10

  Other (a)

  *

  *

  10

  *

  *

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  10

  60

  (b)

  *

  *

  *

  *

  10

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  20

  838
  numbers of working and out-of-work families with children, at different income levels and according to the number of wage earners.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information requested is shown in the tables. For statistical reasons, detailed information of this kind should be treated as free standing annual analyses and not as time series.
  839

  * Less than 5,000

  (a) Without supplementary benefit.

  (b) With supplementary benefit.

  Notes:

  1. The figures are derived from the 1985 Family Expenditure Survey and are subject to sampling error. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and so rows and columns may not sum exactly to the totals shown.

  2. The totals do not coincide exactly with other published statistics. This is due to the different data sources.

  3. Gross weekly income includes housing benefit and is the income reported in 1985 without updating.

  4. An "out of work" family is defined as one where neither parent is in full-time employment or self-employment, except that families where the head has been sick or unemployed for less than 3 months are excluded.

  5. The figures exclude any families not living in private households.

  6. "Other" National Insurance benefits include industrial disablement, maternity and windows benefit.

  Out-of-work families of working age with children not in receipt of supplementary benefit (Great Britain 1985)

  thousands

  Gross weekly income including state benefits

  Not entitled to supplementary benefit

  Entitled but not claiming supplementary benefit

  Total

  £

  Under 50

  —

  30

  30

  50–59

  10

  10

  20

  60–69

  20

  10

  30

  70–79

  10

  10

  20

  80–89

  30

  10

  40

  90–99

  40

  10

  50

  100–109

  40

  —

  40

  110–119

  40

  —

  40

  120–129

  20

  —

  20

  130–139

  20

  —

  20

  140–149

  30

  —

  30

  150 and over

  130

  —

  130

  Total

  380

  80

  460

  Notes:

  1. The figures are derived from the 1985 Family Expenditure Survey and are subject to sampling error. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and so rows and columns may not sum exactly to the totals shown.

  2. Gross weekly income is the income reported in 1985 without any updating.

  3. A "working family" is defined as one where at least one parent is in full-time employment or self-employment, except that families where the head has been sick or unemployed for less than 3 months are excluded.

  4. The figures exclude any families not living in private households.

  5. Inferences cannot be drawn from the number of out of work families with children entitled but not claiming supplementary benefit about the take-up of supplementary benefit.

  Day Nurseries
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what research his Department has done on the correlation between levels of day nursery provision and the numbers of children in care.

  Mrs. Cunrie
  The Department has not commissioned any research specifically on this issue. However, some research studies have addressed it in passing. For example, a study of local authority day nurseries in England in the period 1975–83 showed that children of families in contact with social services departments were accorded priority for admission to day nurseries.

  NHS (Funding)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the amount of Government funding 840
  for each year since 1979 to (a) Waltham Forest district health authority and (b) North East Thames regional health authority, based on (i) actual amounts, (ii) in real terms at current years prices and (iii) in real terms at current years prices based on information he may have for Health Service inflation and costs.

  Mrs. Currie
  The available information is shown in the table. Information is not available on a district basis for the years prior to the 1982 reorganisation of the National Health Service. Comparable information for 1987–88 will not be available until after the end of the financial year.

  It is inappropriate to revalue district health authority expenditure by reference to centrally assessed movements in hospital and community health services pay and prices as the local composition of that expenditure can differ substantially from the national average.
  841

  North East Thames Region Net Revenue Expenditure1 (£000)

  Waltham Forest District Net Revenue Expenditure1 (£000)

  1987–88 Prices

  1986–87 Prices

  Cash

  Using gross domestic product deflator

  Using HCHS pay and price deflator

  Cash

  Using gross domestic product deflator

  1978–79

  408,958

  795,654

  909,114

  not available

  1979–80

  483,090

  804,172

  890,818

  1980–81

  629,213

  883,466

  906,696

  1981–82

  691,836

  884,689

  921,526

  1982–83

  788,936

  941,114

  986,170

  55,436

  66,129

  1983–84

  829,151

  945,602

  986,690

  56,838

  64,821

  1984–85

  869,167

  949,432

  977,813

  58,862

  64,298

  1985–86

  902,631

  929,828

  964,913

  52,512

  54,094

  1986–87

  965,116

  965,116

  965,116

  54,796

  54,796

  Notes:

  1 As shown in health authorities' summarised accounts.

  2 The 1982 reorganisation of the NHS resulted in substantial and complex boundary changes and changes in management responsibility. Figures for pre- and post- 1982 authorities are not directly comparable.

  3 District expenditure figures are distorted by a change in the region's accounting methodology which was introduced in 1985–86. Districts in North East Thames are now charged for the cost of "their" patients in large mental illness hospitals outside their boundaries.

  Mr. Hartley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the allocation of funds to the South West Thames area authority and to the Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton district health authority for each of the last 10 years; and what has been the percentage increase in each year.

  Growth in net revenue expenditure 1978·79 to 1986–87

  South West Thames region

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton district

  Net revenue expenditure1 £000

  Percentage increase over previous year per cent.

  Net revenue expenditure1 cash £000

  Percentage increase over previous year per cent.

  1978–79

  301,143

  —

  3

  —

  1979–80

  358,664

  19·1

  3

  —

  1980–81

  461,750

  28·7

  3

  —

  1981–82

  510,712

  10·6

  3

  —

  1982–83

  525,671

  2—

  30,649

  —

  1983–84

  554,012

  5·4

  32,865

  7·2

  1984–85

  580,905

  4·9

  33,104

  0·7

  1985–86

  603,799

  3·9

  34,653

  4·7

  1986–87

  645,521

  6·9

  37,076

  7·0

  1 As shown in health authorities' summarised accounts.

  2 The 1982 reorganisation of the National Health Service resulted in substantial and complex boundary changes and changes in management responsibility. Figures for pre and post 1982 authorities are not directly comparable.

  3 Not available.

  Costs of Treatment
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the relative costs of different treatments and operations in(a) each regional health authority, (b) each district health authority and (c) each hospital; what actions he intends to take in order to obtain more detailed information; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 12 January, at column 253. The initiative is currently being piloted at five acute hospital sites in England.

  Stockpiled Drugs
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the quantities and the monetary value of drugs stockpiled for use in the event of war(a) in the current financial year and (b) cumulatively, in the United Kingdom.
  842
  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: The available information is shown in the table. Information is not available on a district basis for the years prior to the 1982 reorganisation of the National Health Service. Comparable information for 1987–88 will not be available until after the end of the financial year.

  Mrs. Currie
  National Health Service drug stocks are kept at a level commensurate with short-term peacetime needs: there is no stockpile dedicated for use in the event of war.

  A working group of officials within the Department is considering stockpile requirements for medical supplies to be used in emergencies. The cost of providing stores of essential items is likely to be high and so may have to be built up over a period of time. Guidance will be issued following completion of the study.

  NHS (War Planning)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether plans for the National Health Service in the event of war indicate the number and the method by which patients will be discharged from National Health Service hospitals to make way for casualties; and if he will make a statement.
  843
  Mrs. Currie
  During a period of tension and when directed by the Secretary of State, health authorities would cease to admit all but emergency cases and arrange to send home as many as possible of the patients in hospitals and nursing homes whose retention was not medically essential. The selection of patients for discharge would be made on medical advice and would take account of the availability of accommodation and facilities for care in the community. Contingency plans do not refer to numbers of patients since these would depend on the prevailing circumstances.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether plans for the National Health Service in the event of war indicate in detail the role of doctors and how they are expected to choose between the injured who may be treated and those who will be left to die; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  We are at present considering revised guidance on civil defence planning in the National Health Service but it will not attempt to detail the role of doctors. Planning officers whom we expect to respond to the guidance are aware of the need to take account of all available resources in drawing up detailed plans, and that the sorting of casualties is a matter for professional judgment in the light of the particular circumstances.

  After any disaster the responsibility for sorting casualties and allocating priorities for treatment lies with doctors or ambulance personnel attending the injured at the material time. This principle applies in both peacetime and wartime emergencies.

  Peterlee Community Hospital
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his proposals, and their timing, for the provision of a community hospital in Peterlee.

  Mrs. Currie
  The provision of capital schemes in the northern region is for the regional health authority to determine in the light of its available resources and competing priorities.

  Claybury Hospital, Ilford
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the policy towards heating the corridors of Claybury hospital, Ilford; whether any recent change has been made to this policy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  The hon. Member may wish to approach the chairman of Waltham Forest health authority, which is responsible for managing services at Claybury hospital, for this information, which is not held centrally.

  Waltham Forest
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has received from Waltham Forest district health authority about its projected deficits for 1987–88 and 1988–89; and what action he proposes to take in response;

  (2) why Waltham Forest has suffered a greater cumulative loss of revenue to hospital services between 1982–83 and 1985–86 than any other district health authority within the North East Thames regional health authority; and if he will make a statement.
  844
  Mrs. Currie
  The hon. Member may wish to approach the chairman of North East Thames regional health authority, which is responsible for the allocation of resources to its district health authorities, about these matters.

  Donor Card Scheme
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has made any assessment of the effectiveness of the donor card scheme: and whether he has plans to improve its effectiveness.

  Mrs. Currie
  Organ donation is influenced by a number of factors, many of which cannot readily be quantified. It is therefore difficult to estimate separately the effect of donor cards on the number of organs donated. However, our view is that the donor card scheme has played a valuable role, especially when used in conjunction with other publicity initiatives.

  We are currently following up a number of recommendations made by a medical royal colleges working party. For further details I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 18 December 1987 at column 934.

  Geriatric Patients
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the levels of staffing dealing with geriatric patients in the Sunderland, Durham and Hartlepool health authorities over each of the last three years.

  Mrs. Currie
  The figures are shown in the table.

  NHS medical and nursing staff in post1 Geriatric medicine specialty/area of work Sunderland, Durham and Hartlepool district health authorities

  Whole-time equivalents2

  30 September

  Sunderland DHA

  Durham DHA

  Hartlepool DHA

  1984

  240

  150

  110

  1985

  280

  160

  120

  1986

  270

  160

  130

  Source: DHSS Annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

  1 Includes permanent paid and honorary staff. Excludes Senior Registras and Consultants whose contracts are held by the Regional Health Authorities. Excludes Locum Medical and Agency Nursing Staff.

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

  Mersey Regional Health Authority (Contracting Out)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what services have been contracted out within the Mersey regional health authority to date; and what savings have been made or are expected from such contracting out.

  Mrs. Currie
  As at 30 September 1987, 94 per cent. of domestic cleaning services, 89 per cent. of catering services and 93 per cent. of laundry services in the Mersey region had been put out to competitive tender. Estimated annual savings generated from contracts awarded in the region currently total £5·9 million.

  Schizophrenia (Homeless Persons)
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any estimate of the total number of homeless schizophrenia sufferers who are in bed and breakfast accommodation in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret we do not have information on which to base an estimate.

  Electorates
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the 20 largest parliamentary constituencies by electorate, with their electorates on the current register; and what is the average constituency electorate in the United Kingdom and England.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is as follows:

  Parliamentary constituency

  1987 Electorate

  Isle of Wight

  99,760

  Milton Keynes

  98,215

  East Berkshire

  88,884

  Eastleigh

  88,664

  East Hampshire

  87,476

  Total electors

  Non-metropolitan county (ranked by percentage growth)

  1982 register

  1987 register

  Difference

  Percentage growth

  Buckinghamshire

  420,555

  461,231

  40,676

  9·7

  Cambridgeshire

  433,595

  473,880

  40,285

  9·3

  Berkshire

  508,444

  549,929

  41,485

  8·2

  Cornwall

  329,221

  355,049

  25,828

  7·8

  Dorset

  475,531

  512,612

  37,081

  7·8

  Wiltshire

  388,534

  418,591

  30,057

  7·7

  Northamptonshire

  392,450

  422,515

  30,065

  7·7

  Somerset

  327,209

  352,233

  25,024

  7·6

  Shropshire

  280,002

  300,565

  20,563

  7·3

  Lincolnshire

  414,297

  441,737

  27,440

  6·6

  Hereford and Worcester

  478,901

  510,007

  31,106

  6·5

  Devon

  725,287

  771,680

  46,393

  6·4

  Hampshire

  1,101,139

  1,171,534

  70,395

  6·4

  Suffolk

  441,258

  469,258

  28,000

  6·3

  Norfolk

  538,410

  568,290

  30,880

  5·7

  North Yorkshire

  513,391

  542,198

  28,807

  5·6

  Gloucestershire

  383,616

  404,423

  20,807

  5·4

  Oxfordshire

  391,961

  412,734

  20,773

  5·3

  Isle of Wight

  94,771

  99,739

  4,968

  5·2

  Essex

  1,123,177

  1,181,244

  58,067

  5·2

  Ethnic Minorities
  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many leaflets his Department publishes concerning benefits and benefit entitlement; how many of these are available in minority languages; what are those languages; when such minority language leaflets were published; and how many changes in the benefit system have occurred since that date.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department currently publishes about 120 leaflets on social security benefits. Only one leaflet is translated into the main ethnic minority languages. This is FB22, a version of the English language leaflet FB 2 "Which benefit?", translated into Chinese, Urdu, Hindi, Gujerati, Bengali and Punjabi.
  846

  Parliamentary constituency

  1987 Electorate

  Horsham

  87,229

  Huntingdon

  87,195

  Devizes

  87,145

  Swindon

  87,140

  Wokingham

  86,587

  Westbury

  85,708

  South Colchester and Maldon

  85,302

  Peterborough

  85,244

  Cirencester and Tewkesbury

  85,181

  Crosby

  85,099

  North West Surrey

  84,295

  Ryedale

  84,205

  The Wrekin

  83,796

  Chelmsford

  83,696

  Woking

  83,453

  Average Constituency Electorate

  (i) United Kingdom

  67,178

  (ii) England

  69,585

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the 20 English non-metropolitan counties which have shown the greatest percentage growth in electorate since 1982; and what has been the percentage growth and actual figures in each case.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is as follows:

  Five translations were made in March 1985. The Chinese version was translated in November 1984 and revised in July 1985. There have been several reprints of these translations.

  Because leaflet FB 22 was worded in broader terms than the English version of the leaflet, the numerous changes in the benefit system since the translations have not dated the leaflets. However, following this April's social security reforms, it is intended to publish revised editions of FB 22 as soon as possible.

  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures are taken to assist ethnic minority claimants who cannot speak English in his Department's offices where there are no officers who can communicate with these claimants.
  847
  Mr. Portillo
  In offices where there are no staff who can communicate with a claimant who has little or no English, his family, friends, and supporters in the community will act for him. In practice this works well.

  Local Offices (Multilingual Staff)
  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many bilingual or multilingual staff are employed in his Department's local offices in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool, Redcar and Eston.

  Mr. Portillo
  Stockton local office has one bilingual member of staff. The other offices — Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Redcar and Eston—have none.

  Benefits
  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department's leaflet "Which Benefit—FB2" is to be reprinted to incorporate the replacement of supplementary benefit and family income supplement by income support and family credit.

  Mr. Portillo
  A new edition of leaflet FB2 "Which Benefit?" is being prepared for publication by April 1988. The new edition will cover references to all the new social security benefits, including family credit and income support, and give details on where further information on these benefits can be found.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of people partially dependent or totally dependent on(a) supplementary benefit, (b) housing benefit and (c) family income supplement in (i) Wales and (ii) the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 15 January 1988]: The readily available information is as follows:

  Income related benefit recipients, their partners and dependants

  Thousands

  Benefit

  Great Britain

  Wales

  Northern Ireland

  Supplementary benefit1

  Number of recipients

  4,938

  291

  184

  Number of partners and dependants

  3,353

  207

  188

  Family income supplement2

  Number of recipients

  200

  12

  15

  Number of partners and dependants

  530

  34

  55

  Standard housing benefit3

  Number of recipients

  3,730

  170

  67

  Number of partners and dependants

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1 February 1986.

  2 Summer 1986.

  3 Autumn 1986.

  Notes:

  1. n/a: Figures not available.

  2. Recipients of one benefit may also be in receipt of another. For example, in the British figures, approximately 20,000 FIS recipients also receive supplementary benefit and about 120,000 FIS recipients also receive standard housing benefit.

  3. Supplementary benefit recipients who are householders are also entitled to certificated housing benefit.

  4. Supplementary benefit figures were obtained from annual statistical inquiries. FIS figures were obtained from administrative statistics and the figures on housing benefit are from the annual standard housing benefit inquiries and local authority returns. The
  848
  figure for the number of housing benefit recipients in Wales is for rate rebate and excludes a small number of people who receive rent rebate or rent allowance only.

  North Tees General Hospital
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to visit North Tees general hospital.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have no plans to do so at present.

  Artificial Limb Centre, Roehampton
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision there was for inspection of repairs at the artificial limb fitting centre at Roehampton before the recent strike; what provision there is now; what change there has been in the number of inspectors; if he will ascertain from the companies supplying artificial limbs if there has been any increase in complaints; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The strike to which the right hon. Member refers was settled in May last year. It did not, as the right hon. Member's question may imply, take place at the Roehampton artificial limb fitting centre, but at the nearby factory of J. E. Hanger and Co. Ltd., one of the manufacturers of artificial limbs.

  As the right hon. Member will be aware, from 1 July 1987 the Disablement Services Authority has taken over full responsibility for the artificial limb service, and for dealing with the suppliers of artificial limbs. I understand that the Disablement Services Authority is strengthening controls on the quality and cost of contractors' work.

  Income-Related Benefits
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what figure from the annual statistical inquiry was used for supplementary benefit claimants' average water rates in compiling the tables on the estimated impact of the reformed structure of income-related benefits, published in October 1987.

  Mr. Scott
  The average water rate payment by supplementary benefit claimants was calculated from table 6.14 of the annual statistical inquiry for February 1986. The overall cost in supplementary benefit of water charges was updated to estimated amounts for 1988–89 and this figure was used in setting the income support levels for April 1988 and in compiling the tables on the estimated impact of the reformed structure of income-related benefits.

  Income Support
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give a breakdown of estimated expenditure on income support for 1988–89 by claimant group(a) including the compensation for 20 per cent, contribution to rates and (b) excluding the 20 per cent, rates compensation.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is as follows:
  849

  (a) Including compensation for 20 per cent, rates contribution

  (b) Excluding compensation for 20 per cent, rates contribution

  (£ million)

  (£ million)

  Pensioners age 80 +

  190

  160

  Pensioners age 60–79

  1,160

  1,080

  Sick or Disabled

  510

  500

  Lone Parents

  1,830

  1,790

  Couples with Children

  2,030

  2,010

  Others

  2,850

  2,760

  Total (figures do not add owing to rounding)

  8,570

  8,290

  Mr. Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if Her Majesty's Government plan to withhold income support from Easter school leavers.

  Mr. Scott
  Young people who leave school this Easter will, subject to satisfying the normal conditions, be entitled to receive income support.

  It is the Government's intention that from September 1988 there will be no general entitlement to income support for 16 and 17-year-olds. Only certain groups of people, to be prescribed in regulations and expected to include such groups as lone parents and the severely disabled, will be entitled in their own right. We also intend to provide benefit for a limited period for those young people who are unable to live at home, because, for example, of risk of physical or sexual abuse, and who would otherwise suffer severe hardship.

  North West Durham District Health Authority
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were employed by North West Durham district health authority in 1979 and at the latest date available.

  Mrs. Currie
  Such information as is available is shown in the table.

  Because of the 1982 National Health Service reorganisation consistent data at district health authority level are not available for 1979.

  The figures exclude consultants and senior registrars whose contracts are held by the regional health authorities. The district health authorities where these staff work cannot be separately identified centrally. There will therefore be more medical and dental staff actually working in North West Durham district health authority than accounted for in the table.

  NHS directly employed staff in post at 30 September1

  North West Durham District Health Authority Wholetime equivalents2

  1982

  1,400

  1986

  1,370

  Source: DHSS Annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

  1 Includes permanent paid, honorary and locum medical staff. Includes agency nursing and midwifery staff.

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

  Derwentside
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit and supplementary allowances in the district of Derwentside, for each of the last eight years.

  Mr. Portillo
  The table sets out the information requested giving the earliest data available. The district of Derwentside is served by Stanley local office but the boundaries are not conterminous.

  Stanley local office

  Date

  Number of people receiving Supplementary benefit

  Number of people receiving Supplementary allowance

  February 1982

  8,970

  5,622

  February 1983

  11,014

  7,579

  February 1984

  11,318

  8,034

  February 1985

  11,601

  8,331

  February 1986

  11,514

  8,303

  February 1987

  10,795

  7,561

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

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were in receipt of family income supplement in the district of Derwentside, for each of the last eight years.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret this information is not available. Family income supplement claims are dealt with by one centre at Blackpool and no information is maintained about claims from particular local areas.

  Maternal Deaths
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many(a) direct and (b) indirect maternal deaths in England and Wales in each year from 1976 onwards occurred in isolated general practioners' units; and how many were associated with anaesthesia.

  Mrs. Currie
  In order to identify those maternal deaths occurring in isolated general practitioners' units it would be necessary to refer to the copies of the death certificates of all registered maternal deaths. I regret that this could be done for all the years requested only at disproportionate cost.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the social fund grant allocations to each office of his Department as a sum per head of the claimants registered with each office.

  Mr. Scott
  Information on each local office's social fund grants budget and live load at 28 July 1987 is available in the Library.

  Hypothermia
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the total costs of advertising and administration for the Government campaign of health education on the links between diet, warmth and the dangers of hypothermia.
  851
  Mrs. Currie
  I assume the hon. Member is asking about the "Keep Warm Keep Well" campaign and I refer her to my reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) on 16 December 1987, at columns 598–599.

  The cost of the campaign to the Department is now estimated at £610,000. This includes production and distribution of the government booklet, television films, press advertisements, and the telephone helpline. The increase in estimated costs is a reflection of the success of the campaign which has generated more telephone calls to the helpline and more requests for the booklet than was originally anticipated. I will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a copy of the booklet. Copies have already been placed in the Library.

  Disabled People
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the report of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys survey of disabled people; and whether he will place a copy in the Library in advance of publication.

  Mr. Scott
  The OPCS expects to publish the results of the survey of disabled people in a series of reports, beginning later this year. A copy of each report will be placed in the Library at the time of publication, in accordance with normal practice.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements will be made for consulting disabled people and organisations representing them in connection with the review of social security provision for disability.

  Mr. Scott
  An announcement will be made in due course about consultation with interested organisations on the implications for disability benefits of the results of the OPCS survey.

  National Health Service Staff in Post1 at 30 September

  Whole-time1 Equivalents

  Change 1974–862

  Percentage of All Staff2

  1974

  1986

  (WTE)

  Percentage

  1974

  1986

  Total Directly Employed3

  675,800

  801,600

  +125,800

  +18·6

  100·0

  100·0

  Administrative and Clerical

  582,800

  111,400

  +28,600

  +34·6

  12·2

  13·9

  Ancillary4

  163,400

  124,300

  -39,200

  -24·0

  24·2

  15·5

  Source: DHSS Annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower.

  1 Figures arc independently rounded to the nearest one hundred (100) whole-time equivalents. No adjustments have been made for various changes in contractual hours during this period.

  2 All changes and percentages have been calculated on un-figures.

  3 Includes locum medical and dental and agency nursing and midwifery staff.

  4 Part of the decrease is due to the transfer of Operating Department Assistants (ODAs) from Ancillary to Professional and Technical staff group on 1 April 1984 (some 2,600 wtes at 31 March 1984).

  5 Figure may not reflect the full effects of the 1974 NHS reorganisation.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the turnover rates in the National Health Service of(a) administrative staff and (b) district general managers.

  Mr. Newton
  Information on the turnover rate of administrative staff is not available centrally. We do not at present have full information on movements of district general managers within the National Health Service, but in the three years since the first appointments were made, 10 district general managers have left for outside employment. This represents a rate of about 1·7 per cent, per annum.

  Trent Health Authority
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if in the light of the closure of Middlewood hospital, in the Trent health authority, he will provide bridging funds to avoid damage to other services.

  Mrs. Currie
  Middlewood mental illness hospital is being run down on a phased basis and is due to close in 1994 by which time more community-orientated replacement services will have been developed. Bridging funds to support the build-up of the new service are already being provided by the Trent regional health authority within its existing allocation. The regional and district health authorities are keeping both the financing arrangements and the pace of service change under review.

  NHS (Staff)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what has been the increase in staff employed in the National Health Service since 1958;

  (2) what is the percentage of Health Service employees who at present are involved in an administrative and clerical capacity and what was the comparable figure in 1958;

  (3) what percentage of National Health Service staff are employed at present to carry out ancillary duties compared with 1958.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that staffing figures prior to 1974 are not comparable with those for later years, due mainly to the effects of the 1974 reorganisation. Comparisons from 1974 to the latest available date are in the table.

  Private Health Insurance
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to facilitate employee and individual enrolment in private health insurance schemes.

  Mrs. Currie
  I welcome the fact that the number of people covered by private medical insurance has almost doubled since 1979—from 2·75 million to 5·25 million in 1986. This record clearly demonstrates the ability of the medical insurance industry to respond to the growing demand for greater choice in health care.
  853
  The Government are determined to encourage the industry's continuing expansion. Tax concessions have been given on employer-paid medical insurance premiums for people earning less than £8,500 p.a. since 1980.

  District Health Authorities
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to put out to tender the management of district health authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Management arrangements at local level are a matter for individual district health authorities to consider in conjunction with their regional health authority.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to transform district health authorities into competing health maintenance organisations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We have no plans to do so.

  Health Vouchers
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received concerning the introduction of health vouchers.

  Mrs. Currie
  We have received a small number of representations commending the introduction of health vouchers.

  Local Offices (Budget Allocations)
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the names of his Department's local offices raising operational questions relating to their budget allocations, referred to in the answer of 11 January,Official Report, column 167, and if he will indicate the subject matter of the questions raised.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 13 January, at column 400.

  Pensions
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to publicise the new pension choices introduced by the Social Security Act 1986.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government wish to ensure that employers and employees are made aware of the new pensions choices available to them as a result of the Social Security Act 1986. While the promotion of particular products and advice on the type of pension suitable in any given case are the responsibilities of pensions providers and professional advisers, the Government intend that the new framework created by the Act should be as widely understood as possible. We will, therefore, be taking the following measures.

  First, we will be mounting a public awareness campaign, making use of television and press advertising. The major effort will be concentrated in the weeks preceding the start of the new personal pension arrangements on 1 July 1988, since it is only at that point that the full range of choices becomes available. This will
  854
  be preceded by a shorter press advertisement campaign in March 1988, directed towards employers, which will draw attention to the new options for occupational pension schemes starting on 6 April 1988.

  Second, the Department will shortly be issuing a set of explanatory leaflets. The television and press advertisements are designed to lead people who are interested to obtain a leaflet entitled "New Pensions Choices" which will give an overview of the new options. This leaflet draws attention in turn to two further leaflets, one aimed at employers and the other at employees. Supported by detailed fact sheets, the two leaflets will describe how the new arrangements work.

  South Yorkshire Ambulance Service
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement regarding the implications of the case of the late Mr. Thomas Johnson of 90 Raisenhall road, Sheffield, for the future practice and procedures of the South Yorkshire ambulance service.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 January 1988:] Trent regional health authority is responsible for managing the South Yorkshire metropolitan ambulance service. I understand that the incident involving Mr. Johnson on 14 December referred to in the hon. Member's letter of 12 January to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already been investigated. I have asked Sir Michael Carlisle, the regional health authority chairman, to look urgently into the second case involving Mr. Johnson on 4 January and to write to the hon. Member about both incidents at the same time as reporting to me.

  Mentally Ill Patients (Durham)
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the levels of spending on mentally ill patients who have received or are receiving treatment in the Durham health authority during the years 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987 to date.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 January 1988]: Information on health authority expenditure by type of patient is not collected centrally. Hospital cost returns submitted to the Department show expenditure on hospitals of different types and cost returns in respect of community health services show expenditure relating to the major areas of activity.

  Total current expenditure on hospitals categorised as mental illness in the Durham health authority district was £1,017,556 in 1985–86 and £1,169,398 in 1986–87. Information for 1987–88 is not yet available.

  Maternity Units
  Mr. Buchanan-Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many small maternity units, particularly in rural areas, have been closed in each of the past five years; and what was the total number of maternity beds involved in each year;

  (2) how many small maternity units, particularly in rural areas, are currently subject to formal proposals for closure; and how many maternity beds are involved.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: I regret the information requested is not available centrally and

  855
  cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. Day-to-day management decisions on closures are a matter for individual health authorities in England.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply of 11 December 1987,Official Report, columns 297–98, if he will investigate the failure of Birmingham and Worcester district health authorities to consult community health councils when they made substantial reductions in the number of hospital beds in 1987.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: I am satisfied that the Central Birmingham and Worcester district health authorities have followed the procedures for consultation as set out in the National Health Service (Community Health Council) Regulations 1985. Urgent and temporary closures do not require pre-closure consultation.

  Markets
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the regulations governing the hygiene standards for retail covered markets and market stalls are the same as for wholesale covered markets and market stalls;

  (2) whether there is any provision under the Food Hygiene (Market Stalls and Delivery Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulations 1966 or any other legislation to prohibit the sale of fresh meat, fish, cheese and vegetables in a covered market unless the stalls are located in a separate food hall;

  (3) what guidelines his Department issues governing the maximum levels of pollution acceptable from motor vehicles delivering goods to covered retail or wholesale markets.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 20 January 1988]: The Food Hygiene (Market Stalls and Delivery Vehicles) Regulations 1966, as amended, apply to food trading undertaken at covered retail or wholesale markets, or otherwise away from fixed premises. The regulations cover all food intended for human consumption and require that food traders should take all reasonable steps to ensure that food is protected from the risk of contamination. No guidelines have been issued centrally.

  It is a matter for local decision as to where such markets are held and the local environmental health department should be able to advise on the implementation of the regulations.

ENERGY

  Magnox Reactors
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he possesses regarding the availability for examination by independent civil engineering consultancy organisations of the full design plans of each of the Central Electricity Generating Board Magnox nuclear plants in advance of the beginning of decommissioning of the older reactors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  It is the responsibility of the Central Electricity Generating Board to make detailed 856
  plans for the decommissioning of its Magnox reactors. The board's plans will be assessed by the independent nuclear installations inspectorate, and will need to be approved by it before they can be implemented.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on current government policy on the time period over which the decommissioning of older Magnox reactors is expected to take place.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to reply direct to the hon. Member.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many applications have been made to the nuclear installations inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive by the Central Electricity Generating Board to operate a Magnox nuclear power station in an experimental way to test reactor cooling by convection; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) on how many occasions his Department has been notified by the Central Electricity Generating Board that it intended to operate Magnox nuclear power stations in an experimental way to test reactor cooling by convection; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is the first occasion that the CEGB has decided to carry out a test of the kind proposed at Trawsfynydd. Similar tests have been successfully carried out, by the South of Scotland Electricity Board at Hunterston A in 1981, and by BNF plc at Calder Hall in 1985 and 1986, with the full approval of the NII. The proposed test will proceed only if the HSE's NII is totally satisfied as to safety.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, what papers have been commissioned(a) within his Department, (b) from external consultants, (c) from the Central Electricity Generating Board and South of Scotland Electricity Board and (d) from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority on the implications for privatisation of the electricity supply industry of the decommissioning of the Magnox reactors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has asked for advice from a wide range of sources on many issues concerned with the proposed privatisation of the electricity supply industry. Advice given to Ministers on this basis is confidential.

  Trawsfynydd Nuclear Reactor
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for energy when he was informed that an emergency shutdown procedure is to be performed on Trawsfynydd nuclear reactor on 12 February; if he is satisfied with the safety precautions to be taken to protect the residents of the surrounding area during this procedure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The proposed test at Trawsfynydd does not involve an emergency shutdown and will take place only afte the reactor has been safely shut down in the normal manner. It will proceed only if the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate is totally satisfied as to safety.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he was first advised of the proposed
  857
  experimental shutdown at Trawsfynydd power station; whether this experiment has his approval; what emergency arrangements are being organised along the west coast of Wales and England; whether he has received objections to this experiment; and if he will now instruct the Central Electricity Generating Board to abandon this experiment.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate which received on 30 November last year the CEGB's proposal for a test of natural cooling following the routine shutdown of a reactor at Trawsfynydd. The NII is presently considering the proposal, and the test will proceed only if it is totally satisfied as to safety. Details of emergency arrangements for nuclear power stations are to be found in the reply given on 22 April 1987 at columns 547–51 by my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad).

  Monergy (Condoms)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department's "Monergy" campaign to save energy in industrial processing has included any departmental assessment of the energy-saving possibilities in the production of condoms in support of the anti — AIDS campaign.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  No.

  Chernobyl Accident
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with Soviet trade union officials on the implications of the Chernobyl accident for the safe operation of nuclear power stations.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend's discussions with the Soviet trade union delegation on 2 December covered a range of nuclear safety issues, including international initiatives since the Chernobyl accident and opportunities for bilateral and multilateral co-operation. The discussions complement existing links with the USSR at Government and industry level.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest estimate of the financial and economic cost of the Chernobyl accident to(a) the United Kingdom nuclear industry, (b) United Kingdom farmers and (c) the United Kingdom tourist industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The United Kingdom industry was widely involved in monitoring the effects of the Chernobyl accident and in assessing its implications. The cost of this involvement is not readily quantifiable. The Government have so far paid out over £5·2 million in compensation to sheep farmers for the effect on their enterprises of the controls arising from the Chernobyl accident. It is not possible to quantify any effect on tourism.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest information on the evaluation made by the Soviet Union of the total economic cost of the Chernobyl accident.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I understand that the 15 January edition of Pravda reported that at a Politburo meeting the previous day the direct cost of the Chernobyl accident was estimated at 4 billion roubles (£4 billion). According to the report, this cost doubles if economic loss is taken into account.

  Sellafield (Safety)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has received any invitation from the European Parliament's energy committee to appear before it to discuss safeguards facility attachments for British Nuclear Fuels plc Sellafield reprocessing plant.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No.

  Transnuklear (Bribery Allegations)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the implications of the Transnuklear allegations of bribery and cover-up involving the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, Sweden, the EEC Energy Commission and EURATOM for further confidence in, and continued application of(a) EURATOM and (b) the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards in the United Kingdom and in the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency are currently investigating the reports. We await their conclusions.

  Overhead Transmission Lines
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library all copies to date of the annual report on research into the possible hazardous characteristics of high-voltage overhead transmission lines, first requisitioned by him from the Central Electricity Generating Board in February 1980.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Secretary of State has received from the Central Electricity Generating Board five reports on research into the possible effects on human health of high-voltage overhead transmission lines, and I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library. The last report was received in January 1986 when it was agreed that the practice of reporting annually would be replaced by reports from the board whenever significant changes in the position occurred. There have been frequent discussions between my own officials and the board's staff, and the board has published a number of technical articles on the subject.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress by the Central Electricity Generating Board in equipping coal-fired power plants with desulphurisation acid rain control technology; and what was the time scale originally envisaged.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Central Electricity Generating Board announced in October last year its plans for fitting flue gas desulphurisation equipment to coal-fired stations at Drax and Fiddlers Ferry in a programme extending until 1997. The board inform me that they expect to be in a position to submit an application for consent to the first stage of this programme at Drax imminently.

  Electricity Council (Chairman)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he intends to reappoint Sir Philip Jones as chairman of the Electricity Council; and what his objectives will be.
  859
  Mr. Parkinson
  I have reappointed Sir Philip Jones as chairman of the Electricity Council for a further three years from 1 April 1988, and in my letter of 20 January I agreed the following revised objectives with him:"This letter sets out the objectives which the Government wish you to pursue as Chairman of the Electricity Council. The objectives elaborate the responsibilities and obligations placed by Statute on the Electricity Council, and in particular the duty to promote and assist the maintenance and development by Electricity Boards in England and Wales of an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity supply.

  1. The Government has announced its intention to bring forward proposals to privatise the Electricity Supply Industry. Your specific objective as Chairman of the Council will be to assist the Government in implementing those proposals, and in bringing about an orderly and timely transfer of the Industry to the private sector.

  2. Meanwhile you should by all practicable means promote and encourage maximum efficiency throughout the Industry including sustained and detailed attention to cost control by the various Boards in England and Wales through all aspects of their activities. In this context:

  (a) you should advise me on the setting of financial targets and performance aims for the Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales and each Board individually; you should keep me informed, in accordance with guidance which I shall give you from time to time, on matters relevant to the setting of those targets and aims and on progress towards their achievement;

  (b) you should encourage Boards to develop a wide range of challenging targets for cost control, efficiency and standards of service and to publish information about performance against targets.

  3. It must also be your objective to encourage the Boards to develop co-operation with private generators of electricity, within the framework laid down in the Energy Act 1983, and ensure that effective commercial and technical arrangements exist to take full economic advantage of their potential contribution to supply. You should also encourage the Boards to adopt and support schemes for the combined production of heat and power in accordance with the provisions in the Energy Act.

  4. I shall require Boards to set out their capital investment proposals comprehensively for my approval, explaining the proposals in relation to business plans and the achievement of financial targets and performance aims. I shall also require them to continue to pay close attention to the methodology used in capital investment appraisal. In advising me on these proposals it should be your objective to promote the production and distribution of electricity at the lowest possible cost consistent with maintaining adequate standards e.g. of security of supply.

  5. To support the Boards' capital investment proposals and the Council's returns for the Investment and Financing Review, the Council should set them in the context of CEGB and Area Board business and trends, in a manner specified by the Department. The Boards' plans should also take full account of the objectives agreed with Government as well as the financial and performance targets agreed and the Industry's external financial limits. Bearing in mind the requirements of S.8(5) and S.8(6) of the Electricity Act 1957, you should ensure regular, timely, and effective information flows from the Boards to assist the Government and the Electricity Council in setting those objectives, targets and limits and in monitoring performance.

  6. You should, in consultation with the Boards, and as appropriate with Government, develop and promote a framework of electricity pricing principles, within which the Boards set their prices so as to reflect the costs at the margin of meeting demands on a continuing basis, and so as to be consistent with the financial framework set by Government.

  7. You should seek to ensure that contracting, sales of appliance and appliance repair activities of the Area Boards are carried out effectively and economically so as to yield a proper return on the assets employed.

  8. Subject of course to European Community and other international obligations, you should encourage the Boards
  860
  to assist United Kingdom manufacturing industry to secure orders in export markets, in particular through the provision of support services through British Electricity International.

  9. You should ensure that the Industry remains sensitive to the impact of its policies and prices on consumers, and that these are properly presented to the Industry's consumer representative bodies and to the public at large.

  10. Until the Industry is privatised you should seek by all practicable means to promote close working relationships within the Industry. In this connection I draw attention to David Howell's statement of July 1980.

  11. Finally, I should make clear that the Government may wish to give further guidance to you at a later date or to impose constraints from time to time, for wider reasons, on your ability to achieve one or other of these objectives.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Earnings
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give the latest estimates of average adult earnings in Northern Ireland; and if he will also show the proportion of workers in(a) retailing and (b) hairdressing who earn less than £2 per hour.

  Mr. Viggers
  The latest results from the new earnings survey for Northern Ireland show that in April 1987 average weekly earnings for all full-time employees on adult rates were £176·4. Results also show that approximately 25 per cent, of full-time employees in the survey working in retail distribution sectors earned less than £2 per hour. Estimates of average hourly earnings for persons working in hairdressing occupations are not available.

  High Sheriff (Belfast)
  Sir John Biggs-Davison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when an appointment of high sheriff for the city of Belfast is to be made; and why it has not accompanied those for the six counties and the city of Londonderry.

  Mr. Tom King
  The nomination for the post of high sheriff for the city of Belfast by the outgoing high sheriff is normally made only after consultation with the Belfast city council. However, the council declined to co-operate and no nomination for 1987 or 1988 was received.

  As the duties of the office of high sheriff are purely ceremonial, it was decided that in the meantime the post should be left unfilled until a nomination is received.

  Pig Grading Officers
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he is proposing to make the 20 pig grading officers redundant; who will become responsible for administering this service at the pig processing plants; what are the implications for quality control of Ulster pig products; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  [holding answer 18 January 1988]: Industry and trade union interests are being consulted with a view to establishing effective and economic arrangements transferring responsibility for operating the Northern Ireland pig carcase classification scheme to the private sector. Implications for redundancy and quality requirements will be among the matters considered as consultations progress.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members (Imprisonment)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Lord President of the Council on how many occasions in 1987 the House was notified of the imprisonment of a right hon. or hon.862
  Member or Members; how many Members were the subject of such a notification; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The House was notified of the imprisonment of a Member on three occasions in 1987:

  28 January — Mr. Harold McCusker

  25 June — Mr. Ken Maginnis

  21 October — Mr. Peter Robinson.

  NATIONALITY FEES: 1986–87 ACCOUNTS
  NATIONALITY FEES: 1986–87 ACCOUNTS
  CONVENTIONAL FORCES: STABILITY TALKS
  CONVENTIONAL FORCES: STABILITY TALKS
  FAR EAST: TRADE AND INVESTMENT STATISTICS
  FAR EAST: TRADE AND INVESTMENT STATISTICS
  NUCLEAR INCIDENTS: NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN
  NUCLEAR INCIDENTS: NATIONAL RESPONSE PLAN