Written Answers of 28 March 1988

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Medical Research Council (Expenditure)
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the Medical Research Council will spend on research into(a) mental health and (b) schizophrenia in the forthcoming year; what this

  Mental Health

  Percentage of MRC Budget

  Schizophrenia

  Percentage of MRC Budget

  £ million

  £ million

  1981–82

  7·8

  8

  *

  *

  1982–83

  7·9

  8

  *

  *

  1983–84

  8·4

  8

  *

  *

  1984–85

  9·2

  8

  0·5

  0·5

  1985–86

  9·1

  8

  0·5

  0·5

  1986–87

  9·4

  8

  0·5

  0·4

  * Figures not available

  Expenditure in these areas in the forthcoming year will be determined by the Medical Research Council in the light of its scientific priorities.

  Child Guidance Service
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he plans to take to ensure the continuation of the child guidance service in inner London after the abolition of the Inner London education authority.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend will wish to discuss this matter with the inner London councils, the Inner London education authority and the relevant district health authorities, with a view to ensuring that an effective child guidance service is available to each new LEA.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children it is estimated will no longer qualify for free school meals in Bradford from April 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  In October 1987, about 7,850 pupils in Bradford received free school meals, either because their families were in receipt of family income supplement, or through the operation of LEA discretion. From 11 April, the families of those in the former category will receive a cash benefit of £2·55 per week throughout the year under the new family credit scheme, which will also cover many in the latter category. Nationally, it is estimated that about 100,000 more school age children will benefit under the family credit scheme compared with those who currently receive free school meals under family income supplement and LEA discretionary schemes combined.
  272
  figure represents as a percentage of the Medical Research Council's budget; and what was the comparable percentage spent in each of the last six years.

  Mr. Jackson
  I am advised by the Medical Research Council that expenditure on mental health (including addiction) and schizophrenia research from 1981–82 to 1986–87 was as follows:

  French Language
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the joint matriculation board's report on the number of pupils taking O and A-level examinations in French.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The 1986–87 annual report of the Joint Matriculation Board shows a decrease in the number of French A level candidates, but an increase in the proportion taking French 0-level and joint O-level/CSE. Comparable figures for all examination boards are not yet available. Under the Government's proposals for a national curriculum, a modern foreign language is a foundation subject at secondary level and will therefore form part of the curriculum for all pupils between the ages of 11 and 16. We expect the majority to want to offer it for public examination at age 16 and hope that the greater numbers studying a language to age 16 will also result in an increase in those continuing their studies to A or AS-level.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  International Atomic Energy Agency
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress on agreements to exchange and report information among member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested is not yet available, as the International Atomic Energy Agency has not completed drawing up a list of member states which have entered into such agreements. The United Kingdom has entered into such agreements with Norway and
  273
  Denmark and is currently discussing agreements with the Soviet Union, the Netherlands and the Irish Republic. The United Kingdom also has an agreement on similar lines with France, which was signed in 1983.

  Central America
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he proposes to take following the European ministerial conference in Hamburg on central American affairs.

  Mr. Eggar
  We continue to give firm support to the peace process. The commitments which the Community and its member states have entered into are recorded in the political and economic communiqués, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Sita Ram Maskey
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss the imprisonment of Sita Ram Maskey with the Nepal Government.

  Mr. Eggar
  Mr. Maskey was imprisoned in May 1987 under Nepal's Public Security Act. His case is cited in the Amnesty International report on Nepal published in November last year. We have drawn the attention of the Nepalese Government to this report.

  Vasili Shipilov
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations

  Receptions (1) juveniles into prison department establishments in England and Wales: by type of reception 1982–86.

  Type of reception

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Untried

  1,545

  1,510

  1,439

  1,484

  21,570

  Percentage of receptions of all ages

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  Convicted unsentenced

  2,063

  961

  451

  450

  2450

  Percentage of receptions of all ages

  9

  5

  2

  2

  3

  Sentenced3

  7,008

  6,615

  6,461

  5,784

  4,277

  Percentage of receptions of all ages3

  10

  9

  9

  8

  6

  1 Total receptions cannot be calculated by adding receptions in each category, because there is double counting.

  2 Provisional figures.

  3 Excluding fine defaulters and non-criminal prisoners.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many 14-year-olds were in prison establishments on the last occasion for which figures are available; what information he has about the institutions in which they were held; how many were on remand; what information he has about the crimes for which those convicted were so convicted; how many previous convictions they had; and what information he has as to their ethnic origins.
  274
  have been made to the Government of the Soviet Union about the continued imprisonment in a mental hospital of Vasili Shipilov.

  Mr. Mellor
  Vasili Shipilov was included on a list of human rights cases which my right hon. and learned Friend handed to Mr. Shevardnadze during his visit to the Soviet Union in February this year.

  Refugees (Hong Kong)
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the longest time that anyone has been in a closed camp for refugees in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Eggar
  The longest time any refugee has been in a closed centre in Hong Kong is five years eight months.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of offenders under the age of 17 years(a) detained and (b) imprisoned for each of the last five years; and if he will express the figures as a percentage of the total number of prisoners detained and imprisoned for each of the years.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The readily available information is given in the table. It is derived from chapters 2, 3, 4, 5 of "Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 1986" (Cm. 210), copies of which are in the Library.

  (2) if he will show for each county or police force area (a) the number of 14-year-olds in prison establishments and (b) that number expressed as a proportion of the relevant age group.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The home address of persons held in prison department establishments in England and Wales is not recorded centrally. The readily available information is given in the tables. There were no 14-yearold females held or males held on remand.
  275

  Sentenced mules aged 14 held in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales on 30 September 1987: by offence group, ethnic origin and establishment type

  Number of persons1

  Offence group

  White Guyanese African

  West Indian,

  Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi

  Chinese, Arb, mixed origin

  All persons

  Remand centre

  Detention centre

  Remand centre

  Detention centre

  Remand centre

  Detention centre

  Remand centre

  Detention centre

  Violence against the person

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  4

  Sexual offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Burglary

  1

  16

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  19

  Robbery

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Theft, handling, fraud and forgery

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Drugs offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other offences

  1

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  Not recorded

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Total

  2

  26

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  2

  32

  1 The numbers are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

  Sentenced males aged 14 held in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales on 30 September 1967: by offence group and number of previous convictions

  Number of persons1

  Offence group

  Number of previous convictions

  0

  1–2

  3–5

  6–10

  11 and over

  Not recorded

  All persons

  Violence against the person

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  4

  Sexual offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Burglary

  2

  5

  5

  3

  —

  4

  19

  Robbery

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Theft, handling, fraud and forgery

  —

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Drugs offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other offences

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  3

  4

  Not recorded

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Total

  3

  6

  9

  3

  —

  11

  32

  1 The numbers are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on which other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or European Community countries place 14-year-olds in prison institutions.

  Mr. John Patten
  Comprehensive reliable information is not readily available. From such information as we have, some form of custodial sanction appears to be available for 14-year-old offenders in the following member countries of the OECD or the European Community: Canada, France, the German Federal Republic, Greece, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United States. The member countries where such sanctions appear not to be available are Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Spain and Sweden. We have no information about the remaining countries.

  Economic League
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what inquiries have taken place into possible contacts between the Economic League and police forces in regions other than North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are not aware of any such inquiries.

  Rates (Imprisonment)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women have received custodial sentences for non-payment of rates for each of the last five years.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information on the number of persons received on committal by magistrates' courts in default of payment of rates in each of the last 11 years is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (table 6.2 of the latest volume, for 1986, Cm. 210) copies of which are in the Library. The following table gives corresponding details of those received in 1982 to 1986 following committal by county courts.

  Persons received into prison department establishments in England and Wales on committal by county courts for non-payment of rates: by sex, 1982–86.

  Number of persons1

  Sex

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Males

  5

  11

  26

  9

  17

  Females

  1

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1 Based on information recorded centrally which is approximate. Checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

  Prisons (Facilities)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities exist for recreation and
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  exercise, and how many square feet of exercise space are available, at each of Her Majesty's prisons at Birmingham, Leeds, Pentonville, Manchester, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs and Holloway.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information is as follows:

  Facilities

  Approximate outside exercise space square feet

  Birmingham

  gymnasium, multi-gymnasium, fitness/weight-lifting room, recreation room

  65,000

  Leeds

  gymnasium, weight-training room

  32,900

  Pentonville

  gymnasium, weight training room, remedial exercise room

  87,800

  Manchester

  gymnasium, sports hall, weight-training room

  30,900

  Wandsworth

  gymnasium, multi-purpose room

  62,000

  Wormwood Scrubs

  gymnasium, multi-gymnasium, sports hall

  72,600

  Holloway

  gymnasium, sports hall, swimming pool

  27,000

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours' exercise per week prisoners receive at each of Her Majesty's prisons at Birmingham, Leeds, Pentonville, Manchester, Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs and Holloway.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Seven hours, weather permitting. In addition, there are varied opportunities for physical training.

  Video Recordings Act 1984
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought under the provisions of the Video Recordings Act 1984; and with what result.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Video Recordings Act 1984 is being introduced in stages, the first of which came into effect on 1 September 1985. The data held centrally, which may be incomplete, show no record of any prosecutions under the Act in 1985 and two in 1986. I would also refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 27 November at columns 365–66.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Juries
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Attorney-General on how many nights in each of the past five years juries in criminal trials have been sent to an hotel whilst considering a verdict; and what has been the total cost in each of those years.

  The Attorney-General
  This information is not readily available. It can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

PRIME MINISTER

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will set the precise responsibility which the Secretary of State for the Environment has in relation to forestry.

  The Prime Minister
  The Secretary of State for the Environment is responsible for environmental matters in England, and has an overall responsibility for nature conservation in the United Kingdom. He is therefore consulted by the Ministers with direct responsibility for forestry about the environmental implications of forestry policies. He is also consulted about those applications for planting grant on which the Forestry Commission has sought the views of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as Forestry Minister for England, because there is an unresolved objection on environmental grounds from the relevant body or local authority.

  PLO (Military Equipment)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister what procedures exist within the appropriate Departments to prevent the export of British military equipment to the Palestine Liberation Organisation; and whether she is satisfied that they are effective.

  The Prime Minister
  Export control procedures for military equipment seek to take account of all relevant factors, including the type of equipment, its proposed destination and its end use. It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose the nature of the checks made.

  I am satisfied with the general effectiveness of the controls.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister by which Department information was possessed that the Lebanese company engaged in the transaction with Racal-Tacticom in 1982 had links with the Palestine Liberation Organisation; and when it was made known to that Department.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend on 18 March, at column 688, by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Litter Collection (St. James' Park)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the purpose of the exercise involving the deposit and subsequent collection of litter in St. James' park on 22 March; what was the cost; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I attended the launch on 22 March of the Tidy Britain Group's series of projects designed to deal more effectively with the litter problem. The cost of the launch was less than £60.

WALES

  Heart Surgery
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what private hospitals are being paid to perform the heart
  279
  operations necessary to enable the South Glamorgan health authority to meet his target of 600 heart operations per year; and how much each hospital has charged per operation done to meet this target.

  Mr. Grist
  South Glamorgan health authority is funded by the Department to provide an agreed level of open heart operations. The involvement of the private sector by the health authority in order to meet the agreed target is a matter for the authority. As a consequence, the information requested is not held centrally.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the cardiac surgeons employed by the South Glamorgan health authority are fulfilling their contracted National Health Service sessions to meet his target of 600 operations per year.

  Mr. Grist
  The consultant contracts are held by South Glamorgan health authority. The information requested is not available centrally.

  ADAS
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many farmers in Wales have received fee-paying service from the Agricultural Development Advisory Service during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many farmers in Wales have applied during the last 12 months for the fee paying service given by the Agricultural Development Advisory Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  It is no) possible to distinguish between those who apply for, and those who receive, chargeable non-statutory advice: ADAS would seldom be unable to provide a service sought by a potential customer. In the first 11 months of the scheme, chargeable advice was provided to 4,731 customers.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much revenue has been received by the Agricultural Development Advisory Service for fee-paying service to farmers in Wales during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In the 11 months to 29 February 1988, receipts for advisory services totalled £502,258.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service staff in Wales are fluent Welsh speakers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The number of fluent Welsh speakers employed by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service in Wales is 133.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed by the Agricultural Development Advisory Service in Wales; what were the corresponding figures for the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The number of people currently employed by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service in Wales is 354.

  The information for 1 April (the nearest available date) in earlier years is as follows:
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  Number

  1983

  3771/2

  1984

  366

  1985

  352

  1986

  3471/2

  1987

  356

  Since ADAS reorganised in 1987 the figures include ADAS staff in Wales employed on the experimental husbandry farm and as national (United Kingdom) specialists. These officers were not included in the staffing figures to 1986 and the totals for 1983 to 1986 would need to be increased by about 40 to reflect the change in 1987.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to review the service given by members of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Services provided by ADAS are kept under continued review to ensure that the best possible advice is always available.

  Wales and Marches Postal Board
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Wales and Marches Postal Board to discuss proposals to improve postal services in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No. My hon. Friend met the chairman of the Post Office Board, Wales and the Marches, on 17 February. They discussed a wide range of issues related to the provision of postal services in Wales.

  Private Health Service Contractors
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to how many people are employed by private health service contractors in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on the number of people employed by private firms providing services to the NHS is not held centrally.

  Brick Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to how many people are employed in the brick industry in Wales; and how many were employed in 1979.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Up-to-date information is not available, but census of employment data show there to have been 1,300 people employed in the manufacture of bricks, fireclay and refractory goods in 1978; and about 800 in the nearest comparable categories, structural clay products and refractory goods, in 1984.

  Council House Rents
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average rent per council house in Wales in(a) 1979 and (b) 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The average weekly net unrebated rent of local authority dwellings in Wales was £6·32 in April 1979 and £17·91 in April 1987.

  Government Employment and Training Measures
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are engaged in Government employment and training measures in Wales; what was the figure for expenditure on the YTS in 1986 and 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The number of people engaged in the following programmes in Wales at 31 January 1988 is as follows:

  Number

  New Job Training Scheme

  1,241

  Youth Training Scheme

  23,691

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme

  5,289

  Community Programme

  19,695

  Community Industry

  871

  Job Release Scheme

  712

  Job Share Scheme

  85

  Jobstart Allowance

  286

  New Workers Scheme

  1,930

  No figures are available for the voluntary projects programme. For the adult training programme, the only available information is that between 1 April 1987 and 31 January 1988 a total of 18,495 took part.

  Expenditure on YTS in the 1986–87 financial year was £51,985,000. The latest estimate of expenditure for the 1987–88 financial year is £58,092,000.

  Local Authorities Staff
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of full-time staff employed by Welsh local authorities in 1979 and 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of full-time staff employed by Welsh local authorities in December 1979 was 108,388. The corresponding figure for December 1987 was 98,123.

  Home Confinement
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy towards home confinement in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  District health authorities were given appropriate guidance in WHC(86) 69 issued in December 1986. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Electricity Industry (Privatisation)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary for State of Wales if he will make a statement on the implications of the privatisation of the electricity industry for employment in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Employment in the privatised electricity industry in Wales will, as at present, be a matter for the industry itself. Electricity privatisation will bring new opportunities for the industry, for its employees and for the economy as a whole.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from the local authority associations in Wales about the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Grist
  We have received a number of written and oral representations from the Welsh local authority associations about the community charge.

  Breast Screening
  Sir Raymond Gower
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made on the implementation of breast screening in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  I am pleased to announce that Dr. Deidre Hine has been appointed as director of the breast screening service in Wales. She is taking up her post, which is on the staff of the university of Wales college of medicine, today Premises have been acquired at 18, Cathedral road, Cardiff to house the Welsh breast screening centre. Screening should start at the centre later this year and the service will spread to the rest of Wales as quickly as possible. Our aim is for all parts of the Principality to be covered by a high-quality service by 1990.

  Export Breakfasts
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost of his two Welsh export breakfasts; and how many(a) business men and (b) officials he expects to attend.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: The catering costs, the hire of the venues, the costs associated with the presenter, the speakers, the equipment and the road crews came to £29,488·94 inclusive of VAT. The audiovisual element will be used generally by Welsh Office export staff and will feature in other presentations. Together, the two breakfasts stimulated a terrific turnout of almost 1,200 business men and women. Sixteen of my officials attended the Cardiff event, and 10 were at Rhyl. The breakfasts have already resulted in a considerable increase in inquiries for export services and have been widely praised by those who attended.

EMPLOYMENT

  Tourism
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons were employed in the tourist industry in(a) the Bradford and (b) the Keighley travel-to-work areas at the latest convenient date.

  Mr. Lee
  The latest estimates of employees in employment in tourism-related industries, which relate to September 1984, are 8,200 for Bradford and 1,200 for Keighley. These estimates do not include the self-employed, for whom considerable estimates are not available.

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many people were on the enterprise allowance scheme in the London borough of Lewisham in 1986 and 1987, respectively; what proportion of these small businesses employed more than 25 people(a) in the first year of trading and (b) in the second year of trading; and what proportion failed in the first year of trading;

  (2) if he will bring forward proposals to monitor the success rate of businesses started under the enterprise allowance scheme.
  283
  Mr. Cope
  The information is not available in the form requested. In the wider (inner London south) area, comprising Lewisham, Southwark, Greenwich, Bromley and Bexley, 1,506 people entered the enterprise allowance scheme in the 1986–87 financial year and 2,337 have joined so far in the 1987–88 financial year. Nationally, the rate of drop out during the allowance year has fluctuated within the range 11 to 16 per cent. since the scheme began.

  The success rate of businesses started under the enterprise allowance scheme is already monitored though a programme of national surveys which was established when the scheme began. Latest evidence shows that 74 per cent. of those who complete a full year on the scheme are still trading six months after the allowance has ended, and 65 per cent. two years after the allowance has ceased.

  The surveys also show that for every 100 businesses continuing six months after the allowance has ended, 71 people, in addition to the recipient of the allowance and any business partner, are employed at that time. Two years after the allowance has ceased, the number of additional people employed rises to 114 per 100 firms surviving.

  Of those businesses which are employing others, at the 18-month point less than 1 per cent. are employing more than 20 people; the corresponding figure at the three-year point is around 3 per cent.

  Training Project Programmes
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the companies and organisations that have been invited to tender for Manpower Services Commission training project programmes in the last two years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training project programmes were put to tender in 1985, 1986 and the latest figure for 1987 by the Manpower Services Commission; and what was the average value of the tenders.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Manpower Services Commission did not keep a computerised central record of projects put out to tender until April 1987. From 1 April 1987 to 24 March 1988, 131 projects supporting the Manpower Service Commission's training programmes were tendered. The average contracted cost of these projects was £68,000. Information on the average value of individual tenders is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Restrictive Labour Practices
  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to look into restrictive labour practices.

  Mr. Fowler
  As part of their general concern to see the elimination of restrictive practices in all areas the Government have today referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) certain questions as to possible restrictive labour practices in television and film production, tinder the terms of section 79 of the Fair Trading Act 1973.

  The reference has been made jointly by my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and
  284
  Industry, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and myself, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Act.

  The practices specified in the reference are those of (a) restricting the extent to which work is performed by workers who are not members of a particular trade union; and (b) requiring that minimum numbers of workers (whether or not of specified descriptions) be engaged on particular productions or tasks.

  The questions referred are whether each practice exists; if so, whether it is a restrictive labour practice within the meaning of the Act; and what public interest effects there may be.

  This reference is the first to be made under the provisions of section 79. It forms part of the initiatives which the Government have in hand following the report of the Peacock committee to promote efficiency and competitiveness in the industry. The Government believe that it will inform the steps now being taken within the industry in relation to changes in working practices to secure the future of all who work in it.

  We anticipate that the MMC will be able to make its report by the end of this year.

  Earnings Statistics
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretry of State for Employment what change there has been in the numbers earning double, treble and quadruple national average earnings since 1978–79; and what regional breakdown is available.

  Mr. Lee
  [holding answer 24 March 1988] The numbers in the United Kingdom earning double, treble and quadruple national average earnings are estimated to have increased between 1978–79 and 1986–87 by 150,000, 90,000 and 50,000 respectively. These numbers include the self-employed. Regional data are not available.

  YTS
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people aged 16 to 17 years completed a YTS training course in the London borough of Lewisham in 1987.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 23 March 1988]:Forty-nine young people completed a YTS training course in the London borough of Lewisham in 1987.

  Two-year YTS commenced in April 1986 and young people who started a YTS course since then are not due to complete their training until 1988. Some 468 young people started YTS courses in Lewisham in 1987.

SCOTLAND

  Mentally Ill People
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia psychosis have been discharged from mental hospitals in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is as follows:
  285

  Number of Discharges with primary diagnosis of schizophrenia

  Year

  Number

  1977

  2,983

  1978

  2,995

  1979

  3,069

  1980

  3,314

  1981

  3,348

  1982

  3,036

  1983

  3,299

  1984

  3,489

  1985

  3,568

  1986 (Provisional)

  3,380

  Information is not yet available for 1987.

  Rural Infrastructure (Plantation Timber)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the estimated cost to each of the regional authorities of Dumfries and Galloway, Highland and Border, of upgrading rural roads, bridges and other infrastructure to facilitate the extraction of plantation timber from remote hill and upland areas; and if he intends to lay business rates on such plantations in order to contribute towards the cost of such infrastructure.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The only information available is estimates prepared by the local authorities. Dumfries and Galloway regional council has prepared a programme totalling £13·3 million of road schemes to assist in the extraction of timber up to 1995. Highland regional council has included in its financial plan a total of £3·7 million for this purpose for the period up to 1992–93. Borders regional council is at present in discussion with the Forestry Commission in order to update its programme of schemes.

  It is not intended to change the existing arrangements for the application of agricultural derating to woodlands.

  Sudden Death
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish for each regional procurator fiscal jurisdiction(a) the number of pathologists employed, part-time or full-time, on sudden death procedure and (b) the number of police surgeons accredited to deal with sudden death procedures.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Pathologists are not employed by procurators fiscal but are instructed to perform autopsies in individual cases. It is only possible to provide the numbers of pathologists who are regularly instructed by procurators fiscal in each regional fiscaldom and these are as follows:

  Number

  Glasgow and Strathkelvin

  10

  Grampian, Highlands and islands

  5

  Tayside, Central and Fife

  3

  Lothian and Borders

  12

  South Strathclyde, dumfries and Galloway

  16

  North Strathclyde

  10

  Police surgeons have a variety of duties but may be asked by procurators fiscal to assist them in sudden deaths cases. Figures are only available for the number of police surgeons in each police area rather than in each regional fiscaldom and are as follows:
  286

  Number

  Central

  6

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1

  Fife

  6

  Grampian

  4

  Lothian and borders

  10

  Northern

  18

  Strathclyde

  98

  Tayside

  26

  Forestry Grant Scheme
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will state the total hectareage for which moneys have been paid out under the forestry grant scheme from its inception in October 1981;

  (2) if he will state the total amount paid out under the forestry grant scheme from its inception in October 1981.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The total amount paid out in grants to February 1988, the latest date for which information is available, was £23 million. This related to applications concerning 110,000 hectares of land.

  Iceland (Electricity Imports)
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has now received any proposals concerning the possible importation of electricity from Iceland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 23 March 1988 at column 140.

  Uist and Galloway (Aerial Survey)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has concerning the results of the aerial survey of Uist and Galloway undertaken by the Scottish universities research and reactor centre; what action he proposes to take as a result; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The results of the survey were presented to Scottish Office officials on 25 March and they are currently being assessed.

  The survey was part of a research programme initiated by the Scottish universities research and reactor centre and was one in which the Scottish Office had expressed an interest. Preliminary examination of the result indicates that they are not greatly different from what would be expected for the areas concerned from a knowledge of the rainfall during the passage of the cloud and of other factors.

  Radioactivity (Aerial Surveys)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider commissioning the Scottish universities research and reactor centre to undertake a full aerial survey of radioactivity in Scotland to determine the residual post-Chernobyl effects and other concentrations of radioactivity.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Aerial surveying for deposited radioactivity is still at the development stage and is not yet proven or available for wider use. The widespread monitoring which was undertaken following
  287
  the Chernobyl accident identified the areas of highest deposition and more detailed monitoring of the environment, livestock, crops and foodstuffs has been concentrated in those areas. The work is still continuing, and has shown that, except as regards sheep, radioactivity values, including those in soils, are well below levels at which action would be necessary.

  Scottish Office (Permanent Under-Secretary)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the posts previously held by the recently appointed permanent under-secretary to the Scottish Office, giving for each post the date appointed and the grades at which the post was held.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Mr. Hillhouse joined the Civil Service in 1960. He first entered the Government communications headquarters and then transferred in 1962 to the Scottish Office, where he was assigned as an assistant principal to the Scottish Education Department, spending his first four years on a variety of short-term assignments. His career subsequent to his promotion to principal in 1966 is outlined below:—

  Date

  Post

  3 October 1966

  SED—Finance—Principal

  20 September 1971

  Treasury, on secondment—Principal

  26 August 1974

  Scottish Office—Management group support staff—Assistant secretary

  20 May 1975

  Scottish office—Finance co-ordination Assistant secretary

  3 October 1977

  Scottish home and health department—Police services—Assistant secretary

  1 August 1980

  Scottish office—Principal finance officer—Under secretary

  1 August 1985

  SED—Under secretary

  1 December 1987

  SED—Secretary grade 2

  Ford Plant, Dundee
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what direct personal contact he had with the Ford Motor company in the two weeks immediately preceding the announcement that the company would not be locating an electrical and electronic manufacturing plant in Dundee.

  Mr. Rifkind
  None. During that period all contacts with the company were being maintained through my officials in Locate in Scotland.

  Inverclyde Initiative
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on Monday, 21 March,Official Report, column 15, he will estimate the number of jobs created by the Inverclyde initiative; of these, how many are full-time, and how many are part-time; and how many have been filled by (a) males and (b) females.

  (Thousands)

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Eye Tests

  58·7

  58·5

  59·2

  61·1

  63·7

  66·2

  69·4

  71·5

  Not yet available

  Dental Examinations

  1

  1

  1

  216·8

  224·3

  225·6

  230·2

  239·6

  240·0

  288
  Mr. Lang
  The Inverclyde initiative aims to stimulate local economic activity and create opportunities for employment. It does not in itself directly create new jobs. Information in the form requested is not therefore available.

  Between March 1985, when the Inverclyde initiative was launched, and March 1988, 11,661 new permanent jobs and approximately 1,300 new temporary jobs have been created in Inverclyde district. A breakdown between full and part-time, male and female, is not available.

  Major Trunk Road Projects
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the major trunk road projects which have been started during 1987–88 and those which lie expects to start in 1988–89.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The information is as follows:

  Schemes with estimated cost over £1 million started since 1 April 1987

  A75 Castle Douglas bypass A75 Glenluce bypass

  M8 Starlaw junction, Livingston

  M80 Stepps bypass (advance works)

  A82 Auchendennan to Arden (Loch Lomond)

  A82 Luss to Camus Nan Clais (Loch Lomond)

  A830 Polnish to Lochailort

  A9 Dornoch Firth approach roads (south)

  A9 Dornoch Firth approach roads (north)

  A9 Dunbeath bridge

  A92 East Fife regional road, stages III and IV1

  A92 Ellon bypass Tipperty1

  A94 Candy to Stonehaven1

  1 Contract awarded March 1988: possible works in April 1988.

  Schemes with estimated cost over £1 million expected to start by 31 March 1989

  A7 North Middleton

  A75 Dumfries bypass

  A77 Balsalloch-Balcreuchan

  A835 Garve railway bridge

  A87 Dornie bridge

  A9 Dunblane bypass

  A9 Dornoch Firth bridge

  A94 Parkford-Balnabrcich

  A94 Upper Northwater bridge—Oatyhill

  A94 Stracathro junction

  A96 Inverurie bypass

  Eye Tests and Dental Examinations
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) eye tests and (b) dental examinations took place in the Tayside health board area broken down into districts in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: The information for Tayside health board area is set out in the table. Disaggregated information is not available.

ENERGY

  CEGB
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he will next be meeting the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board; and what subjects he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of the Central Electricity Board; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Gentleman to the answer given earlier today to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North, (Dr. Reid).

  Nuclear Power Stations (Insurance)
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what provision he anticipates being made to ensure that nuclear power stations have full insurance cover after privatisation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  There are established arrangements under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 to provide compensation for claims for injury or damage arising from a nuclear incident. These arrangements satisfy our obligations under the relevant international conventions and are in line with the arrangements in force in most other western European countries.

  Gas Disconnections
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the Gas Consumers Council document entitled "An analysis of Gas Disconnections."

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I welcome the Gas Consumers' Council's report on disconnections. The council has found no evidence of a harder attitude on disconnections by British Gas since privatisation, but its report does recommend a number of important improvements to British Gas procedures.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps his Department takes to monitor the operation of the voluntary code of practice on gas disconnections; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The code of practice on gas disconnections is not voluntary; it is required under condition 12 of British Gas authorisation. Under the condition, it is the responsibility of the Gas Consumers' Council and the Director General of Gas Supply to monitor the operation of the code.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what organisations he has consulted since the publication of his White Paper on electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I am now discussing detailed arrangements with a wide range of parties, including the management, the unions and consumer bodies.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what requirement he has placed upon the Central Electricity Generating Board to ensure that any coal-fired 290
  power stations sold by it to other generators maintain the highest standards of pollution control of gas and particulate emission, noise and wind-borne dust.

  Mr. Parkinson
  It is the responsibility of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Pollution to determine whether and to what extent pollution control equipment is required at such stations. The level of noise generated is a matter for the appropriate local authority.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many organisations have written to him as a result of the publication of his White Paper on electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have received representations from electricity consumers, unions, other interested bodies and nationalised industries and members of the public both before and since the publication of the White Paper.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list his official outside advisers, including City institutions and others, who are being consulted on future plans for electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  My official outside advisers on electricity privatisation are Kleinwort Benson Limited, Touche Ross and Co., Slaughter and May, Merz and McLellan, and Professor Stephen Littlechild of Birmingham university.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received in connection with the powers of the regulator proposed by him for the electricity supply industry after privatisation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have received a number of representations on the proposed powers of the regulator.

  Electricity Charges
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met representatives of(a) the Confederation of British Industry and (b) pensioners' organisations to discuss the proposed 9 per cent. increase in electricity charges; what is his latest estimate of the effects upon (i) the average costs of industry and (ii) the average costs of a pensioner couple living on the minimum state pension and supplementary benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I last met representatives from the CBI on 8 March and a pensioners' organisation on 15 December last year. The effect of the electricity tariff rises this April will be to increase industry's average costs by between one fifth and one eighth of 1 per cent; and to increase the average pensioner couple's household expenditure by about 35p a week.

  Uranium
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what quantity of unprocessed uranium was purchased from South Africa by British Nuclear Fuels during the last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  None. British Nuclear Fuels plc does not purchase unprocessed uranium from South Africa or anywhere else.

  Electricity Council
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Electricity Council, and what subjects he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I meet the chairman of the Electricity Council, Sir Philip Jones, regularly to discuss various matters, including the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Coal Industry (Productivity)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the latest figures for productivity in the coal mining industry.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Deep-mined revenue output per man shift was 3·90 tonnes for the week ended 12 March.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the latest figures for productivity in the coal mining industry.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the latest production figures for output per manshift in British Coal; and what were the comparable figures three years ago.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Deep-mined revenue output per man shift was 3·90 tonnes for the week ended 12 march. The average for 1984–85 was 2·08 tonnes.

  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the tonnage expected to be produced by deep-mined and opencast operations in Scotland in 1988.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Output forecasts are a matter for British Coal.

  Nirex
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of Nirex; and what subjects he discussed.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I last met the chairman of UK Nirex on 1 December 1987. We discussed a number of issues.

  Energy Efficiency Office
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what measures are currently being considered by his Department's Energy Efficiency Office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department's Energy Efficiency Office continues to study a wide range of measures to help in improving efficiency in the use of energy. It is currently consulting with outside bodies about the possible development of schemes designed to recover the EEO's costs. I hope to announce the outcome of this work before the summer recess.

  Coal Industry Dispute
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent representations he has received seeking reconsideration of his decision not to raise with the chairman of British Coal the reinstatement of miners sacked during the 1984–85 coal strike; and if he will make a statement.
  292
  Mr. Parkinson
  None, apart from those of the hon. Member.

  Power Station, Kingsnorth
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to receive an application from the Central Electricity Generating Board for a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth on the Medway.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The timing of an application for Kingsnorth, if made, will be a matter for the CEGB.

  Windmills
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the type of sites viable for giant windmills; and what representations he has received about the extent of visual intrusion consequent upon any projected building of such windmills.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The types of site considered to be viable for medium and large-scale wind turbine generators are those having medium to high wind speeds, in open terrain and which are located sufficiently far from the nearest habitation.

  I have received a small number of representations from members of the public on experimental medium-sized machines currently under test.

  An assessment of the environmental implications and public acceptability of renewable energy sources is a key element of my Department's current research and development programme. The programme is also examining constraints on the United Kingdom's total wind energy resource that would be imposed by such environmental factors as national parks, areas designated as being of outstanding natural beauty and urban land.

  Electricity Area Board Chairmen
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to meet electricity area board chairmen; and what subjects he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to meet electricity area board chairmen; and what subjects he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I meet the area board chairmen from time to time to discuss various matters including the privatisation of the electricity supply industry.

  Offshore Oil Licensing
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to announce the next offshore oil licensing round.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 24 March 1988, at columns 179–80.

  Heat and Power Schemes
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his policy regarding public funding of combined heat and power schemes.

  Mr. Parkinson
  My Department encourages the evaluation of CHP schemes by assisting some feasibility
  293
  studies by industry and commerce to establish whether CHP is the most energy efficient and economic option. If these studies show the developer that CHP is economically viable and affordable, then there is no need for public subsidy.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Coal to discuss the long-term future of the coal industry.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I meet the chairman of British Coal at regular intervals to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

  Coal Industry (Financial Support)
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received on the proposed level of financial support for the coal mining industry in 1988–89 and 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about the level of financial support planned for the coal mining industry in 1988–89 and 1989–90.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have noted the representations made in the House about the future level of financial support for the coal mining industry.

  British Coal's external financing limit for 1988–89 has been set at £670 million. It is envisaged that this will be financed as follows:

  £ million

  Restructuring grant

  116·0

  Other non-deficit grants

  273·5

  Net borrowing

  280·5

  670·0

  The external financing limit for 1989–90 has not yet been agreed.

  British Coal Enterprise Ltd.
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many jobs have been created by British Coal Enterprise Ltd. since its formation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  This is a matter for British Coal Enterprise Ltd. and I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Renewable Energy Sources
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received on the projected expenditure levels of research and development of renewable sources of energy by his Department over the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I have received a number of representations in relation to future expenditure levels for research into the renewable sources of energy, the most recent of which have come from Members of this House.

  Over £124 million has already been invested by my Department in developing and promoting the renewable technologies and strong support will continue to be provided to ensure their full economic potential is realised.
  294
  The public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 288, published in January 1988) envisages around £50 million will be spent on research into these technologies over the next three years. Information for subsequent years is not available.

  An energy paper setting out the Government's strategy in relation to renewable sources of energy will be published in June.

  Nuclear Generation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the minimum non-fossil fuel generated electricity in the privately owned electricity industry structure which he proposes for England and Wales he envisages will be generated from nuclear stations.

  Mr. Parkinson
  This will depend on a number of factors, such as relative fuel prices and the development of fuel technologies. But I would expect that in the early years after privatisation the major proportion will come from nuclear power stations.

  Hinkley Point C Power Station
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to be in a position to announce the starting date for the public inquiry into the Central Electricity Generating Board application to build Hinkley Point C power station.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 21 March 1988 at columns 21–22.

  CBI (Energy Costs)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he proposes to have any further discussions at an early date with the Confederation of British Industry regarding energy costs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I discussed electricity prices at a recent meeting with the CBI. I have agreed to speak to the CBI council on 12 May.

  British Coal
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Coal; and what issues were discussed.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I meet the chairman of British Coal at regular intervals to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

  South African Coal
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many tonnes of South African coal were imported into the United Kingdom in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the amount of coal mined in South Africa imported into the United Kingdom in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The following is the amount of coal imported into the United Kingdom from South Africa for each year since 1980:
  295

  Year

  Quantity '000 tonnes

  1980

  66

  1981

  80

  1982

  67

  1983

  58

  1984

  257

  1985

  725

  1986

  312

  1987

  221

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) who will bear, following the privatisation of the electricity supply industry, the total costs and full responsibility for the safe disposal of nuclear waste;

  (2) who will be responsible, following the privatisation of the Central Electricity Generating Board, for the decommissioning of nuclear power stations; and who will bear the cost for the decommissioning.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Blyth Valley (Mr. Campbell) on 22 March 1988 at column 68.

  Coal (Sulphur Content)
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will tabulate information available to him on the sulphur content of coal used(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in each other European Economic Community country for the purpose of power generation.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The average sulphur content of United Kingdom power station coal was 1·6 per cent. in 1986–87.

  Information on the sulphur content of coal used in other EEC countries, for power generation alone, is not readily available. The following table, however, gives independent estimates of the average sulphur content of coals used for all purposes in each of the member states in 1983.

  The average sulphur content of coals used in EEC countries in 1983

  Country

  Hard coal per cent.

  Brown coal per cent.

  Belgium

  0·9

  0·4

  Denmark

  1·0

  —

  France

  0·9

  5·5

  Federal Republic of Germany

  1·1

  0·4

  Greece

  1·1

  0·5

  Ireland

  1·2

  —

  Italy

  1·0

  0·8

  Luxembourg

  0·8

  —

  Netherlands

  1·0

  0·4

  Portugal

  1·4

  2·5

  Spain

  1·4

  5·0

  United Kingdom

  1·5

  —

  Source: Laikin, R. E. and others (1987). Energy based emission inventories for modelling cost-effective SO2 and NOX abatement strategies in Europe. Paper presented at the International Workshop on Methodologies for Air Pollutant Emission Inventories, Paris, 29 June-2 July 1987.

  Electricity
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the average cost per kilowatt hour of electricity generation from the Central Electricity Generating Board.
  296
  Mr. Parkinson
  The CEGB annual report for 1986–87 gives a figure of 3–365 p/kWh.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department has received any proposals concerning the possible importation of electricity from Iceland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  No.

  National Nuclear Corporation
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the National Nuclear Corporation to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 25 July to 29 July 1988.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if the plutonium exported to Belgium under the Euratom-UKAEA agreement of 3 May 1968 is currently still in the ownership of Belgonucléaire; if the safeguards provisions agreed to cover the export of this 180 kg consignment still exist; and what knowledge Her Majesty's Government possess regarding the current location of this plutonium;

  (2) if 200 kg of plutonium exported under bilateral safeguards to the Federal Republic of Germany, for use in the NUKEM facility in Hanau, covered by all agreement between the UKAEA and Euratom dated 4 August 1969, is still owned and used by NUKEM; if any subsequent exports of safeguarded plutonium have taken place between United Kingdom companies and NUKEM; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Parkinson
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: Deliveries of plutonium under these agreements were made under Euratom safeguards. The current location of the plutonium is a matter for the state concerned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Press Gallery
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make a statement on the sums received from the Press Gallery in respect of accommodation and other services provided in the House; and when the sums concerned were reviewed.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No such payment has been received from the Press Gallery. Any review of this arrangement would be a matter for the Services Committee.

  Line of Route (Refreshments)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the President of the Council if he will give consideration to making facilities available for refreshments for visitors on the Line of Route in the Palace of Westminster.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Existing refreshment facilities in the Palace of Westminster are already at full capacity and no
  297
  other accommodation suitable for conversion to the use suggested is available. This situation is unlikely to change until after extra catering accommodation becomes available in the New Building. At that time, the Catering Sub-Committee of the Services Committee may wish to give the matter further consideration.

ENVIRONMENT

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by Civil Service grade the number of officials in his Department located outside London; and what proportion they represent of all officials employed by his Department.

  Mr. Ridley
  The table shows the latest numbers of officials, by grade, in my Department (including PSA) located outside London and the percentage which those numbers represent of my total staff.

  Grade

  Number

  Per cent.

  3

  9

  0·03

  4

  12

  0·04

  5

  35

  0·12

  6

  128

  0·40

  7

  486

  1·50

  81 (Senior Executive Officer)

  1,262

  3·90

  91 (Higher Executive Officer)

  2,049

  6·33

  101 (Executive Officer)

  3,703

  11·45

  111 (Administrative Officer)

  2,234

  6·91

  121 (Administrative Assistant)

  1,960

  6·06

  Industrial staff

  7,697

  23·80

  1 Civil Service grades 3 to 7 are unified. In the non-industrial grades below grade 7 different occupational groups exist; for convenience these have been grouped in bands numbered 8 to 12 which are broadly equivalent to the general grades shown in parentheses.

  Tree Preservation Orders
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, following the loss of trees through the hurricane, he has any plans to review tree preservation orders in the south of England.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Reviewing, and where appropriate varying, individual tree preservation orders is the responsibility of the local planning authority. The Department is undertaking a wide-ranging review of tree preservation legislation and procedures, and this will take into account the implications of the losses of trees in last autumn's storm. In addition, as I said in the Adjournment debate on March 22, our intention is to take prompt action to remedy the specific problem that now exists following the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the case of Bell v. Canterbury city council.

  Warrington-Runcorn New Town
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each year since the inception of Warrington-Runcorn new town the square footage of factory space(a) allocated and (b) filled; and if he will give an estimate of the number of jobs created and safeguarded in so doing.

  Mrs. Roe
  Since 1981, when the Warrington and Runcorn development corporation was formed, the annual completions, and occupations of factory space, and the numbers of industrial jobs resulting are as follows:
  298

  Factory floor space (sq ft)

  completed

  occupied

  Jobs created

  1981–82

  683,200

  519,865

  1,294

  1982–83

  585,025

  525,050

  852

  1983–84

  46,650

  679,900

  1,192

  1984–85

  390,570

  941,080

  1,521

  1985–86

  266,000

  859,090

  1,050

  1986–87

  527,630

  679,440

  1,186

  1987–88

  542,680

  918,440

  1,741

  Note 1. Completed factory floor space relates to the Corporation's advance factory units and to leasehold and freehold disposals of land for private development.

  Note 2. Occupied factory floor space includes re-lets and stock-in-hand from previous years.

  Note 3. The figures for jobs created relate to industrial development as a whole and include an element of jobs "safeguarded"; but disaggregated figures are not readily available.

  Local Authority Housing
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of his Department's research project on tenants' views on the future of certain estates in Nottingham.

  Mr. Ridley
  My Department is not carrying out any research on the future of any housing estates in Nottingham. A small sample of tenants in the city are, however, along with others in other places, being asked to identify the factors which are important in their choice of landlord. The cost of the interviews in Nottingham is approximately £1,550.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which have informed his Department during the last six months of the possible transfer of their housing stock (i) to a newly created company, (ii) to a housing association, (iii) to a friendly society or (iv) to a private trust; which local authorities have informed his Department that they firmly intend to make such transfers of their stock; and which local authorities have so far submitted outline or detailed proposals of this kind for approval by his Department.

  Mrs. Roe
  A number of authorities have contacted the Department over the past six months to discuss the possible transfer of their council housing to other bodies. With the two exceptions stated later, those discussions have been informal. If a local authority decides that it wishes to transfer its housing, it will need to consult tenants fully before applying to the Secretary of State for consent to the transfer. No authority has yet submitted an application.

  The Department has received outline proposals from Bournemouth borough council and Rochford district council.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury,Official Report, 20 January, columns 749–52, how many additional units of (a) ordinary housing accommodation, provided by local authorities by refurbishing their empty dwellings, (b) hostel accommodation, provided by local authorities by buying and converting empty private dwellings, (c) hostel accommodition, provided by housing associations by buying and converting empty private dwellings and (d) other forms of accommodation are expected to be provided in (a) Greater London, (b) the south-east, and (c) the south-west giving this information: (i)for each of

  299
  these regions and (ii) for each local authority in these regions, which has received an additional housing capital allocation.

  Local Authority

  (a) Local authority dwellings refurbished

  (b) Hostel places provided by local authorities

  (c) Hostel places provided by housing associations

  (d) Other dwellings/ places provided

  Brent

  37

  —

  —

  15

  Camden

  51

  67

  —

  —

  Greenwich

  52

  19

  —

  15

  Hackney

  152

  —

  —

  —

  Hammersmith

  30

  —

  —

  32

  Haringey

  107

  —

  —

  30

  Islington

  115

  16

  —

  —

  Lambeth

  —

  27

  —

  56

  Lewisham

  —

  88

  —

  —

  Newham

  34

  103

  —

  4

  Tower Hamlets

  110

  —

  —

  10

  Wandsworth

  22

  —

  —

  10

  Westminster

  —

  50

  —

  —

  Greater London

  710

  370

  —

  172

  Brighton

  —

  —

  —

  6

  Canterbury

  —

  12

  —

  6

  Crawley

  —

  14

  —

  —

  Dover

  —

  6

  —

  —

  Gillingham

  —

  14

  —

  —

  Gravesham

  —

  —

  7

  —

  Guildford

  —

  6

  —

  —

  Hastings

  8

  —

  —

  2

  Lewes

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Medina

  —

  —

  —

  8

  Newbury

  —

  6

  —

  —

  New Forest

  —

  20

  —

  —

  Reading

  1

  —

  —

  12

  Slough

  —

  8

  —

  —

  South Oxfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Wealden

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Woking

  —

  —

  —

  3

  South East

  9

  89

  7

  44

  Bath

  —

  6

  —

  —

  Bristol

  40

  —

  —

  —

  Isles of Scilly

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Kennet

  —

  —

  —

  8

  North Dorset

  —

  7

  —

  —

  Poole

  —

  8

  —

  —

  Purbeck

  —

  9

  —

  —

  South Somerset

  —

  6

  —

  —

  Weymouth and Portland

  —

  10

  —

  —

  South West

  40

  46

  —

  10

  Policies (Market Research)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what market research on policies has been funded by his Department before such policies have been agreed to by the House.

  Mr. Ridley
  The Department carries out no market research. Research is carried out to assist in the development and evaluation of policies but not to obtain information for the purpose of "marketing" them.

  Crown Premises (Valuation)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1), pursuant to his answer of 14 March,Official Report, column 461, why the Property Services
  300
  Mrs. Roe
  The information requested, based on estimates by the authorities concerned, is given in the following table:

  Agency was not felt to be capable of establishing the true commercial rent for the Crown premises at Richmond yard;

  (2) whether the contract to value the Crown premises at Richmond yard was subject to tender or was a single source contract.

  (3) how much money is set aside by the London region of the Property Services Agency for funding private sector valuations of Crown premises.

  (4) what are the criteria for deciding whether or not to have a private sector valuation of Crown premises.

  Mr. Chope
  It is the Government's policy that Departments should be charged a full market rent for the accommodation they occupy. As the first new freehold office to have been built in Whitehall for many years, it
  301
  was especially important to obtain an entirely independent assessment of the market rental value of Richmond house to ensure that the full costs of occupation were borne by the Department concerned.

  The normal procedures for seeking independent professional advice were followed by the Property Services Agency in this case, taking into account the known experience and suitability of consultancy firms for the particular task. A tender was not considered appropriate in this case, the fees being settled by negotiation with the selected firm in accordance with commercial practice.

  It is the Government's policy that Departments should place work in the private sector wherever appropriate and a substantial proportion of the Property Services Agency's work is undertaken by private consultants. The agency's London region make provision in their annual estimates for such work in the estates field, including valuations. Specific requirements for the latter are not always known at estimates time, and no specific sum is set aside in the estimates for this latter purpose.

  Water
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the procedure for the payment for water consumed through an underground leak during the trial period of metering; and how the sewerage return rate will be calculated.

  Mr. Colin Moynihan
  As with existing metered supplies, customers in the trial areas will be charged on the basis of the amount of water which passes through the meter, including any water that leaks from supply pipes on the customer's side of the meter. However, provided that there has been no obvious negligence or deliberate abuse by the customer, most water undertakers will adjust abnormally high metered consumption due to a leak back to a typical figure for measured consumption, on condition that the customer repairs the leak where it is the legal responsibility of the customer. This would apply both to the measured water supply charge and to the sewerage charge, which will be assesed on the usual fixed percentage of clean water supplied. The water industry is considering issuing a code of practice which would make a clear statement about the adjustment of bills in cases of leakage.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the code of practice for the water metering trial areas; and when the contractors for the Isle of Wight installation will be announced.

  Mr. Moynihan
  We do not intend to publish a code of practice for the water metering trial areas. Subject to the enactment of the Public Utility Transfers and Water Charges Bill, each metering trial scheme will have to be approved under clause 4 by my right hon. Friend the Secretry of State, who may make his approval subject to conditions. Water undertakers are already required to make such schemes available to the public. In addition, schedule 1 to the Bill and regulations to be made under clause 5, will form a water metering code, which will apply to metering generally, as well as to the trials. The choice and timing of appointment of contractors to install meters during the course of the proposed trial on the Isle of Wight is a matter for Southern Water, although my right hon. Friend will need to be satisfied that all undertakers 302
  involved in the trials have made satisfactory arrangements to ensure that contractors who need to enter people's homes to carry out installation work are properly vetted.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households have had their water supplies disconnected in each year between 1982–83 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: The number of households disconnected by water authorities in England and Wales was as follows:

  Houses

  1982–83

  1,171

  1983–84

  2,685

  1984–85

  2,148

  1985–86

  4,562

  1986–87

  7,400

  Figures for 1987–88 are not yet available.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what publicity has been produced by his Department to announce the new financial arrangements for customers of water authorities in the light of the Social Security Act 1986.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: I understand that, as part of the publicity arrangements for the social security reforms, the Department of Health and Social Security is sending a leaflet explaining income support to all existing supplementary benefit claimants. This leaflet includes advice on paying water charges. Other explanatory leaflets available to the general public also include advice on the new benefit provisions.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what arrangements he has made with local authority environmental health officers for the monitoring of water disconnections to domestic users by(a) the water authorities and (b) the private water companies after 11 April; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what arrangements he has made with the private water companies for them to publicise to consumers the new financial arrangements that will be in force on 11 April;

  (3) what arrangements he has made with the private water companies about monitoring the effects of the new financial arrangements for water supplies after the enforcement of the Social Security Act 1986.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: None. Disconnections are the responsibility of individual water undertakers. The water industry operates a strict code of practice on disconnections which is explained in its leaflet "Water Services Bills—How to get help if you can't pay your bill". It advises people who have difficulty paying their water charges to get in touch with their water supplier. It also explains that advice can be obtained from the citizens advice bureau or consumer advice bureau, and that people on supplementary benefit should contact their local social security office. These arrangements have worked well in the past, and I am confident that they will continue to do so.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to monitor the disconnections of water supply to domestic users after 11 April.
  303
  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: Information on the number of disconnections for non-payment is collected annually by the Department from each water authority. We have no plans to change this arrangement.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of water disconnections that occurred for each of the last 12 months for which figures are available.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: Figures are collected by the Department on an annual, not a monthly, basis.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases have been reported in the past 12 months in the Houghton and Washington area of water containing nitrate in excess of the European Economic Community recommended levels.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: None.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of legislation associated with European Community directives on raw and drinking waters when water authorities are privatised.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of legislation associated with EC directives on drinking water quality when water authorities are privatised. The National Rivers Authority will be responsible for monitoring to assess compliance with EC directives on raw water quality. Ultimate responsibility for ensuring that EC requirements are met will, however, continue to lie with Her Majesty's Government.

  Buildings (Logbooks)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has any plans to bring forward proposals for the introduction of a system of logbooks for buildings, with particular reference to their maintenance record and potential hazards; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what representations he has received from Mr. Chris March of Salford university and Mr. Steve Carwell of Leeds polytechnic about their proposals for a system of logbooks in relation to buildings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have received no representations from Mr. March and Mr. Curwell relating to logbooks for buildings, but. I am aware of their study into hazardous building materials. While I am naturally concerned that materials used in the construction of buildings should not have a deleterious effect on the health of users and occupiers, I am not convinced that the introduction of a system of logbooks would be a practical way of dealing with the problem. A study of "Health and the Building Regulations" was undertaken as part of a current review of the regulations, and further work relating to the health effects of indoor pollution is included in my Department's research programme. Some action has already been taken to deal with a number of specific hazards including lead and asbestos.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions in each of the years since 1979 he has overruled his inspector's advice on planning appeals in(a) Suffolk county and (b) Waveney district.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Between 1 January 1984, the earliest date for which such information is available, arid 31 December 1987, there was only one planning appeal from Suffolk in which the Secretary of State's decision was contrary to the inspector's recommendation, following a public inquiry. That appeal did not come from Waveney.

  Unleaded Petrol
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he has of the approximate percentage of petrol stations in each region of the United Kingdom where unleaded petrol is currently available; and what information he has on comparable national figures in respect of the other principal countries of western Europe.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: Figures provided by the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association on the percentages of petrol stations in the United Kingdom which sell unleaded petrol are as follows:

  Per cent.

  England and Wales

  3·7

  Scotland

  3·8

  Northern Ireland

  1·5

  Percentage figures are not available on a regional basis but at 15 February the numbers of stations were:

  Per cent.

  Wales

  27

  Scotland

  59

  Northern Ireland

  14

  England:

  East Midlands

  42

  Eastern

  102

  Greater London

  98

  North West

  70

  Northern Region

  13

  South East

  114

  South West

  67

  West Midlands

  53

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  54

  The total number is growing rapidly.

  Other countries of western Europe fall into one of two categories: either unleaded petrol is available at virtually all retail outlets, or, as in the United Kingdom, it is in the process of becoming more widely available. The Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland fall into the former category, France and Italy into the latter. For these two countries, the approximate percentages of retail outlets selling unleaded petrol are:

  Per cent.

  France

  1·6

  Italy

  2·5

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide information available to
  305
  him on the regional breakdown of the numbers of unleaded petrol outlets; what studies his Department has either commissioned or undertaken into the projected growth path of unleaded petrol; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  On the first part of his question, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Davyhulme (Mr. Churchill) today.

  Figures provided by the United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association show that in mid-February there were 715 stations in the United Kingdom selling unleaded petrol. The number of outlets is expected to increase

  Non-governmental Organisations

  Names

  Professional Designations

  Automobile Association

  Mr. M. W. R. Frost

  Head of Consumer and Current Affairs

  Association of Fleet Car Operators

  Mr. J. J. Hughes

  National Secretary

  Association of United UK Oil Independents

  Mr. R. Burge

  Deputy Chairman

  British Tourist Authority

  Mr. C. D. Barnard

  Assistant Director: Policy

  British Motorcycle Federation

  Mr. T. Blower

  Consultant to Government Relations Committee

  British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association

  Mr. C. Sherlock

  Operations Manager

  Campaign for Lead-Free Air (CLEAR)

  Dr. R. Russell-Jones

  Chairman

  CLEAR Charitable Trust

  Mr. D. Wilson

  Organisation Chairman

  Consumers Association

  Mr. D. Prentice

  Campaigns Manager

  Federation of Petroleum Suppliers

  Mr. E. J. Rowson

  Executive Secretary

  Highland & Island Development Board

  Mr. R. D. Cramond

  Deputy Chairman

  Mid-Wales Development Board

  Mr. P. Pettigrew

  Director of Economic Development

  Motor Agents Association/Petrol Retailers Association

  Mr. C. H. Ainsley

  Deputy Director and Secretary

  Motorcycle Association

  Mr. T. Waterer

  Technical Officer

  Royal Automobile Club

  Mr. J. Smeaton

  Public Policy Manager

  Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)

  Mr. B. K. Saunders

  Senior Technical Manager

  UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA)

  Dr. I. Berwick

  Director General

  The Departments of Energy, of Trade and Industry and of Transport, HM Customs and Excise and the Scottish Development Department are represented at official level. The United Kingdom national committee for the European Year of the Environment was represented during the year.

  Crown Suppliers
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what kind of information about those companies on the Crown Suppliers' approved list of suppliers he intends to release to commercial bidders for the privatised Crown Suppliers' operations; which companies are involved; whether he will seek their permission to release the information; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government do not intend to disclose to third parties information provided to them in confidence without the agreement of the parties concerned.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to announce a financial institution to advise on privatising the Crown Suppliers.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 25 March to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns).

  Rate Precepts
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of the rate precepts in the shire counties for 1988–89; and if he will indicate how much is given to each county under each council's
  306
  rapidly following the Budget. It has already increased to 800 and by the end of 1988 there are expected to be over 2,000.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the names and professional designations of the members of the Unleaded Petrol Group, indicating which interest groups they represent respectively.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I chair the group. The non-governmental organisations represented, with one name for each, are:

  spending programme for the year expressed as an amount per person in each county; how much would be given to each county as an amount per person if the councils spent at their GRE assessment levels; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The information requested is as follows:

  1988–89 precepts and block grant per head at budget and for spending at GRE

  Shire counties

  Precept Pence

  Block grant per head at budget £

  Block grant per head at GRE £

  Avon

  246·50

  106·14

  122·77

  Bedfordshire

  246·40

  64·71

  92·56

  Berkshire

  193·60

  34·70

  22·27

  Buckinghamshire

  227·70

  43·62

  63·72

  Cambridgeshire

  216·00

  98·47

  104·23

  Cheshire

  232·00

  119·89

  129·96

  Cleveland

  282·00

  188·79

  215·67

  Cornwall

  207·70

  211·78

  209·67

  Cumbria

  260·00

  198·34

  206·75

  Derbyshire

  297·50

  154·90

  171·55

  Devon

  209·75

  166·40

  164·01

  Dorset

  203·00

  98·35

  83·00

  Durham

  246·00

  229·44

  230·91

  East Sussex

  217·10

  74·17

  68·50

  Essex

  235·00

  56·97

  71·17

  Gloucestershire

  217·30

  138·56

  140·95

  Hampshire

  200·30

  101·63

  94·46

  Hereford and Worcester

  185·00

  143·75

  131·42

  Hertfordshire

  240·40

  —

  27·88

  Humberside

  261·00

  212·89

  225·00

  Isle of Wight

  227·23

  177·37

  181·37

  Kent

  192·00

  156·31

  145·63

  Lancashire

  234·00

  239·35

  241·93

  Leicestershire

  221·20

  164·14

  167·11

  307

  Shire counties

  Precept Pence

  Block grant per head at budget £

  Block grant per head at GRE £

  Lincolnshire

  204·00

  201·41

  198·58

  Norfolk

  190·90

  141·53

  133·03

  Northamptonshire

  229·00

  137·61

  147·20

  Northumberland1

  230·10

  189·02

  194·51

  North Yorkshire

  217·00

  174·15

  174·83

  Nottinghamshire

  253·00

  162·78

  175·02

  Oxfordshire

  238·60

  14·77

  39·27

  Shropshire

  200·00

  208·11

  204·56

  Somerset

  224·00

  160·27

  163·90

  Staffordshire

  215·00

  168·66

  169·30

  Suffolk

  204·00

  125·76

  121·58

  Surrey

  202·70

  17·06

  —

  Warwickshire

  227·10

  95·89

  105·86

  West Sussex

  192·00

  76·70

  62·83

  Wiltshire

  219·30

  159·22

  164·45

  1 Northumberland precept excludes Northumbria Police Authority precept of 14·40p.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether students attending universities in Great Britain whose parents are resident in Northern Ireland will be required to pay the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  All full-time students attending universities in Great Britain will be required to pay 20 per cent. of the personal community charge for the area in which they have their term-time address.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what, assuming the full replacement of rates by the community charge and the implementation of the proposals in the Local Government Finance Bill for non-domestic rates and the grant system, in 1988–89(a) for England, (b) for each class of local authority and (c) for each local authority, showing precepting authorities separately, the following items in pounds per adult would be (i) the community charge without safety net, (ii) the safety net, (iii) needs grant, and (iv) redistributed non-domestic rate revenue, showing also the corresponding 1988–89 domestic rate poundage and, in pounds per adult, the average rate bill and local authority expenditure.

  Mr. Ridley
  I do not have information which is sufficiently complete upon which to make these estimates. I will publish estimates in due course. The hon. Member is, of course, aware that we do not propose to allocate either revenue support grant or non-domestic rates separately to precepting authorities.

  District General Hospital (Norwich)
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a public inquiry will be held into the plans to site the second district general hospital for Norwich at Colney; and when notice was first given of the inquiry.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The non-statutory public inquiry into the East Anglian regional health authority's proposals will begin on 12 April 1988. Written notice of the inquiry was first given to the regional health authority and to the South Norfolk district council on 3 March, in keeping with the six-week minimum notice period applicable to statutory inquiries under the Town and Country Planning Acts.308
  Copies of statements and documents have been available for public inspection at the district council offices since September 1987.

  New Hospitals
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public inquiries have been held into the siting of new hospitals since 1 April 1983 in the United Kingdom; and if he will state the amount of notice given in each case.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The information is not immediately available. I will write to my hon. Friend shortly.

  Superglass Insulation Ltd.
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what part was played by the Association for the Conservation of Energy in drawing up the list of approved materials for the home insulation grant scheme;

  (2) what representations were made to his Department to include products of the Superglass Insulation Company of Clydebank and Stirling in the list of approved materials for the home insulations grant scheme;

  (3) if any products of the Superglass Insulation Company in Clydebank and Stirling are included in the list of approved materials for the home insulation grant scheme;

  (4) if the Scottish Development Agency made representations to his Department regarding the inclusion of Superglass insulation board in the list of approved materials for the home insulation grants scheme.

  Mrs. Roe
  Superglass Insulation Ltd. have only sought the inclusion of one product in the schedule of approved materials under the homes insulation scheme, but as this did not achieve BSI registration until 1 January 1988, it could not be included in the new scheme made by Ministers in mid-December. No representations were received from the Scottish Development Agency, or anyone else, about including this company's products in the current list. The Association for the Conservation of Energy plays no part in drawing up the schedule.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many waste disposal sites there are in the United Kingdom; and how many were the cause of methane gas explosions during the last 12 months.

  Mr. Moynihan
  There are approximately 5,110 waste disposal facilities in the United Kingdom, of which some 4,156 are landfill sites. Of these, some 2,100 are capable of generating methane. Information on incidents associated with methane gas from landfill sites is not collected centrally. However, the Department is aware of three explosions in the last 12 months associated with this phenomenon.

  Stockport
  Mr. Tom Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the new data to calculate traffic flow for Stockport were compiled; why this affected the grant related expenditure calculations; why the formula was implemented in the current financial year; and why there was a consequent loss of grant for Stockport.
  309
  Mr. Chope
  In assessing the relative need of authorities to spend on highways maintenance account is taken of the length of roads for which an authority is responsible, and relative road usage particularly by heavy goods vehicles. Estimates of road usage are produced by the Department of Transport based on measured flows at selected sites within each local authority area. The Department of Transport has recently changed the method of estimating road usage and in particular now takes account of flow estimates for all appropriate sections of road rather than only a sample of measuring sites. In the 1988–89 rate support grant settlement, we included these improved estimates of road usage in the highways maintenance GRE. Authorities that were thereby assessed to have higher relative road usage received more grant, whereas authorities such as Stockport that were assessed as having lower relative road usage received less grant.

  Defective Houses (Grants)
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will ensure that the following applications, identified by their reference number and applicant's surname, for grant towards the repair of defective Cornish unit style former council houses, submitted to his Bristol office on 25 February, and still awaiting notice of determination, receive such determination not later than Friday 25 March, so that mortgages to finance the non-grant covered repair cost may be obtained before the law as to tax allowance on mortgages alters on 5 April: P.R.C.I (Greenslade), P.R.C.3 (Sydenham), P.R.C.6 (Pickering), P.R.C.7 (Cotterell), P.R.C.8 (Rawding), P.R.C.9 (Maglov), P. R.C. 11 (Harvey), P.R.C.12 (Cross), P.R.C.13 (Smith), P. R.C.14 (Harvey), P. R.C.17 (Morgan), P. R.C.22 (Bullivant), P.R.C.23 (Mathias), P. R.C.24 (Parsons), P.R.C.25 (Gibbons) and P.R.C.26 (Dakin); and if he will also ensure that the application P.R.C.28 by Mr. Smith on 8 March is determined by 25 March;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to give notification of the acceptability of grant applications for repair of defective Cornish unit former council houses, submitted to his Bristol office on 25 February and 8 March, so that applicants are able to obtain mortgages for the rest of the repair cost before the taxation provisions applicable to such mortgages alter adversely on 5 April.

  Mrs. Roe
  All applications for higher expenditure limits under the housing defects legislation are dealt with as quickly as possible, and preferential treatment cannot be given to individual cases. However, irrespective of whether such decisions have been given, owners may be able to arrange loans to cover the possible extent of costs that they may need to bear themselves, and should seek their own professional advice on this.

  Sports and Leisure Facilities
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply of 20 January,Official Report, column 960, regarding the introduction of competition into the management of local authority sports and leisure facilities, he is now able to make a statement on the responses to the relevant consultation paper; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: We have yet to complete our detailed consideration of the
  310
  more than 350 responses to consultation. If we do decide to apply the competition provisions of part I of the Local Government Bill to the management of sport and leisure facilities, we shall lay an order to that effect after the Bill becomes law. The nature and timing of the order-making procedure (including the necessary consultation which would have to be undertaken on the terms of the Order), would preclude the implementation of compulsory competition for the management of sport and leisure facilities in April 1989. If we do go ahead, some delay beyond that date is inevitable. My right hon. Friend will make a statement about implementation for the activities listed in the Bill shortly.

  Water Authorities (Billing Lists)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to require water authorities to have the approval of his Department before permitting the use of their billing lists by direct mail services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: No.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mental Hospitals
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has of the proceeds of sale of mental hospital sites in Northern Ireland in each of the next seven years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no plans to close any of the major psychiatric or mental handicap hospitals in Northern Ireland in the foreseeable future. As a result, the disposal of property will depend on whether it is possible to rationalise services on the existing sites in order to free specific areas for sale. Accurate estimates of the extent of such sales cannot therefore be made at this stage.

  Homosexuality (Inquiry)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information was available to his Department on previous investigations carried out into allegations of homosexuality amongst prominent persons by the chair of the inquiry into children's homes and hostels, Sir George Terry, as chief constable of the Sussex police.

  Mr. Stanley
  A copy of the complete report on the investigations undertaken by Sir George Terry was received by the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Patient Treatment
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is his policy towards National Health Service patients from areas of the United Kingdom where waiting lists are above the national average being offered treatment in Northern Ireland;

  (2) whether any National Health Service districts in Northern Ireland are making available their excess capacity to National Health Service districts in other parts of the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.
  311
  Dr. Mawhinney
  The services provided by the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland are available to all residents of the United Kingdom. However, for reasons of geography it is unlikely to be practical or cost-effective to reduce waiting lists by transporting patients from the mainland for treatment. In addition, the planned rationalisation of acute services in Northern Ireland means that there will be little scope to absorb any significant additional work load from outside the Province.

  Private Health Care
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy towards the size of the private health care sector in Northern Ireland relative to that in the rest of the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Government welcome the contribution at present being made by the private health care sector and would be happy to see further co-operation between the private and public sectors in the provision of health care in the Province.

  Nurse Recruitment and Training
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if there are any plans for the National Health Service in Northern Ireland to recruit and train nursing staff for other parts of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) wrote to all health authorities in Great Britain in May 1987 drawing attention to Northern Ireland's capacity to recruit and train a range of staff, including nurses, for other parts of the United Kingdom. Three regional health authorities subsequently sought assistance to recruit Northern Ireland school leavers into their nurse training programmes. The Northern Ireland National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting has agreed to circulate recruitment advertising material on their behalf and to draw attention to the job opportunities in these regions during school visitation programmes. No health authority has yet asked the Northern Ireland Health and Personal Social Services to recruit and train nursing or any other staff on its behalf.

  Local Authority Members (Oaths)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his current policy towards the introduction of an oath for local authority members; when he expects to bring forward legislative proposals for such an oath; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tom King
  The Government are considering the introduction of a written declaration abjuring support for terrorist violence, as a condition of election to district councils in Northern Ireland. No final decision has yet been reached.

  Hayshed Bugging
  Mr. Tam Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what legal authority a bug was placed in the hayshed at Ballymeeny Road North in November 1982, prior to the death of Michael Tighe.
  312
  Mr. Tom King
  [holding answer 21 March 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him on 25 March 1988, at column 241.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement detailing the Government's intentions on funding in 1989–90 for the Housing Executive to fulfil its proposed new responsibilities to the homeless in Northern Ireland, indicating how much of such funding will be additional and indicating the calculations and considerations involved in arriving at the Government's decision.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: The resources currently devoted by the health and social services boards to helping homeless people would be transferred to the Housing Executive if the proposal that it should take over responsibility for homelessness is accepted by Parliament.

  Future bids by the Housing Executive for additional funding to meet the needs of the homeless would be assessed within the framework of public expenditure surveys.

  It is estimated, taking into account the current expenditure of the health and social services boards that additional expenditure of about £300,000 per annum might be required, initially.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Marine Fish Farming
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to promote the development of marine fish farming; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Assistance for the development of marine fish farming is already available from a number of Government sources and from the European Community. In addition, the R and D effort of the Fisheries Departments involves work on species suitable for cultivation in sea water.

  Peanuts
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received seeking regulations to prevent pet shops selling contaminated peanuts for human consumption, particularly by children.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have received two representations on this subject.

  As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, South (Mr. Butler) on 17 February, at column 677, it should be self-evident to the public that feed sold in pet shops was not intended for human consumption.

  Sheep Exports (Restrictions)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions were placed upon sheep moved between 25 April and 20 June 1986 from the designated areas of Cumbria to Staffordshire for further export to(a) EEC countries and (b) other third countries.
  313
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  None. There was no designated area in Cumbria before 20 June 1986.

  Fishing Fleet
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the present restrictions on non-pressure stock licences, in particular as they affect the Lowestoft fishing fleet.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: These restrictions were introduced last August on a holding basis to ensure that United Kingdom quotas are preserved for the United Kingdom fishing industry. I am continuing to keep the restrictions under close review.

  Cod
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current evidence of cod stocks in the North sea.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: Taking account of scientific evidence including that on the strength of the 1985 year class on which the North sea cod stock will be heavily dependent in 1988, the total allowable catch for the stock in 1988 has been set at 160,000 tonnes. The annual and international process of obtaining and analysing scientific evidence should be completed when the Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management meets from 16 to 26 May 1988 and will provide the basis on which considerations would be made by the European Community in cnsultation with Norway of revisions, if any, to the courrent level of TACs.

  Irradiated Food
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is yet in a position to give details of the proposed legislation to ensure that no irradiated food is made available for sale to the consumer in the United Kingdom without the fact being clearly labelled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucestershire West (Mr. Marland) on 24 March at c. 207.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Agencies
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what representations he has received as to possible agencies to be set up in accordance with the proposals in "Improving Management in Government : The Next Steps" in addition to the first 12 announced by the Prime Minister in February.

  Mr. Luce
  None. The project manager is considering a number of suggestions from officials in Departments which he will put to me in due course.

  Reform (Public Expenditure)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what is his estimate of the effect on public expenditure of implementing the recommendations of the efficiency unit report, "Improving Management in Government: The Next Steps."
  314
  Mr. Luce
  The Government strategy on public expenditure remains unchanged, but we are always seeking ways of achieving better value for money.

  Briefing Sessions
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what is his policy towards the provision of briefing sessions by his Department for hon. Members.

  Mr. Luce
  I attach great importance to the provision of briefing for hon. Members on all sides of the House on the work of the Civil Service and current developments in government. In 1986 and 1987, three briefings were given on management reforms in government and on the work of the Management and Personnel Office. Earlier this month the Civil Service college organised two briefing seminars on the work of the Civil Service for hon. Members who first entered the House at the beginning of this Parliament.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Job Decentralisation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new proposals he has to decentralise Civil Service jobs from the south-east of England to Wales and Scotland.

  Mr. Brooke
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply of 18 January to the hon. Member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram) at column 475–6.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reduction in projected tax receipts for 1988–89 would result from reducing the rate of income tax to 40 per cent. for those at present paying tax at a highest marginal rate of(a) 60 per cent., (b) 55 per cent. and (c) 50 per cent. and (d) 45 per cent., assuming the 40 per cent. tax rate applied on all taxable income above £18,701.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The table shows the reduction in income tax liabilities in a full year at 1988–89 levels of income resulting from the abolition of tax rates higher than 40 per cent. for taxpayers at each of the higher marginal rates. The calculations assume that the 1987–88 income tax regime is indexed to 1988–89 levels according to the statutory formula before the higher tax rates are reduced to 40 per cent.

  Reductions in income tax liabilities by marginal rate:

  Marginal rate per cent

  Tax reduction £million

  45

  40

  50

  150

  55

  180

  60

  1,710

  Total

  2,080

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any estimate of what a 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, 6p and 7p cut in the standard rate of income tax would represent as a percentage of gross earnings before tax for (i) a married man and (ii) a single man on(a) 75 per cent., (b) 80 per cent., (c) 90 per cent., (d) 100 per cent., (e)

  315
  125 per cent., (f) 150 per cent., (g) 175 per cent. and (h) 200 per cent. of national average earnings, assuming that his earnings are his only source of income.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 14 March 1988]: The information is in the table.

  The calculations assume that the man's earnings are his only source of income. Average earnings are those for men in all occupations paid at adult rates who work a full week

  Increase in income after tax as a percentage of gross earnings for 1988–89

  Gross earnings as a percentage of average earnings

  Reduction in basic rate of income tax pence

  75

  80

  90

  100

  125

  150

  175

  200

  Single man

  1

  0·7

  0·7

  0·8

  0·8

  0·8

  0·9

  0·9

  0·8

  2

  1·4

  1·5

  1·5

  1·6

  1·7

  1·7

  1·7

  1·5

  3

  2·2

  2·2

  2·3

  2·4

  2·5

  2·6

  2·6

  2·3

  4

  2·9

  3·0

  3·1

  3·2

  3·3

  3·4

  3·5

  3·0

  5

  3·6

  3·7

  3·9

  4·0

  4·2

  4·3

  4·3

  3·8

  6

  4·4

  4·5

  4·6

  4·8

  5·0

  5·2

  5·2

  4·5

  7

  5·1

  5·2

  5·4

  5·6

  5·8

  6·0

  6·1

  5·3

  Married man

  1

  0·6

  0·6

  0·6

  0·7

  0·7

  0·8

  0·8

  0·8

  2

  1·1

  1·2

  1·3

  1·4

  1·5

  1·6

  1·6

  1·5

  3

  1·7

  1·8

  1·9

  2·0

  2·2

  2·4

  2·4

  2·3

  4

  2·3

  2·4

  2·6

  2·7

  3·0

  3·1

  3·3

  3·0

  5

  2·8

  3·0

  3·2

  3·4

  3·7

  3·9

  4·1

  3·8

  6

  3·4

  3·6

  3·8

  4·1

  4·5

  4·7

  4·9

  4·5

  7

  4·0

  4·2

  4·5

  4·7

  5·2

  5·5

  5·7

  5·3

  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the income of a married man with two children on average earnings was taken in direct taxation in 1979; and what is his estimate for October.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  A married man on average earnings with two children under the age of 11 paid 14·4 per cent. of his income in tax (net of child benefit) in 1978–79; under the proposed regime for 1988–89 he will pay 11·0 per cent. Average earnings are those for men in all occupations paid at adult rates who work a full week and whose pay is unaffected by absence. The level of earnings for 1988–89 (£244·70 per week) is a projection in accordance with the assumptions given to thz`e Government Actuary for reviewing national insurance contributions in paragraph 3.02 of the Autumn Statement 1987. The estimate for 1988–89 is therefore provisional.

  Betting Duty
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of betting duty collected on-course and off-course in each of the four districts in Northern Ireland in each of the years ended 31 March 1985, 31 March 1986, 31 March 1987, and from 1 April 1987 to date.

  Mr. Lilley
  No separate figures are kept of the amounts of betting duty collected in Northern Ireland. The on-course betting duty was abolished with effect from 29 March 1987.
  316
  and whose pay is unaffected by absence. The level of earnings in 1988–89 is a projection based on the assumptions given to the Government Actuary for reviewing national insurance contributions in paragraph 3.02 of the Autumn Statement 1987. The single person's allowance, married man's allowance, basic rate limit and rates of tax for 1988–89 are those announced in the Budget on March 15.

  Tax Rates and Work Incentives
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost to the Treasury of the report by Professor C. V. Brown of Stirling University on tax rates and work incentives commissioned by his Department.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  This study was initiated in 1978 and consisted of a survey of households followed by analysis of the data and econometric modelling by the University of Stirling.

  The survey work was carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys and cost some £400,000. The data—with full documentation-have been placed in the ESRC data archive and are available to other researchers.

  The analytical work at Stirling cost some £200,000 and was funded by the Treasury. Twenty two technical working papers have been published. The report is in the Library of the House.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what policy objectives, besides the control of inflation, influence the determination of United Kingdom interest rates.

  Mr. Lilley
  As the Chancellor made clear in his Budget speech, short-term interest rates remain the essential instrument of monetary policy, and, within a continuous and comprehensive assessment of monetary conditions, they are set at the level necessary to ensure downward pressure on inflation in the framework of the MTFS.

  Exchange Rate
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average pound/deutschmark exchange rate affecting deutschmark purchases by the United Kingdom monetary authorities over the past 12 months.

  Mr. Lilley
  It is the long-standing practice of successive Governments not to comment on market tactics or reveal details of the asset or currency composition of the reserves.

  Liquefied Petroleum Gas
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial incentives there are for the use of liquefied petroleum gas in cars; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  Liquefied petroleum gas, when used as fuel for a road vehicle, bears excise duty at half the leaded petrol rate per liquid litre. This gives it a substantial fiscal advantage over petrol.

  Take-home Pay
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much in real terms he expects take-home pay for a married man with two children on average earnings to have risen between 1978–79 and 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I expect that his real take home pay will have risen by 27½ per cent. between 1978–79 and 1988–89.

  PLO (Military Equipment Sales)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any current investigations are being undertaken by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise into possible sales of British military equipment to the Palestine Liberation Organisation; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  Customs are investigating a number of companies suspected of illegally exporting military equipment to the middle east but the investigations are not centred on any particular organisation in that area.

  Debt Interest
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year since 1978 the general Government gross debt interest in cash and real terms and for the years 1988–89 to 1990–91, the planning figures for general Government debt interest in cash and real terms.

  Mr. Major
  Following is the information.

  General Government gross debt interest payments

  £ billion

  Cash

  Real terms1

  1978–79

  7·4

  14·4

  1979–80

  9·4

  15·8

  1980–81

  11·4

  16·0

  1981–82

  13·3

  17·1

  1982–83

  13·9

  16·6

  1983–84

  14·5

  16·6

  1984–85

  16·1

  17·6

  1985–86

  17·7

  18·2

  1986–87

  17·6

  17·6

  21987–88

  17·5

  16·7

  31988–89

  17·5

  15·9

  3 41989–90

  17·0

  15·0

  3 41990–91

  17·0

  14·0

  318

  1 Cash figures adjusted to 1986–87 prices by excluding the effects of general inflation as measured by the GDP deflator.

  2 Estimated outturn.

  3 Budget forecast and projections.

  4 Rounded to nearest £ billion.

  Public Corporations (Borrowing)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down the figure of £1·2 billion for public corporations' market and overseas borrowing given in the 1988 Financial Statement and Budget Report into its component parts in order to account for the difference between this figure and the figure of £0·8 billion given in table 6·4 of Cmd. 288-I.

  Mr. Major
  There are coverage and measurement differences between the figures for public corporations' market and overseas borrowing in Cm. 288 and the Financial Statement and Budget Report. The figure of —£1·2 billion shown in the 1988 Financial Statement and Budget Report relates to the market and overseas borrowing of all public corporations as measured for the public sector borrowing requirement. It is not possible to break this down into estimates for individual industries. The figure of —£0·8 billion shown in table 6·4 of Cm. 288-I relates to the figures included in the planning total and does not therefore include the market and overseas borrowing of all public corporations as explained in chapter 4 of Cm. 288-I. The major reason for the change between Cm. 288-I and the FSBR arises from nationalised industries switching their net borrowing from the market to Government. In part this reflects the early repayment of expensive public sector foreign currency debt given the high level of the official reserves and the removal of any interest rate benefit on new overseas borrowing under the official exchange cover scheme.

  Financial Statement and Budget Report
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year since 1978 the figure for "other national accounts adjustments" as defined in table 1.2 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report for 1987–88 in cash and real terms and the planned figures for 1988–89 and 1990–91.

  Mr. Major
  The figures requested are as follows:

  Other national accounts adjustments

  £ billion

  Cash

  Real terms1

  1978–79

  1·7

  3·2

  1979–80

  2·8

  4·6

  1980–81

  4·4

  6·2

  1981–82

  3·2

  4·1

  1982–83

  5·1

  6·1

  1983–84

  5·3

  6·1

  1984–85

  4·4

  4·8

  1985–86

  6·9

  7·1

  1986–87

  8·2

  8·2

  1987–88

  8·3

  7·9

  1988–89

  8·6

  7·9

  1989–902

  9·0

  8·0

  1990–912

  9·0

  7·0

  1 Cash outturns or plans adjusted to 1986–87 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the GDP deflator.

  2 Rounded to the nearest £1 billion.

  Land and Buildings (Departmental Sales)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the year 1987–88 the sales of land and buildings by Department as in the form of his answer of 27 January 1987,Official Report, column 229, giving the gross figure for purchases of land and buildings for 1987–88.

  Mr. Major
  The table shows sales and purchases of land and buildings by department for 1987–88. The figures include sales and purchases by local authorities and new towns as well as central government and are consistent with the figures published in the 1988 public expenditure White Paper, Cm. 288.

  £ million

  1987–88 estimated outturn

  Sales of land and existing buildings

  Purchases of land and existing buildings

  Defence

  68

  5

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office1

  10

  46

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food2

  29

  1

  Trade and Industry3

  —

  —

  Employment

  4

  5

  Transport

  90

  126

  DOE-Housing

  2,063

  213

  DOE-Other environmental services

  883

  54

  Home Office4

  48

  20

  Education

  114

  16

  Arts and Libraries

  —

  —

  DHSS-Health and personal social services

  221

  21

  DHSS-Social security

  —

  —

  Scotland

  292

  31

  Wales

  116

  23

  Northern Ireland

  13

  9

  Chancellor's departments

  —

  —

  Other departments5

  38

  4

  Total

  3,989

  576

  1Including Overseas Development Administration.

  2 Including Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce and Forestry Commission.

  3 Including Export Credits Guarantee Department.

  4 This group comprises the Home Office, Lord Chancellor's Department, Northern Ireland Court Service, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Office, Procurator Fiscal Service and the Lord Advocate's Department.

  5 Including Property Servies Agency and Civil Superannuation.

  National Accounts Adjustments
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will break down for "other adjustments" given in table 1:2 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1988–89 to show(a) capital consumption, (b) privatisation proceeds not treated as negative general Government expenditure, (c) grants and loans to some public corporations and PTEs, (d) valued added tax refunded, (e) pension increase payments, (f) employers' statutory sick pay scheme and (g) other.

  Mr. Major
  The outturn figures for national accounts adjustments are given in detail in the public expenditure White Paper each year, see for example Cm 288–1, table 6.4. Annual data for earlier years and quarterly data for the current year are given in "Financial Statistics" table 320
  2.4. Figures for the later years are overall estimates and the individual components would be subject to considerable margins of error.

  Personal Taxation
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax paid in respect of the tax year 1987–88 by a married man aged 51 years with no dependent children who is in receipt for that year of a salary from his employer of £1 million, assuming he has a mortgage of £30,000, a business enterprise scheme investment of £40,000, an investment of £800,000 in a new enterprise zone unit trust of which 94 per cent. is attributable to building costs and where 50 per cent. of the purchase price is borrowed in circumstances where guaranteed rent receivable equals the interest outgoing, and an investment in forestry for which a schedule D basis is claimed and for which net revenue costs in the year amount to £10,000, and who makes a contribution to a retirement annuity scheme amounting to £195,000.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 7 March 1988]: Liability to income tax in 1987–88 would be nil.

  Income Statistics
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) working families with children and (b) childless people in work had incomes below the tax threshold at the latest date for which information is available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 3 March 1988]: The table provides an estimate, derived from family expenditure survey data, of the number of single people and married couples with full or part-time earnings in 1988–89 for whom allowances and reliefs exceed their income. Also shown are the number of married women estimated to have earnings below the wife's earned income allowance but whose husbands pay income tax.

  Thousands of lax units of working age

  With children

  Without children

  With one earner but not paying income tax

  400

  750

  With two earners but not paying income tax

  75

  50

  Paying income tax but where the wife earns below the wife's earned income allowance

  1,300

  575

  Revenue Contributions
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the proportion of total receipts from(a) income tax, (b) value added tax and (c) national insurance paid by the top (i) 1 per cent., (ii) 5 per cent. and (iii) 10 per cent. of tax payers in 1978–79 and 1987–88;

  (2) if he will estimate the proportion of total receipts from (a) income tax, (b) value added tax and (c) national insurance paid by the bottom (i) 1 per cent., (ii) 5 per cent. and (iii) 10 per cent. of taxpayers in 1978–79 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answers 23 February 1988]: The available information is given in the table. I

  321
  regret that reliable estimates of the income tax liability and national insurance contributions of the bottom 1 per cent. and the bottom 5 per cent. of taxpayers are not available and no estimates of the proportion of value added tax paid by percentiles of income taxpayers are available. Income tax estimates for 1987–88 are based on a projection of the 1985–86 survey of personal income and are therefore provisional.

  Percentage of total income tax liability

  Percentage of employees' national insurance contributions

  1978–79 percentile group of income taxpayers

  Top 1 per cent.

  11·2

  2·0

  Top 5 per cent.

  24·0

  10·0

  Top 10 per cent.

  34·5

  20·0

  Bottom 10 per cent.

  0·7

  6·0

  1987–88 percentile group of income taxpayers

  Top 1 per cent.

  15·0

  2·0

  Top 5 per cent.

  30·0

  10·0

  Top 10 per cent.

  40·5

  20·0

  Bottom 10 per cent.

  1·0

  3·0

  Taxation and National Insurance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will give the percentage of gross earnings deducted in tax and national insurance for (i) a single man and (ii) a married man on the following gross salaries(a) £4,000, (b) £5,000, (c) £6,000, (d) £7,000, (e) £8,000, (f) £9,000, (g) £10,000, (h) £11,000, (i) £12,000, (j) £13,000, (k) £14,000, (l) £15,000, (m) £20,000, (n) £25,000, (o) £30,000 and (p) £50,000.

  (2) if he will give the percentage of gross earnings deducted in tax and national insurance for (i) a single man and (ii) a married man on the following gross salaries after taking account of the changes in the Budget of 15 March (a) £4,000, (b) £5,000, (c) £6,000, (d) £7,000, (e) £8,000, (f) £9,000, (g) £10,000, (h) £11,000, (i) £12,000, (j) £13,000, (k) £14,000, (l) £15,000, (m) £20,000, (n) £25,000, (o) £30,000 and (p) £50,000.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answers 14 March 1988]: The information is in the table.

  Single man

  Married man

  Annual earnings £

  1987–88 Tax and NIC regime per cent.

  1988–89 Proposed tax and NIC regime per cent.

  1987–88 Tax and NIC regime per cent.

  1988–89 Proposed tax and NIC regime per cent.

  4,000

  17·6

  15·7

  8·4

  7·0

  5,000

  20·9

  19·0

  13·5

  11·5

  6,000

  25·1

  23·1

  18·9

  16·9

  7,000

  26·6

  24·7

  21·4

  19·4

  322

  Single man

  Married man

  Annual earnings £

  1987–88 Tax and NIC regime per cent.

  1988–89 Proposed tax and NIC regime per cent.

  1987–88 Tax and NIC regime per cent.

  1988–89 Proposed tax and NIC regime per cent.

  8,000

  27·8

  25·9

  23·2

  21·2

  9,000

  28·7

  26·8

  24·6

  22·6

  10,000

  29·4

  27·5

  25·7

  23·8

  11,000

  30·0

  28·1

  26·7

  24·7

  12,000

  30·5

  28·6

  27·5

  25·5

  13,000

  31·0

  29·0

  28·1

  26·1

  14,000

  31·3

  29·3

  28·7

  26·7

  15,000

  31·6

  29·7

  29·2

  27·2

  20,000

  30·6

  28·9

  28·8

  27·0

  25,000

  32·8

  30·0

  30·3

  27·6

  30,000

  35·2

  31·6

  32·9

  29·6

  50,000

  43·2

  35·0

  41·5

  33·8

  Note:

  The calculations assume that the man's earnings are his only source of income and that he has no reliefs or allowances other than the appropriate personal allowances. National insurance contributions are at the contracted-in rate.

  Ethnic Monitoring
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 25 January,Official Report, columns 18–20, if he will make a further statement on progress in implementing the monitoring of the ethnic origin of the Government's own employees; and what results have so far been achieved therein, with particular reference to the pilot schemes which have been introduced.

  Mr. Luce
  I have been asked to reply.

  The final stage of the programme of ethnic origin surveys of staff in post is almost finished. The results of the remaining phases of these monitoring surveys will be published later this year. The results of the pilot promotion monitoring projects are not yet available. The Civil Service Commissioners will be reporting shortly on the results of their monitoring of recruitment.

  In the meantime, two other positive initiatives are in progress. First, my officials are exploring the feasibility of designing a short pre-employment training course for near-miss candidates for the executive officer competition with a view to enhancing their work—relevant skills and their capacity to compete on merit. I hope this will be of particular benefit to black and Asian candidates who, currently disproportionately, fail the qualifying test for this competition.

  Second, the Civil Service Commission has carried out an advertising campaign designed to attract more black and Asian men and women to apply for professional and technical vacancies. The early results are encouraging, with over 500 inquiries in response to these advertisements.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give a breakdown of staff, in whole-time equivalents, for Great Britain for the National Health Service in the numbers of(a) doctors and dentists, (b) nurses and midwives and (c) others for the years 1960, 1982, 1986 and 1987;

  National Health Service directly employed staff in Great Britain1

  At 30 September whole time equivalents2

  1979

  1982

  1984

  1986

  Medical and Dental (including locums)3

  47,600

  50,500

  51,600

  52,400

  Non-Medical

  Nursing and Midwifery (including agency)4

  437,600

  485,000

  486,100

  492,900

  "Other" non-Medical staff5 broken down as follows:

  456,800

  473,500

  460,700

  436,100

  Professional and Technical (excluding works)6

  72,100

  80,300

  86,700

  90,900

  Works Professional

  6,800

  7,400

  7,300

  7,200

  Maintenance

  24,500

  25,600

  24,800

  23,800

  Administrative and Clerical

  122,100

  128,900

  130,900

  132,600

  Ambulance (including Officers)

  20,200

  21,600

  21,400

  22,500

  Ancillary6

  211,100

  209,700

  189,600

  159,200

  Total Employed Staff (including agency and locums)

  942,000

  1,009,000

  998,300

  981,400

  Source: DHSS annual censuses of NHS medical and non-medical manpower; Welsh Office; Scottish health service common services agency.

  Notes:

  Data on a consistent basis are not held for 1960.

  Figures for 30 September 1987 are not yet available.

  1 Includes staff at the Dental Estimates Board, Prescription Pricing Authority, London Post-Graduate Special Health Authorities and Family Practitioner Committees, and equivalent organisations in Wales and Scotland.

  2 Figures are independently rounded to nearest one hundred (100) whole time equivalents.

  3 Includes all permanent paid, honorary and locum staff.

  4 Not adjusted for reduction in nurses' working hours during 1980–81 (from 40 to 37·5 hours per week).

  5 Not adjusted for transfer of Operating Department Assistants from Ancillary to Professional and Technical staff group on 1 April 1984.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if the full £25 million allocated for waiting list reductions has been spent in 1987–88 and how many operations will have been paid for from this fund.

  Mr. Newton
  Health authorities are on course to spend the total £25 million allocated to them in 1987–88 on the treatment of an additional 100,000 in-patient and day cases. Final details will not be available until after the end of the financial year.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will estimate the changes in the weekly amount of housing benefit payable to a person with the following amounts of capital(a) £5,100, (b) £6,100, (c) £7,100, (d) £8,100, (e) £10,100, (f) £12,100 and (g) £15,100, as a result of the April changes.

  Mr. Portillo
  With a capital holding of £5,100, changes in housing benefit entitlement will vary, depending upon how much interest is received at present, because that will affect entitlement under the current scheme. At £6,000, entitlement to benefit will cease altogether. Those with
  324
  (2) if he will give the breakdown of staff for the National Health Service, in whole-time equivalents, for Great Britain in the numbers of (a) medical and dental, (b) nursing and midwifery, (c) professional and technical, (d) works, (e) maintenance, (f) administration and clerical, (g) ambulance and (h) ancillary; and if he will also show the totals for the years 1979, 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Newton
  The details as requested are shown in the table.

  capital above £6,000 may or may not qualify for housing benefit under the present scheme depending on the interest which they receive and on their other income.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the numbers claiming housing benefit in each housing authority in England and Wales.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 21 March 1988]: The information available is given in the table. The figures represent the estimated numbers of benefit recipients in each authority. The number of unsuccessful claims is not available.

  Estimated numbers of housing benefit recipients in England and Wales1: 1987–88

  Authority

  Recipients

  Aberconwy

  6,456

  Adur

  6,610

  Allderdale

  11,160

  Alnwick

  3,420

  Alyn and Deeside

  9,100

  Amber Valley

  11,404

  Arfon

  8,325

  Arun

  14,450

  Ashfield

  10,929

  325

  Authority

  Recipients

  Ashford

  12,210

  Aylesbury Vale

  8,651

  Babergh

  7,927

  Barking

  21,542

  Barnet

  27,710

  Barnsley

  31,336

  Barrow in Furness

  10,260

  Basildon

  18,360

  Basingstoke

  8,700

  Bassetlaw

  11,170

  Bath

  10,494

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  3,282

  Beverley

  8,572

  Bexley

  17,020

  Birmingham

  208,100

  Blaby

  5,817

  Blackburn

  21,314

  Blackpool

  24,800

  Blaenau Gwent

  11,268

  Blyth Valley

  10,468

  Bolsover

  9,619

  Bolton

  34,293

  Boothferry

  6,815

  Boston

  7,050

  Bournemouth

  28,000

  Bracknell

  6,639

  Bradford

  64,600

  Braintree

  11,210

  Breckland

  10,259

  Brecknock

  3,446

  Brent

  29,350

  Brentwood

  4,910

  Bridgnorth

  4,279

  Brighton

  23,700

  Bristol

  59,391

  Broadland

  7,816

  Bromley

  21,000

  Bromsgrove

  10,135

  Broxbourne

  6,040

  Broxtowe

  10,700

  Burnley

  10,435

  Bury

  22,200

  Calderdale

  22,342

  Cambridge

  20,147

  Camden

  27,945

  Cannock Chase

  9,403

  Canterbury

  14,513

  Caradon

  5,976

  Cardiff

  37,050

  Carlisle

  11,430

  Carmarthen

  4,328

  Carrick

  9,288

  Castle Morpeth

  4,298

  Castle Point

  10.189

  Ceredigion

  8,400

  Charnwood

  12,124

  Chelmsford

  12,221

  Cheltenham

  8,952

  Cherwell

  9,550

  Chester

  13,780

  Chester le Street

  6,603

  Chesterfield

  13,750

  Chichester

  7,100

  Chiltern

  7,780

  Chorley

  9,990

  Christchurch

  4,889

  City of London

  875

  Cleethorpes

  7,374

  Colchester

  20,380

  Colwyn

  7,856

  Congleton

  7,489

  Copeland

  6,704

  Corby

  7,254

  Cotswold

  5,429

  Coventry

  46,094

  Craven

  5,250

  Crawley

  6,991

  326

  Authority

  Recipients

  Crewe and Nantwich

  11,340

  Croydon

  26,100

  Cynon Valley

  8,947

  Dacorum

  11,535

  Darlington

  12,145

  Dartford

  5,740

  Daventry

  5,150

  Delyn

  7,236

  Derby

  32,500

  Derwentside

  15,350

  Dinefwr

  6,285

  Doncaster

  45,561

  Dover

  9,900

  Dudley

  39,017

  Durham

  11,616

  Dwyfor

  2,928

  Ealing

  28,298

  Easington

  15,338

  East Cambridgeshire

  5,067

  East Devon

  14,127

  East Hampshire

  5,608

  East Hertfordshire

  6,663

  East Lindsey

  13,452

  East Northampton

  6,635

  East Staffordshire

  9,810

  East Yorkshire

  8,368

  Eastbourne

  11,116

  Eastleigh

  6,924

  Eden

  2,635

  Ellesmere Port

  8,264

  Elmbridge

  6,448

  Enfield

  28,599

  Epping Forest

  9,184

  Epsom and Ewell

  4,460

  Erewash

  15,595

  Exeter

  9,932

  Fareham

  6,001

  Fenland

  8,290

  Forest Heath

  5,740

  Forest of Dean

  9,120

  Fylde

  6,603

  Gateshead

  33,792

  Gedling

  9,853

  Gillingham

  9,912

  Glanford

  6,628

  Gloucester

  8,794

  Glyndwr

  3,770

  Gosport

  6,450

  Gravesham

  9,377

  Great Yarmouth

  12,469

  Greenwich

  27,927

  Grimsby

  12,929

  Guildford

  8,750

  Hackney

  39,100

  Halton

  17,408

  Hambleton

  5,384

  Hammersmith

  22,341

  Harborough

  4,827

  Haringey

  33,213

  Harlow

  10,499

  Harrogate

  11,000

  Harrow

  15,700

  Hart

  2,770

  Hartlepool

  14,824

  Hastings

  11,330

  Havant

  11,790

  Havering

  23,200

  Hereford

  5,447

  Hertsmere

  7,550

  High Peak

  7,473

  Hillingdon

  20,300

  Hinkley and Bosworth

  7,533

  Holderness

  4,676

  Horsham

  7,069

  Hounslow

  22,353

  Hove

  11,925

  Huntingdon

  9,654

  327

  Authority

  Recipients

  Hyndburn

  8,817

  Ipswich

  16,800

  Isles of Scilly

  136

  Islington

  34,600

  Islwyn

  8,227

  Kennet

  3,966

  Kensington and Chelsea

  22,100

  Kerrier

  11,515

  Kettering

  10,100

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  46,956

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  12,291

  Kingswood

  7,732

  Kirklees

  48,000

  Knowsley

  39,244

  Lambeth

  59,289

  Lancaster

  26,342

  Langbaurgh

  23,200

  Leeds

  99,649

  Leicester

  47,150

  Leominster

  3,592

  Lewes

  9,600

  Lewisham

  34,523

  Lichfield

  7,615

  Lincoln

  10,955

  Liverpool

  98,800

  Llanelli

  9,478

  Lliw Valley

  7,739

  Luton

  19,352

  Macclesfield

  13,769

  Maidstone

  8,843

  Maldon

  4,326

  Malvern Hills

  9,240

  Manchester

  106,957

  Mansfield

  12,749

  Medina

  12,801

  Meironnydd

  4,970

  Melton

  4,095

  Mendip

  10,150

  Merthyr Tydfil

  9,144

  Merton

  16,630

  Mid Bedfordshire

  8,710

  Mid Devon

  5,620

  Mid Suffolk

  5,356

  Mid Sussex

  6,117

  Middlesbrough

  29,900

  Milton Keynes

  15,402

  Mole Valley

  4,514

  Monmouth

  5,330

  Montgomery

  3,980

  Neath

  8,214

  New Forest

  12,930

  Newark

  9,710

  Newbury

  7,271

  Newcastle under Lyme

  14,770

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  58,748

  Newham

  34,785

  Newport

  22,500

  North Bedfordshire

  13,520

  North Cornwall

  7,213

  North Devon

  8,150

  North Dorset

  3,640

  North East Derby

  10,770

  North Hertfordshire

  12,858

  North Kesteven

  6,141

  North Norfolk

  9,670

  North Shropshire

  5,435

  North Tyneside

  35,893

  North Warwickshire

  6,314

  North West Leicester

  7,374

  North Wiltshire

  8,120

  Northampton

  20,661

  Northavon

  8,650

  Norwich

  23,110

  Nottingham

  50,500

  Nuneaton

  14,185

  Oadby and Wigston

  4,540

  Ogwr

  14,622

  328

  Authority

  Recipients

  Oldham

  28,010

  Oswestry

  3,270

  Oxford

  27,200

  Pendle

  12,700

  Penwith

  10,040

  Peterborough

  19,600

  Plymouth

  27,570

  Poole

  12,500

  Port Talbot

  9,120

  Portsmouth

  29,450

  Preseli

  8,282

  Preston

  16,831

  Purbeck

  3,263

  Radnor

  2,420

  Reading

  15,300

  Redbridge

  18,354

  Redditch

  9,084

  Reigate and Banstead

  7,900

  Restormel

  10,215

  Rhondda

  10,094

  Rhuddlan

  8,659

  Rhymney Valley

  14,638

  Ribble Valley

  3,281

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  13,584

  Richmondshire

  3,176

  Rochdale

  35,812

  Rochester on Medway

  12,750

  Rochford

  6,049

  Rossendale

  10,005

  Rother

  8,705

  Rotherham

  32,900

  Rugby

  10,302

  Runnymede

  6,400

  Rushcliffe

  7,860

  Rushmoor

  5,890

  Rutland

  1,933

  Rydale

  9,000

  Salford

  45,188

  Salisbury

  6,208

  Sandwell

  62,720

  Scarborough

  10,698

  Scunthorpe

  10,550

  Sedgefield

  13,626

  Sedgemoor

  10,046

  Sefton

  41,200

  Selby

  6,566

  Sevenoaks

  6,065

  Sheffield

  87,859

  Shepway

  9,850

  Shrewsbury and Atcham

  8,109

  Slough

  9,430

  Solihull

  24,420

  South Bedfordshire

  8,894

  South Bucks

  3,980

  South Cambridgeshire

  7,080

  South Derbyshire

  6,385

  South Hams

  5,492

  South Herefordshire

  3,610

  South Holland

  7,791

  South Kesteven

  11,820

  South Lakeland

  8,699

  South Norfolk

  9,560

  South Northampton

  3,910

  South Oxfordshire

  10,530

  South Pembrokeshire

  4,355

  South Ribble

  9,455

  South Shropshire

  3,730

  South Somerset

  13,770

  South Staffordshire

  9,490

  South Tyneside

  30,140

  South Wight

  6,204

  Southampton

  32,800

  Southend on Sea

  20,718

  Southwark

  37,800

  Spelthorne

  6,800

  St. Albans

  9,250

  St. Edmundsbury

  6,548

  329

  Authority

  Recipients

  St. Helens

  27,676

  Stafford

  10,917

  Staffs. Moorlands

  8,202

  Stevenage

  7,892

  Stockport

  31,858

  Stockton on Tees

  39,337

  Stoke on Trent

  35,070

  Stratford-on-Avon

  11,650

  Stroud

  8,754

  Suffolk Coastal

  7,850

  Sunderland

  54,722

  Surrey Heath

  7,630

  Sutton

  14,568

  Swale

  11,102

  Swansea

  28,808

  Taff-Ely

  11,162

  Tameside

  37,745

  Tamworth

  8,477

  Tandridge

  4,521

  Taunton Deane

  8,367

  Teesdale

  2,366

  Teignbridge

  9,130

  Tendring

  18,090

  Test Valley

  6,170

  Tewkesbury

  6,500

  Thamesdown

  21,400

  Thanet

  16,739

  The Wrekin

  19,043

  Three Rivers

  6,449

  Thurrock

  14,477

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  6,429

  Torbay

  18,550

  Torfaen

  12,785

  Torridge

  4,646

  Tower Hamlets

  30,193

  Trafford

  24,300

  Tunbridge Wells

  6,056

  Tynedale

  5,073

  Uttlesford

  4,190

  Vale of Glamorgan

  10,615

  Vale of White Horse

  6,530

  Vale Royal

  12,003

  Wakefield

  45,197

  Walsall

  40,314

  Waltham Forest

  30,800

  Wandsworth

  29,100

  Wansbeck

  10,055

  Wansdyke

  6,480

  Warrington

  19,400

  Warwick

  10,912

  Watford

  6,893

  Waveney

  16,700

  Waverley

  8,244

  Wealden

  13,405

  Wear Valley

  9,575

  Wellingborough

  7,240

  Welwyn Hatfield

  10,485

  West Derbyshire

  5,558

  West Devon

  3,191

  West Dorset

  6,232

  West Lancashire

  15,065

  West Lindsey

  6,514

  West Norfolk

  13,280

  West Oxfordshire

  5,700

  West Somerset

  3,852

  West Wiltshire

  8,265

  Westminster

  25,700

  Weymouth and Portland

  6,740

  Wigan

  42,150

  Wimborne

  5,825

  Winchester

  6,518

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  8,501

  Wirral

  58,400

  Woking

  8,441

  Wokingham

  6,790

  Wolverhampton

  44,690

  Woodspring

  18,200

  330

  Authority

  Recipients

  Worcester

  9,601

  Worthing

  11,859

  Wrexham Maelor

  14,206

  Wychavon

  7,991

  Wycombe

  11,287

  Wyre

  13,246

  Wyre Forest

  9,776

  Ynys Môn

  8,950

  York

  11,933

  1 Derived from local authority housing benefit subsidy estimates for 1987–88.

  Alcohol (Cancer)
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in the light of the declaration by the International Agency for Research on Alcohol in October 1987, asserting a causal relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer of the oral cavity, he has any plans to invoke his powers under section 11 of the Consumer Protection Act of 1987 to restrict or to bar the sale of alcoholic beverages; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  No. Heavy drinking of alcohol is only one of the risk factors associated with cancer of the oral cavity. There is no good evidence of any significantly increased risk from sensible drinking. The risks of oral cancer and of cancers of the gullet and upper digestive tract rise significantly for people who drink and smoke.

  Benzodiazepines
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list how many prescriptions for benzodiazepines have been issued by general practitioners for each of the last five years; and what was the average quantity of drugs per prescription for each of these years.

  Mr. Newton
  The information is not available in the form requested. The number of prescriptions for benzodiazepines dispensed by community pharmacists in Great Britain for each of the last five years was as follows:

  Millions

  1982

  29·7

  1983

  28·7

  1984

  28·0

  1985

  25·7

  1986

  25·4

  The figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  It is not possible to construct a meaningful overall average quantity per prescription because benzodiazepines are dispensed in a variety of formulations (for example, tablets, capsules, suppositories and elixirs) and most are offered in several different strengths.

  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list by region the amount and value of benzodiazepines prescribed by general practitioners for the last five years.

  Mr. Newton
  The information is not available in the form requested. Information on benzodiazepines can be extracted from data from the hypnotic and sedative and tranquilliser therapeutic categories of drugs. These data are broken down by region in the table. Benzodiazepines account for about 85 per cent. of the prescriptions for hypnotics, sedatives and tranquillisers.
  331

  Number and net ingredient cost of prescriptions for hynolics, sedatives and tranquillisers (millions)

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Region

  Number

  £ NIC

  Number

  £ NIC

  Number

  £ NIC

  Number

  £ NIC

  Number

  £ NIC

  Northern

  2·333

  3·949

  2·003

  3·605

  2·068

  3·925

  1·786

  2·975

  1·802

  2·721

  Yorkshire

  2·661

  4·200

  2·342

  4·026

  2·198

  3·895

  2·066

  3·177

  2·049

  2·965

  Trent

  2·974

  4·473

  2·638

  4·317

  2·450

  3·961

  2·392

  3·485

  2·310

  3·112

  East Anglian

  0·956

  1·400

  0·861

  1·347

  0·801

  1·278

  0·726

  1·123

  0·747

  0·961

  North West Thames

  2·154

  3·390

  1·937

  3·321

  1·852

  3·151

  1·578

  2·450

  1·545

  2·339

  North East Thames

  2·137

  3·283

  1·964

  3·212

  1·924

  3·367

  1·707

  2·552

  1·711

  2·360

  South East Thames

  2·425

  3·593

  2·111

  3·365

  2·065

  3·558

  1·933

  3·095

  1·793

  2·468

  South West Thames

  1·941

  3·061

  1·691

  2·879

  1·637

  2·873

  1·498

  2·455

  1·494

  2·319

  Wessex

  1·815

  2·887

  1·603

  2·780

  1·538

  2·713

  1·446

  2·321

  1·431

  2·055

  Oxford

  1·220

  1·931

  1·069

  1·855

  1·090

  1·859

  0·991

  1·660

  0·940

  1·314

  South Western

  2·258

  3·533

  1·988

  3·364

  1·828

  3·110

  1·770

  2·854

  1·674

  2·298

  West Midlands

  3·380

  5·201

  2·944

  4·824

  2·784

  4·826

  2·535

  3·862

  2·506

  3·552

  Mersey

  1·940

  2·863

  1·769

  2·824

  1·685

  2·650

  1·667

  2·416

  1·626

  2·165

  North Western

  3·624

  5·594

  3·228

  5·243

  3·173

  5·380

  2·852

  4·217

  2·854

  3·753

  Total

  31·818

  49·355

  28·146

  46·963

  27·093

  46·546

  24·948

  38·642

  24·480

  34·382

  The net ingredient cost (NIC) refers to the basic cost of the drug and does not include and does not include and discounts, dispensing costs or fees.

  The sum of each region may not add up to the total because of rounding.

  The information for 1987 is not yet available.

  Mentally Ill People
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many homeless persons in England and Wales have previously been admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia psychoses.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret I cannot give my hon. Friend the information he seeks as it is not centrally collected for England. The information for Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many residential places in the community will be provided for those discharged from mental hospitals in each health region in England and Wales in each of the next seven years;

  (2) how many residential places have been provided in the community for patients with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia psychoses discharged from mental hospitals in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years;

  (3) how many residential places have been provided in the community in each health region in England and Wales for patients discharged from mental hospitals in each of the last 10 years.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is not available. The number of places in homes and hostels for the mentally ill in each local authority in England is published in "Homes and Hostels for Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped People"; a copy of which is in the Library. Information for Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mental Hospital Sites (Sales)
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has of the proceeds of sale of mental hospital sites from each health region in England and Wales in each of the next seven years.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information routinely collected on forecast of sales proceeds relates only to the coming three financial years and is not broken down into care groups. Information in respect of all surplus sites for the next three years is as follows:
  332

  Forecast Approximate Values £ million

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Northern

  5·4

  0·4

  0·5

  Yorkshire

  7·0

  1·3

  2·9

  Trent

  3·2

  3·4

  3·1

  East Anglian

  4·1

  1·6

  1·5

  North West Thames

  44·0

  57·0

  50·0

  North East Thames

  17·7

  21·4

  7·0

  South East Thames

  21·0

  21·0

  21·0

  South West Thames

  46·3

  n/a

  n/a

  Wessex

  8·9

  14·8

  7·7

  Oxford

  6·2

  4·1

  2·7

  South Western

  10·4

  3·5

  8·0

  West Midlands

  2·1

  1·4

  2·2

  Mersey

  Nil

  Nil

  0·7

  North Western

  1·4

  0·8

  0·2

  England

  177·7

  130·7

  107·5

  Note:

  n/a = Not available.

  Community Care
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimates he has for expenditure on community care in(a) each health region in England and Wales and (b) each health district, for each of the next three years.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department does not hold estimates of expenditure for the provision of community care in the form requested, nor does it generally identify funds for specific purposes such as the provision of care in the community within its overall allocations to regions, or in its indicative figures for local authority social services expenditure. It is for regions and districts to determine, within a national framework of health care priorities, and in the light of local needs and circumstances, how all their resources can best be used. So far as local authorities are concerned, it is for them to determine the level and balance of their expenditure on the provision of social services.

  Broad strategies of expenditure were outlined in regions' strategic plans, and annual regional short-term programmes give estimates of expenditure at a regional level for community services which would included provision of community care. Detailed figures for 1988–89 are not yet available and no figures are available for the following two years.
  333
  Expenditure on the Health Service in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services which health regions in England and Wales(a) have provided bridging funds for local care of patients discharged from or excluded from mental hospitals and (b) not so provided.

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) on 5 February 1988 at column 800.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has about the monitoring of the follow-up of care in the community for mentally ill people, which regional health authorities were asked by his Department to carry out in their districts in the care in the community and joint finance circular (HC 83/6).

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 14 March 1988]: The monitoring of progress within each region is a regular feature of the annual review meetings which Ministers hold with regional chairmen. Information provided by regions indicates that the development of locally based community-oriented mental illness services is at present rather patchy but there is evidence of a continuing build-up of such services. Our policy remains that the reduction of hospital provision should not take place without steps being taken to ensure appropriate alternative arrangements.

  Hospital Hostels
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what experiments in hospital hostels for discharged mental patients have been conducted in each health region in England and Wales; what lessons have been learnt; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Department has been associated to some degree with the establishment of three hospital hostels whose work has been subject to careful evaluation; these are in South East Thames, Wessex, and North Western regions. I am aware that in some other regions there are similar hospital hostels, that is accommodation in which a small group of long-stay patients requiring 24-hour medical and nursing supervision are provided with in-patient care in an informal domestic environment.

  The evaluations have reported encouragingly on the quality of life obtained, and we intend such units to form a permanent part of district pyschiatric services. For this reason, we have funded a series of seminars in different parts of the country designed to spread knowledge, among both psychiatric professional staff and planners, of the best ways of meeting the needs of those people chronically disabled by mental illness who may need long-term inpatient care, whilst avoiding the institutional environment of traditional long-stay wards.

  Griffiths Report
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the covering letter from his Department which has accompanied the circulation of the Griffiths report to district health authorities.

  Mr. Newton
  Copies of health notice (88)8, which accompanied the circulation of Sir Roy Griffiths' report 334
  to health and local authorities, family practitioner committees and community health councils, have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will consult representatives of Health Service staff, voluntary and other relevant organisations regarding proposals made by Sir Roy Griffiths in his report to him, "Community Care: Agenda for Action".

  Mr. Newton
  We will take account of any views put to us by interested groups or organisations as part of our consideration of Sir Roy Griffiths' recommendations.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has made any assessment of the number of additional social workers that would be required to implement the Griffiths report on residential care for old people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We will take any implications for social work into account as part of our consideration of both Sir Roy Griffiths' report on community care and the report of the review of residential care chaired by Lady Wagner.

  Medical Laboratory and Pathology Staff
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish the Management Advisory Services report on medical laboratory scientific officers.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Management Advisory Services' manpower planning group report on the review of pathology services staffing is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to respond to the report by Management Advisory Services on pathology services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We intend to circulate the report to health authorities and others in the near future after consideration by the NHS Management Board and regional chairmen.

  Ward Closures
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list in the Official Report all wards or units closed for financial or other reasons in the North Western regional health authority; and if he will indicate the reason in each instance.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that this information is not held centrally.

  Riverside DHA (Hospital Closures)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Riverside district health authority issued the consultation document concerning the closure of the Westminster, the Westminster children's, St. Mary Abbots, and the West London hospitals; and what is the normal length of a consultation period for proposals of this nature.

  Mrs. Currie
  I understand that the consultation document issued by Riverside health authority on the "Westminster and Chelsea Hospital Project" was issued to
  335
  the Riverside community health council on 1 February 1988, and to other bodies listed on its formal distribution list in the week up to 9 February. Comments were requested by 1 May 1988.

  Health authorities are required by the NHS (Community Health Council) Regulations 1973 to consult community health councils about proposed service change; the regulations do not specify a time limit. We also expect authorities to consult other interested bodies and the arrangements for this are set out in circular EISC(1S) 207. We recommend there that health authorities should require comments "within a period of three months".

  Regional Health Authorities
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what rules or guidance govern the attendance of chairpersons of regional health authorities at party political functions relating to the Health Service.

  Mrs. Currie
  There are no such rules or guidance.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he has received any proposals that regional health authorities should be encouraged to privatise assets or operational activities, other than land, buildings or equipment; and whether he plans to introduce legislation on this matter;

  (2) whether any regional health authority has, within the past five years, privatised assets or operational activities valued at more than £1 million, other than land, buildings or equipment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Every regional health authority has awarded contracts to private contractors for some operational activities where this represents better value than in-house services. NHS management recognises competitive tendering as a valuable management tool in testing the efficiency of its services. The Government have no wish to inhibit such enterprise where it is cost-effective and represents good value for money in the particular local circumstances. We have no plans for legislation on this matter. Information is not centrally available on the number of individual contracts with a value in excess of £1 million which have been negotiated by regional health authorities.

  Northern Ireland (Tax Benefits)
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish tax benefit tables, taking account of rent and rates levels in Northern Ireland, to show the net weekly spending power of(a) a single person, (b) a married couple with no children, (c) a couple with a child aged 11 years, (d) a couple with two children aged eight and 11 years, (e) a couple with three children aged eight, 11 and 15 years, (f) a couple with four children aged three, eight, 11 and 15 years, (g) a single person with two children aged eight and 11 years, and (h) a single person with two children under four years of age, with weekly earnings of (i) £60, (ii) £70, (iii) £80, (iv) £90, (v) £110, (vii) £130, (viii) £140, (ix), £150, (x) £160 and (xi) £170 under (1) the existing tax and benefit system and (2) the new system to be implemented in April.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that it is not possible to produce average rent and rates figures for Northern Ireland similar to those previously published for Great Britain.

  AIDS
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the incidence of anonymous testing of patients for the human immunodeficiency virus without their consent.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department does not have information about all the research that may be taking place, but I am advised by the Medical Research Council and the public health laboratory service that none of the studies currently being funded by them involves the anonymous testing of patients without their consent.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance is given to hospital authorities on the testing of patients for the human immuno-deficiency virus without their consent.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department has not issued specific guidance to health authorities on the need for HIV antibody tests to be carried out only with the consent of the patient. However, we have always stressed that tests should be carried out only on a voluntary basis and in a context of pre-test and post-test counselling. The precise details of how, and in what circumstances, tests are discussed with patients is primarily a matter for the individual professionals guided by their professional bodies, and the health authorities concerned.

  Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to the answer of 16 March,Official Report, column 613, he will state how many automated systems for cervical cancer screening have been considered by his Department; and when a final decision as to funding of such systems may be expected.

  Mrs. Currie
  The expert panel chaired by the Department's chief scientist on 26 February reviewed 13 separate applications for funds to support developments in this field.

  In the light of the panel's views, the Department is now exploring putting together a package of interrelated work. This is being done as speedily as possible.

  Departmental Research Funding
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 16 March,Official Report, column 613, what is his definition of the phrase "scientific merit" as a criterion for assessing projects for research funding by his Department.

  Mrs. Currie
  The scientific merit of proposals submitted to the Department is determined through critical review and assessment of the objectives and methods proposed for each study. The costs and resources proposed for the study are also taken into account.

  The research objectives are reviewed to ensure that the scope, nature and purpose of the work is clearly described, that the work envisaged will make a contribution to existing knowledge or theory and not simply replicate existing data, and that the anticipated results hold promise of exploitation and applicability. The policy relevance of the research objectives is also assessed. The plan of research is reviewed to ensure that it is appropriate and relevant to the subject area of the study and most

  337
  important that the research objectives are likely to be achieved by the methods proposed, although by the very nature of research this cannot be guaranteed.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what sterilisation standards are laid down for general practitioners; what steps are taken by his Department to monitor them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Sterilisation standards for general practitioners are not laid down centrally. This is a matter of good professional practice and advice is available in publications such as the British Pharmacopoeia.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are taken by his Department to seek to minimise the dangers of cross-infection in general practitioners' surgeries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  General practitioners are required under their terms of service to provide proper accommodation for the provision of general medical services. This includes adequate safeguards to minimise the dangers of cross-infection. Family practitioner committees have powers to inspect general practitioners' surgeries to ensure that they meet the proper standards.

  Dentistry (Hepatitis)
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether the recommendations made by the expert group on hepatitis in dentistry have been implemented; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what standards are required by his Department for sterilisation equipment used by dentists; what steps are taken to ensure such standards are met; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what sterilisation standards are laid down by his Department for dentists; what steps are taken to ensure those standards are maintained in dentists' surgeries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  The report of the expert advisory group on hepatitis in dentistry was published in 1979 and was distributed to all dental practitioners at that time. Its recommendations have been incorporated in both undergraduate and postgraduate training courses since then.

  The procedures recommended in the report were re-emphasised in guidance prepared for surgeons, anaesthetists and dentists on the transmission of HTLV (HIV) and issued in April 1986 to all dentists under cover of a letter from the chief dental officer, since the procedures are essentially the same for all blood-borne viruses. It included advice on methods of achieving the sterilisation of non-disposable instruments and equipment.

  General dental practitioners are required under their terms of service to furnish their surgery with adequate equipment, and to use adequate skill and attention in providing treatment. Any dentist who fails to do so renders himself vulnerable to disciplinary proceedings. These could lead to charges of serious professional misconduct brought by the General Dental Council, with the possibility, if found guilty, of erasure from the dental register.

  Benefits
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of(a) the ordinary rate of supplementary benefit for a single householder, (b) the ordinary rate of supplementary benefit for a couple, (c) the long-term rate of supplementary benefit for a single person living alone and (d) the long-term rate of supplementary benefit for a couple, expressed as a proportion of average earnings in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information is contained in tables 5.6 and 5.7 of the "Abstract of Statistics for Index of Retail Prices, Average Earnings, Social Security Benefits, and Contributions—August 1987", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in receipt of(a) supplementary benefit and (b) family income supplement in the borough of Sunderland.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information requested is as follows:

  Figure

  (a) Supplementary benefit

  36,743 (latest available figure —17 November 1987)

  (b) Family income supplement

  Figures not available

  Note: The figure for (a) relates to the two local offices which serve the Borough of Sunderland. The boundaries are not conterminous. Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.

  Hospitals and Wards (Closure)
  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the hospitals or wards in England and Wales in respect of which he has received notice of(a) permanent closure or (b) temporary closure since 1 November 1987.

  Mrs. Currie
  General information on hospitals approved for closure in 1987 is not yet available. Information on temporary closures is not held centrally. The following proposals for specific closures have been referred for ministerial decision since 1 November 1987. Only closures which have been opposed by the relevant community health councils are routinely referred to Ministers. I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales for information on hospitals in Wales.

  Region

  Facility

  West Midlands

  Whitley Hospital, Coventry

  North Western

  Dr. Kershaw's Hospital, Oldham

  Oxford

  Iver Cottage Hospital

  North West Thames

  Transfer of plastic surgery from West Middlesex Hospital to Charing Cross Hospital

  Yorkshire

  Wharfedale General Hospital—Maternity Unit

  South West Thames

  St. James Hospital, Balham—Accident and Emergency; Outpatients; Day Care Abortion Units

  339

  Region

  Facility

  South East Thames

  Rationalisation of hospital services in Medway

  NHS Hospitals (Income)
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer to the hon.

  Income under section 65 of the National Health Service Act 1977 (Constant prices)1 (Charges for private in-patienl beds)

  £ thousands

  Regions

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Northern

  959

  1,105

  1,200

  740

  1,107

  1,081

  1,026

  1,093

  Yorkshire

  3,137

  3,069

  3,498

  2,520

  3,249

  3,273

  3,143

  2,601

  Trent

  2,403

  2,493

  2,383

  2,143

  1,873

  1,542

  1,600

  1,561

  East Anglian

  2,058

  2,162

  2,554

  1,940

  2,098

  1,660

  1,907

  1,898

  North West Thames

  10,076

  9,382

  9,804

  7,591

  7,032

  6,450

  6,122

  5,096

  North East Thames

  7,356

  7,173

  7,716

  10,650

  9,885

  9,071

  8,695

  7,569

  South East Thames

  8,139

  8,330

  8,621

  7,669

  7,366

  6,631

  6,699

  5,732

  South West Thames

  3,339

  3,222

  3,459

  3,216

  3,118

  2,814

  2,412

  2,070

  Wessex

  2,211

  2,466

  2,793

  2,252

  2,413

  1,980

  1,529

  1,282

  Oxford

  3,828

  3,656

  3,694

  3,249

  3,253

  3,242

  3,410

  3,320

  South Western

  1,678

  1,811

  1,947

  1,699

  1,886

  1,604

  1,794

  1,721

  West Midlands

  3,861

  4,048

  4,414

  2,994

  3,496

  3,251

  2,987

  2,582

  Mersey

  1,412

  1,535

  2,039

  1,601

  1,645

  1,564

  1,806

  1,663

  North Western

  3,907

  4,126

  4,378

  2,805

  3,199

  3,094

  3,238

  2,727

  REGIONS TOTAL

  54,364

  54,578

  58,500

  51,069

  51,620

  47,257

  46,368

  40,915

  Special health authorities2

  7,078

  6,836

  7,226

  6,636

  7,278

  7,516

  8,992

  7,548

  ENGLAND TOTAL

  61,442

  61,414

  65,726

  57,705

  58,898

  54,773

  55,360

  48,463

  Notes:

  1 1986–87 levels as measured by the hospital and community health services pay and price deflator.

  2 Special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.

  Salford and South Manchester Health Authorities
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the financial position of(a) Salford health authority and (b) the South Manchester health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  The allocation of resources to individual health authorities is a matter for the regional health authority. I understand both authorities will benefit from record levels of revenue funding in 1988–89 which includes allocations from the waiting list fund, the special bridging fund and central funding for AIDS.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services on which date the Minister for Health, the right hon. Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton), first received a request for a meeting with hon. Members about the financial position of South Manchester health authority; and on what date he decided not to meet them.

  Mr. Newton
  I received the request from the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley) on 29 February. My office contacted him on 8 March with the offer of a meeting with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health. This offer was declined.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what factors he considered in forming a judgment that he would meet hon. Members about the financial position of Salford health authority; and which
  340
  Member for Southport (Mr. Fearn) of 10 March, Official Report, columns 347–8, if he will give the figures for income under section 65 as adjusted by the hospital and community health services pay and prices deflator.

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

  factors were considered by the right hon. Member for Braintree (Mr. Newton), the Minister for Health, in forming a judgment that he would not meet hon. Members to discuss the financial position of South Manchester health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  Decisions to meet delegations are dependent on the circumstances of each request and the commitments of Ministers. I was aware that my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health was willing to meet the hon. Member, an offer he refused.

  Departmental Offices, Bradford
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what strengthening arrangements have been made to the partitioning separating officials from the public in his Department's offices in Law Russell house, Vicar lane, Bradford, and Leeds road, Bradford; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  In December 1987, a claimant climbed over a protective interview screen at Law Russell house after damaging the surrounding framework. Contractors are currently strengthening the partition supports. At Leeds road office, two existing private interview rooms are being fitted with protective screens and counters.

  Departmental Offices (Social Security Act 1986)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps his Department's local offices take under the terms of the Social Security Act 1986 to make themselves aware of the objectives of charitable organisations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is for local office managers to decide how best to do this. As a matter of good administration, local offices will be expected to keep themselves informed about the objectives of charitable organisation in the future, as they have also had to do in the past.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidelines his Department issues to his Department's local offices on their obligations under the Social Security Act 1986 with regard to the information they keep on charitable organisations, and the use they make of any such information; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Guidance in the social fund manual explains that consideration of help which might be available from another source, including a charity, is mainly appropriate to applications for crisis loans; and then only provided that there is a realistic expectation that the help would be available, and available in time, were the applicant to seek it.

  Social Security Regulations
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will meet Age Concern and other associated voluntary groups in Wales to discuss the impact of the April 1988 Social Security Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Any representations from voluntary bodies in Wales to meet Ministers of this Department will always be given full consideration.

  On 10 March my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Social Security met pensioner representatives including representatives from Welsh pensioners and discussed a number of topics, including the social security reforms which take effect from April.

  District Health Authorities (Chairmen)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what criterion his Department has employed to select the 21 new district health authority chairmen and to reappoint the other district health authority chairman;

  (2) if he will state the criterion his Department employs when deciding to replace district health authority chairmen.

  Mrs. Currie
  In considering these important posts, we seek to appoint people of the highest calibre. We take account of a wide variety of factors, such as personal qualities, knowledge of the NHS, management or other relevant experience and age. The majority of chairmen not reappointed had indicated previously that they did not wish to be considered for a further term. Some were not reappointed on age grounds. It is also necessary to bring in some new people to provide fresh insights. The decisions not to reappoint some chairmen in no way reflects on them personally.

  Blood Transfusion Service
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to place in the Library a copy of the report on the future of the blood transfusion service.

  Mrs. Currie
  It is intended that the report on the organisational study of the national blood transfusion service of England and Wales, prepared for the Department by National Health Service management consultancy services branch, will be placed in the Library with the consultation paper discussing the options for change once this has been prepared.

  School Meals and Welfare Milk
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is expected to be the cost in 1988–89 of the £2·55 per week per child compensation for the loss of free school meals and free welfare milk in the family credit rates;

  (2) what proportion of the £220 million extra spending on family credit mentioned in the Official Report, 27 October, column 181, is accounted for by the compensation for the loss of free school meals and free welfare milk.

  Mr. Portillo
  The net cost (after allowing for the cost of free school meals and free welfare milk which would otherwise arise) is around £65 million. This represents around 30 per cent. of the extra spending on family credit.

  Housing Benefit (Sunderland)
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will estimate how many people will receive a reduction in housing benefit in the borough of Sunderland from April;

  (2) if he will estimate how many people will lose their entitlement to housing benefit in the borough of Sunderland from April.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that information relating to loss of housing benefit is not available for individual local authority areas.

  Income Support and Family Credit (Sunderland)
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many people will receive(a) income support and (b) family credit in the borough of Sunderland from April.

  Mr. Portillo
  No local estimates are available of the number of people who will receive income support and family credit from April.

  NHS Performance Indicators
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will make the National Health Service performance indicators for 1986–87 available in the Library.

  Mr. Newton
  We hope to make the indicators available later this week.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has as to why
  343
  Hampstead, Preston and Bloomsbury district health authorities have large estates in relation to the resident population in their health districts; and if there has been a recent review of their property usage;

  (2) what information he has as to the reasons for the numbers of staff in the ancillary, building and maintenance, administrative and clerical, professional and technical categories which Halton district employs in relation to its patient work load;

  (3) what information he has as to the reasons for the level of costs of administrative and medical record keeping in the leading London hospitals and the Bristol Royal infirmary;

  (4) what information he has as to the reasons for the size of the complement of consultant and senior doctors in general medicine in the Barking and Havering district;

  (5) what information he has as to why expenditure by West Birmingham, Richmond and Twickenham, Rugby, Central Manchester, Merton and Sutton and West Lancashire district health authorities on building maintenance is relatively high in relation to other authorities; and what plans are there to review their performance in this respect.

  Mr. Newton
  I assume my hon. Friend's questions were stimulated by an analysis of Health Service indicators. Although the purpose of the indicators is to raise questions at all levels about health service performance in delivering services to patients, most of the reasons behind detailed variations shown by indicator analysis can only be identified at local level where the analysis can be informed by local knowledge. This is why in our approach to the use of the indicators — full details of which will be announced in a forthcoming health circular — we have concentrated on ensuring that detailed local analyses are undertaken and on monitoring the results and the action taken. My hon. Friend may therefore wish to direct his specific questions about the reasons for these variations between districts and regions to the district or regional authorities concerned.

  Estimated number of dischareges and mean duration of stay (days) of National Health Services and private patients from National Health

  Service non-psychiatric and non-maternity hospitals, by specialty England 1985

  National Health Service Patients

  England

  Northern RHA

  Yorkshire RHA

  Trent RHA

  East Anglia RHA

  North West Thames RHA

  North East Thames RHA

  South East Thames RHA

  South West Thames RHA

  General medicine

  —Est. No.

  877,210

  65,920

  63,920

  77,370

  25,060

  63,710

  80,410

  73,430

  41,530

  —Mean duration of stay

  9·9

  9·5

  9·7

  8·8

  8·7

  12·4

  11·1

  10·5

  9·4

  Paediatrics

  —Est. No.

  333,280

  24,200

  24,450

  29,390

  9,400

  27,730

  24,890

  27,930

  13,740

  —Mean duration of stay

  3·9

  4·1

  5·0

  3·1

  2·8

  3·8

  3·6

  3·8

  3·2

  Infectious diseases

  —Est. No.

  22,800

  380

  4,840

  2,530

  320

  610

  4,870

  1,920

  2,030

  —Mean duration of stay

  6·7

  8·0

  6·1

  5·1

  6·1

  11·1

  6·7

  5·9

  5·4

  Thoracic medicine

  —Est. No.

  61,190

  3,150

  3,980

  5,200

  3,040

  4,130

  5,870

  4,550

  1,170

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·7

  9·0

  11·2

  13·5

  7·2

  10·2

  18·6

  10·9

  12·8

  Dermatology

  —Est. No.

  19,930

  2,020

  2,790

  2,120

  480

  1,170

  810

  1,460

  490

  —Mean duration of stay

  19·4

  15·2

  16·8

  19·5

  24·4

  19·4

  16·5

  20·8

  19·1

  Neurology

  —Est. No.

  42,880

  3,230

  3,430

  3,330

  1,400

  1,480

  3,730

  2,200

  2,750

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·5

  7·0

  13·0

  10·0

  14·6

  11·3

  14·5

  10·8

  11·4

  Cardiology

  —Est. No.

  54,570

  2,960

  5,670

  3,710

  1.660

  5,840

  2,960

  7,570

  280

  —Mean duration of stay

  7·0

  6·0

  6·8

  5·3

  6·2

  8·1

  7·4

  6·9

  6·1

  Rehabilitation

  —Est. No.

  7,880

  630

  90

  880

  1,180

  1,110

  1,350

  150

  970

  —Mean duration of stay

  30·2

  25·3

  26·3

  53·5

  20·2

  29·5

  24·2

  16·7

  26·8

  Genito·Urinary medicine

  —Est. No.

  480

  10

  40

  140

  —

  90

  60

  10

  —

  —Mean duration of stay

  6·3

  2·0

  9·5

  6·1

  —

  5·7

  15·2

  3·0

  —

  Rheumatology

  —Est. No.

  27,600

  1,920

  2,860

  2,850

  1,470

  1,640

  1,380

  2,200

  640

  344
  He will additionally wish to be aware that there is at present an initiative underway throughout the NHS to ensure that under-used properties are either disposed of or put to better use.

  South East Thames Regional Health Authority
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list how many consultants are(a) full-time, (b) maximum part-time and (c) part-time in the South East Thames regional health authority.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 17 March 1988]: The information requested is shown in the table.

  Hospital medical and dental consultants in South East Thames Region at 30 September 1986

  1

  2

  (a) Whole time

  3451

  442

  (b) Maximum part time

  445

  445

  (c) Part time (including honorary staff)

  351

  137

  1 Figures are based on number of contracts.

  2 Whole time equivalents, rounded to nearest whole number.

  3 May also be working in other regions.

  In-patients
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the average length of time spent in hospital by(a) each private pay-bed patient and (b) each National Health Service patient; and if he will break this figure down by each specialty and for each region and the special health authorities.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 1 March 1988]: I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member all the information he seeks. The numbers in the central data sample are too small for reliable estimates to be made for private patients at regional level. The available information is given in the following table: all figures are for 1985.
  345

  National Health Service Patients

  England

  Northern RHA

  Yorkshire RHA

  Trent RHA

  East Anglia RHA

  North West Thames RHA

  North East Thames RHA

  South East Thames RHA

  South West Thames RHA

  —Mean duration of stay

  17·3

  16·4

  19·0

  15·8

  19·8

  15·5

  21·5

  13·7

  13·8

  Geriatric medicine

  —Est. No.

  358,540

  18,620

  43,780

  39,520

  18,140

  20,590

  23,190

  28,730

  16,940

  —Mean duration of stay

  50·1

  61·9

  39·8

  45·6

  46·1

  56·6

  71·2

  44·0

  49·8

  Units for younger disabled

  —Est. No.

  5,200

  290

  820

  1,010

  240

  330

  420

  360

  320

  —Mean duration of stay

  65·0

  49·2

  13·7

  49·0

  105·3

  75·6

  46·7

  300·1

  14·3

  General surgery

  —Est. No.

  456,670

  63,050

  71,670

  91,710

  41,320

  66,900

  81,920

  80,920

  52,720

  —Mean duration of stay

  7·0

  7·9

  7·2

  6·5

  6·4

  8·1

  7·5

  6·9

  6·7

  Ear, Nose and Throat

  —Est. No.

  264,300

  18,390

  22,290

  24,490

  12,560

  16,250

  23,770

  21,060

  13,370

  —Mean duration of stay

  3·4

  3·1

  3·1

  3·4

  2·6

  3·6

  3·6

  3·4

  3·3

  Orthopaedic surgery

  —Est. No.

  506,760

  32,160

  45,550

  45,980

  17,360

  33,420

  36,870

  36,870

  25,800

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·0

  11·8

  10·1

  11·9

  9·9

  11·6

  12·9

  12·0

  11·5

  Ophthalmology

  —Est. No.

  138,860

  9,650

  14,150

  12,950

  6,840

  7,750

  7,960

  10,380

  7,270

  —Mean duration of stay

  5·3

  4·4

  6·0

  5·7

  5·1

  5·9

  6·1

  5·6

  5·1

  Radiotherapy

  —Est. No.

  58,900

  3,260

  2,590

  7,280

  2,830

  4,990

  6,550

  2,720

  1,940

  —Mean duration of stay

  10·0

  7·5

  12·5

  11·9

  11·2

  9·9

  10·2

  11·3

  7·6

  Urology

  —Est. No.

  149,500

  8,790

  15,180

  12,510

  9,010

  7,630

  16,030

  15,460

  6,880

  —Mean duration of stay

  6·4

  6·1

  6·5

  5·7

  5·5

  6·4

  6·9

  6·7

  6·6

  Plastic surgery

  —Est. No.

  53,550

  6,030

  4,950

  4,740

  2,550

  3,450

  2,250

  2,910

  2,000

  —Mean duration of stay

  7·2

  5·5

  6·5

  7·6

  7·2

  7·0

  6·3

  7·1

  6·7

  Thoracic surgery

  —Est. No.

  40,430

  2,020

  4,160

  3,810

  1,240

  3,210

  2,200

  3,190

  700

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·1

  10·2

  10·2

  12·7

  8·3

  13·2

  12·1

  10·6

  10·4

  Oral surgery

  —Est. No.

  87,330

  3,660

  7,910

  6,510

  4,600

  8,020

  7,910

  7,680

  4,680

  —Mean duration of stay

  2·2

  2·3

  1·9

  2·0

  2·1

  2·7

  2·4

  2·4

  2·2

  Orthodontics

  —Est. No.

  340

  20

  —

  30

  —

  10

  —

  50

  20

  —Mean duration of stay

  4·0

  3·5

  —

  1·0

  —

  2·0

  —

  1·2

  2·0

  Neurosurgery

  —Est. No.

  29,350

  2,200

  3,200

  2,090

  1,890

  600

  2,210

  1,060

  1,880

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·7

  19·2

  8·1

  13·8

  9·3

  7·8

  15·8

  10·0

  9·7

  Gynaecology

  —Est. No.

  566,300

  34,100

  43,570

  61,080

  24,040

  39,550

  52,610

  43,400

  27,820

  —Mean duration of stay

  3·9

  4·0

  4·4

  3·7

  3·8

  4·1

  4·1

  3·7

  4·2

  Special care baby unit

  —Est. No.

  61,240

  3,860

  5,970

  5,160

  2,080

  4,970

  4,840

  4,750

  3,190

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·0

  9·0

  10·7

  12·9

  10·1

  8·7

  11·8

  11·7

  10·4

  General practitioner (other)

  —Est. No.

  91,740

  5,610

  4,640

  7,260

  4,010

  2,450

  3,600

  5,680

  5,440

  —Mean duration of stay

  18·7

  20·0

  14·3

  16·5

  14·2

  38·5

  19·2

  15·9

  27·1

  General practitioner (dental)

  —Est. No.

  800

  —

  —

  10

  —

  —

  —

  20

  580

  —Mean duration of stay

  1·6

  —

  —

  1·0

  —

  —

  —

  2·0

  1·4

  All other specialist units

  —Est. No.

  183,970

  11,750

  23,230

  12,920

  5,780

  12,560

  14,010

  21,090

  4,010

  —Mean duration of stay

  7·8

  6·0

  7·0

  6·0

  7·1

  7·4

  15·9

  10·2

  5·0

  National Health Service patients

  Private patients

  Wessex RHA

  Oxford RHA

  South Western RHA

  West Midlands RHA

  Mersey RHA

  North Western RHA

  Special health authorities

  England

  General medicine

  —Est. No.

  45,650

  40,020

  50,460

  94,700

  50,690

  49,330

  5,010

  4,620

  —Mean duration of stay

  9·5

  8·3

  90

  9·7

  10·3

  9·6

  6·8

  7·2

  Paediatrics

  —Est. No.

  13,410

  17,260

  22,270

  37,030

  21,220

  38,530

  1,830

  350

  —Mean duration of stay

  6·8

  3·6

  3·1

  3·5

  3·7

  3·9

  5·5

  7·6

  Infectious diseases

  —Est. No.

  40

  540

  770

  1,120

  760

  2,070

  —

  80

  —Mean duration of stay

  9·8

  6·9

  8·4

  7·4

  10·0

  8·5

  —

  6·0

  Thoracic medicine

  —Est. No.

  2,140

  2,660

  2,970

  7,140

  2,840

  4,040

  8,310

  840

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·5

  11·3

  11·2

  11·8

  12·6

  13·5

  3·4

  5·2

  Dermatology

  —Est. No.

  1,050

  750

  1,230

  2,870

  950

  1,570

  170

  100

  —Mean duration of stay

  25·9

  23·2

  14·3

  20·3

  21·2

  20·7

  6·6

  15·7

  Neurology

  —Est. No.

  1,780

  2,810

  2,280

  5,350

  1,980

  4,240

  2,890

  1,100

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·4

  19·2

  12·0

  10·5

  7·6

  10·3

  10·6

  6·0

  Cadiology

  —Est. No.

  1,680

  1,880

  390

  6,440

  3,160

  5,800

  4,570

  1,250

  —Mean duration of stay

  8·5

  6·6

  6·5

  6·9

  8·0

  6·6

  7·8

  3·9

  Rehabilitation

  —Est. No.

  680

  390

  30

  —

  110

  310

  —

  70

  —Mean duration of stay

  20·2

  29·1

  63·3

  —

  34·9

  78·4

  _—

  12·4

  Genito·urinary medicine

  —Est. No.

  —

  —

  40

  90

  —

  —

  —

  30

  —Mean duration of stay

  —

  —

  1·5

  3·0

  —

  —

  —

  2·7

  Rheumatology

  —Est. No.

  2,130

  2,000

  1,260

  2,300

  760

  3,920

  270

  320

  —Mean duration of stay

  23·0

  13·7

  16·6

  16·9

  16·8

  18·5

  8·9

  12·4

  Geriatric medicine

  —Est. No.

  14,880

  14,600

  23,100

  35,210

  19,580

  41,150

  710

  140

  —Mean duration of stay

  50·7

  45·0

  42·4

  68·3

  57·0

  37·9

  51·2

  19·9

  Units for younger disabled

  —Est. No.

  60

  10

  300

  320

  230

  490

  —

  10

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·7

  19·0

  33·3

  150·3

  18·7

  35·2

  —

  1·0

  General surgery

  —Est. No.

  49,890

  47,270

  60,290

  96,920

  50,310

  97,470

  4,310

  11,920

  —Mean duration of stay

  6·6

  5·7

  6·4

  6·6

  7·9

  7·0

  8·7

  5·8

  Ear, nose and throat

  —Est. No.

  14,680

  14,530

  15,340

  27,510

  11,000

  27,720

  1,240

  5,950

  —Mean duration of stay

  4·0

  2·6

  3·5

  3·5

  3·9

  8·2

  3·1

  2·7

  346 347

  National Health Service patients

  Private patients

  Wessex RHA

  Oxford RHA

  South Western RHA

  West Midlands RHA

  Mersey RHA

  North Western RHA

  Special health authorities

  England

  Orthopaedic surgery

  —Est. No.

  30,940

  32,020

  31,850

  64,860

  25,650

  45,320

  2,110

  7,310

  —Mean duration of stay

  10·5

  7·9

  10·5

  10·0

  12·1

  11·2

  9·1

  6·6

  Opthalmology

  —Est. No.

  7,680

  5,010

  9,100

  13,800

  6,520

  13,990

  8,810

  4,750

  —Mean duration of stay

  5·1

  4·3

  5·5

  5·4

  5·5

  5·6

  4·0

  3·1

  Radiotherapy

  —Est. No.

  2,790

  2,800

  6,110

  5,460

  3,970

  4,460

  1,150

  1,160

  —Mean duration of stay

  11·9

  8·3

  8·5

  6·0

  12·1

  12·2

  8·1

  6·8

  Urology

  —Est. No.

  7,210

  3,450

  8,280

  16,110

  5,230

  16,270

  6,460

  2,840

  —Mean duration of stay

  5·7

  5·2

  6·8

  6·5

  7·5

  6·6

  7·7

  5·5

  Plastic surgery

  —Est. No.

  2,200

  4,820

  3,790

  4,860

  2,880

  5,480

  640

  890

  —Mean duration of stay

  10·8

  7·3

  8·8

  7·9

  5·4

  8·0

  5·8

  4·2

  Thoracic surgery

  —Est. No.

  1,050

  250

  3,200

  4,540

  1,670

  6,510

  2,680

  1,770

  —Mean duration of stay

  7·2

  9·4

  10·2

  10·6

  9·4

  11·8

  12·6

  9·5

  Oral surgery

  —Est. No.

  4,880

  4,330

  6,160

  7,910

  3,810

  9,070

  200

  2,050

  —Mean duration of stay

  2·3

  1·7

  2·1

  2·0

  2·6

  2·4

  2·6

  1·7

  Orthodontics

  —Est. No.

  —

  —

  120

  —

  50

  10

  —

  —

  —Mean duration of stay

  —

  —

  1·7

  —

  11·5

  2·0

  —

  —

  Neurosurgery

  —Est. No.

  700

  1,420

  2,360

  3,320

  2,100

  3,200

  1,120

  1,220

  —Mean duration of stay

  9·0

  8·8

  8·7

  10·0

  10·8

  13·3

  19·2

  9·2

  Gynaecology

  —Est. No.

  29,800

  29,150

  34,370

  57,240

  25,960

  58,010

  5,550

  7,090

  —Mean duration of stay

  3·9

  3·3

  3·7

  4·0

  4·6

  4·0

  3·8

  3·9

  Special care baby unit

  —Est. No.

  2,950

  2,690

  2,440

  7,800

  3,980

  5,940

  620

  100

  —Mean duration of stay

  9·9

  13·6

  12·9

  9·8

  9·8

  11·8

  24·3

  9·6

  General practitioner (other)

  —Est. No.

  10,170

  7,980

  20,270

  10,410

  2,560

  1,660

  —

  120

  —Mean duration of stay

  17·5

  20·3

  17·4

  17·6

  20·1

  21·8

  —

  10·8

  General practitioner (dental)

  —Est. No.

  60

  10

  110

  —

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —Mean duration of stay

  1·8

  2·0

  2·3

  —

  3·0

  —

  —

  —

  All other specialist units

  —Est. No.

  7,130

  1,010

  12,010

  5,910

  30,580

  16,560

  15,420

  3,580

  —Mean duration of stay

  5·7

  15·9

  5·3

  8·1

  5·8

  6·0

  8·8

  8·4

THE ARTS

  Library Services (Old People)
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received, prior to February 1988, from library authorities about making library services to local old people's homes the subject of competitive tendering.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what evidence he has of a desire by library authorities to make library services to local retirement pensioner homes subject to competitive tendering.

  Mr. Luce
  None so far. Library services to old people's homes is one example of services which, I suggest in my Green Paper, might be put out to competitive tender. The Government want to encourage library authorities to contract out services where this will produce greater efficiency or economies of scale.

  Business Sponsorship
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he has any plans to review the business sponsorship scheme for the arts in the light of the annual report of the Association for Business Sponsorship for the Arts for 1986–87, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  As I announced on 26 January, the scheme has been revised and strengthened for 1988–89. The budget will be increased by over 70 per cent. from £1·75 million to £3 million to reflect the growth in sponsorship and will be operated in two six-monthly periods, on the basis of
  348
  allocations reflecting the take-up pattern in previous years. This should ensure that adequate resources are available throughout the year.

  Public Library Service
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what consultations he had with local authorities prior to publishing his Green Paper, "Financing Our Public Library Service."

  Mr. Luce
  None. The period of consultation is now taking place. Before I exercise the proposed power to make regulations on fees and charges, I will consult further those representatives of local government as appear to be appropriate.

  Library Services (Norfolk)
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what information he has about the level of expenditure per capita on library services by Norfolk county council.

  Mr. Luce
  Information about public library expenditure is included in the statistics collected and published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. In the latest year for which information is available, 1986–87, Norfolk county council spent £4·84 per head of resident population.

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Minister for the Arts to what extent those engaged in the arts have benefited from the enterprise allowance scheme.

  Mr. Luce
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) earlier today.

  Heritage (Funding)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what assessment he has made of the extent to which plural funding can aid the preservation of Britain's heritage.

  Mr. Luce
  I am convinced that the co-operation of public and private interests is essential to preservation of the heritage. The national heritage memorial fund often works in partnership with the private sector in contributing to heritage appeals. Its many successes in recent years demonstrate the value of this approach.

  Opera
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what he is doing to encourage opera in the regions.

  Mr. Luce
  The Arts Council is allocating an extra £1·5 million in 1988–89 for increased touring in regions outside London. I would expect opera companies to benefit from this increase.

  National Theatre
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last met the chairman of the National theatre to discuss its level of Arts Council funding.

  Mr. Luce
  I meet the chairman from time to time, most recently on 27 September last year. Funding decisions relating to the National theatre are a matter for the Arts Council.

  Marketing Skills
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what encouragement he is giving to the development of marketing skills by arts organisations.

  Mr. Luce
  I continue to be very interested in ways in which arts organisations can be encouraged to market themselves more effectively. As I told the House on 25 February at column 307, I am supporting two new initiatives in 1988–89 which will help arts bodies to become more skilful at marketing: a distance learning package and a programme of training courses for top management.

  Libraries (Services)
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what services are currently provided free to commercial organisations by public libraries.

  Mr. Luce
  There is considerable variation in library authority practice. However, the services provided free to commercial organisations include reference and information services and book-lending and reservation services.

  Libraries (Funding)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received on the level of public funding of libraries, in the light of the proposals in the Green Paper Cm. 324.

  Mr. Luce
  None.

  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what consultations he will be having in relation to the Green Paper on the financing of libraries.
  350
  Mr. Luce
  My Green Paper invites public comment on the measures put forward. when I have fully considered all the views expressed, I will, as necessary, consult formally on the means to give effect to the Government's objectives.

  Private Patronage
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement about the prospects for enhanced private patronage of the Arts consequent upon the Budget tax changes.

  Mr. Luce
  I warmly welcome the Budget announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The reduction of the higher rates of income tax to 40 per cent. will ensure that high-earning individuals have more disposable income to invest as well as to give in charitable donations. Doubling the ceiling on payroll gifts from £120 to £240 per annum will make it more attractive for donors to select a wide range of charities to receive their gifts (they may choose up to eight), among which I hope arts charities will figure prominently.

  Theatres (Funding)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what estimates he has made of the financial assistance that will flow to the theatre from his incentive funding policy.

  Mr. Luce
  The Arts Council is looking to incentive funding to generate increased income of £2 from private sector sources for every £1 of taxpayer's money.

  Community Library
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if, following the announcement of the closure of Kingswood library by Southwark London borough council and the publication of the Green Paper on the financing of libraries, he will give consideration to allowing alternative agencies to provide community libraries in cases where the relevant local authority is unwilling or unable to provide this service.

  Mr. Luce
  Statutory responsibility for providing a comprehensive and efficient public library service rests with the London borough of Southwark. My Green Paper does not propose any changes in responsibility, only that library authorities should consider contracting-out as a means of providing services more efficiently and effectively. There is nothing to prevent a private library seeking to provide a service to the public being financed by voluntary contributions or private sector sponsorship.

  Inner-city Regeneration
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what assessment he has made of the extent to which the arts can aid the regeneration of the inner cities.

  Mr. Luce
  I have been impressed by the arts contributions being made to inner-city regeneration, which I have seen during regional visits. I commend the efforts of the Arts Council and regional arts associations to build on these by presenting opportunities to developers and business interests.

  Museums, Galleries and Libraries
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is his involvement in the formulation of corporate plans for national museums, galleries and libraries.

  Mr. Luce
  I believe that it is vital that the trustees and staff of the national museums and galleries and the British library have a clear view of the objectives of their institution, of the means by which those objectives can be attained and of the targets against which their achievements will be measured. It is important too that objectives and achievements should be reviewed regularly to take account of new developments.

  In 1986 I asked each of the national museums and galleries and the British Library to produce a strategic or corporate plan looking five years ahead, and to roll forward the plans annually.

  The institutions are now putting the final touches to the second round of planning, and I am meeting each of them in turn to discuss their plans.

  British Theatre Association (Library)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what are the terms of reference of the working party currently investigating the British Theatre Association's library.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 23 March 1988]: The terms of reference are as follows:
  Given that there is to be no additional public funding of the library, to consider—

  (a) whether it is possible for the library to balance its income and expenditure; and

  (b) if this is not possible, what would be the best way in which the library's functions could be carried on and to report to the director of the BTA.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what he estimates would be the cost of disposing of the contents of the British Theatre Association's library in relation to(a) relocation and (b) staffing.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 23 March 1988]: I have commissioned a study of the BTA library, which is to consider, among other things, the best way in which its work could be carried on if it could no longer operate independently. This will include an estimate of costs.

  "The Urban Renaissance"
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what was the research and publication cost of the Arts Council's paper "The Urban Renaissance".

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 4 March 1988]: The total cost of the published pamphlet was £5,410, divided thus:

  £

  Research and consultancy costs (the paper forms a part of a larger research project)

  1,400

  Time of Arts Council's permanent staff

  1,000

  Printing and distribution

  3,010

  5,410

  Museums
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what initiatives are currently being developed in the area of museum collections management.
  352
  Mr. Luce
  Museums and galleries are increasingly aware of the importance of developing clear policies of collections management which relate to their overall aims and resources. I am keen to encourage this. The museums database project, recently undertaken by the Museums Association, identified this as a key area where further research would be of practical help to museum managers.

  I have decided therefore to commission a study in conjunction with the Museums Association, to look at the wider resource implications of maintaining and managing museum collections. The study will examine, and attempt to quantify, factors such as display and storage space, curatorial and conservation costs, cataloguing and stocktaking costs and will emphasise the need for effective accountability for collections. The study will look also at the opportunities for improved public access to collections.

  I am particularly pleased that the initiative for such a study has come from museum professionals. The study will be undertaken by consultants experienced in the field of museums management and is expected to take nine to 12 months to complete. Information and advice will be gathered from a wide range of museum personnel and from a representative survey of institutions — national, local authority, university and independent. I am confident that the report will provide valuable information and practical guidance for all those responsible for efficient management and decision-making in museums and galleries.

TRANSPORT

  Vehicle Records
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of the current review examining the civil defence implications of computerising heavy goods vehicle and public service vehicle records: and if a copy of the report will be placed in the Library;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the likely expenditure implications of the introduction for civil defence purposes of computerised vehicle records.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The vehicle inspectorate and good operator licensing records are being computerised for reasons other than civil defence. Consideration is being given to the possibility of using these records to locate vehicles in any type of emergency. The internal departmental papers forming part of this consideration are not appropriate for placing in the Library.

  Unsafe Vehiicles (Sale)
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will introduce legislation to make it a criminal offence to display for sale a vehicle in an unsafe condition and to give local authority trading standards officers the power to authorise routine inspections.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The offence already exists in section 60 of the Road Traffic Act 1972. We have agreed with the Director General of Fair Trading, trading standards organisations and representatives of the motor trade and consumers the desirability of improving section 60 to make it easier to enforce and apply. We are also discussing with them the powers of inspection.

  Airports (Delays)
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to reduce delays for passengers at British airports.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Passenger flows at airports are influenced by a variety of factors, most of which are the responsibility of the airport operator. The Government seek to ensure that their own airport activities—including customs and immigration control—cause no unnecessary delay.

  Roll-on/Roll-off Ferries (Inspection)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what form statistics are now available for the two years and two months prior to the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise concerning inspections of ro/ro ferries by marine surveyors.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  These statistics are available in the form quoted by my right hon. Friend in his reply on 10 March at column 294.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the reason for the change in recording methods of inspection of ro/ro ferries by marine surveyors before and after the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise, and the date of this change.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The reason for changing the method of recording the inspections of ro/ro ferries was to ensure that all such ships and their on-board operation practices were being inspected. The changes dated from 6 March 1987.

  Herald of Free Enterprise (Marine Surveyors)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement of the relative priorities of different tasks performed by marine surveyors both(a) before and (b) after the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Statutory surveys are generally given first priority by marine surveyors but the safety inspections of United Kingdom and foreign ships are also given a high priority. Since the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise an increased proportion of surveyor effort has been directed towards the inspections of United Kingdom and foreign ro/ro passenger ferries.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on(a) the total number of inspections completed by marine surveyors on the Herald of Free Enterprise, (b) the number completed in port, and (c) the number completed at sea in (i) the 10 years five months prior to its sailing and (ii) since its registration.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  During the construction period of the Herald of Free Enterprise in Bremerhaven prior to the issue of the first passenger and safety certificate in May 180, numerous visits were made by marine surveyors from my Department. The vessel was first registered on 29 May 1980. Subsequently, the Herald of Free Enterprise was surveyed and certificated by marine surveyors from my Department as follows:
  354

  Date

  Place

  Passenger and Safety Certificate

  March 1981

  Amsterdam

  Renewed

  February 1982

  Amsterdam

  Renewed

  February 1983

  Bremerhaven

  Renewed

  January 1984

  Dover

  Extended

  March 1984

  Newcastle

  Renewed

  February 1985

  Newcastle

  Renewed

  February 1986

  Newcastle

  Renewed

  February 1987

  Dover

  Extended

  Several visits to the ship were made in connection with each renewal of the passenger and safety certificate to survey the ship and her equipment.

  Passenger and safety certificate surveys are conducted in port, apart from sea trials prior to the issue of the initial certificate, and the two surveys for extension of certificates noted above.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the number of(a) road accidents and (b) fatalities which occur amongst (i) children (ii) adults in inner-city areas, (iii) suburban areas and (iv) rural areas and what estimates he has of the relative rates per head of population.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The information requested is not available.

  The STATS 19 road accident reporting system does not identify inner-city areas or distinguish between suburban and rural areas.

  Lydden and Dover Eastern Docks
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer of 23 March,Official Report, column 129, he will place in the Library a copy of the standard cost benefit analysis in respect of the A2 dualling between Lydden and Dover Eastern docks.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I shall write to my hon. Friend.

  Helicopters (Coastal Rescue)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost to public funds per annum of providing a helicopter for coastal rescue work how many such helicopters are on stand-by for the south Devon coastline how many times these helicopters have been used in the last three years for cliff rescue; and what is the cost of each such operation.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Helicopters are provided for a wide variety of civilian and military marine and aviation search and rescue tasks and the cost of coastal rescue cannot be separately identified. The overall cost in 1987–88 is some £61 million, falling mainly on the Defence vote.

  There are helicopters available for coast rescue duties on the south Devon coast at RNAS Culdrose (5), RAF Chivenor (2) and at Lee-on-Solent (2). The Navy detachment at Lee is shortly to be withdrawn and replaced with a contract helicopter provided by the Department of Transport.

  Helicopters were asked to assist in cliff rescue operations in Devon on 10 occasions over the last three years, as follows: 1985 (4), 1986 (4), 1987 (2).

  Breeches Buoy Equipment
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer of 14 March,Official Report, column 482, he will give in the Official Report a detailed breakdown of the individual cost per station per annum of retaining breeches buoy equipment.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The individual cost per station per annum of retaining breeches buoy equipment is approximately £1,400. This figure is made up as follows:—

  Cost (£)

  Payment to auxiliary in charge for maintenance of equipment—2·5 hours per week at £2·17

  282·00

  Trailer replacement and maintenance

  200·00

  Replacement and maintenance of equipment

  466·00

  Replacement line-throwing pistol (present system now obsolete and unobtainable)

  150·00

  Rockets, Ten per annum at £30·00 each

  300·00

  Total

  1,39800

  The figures for replacement rocket equipment are approximate, and should he taken as a minimum.

  Woolwich Ferry (Electronic Warning Signs)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the outcome of discussions he has had with Newham council about the replacement of the electronic warning signs on major roads leading to the Woolwich ferry and if he will make a statement on when he expects these signs to be back in action.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are currently considering cost estimates front Newham for the replacement of the signs. A solution of the current industrial dispute at the ferry will avoid much of the need for such signs and this still remains our aim.

  Airports (Flight Delays)
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air flights were delayed by up to(a) one hour, (b) three hours, (c) six hours and (d) 12 hours within the period of 12 months for which records are available at the following airports: (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Stansted, (d) East Midlands, (e) Manchester, and (f) Leeds/Bradford.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The information sought by my hon. Friend is not held centrally; I suggest that he approaches the airports concerned direct.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the percentage share of the British domestic market for manufactured goods held by British manufacturers in 1979; and what was the percentage share held in 1987.

  Mr. Maude
  It is estimated that 73 per cent. of the United Kingdom home demand for manufactured goods was met by United Kingdom manufacturers in 1979. This compares with an estimate of 65 per cent. for the 12 months to September 1987, the latest period for which figures are available.

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will publish a list of the names of those persons who have been referred by the stock exchange surveillance department to his Department following inquiries into insider dealing in stocks and shares.

  Mr. Maude
  No.

  Arthur Bell and Son plc and DCL (Takeover)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will outline the current situation regarding his Department's inquiry into the takeover of Arthur Bell and Son plc and DCL by Guinness and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The investigation into the affairs and membership of Guinness plc continues.

  Lebanon (Military Equipment)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what the name of the company in Lebanon to which military equipment was erroneously sent in 1982; what was the specific nature of the company's links with the Palestine Liberation Organisation; and what specific links existed between that company and Racal-Tacticom;

  (2) what disciplinary action has been taken regarding the error in 1982 which allowed an export licence to he given to a consignment of military equipment to be sent to a Lebanon company with links with the Palestine Liberation Organisation and what departmental procedures have been established to prevent a repetition of this incident.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have nothing to add on these points to the reply I gave on 18 March to my hon. Friend.

  Plastics (Exhibition)
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to plastics to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

  Mr. Atkins
  Yes. Arrangements have been made for such an exhibition in the Upper Waiting Hall to take place from Monday 9 May to Friday 13 May.

  United States Space Station
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what United Kingdom participation(a) is currently fulfilled and (b) is expected in the United States space station project.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: European involvement in the international space station programme will be through the European Space Agency's Columbus programme. This is an optional programme of the agency and for the present the United Kingdom will not be participating in it, but we are continuing to discuss this with our partners in ESA.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the European Space Agency has any current involvements or is planning any involvement with the United States space station project.
  357
  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: The European Space Agency will, through its Columbus programme, be participating with the USA, Canada and Japan in the development of a manned space station. The European involvement will be principally through a laboratory for microgravity research on the core space station, an independently orbiting unmanned experimental module for long duration experiments in space and a polar orbiting platform, mainly for earth observation.

  Horizon 2000
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on developments in the Horizon 2000 space project.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: the Horizon 2000 space project, which was agreed by the Ministers of ESA member states in 1985 and considered again in 1987, is a space science programme spread over 20 years. It comprises four major cornerstone missions together with a number of smaller missions. Preparations are under way for the first cornerstone mission. However, the United Kingdom has not agreed to ESA proposals for increased funding for the five-year period 1990 to 1994, the programme having already benefited from a 27 per cent. increase agreed for the period 1985 to 1989. In the circumstances, some modifications to the programme as originally conceived are likely, and this is currently under consideration by ESA.

  Nissan
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions took place with Nissan as part of the negotiations leading to the offer of Government grants for the plant at Sunderland, regarding the availability of a partially or totally non-unionised work force; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: The availability of a partially or totally non-unionised work force did not form part of the negotiations with Nissan which led to the offer of Government financial assistance for the Sunderland plant. Nissan was concerned to establish an effective working relationship with the United Kingdom trade union movement and it subsequently signed an agreement with the Amalgamated Engineering Union, membership of which the company encourages.

  Tour Operators (Surcharges)
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether his Department has investigated the practice by tour operators of charging customers for fuel surcharges in respect of aeroplane flights;

  (2) when he or his representatives plan next to meet the Association of British Travel Agents;

  (3) whether he or his representatives have ever discussed the question of fuel surcharges with the Association of British Travel Agents.

  Mr. Butcher
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: Specific provisions about the levying and explanation of surcharges are contained in the tour operators' code of conduct drawn up by the Association of British Travel Agents in consultation with the Director General of Fair Trading. I am already examining this matter to ascertain
  358
  whether such charges are justified and are clearly explained to customers. The Director General, who monitors the effectiveness of such codes, has told ABTA that he is concerned about recent media reports of excessive fuel surcharges. ABTA is expected to make a considered response in the near future. My Department is in close touch with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on this issue and I shall be meeting OFT officials with officials from the Civil Aviation Authority in April to discuss the position. I plan to meet ABTA representatives shortly after that.

  Internal Market
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the extent to which approximation of member states' value-added tax rate on all items is essential for the completion of the internal market.

  Mr. Lilley
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General to the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) on 14 January 1988 at column 442.

DEFENCE

  Exercise Outback 88
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the ports at which Royal Navy ships will call during Exercise Outback 88;

  (2) if he will state (a) those countries in which defence equipment will be displayed by the Royal Navy for commercial purposes in Exercise Outback 88, and (b) what assessment he has made of their human rights record.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The detailed planning of the Royal Navy task group deployment is still in progress, and it is too early to give a list of all the countries which the task group is likely to visit. However, the deployment will include visits to Malta, Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea, as well as participation in the Australian bicentennial celebrations. The purpose of the deployment is to exercise with the forces of our friends and allies, and to demonstrate a British naval presence in the areas to be visited. In the process, it will naturally provide an opportunity to display a wide range of British defence equipments in the ports to be visited. The Government do not permit the export of equipment to countries with a record of human rights violations when it is felt likely that the equipment in question might be used for internal repression.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any of the Royal Navy ships involved in Exercise Outback 88 will be carrying nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  It is our policy neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons on board Royal Navy vessels.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which other navies will be exercising with the Royal Navy in Exercise Outback 88;

  (2) if he will list those areas in which the Royal Navy will be exercising in Exercise Outback 88 (a) with the

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  Unites States navy, (b) with the Royal Australian navy and (c) with other navies; and if he will state the purpose of these exercises.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Arrangements for the Royal Navy task group to exercise with the navies of other countries during Outback 88 are not yet finalised. However, I can say that during the deployment the task group will be participating in two exercises with nations which are party to the five-power defence arrangements: a maritime exercise and an air defence exercise in the South China sea area. The task group will also exercise with the United States navy, and with the Royal Australian navy and probably various other navies off Australia after the fleet review in Sydney in October. The purpose of these exercises, as with all such exercises, is to maintain the fighting effectiveness of our naval forces.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's capabilities in the North Atlantic of the absence for six months of the Ark Royal and other Royal Navy ships in Exercise Outback 88;

  (2) if he will list the Royal Navy ships that will participate in Exercise Outback 88 (a) by port of departure, (b) by date of departure and (c) by date of return to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The task group is due to deploy from Portsmouth in mid-June, returning to the United Kingdom in mid-December. The task group will consist of Her Majestys ships Ark Royal, Edinburgh and Sirius, together with the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries Fort Grange, Olwen and Orangeleaf. The ships will remain assigned to NATO, and we retain the option not to deploy the group or to recall it to the NATO area in the event of an emergency.

  Psychological Warfare
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish all figures available to him on the number of armed forces personnel and civilians who attended psychological operations or psychological warfare courses since 1973, including such figures as do not distinguish between those courses and others run at the same institution.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 7 March 1988 at column 59, in which I gave the information which is available on numbers of Ministry of Defence personnel who have undertaken psychological operations training.

  I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a similar question on 27 October 1976, Official Report, column 263, covering the period 1973 to 1976. The original records upon which this answer was based, and records for the period 1976 to 1982, are no longer available and were destroyed in 1978 and 1982 as these were no longer required.

  Forged CIA Documents
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the use of forged CIA documents by the armed forces in Northern Ireland from 1971 to current date.
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  Mr. Freeman
  I am unaware of any evidence that such documents have been used at any time by the armed forces in Northern Ireland.

  Captain Fred Holroyd
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who sat on the full medical board in the case of Captain Fred Holroyd (retired) on 1 July 1975; and if he was informed of its conclusions.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is not my Department's policy to name individual officers acting in any particular case.

  Captain Holroyd (retired) was informed of the findings of the full medical board which sat on 1 July 1975.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date in June 1975 the special confidential report on Captain Fred Holroyd (retired) was written who wrote it and whether Captain Fred Holroyd (retired) was informed of its findings.

  Mr. Freeman
  The special confidential report was initiated by Captain Holroyd's commanding officer on 5 June 1975. Captain Holroyd was subsequently informed of its findings.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) on what date in 1982 assistance was given by his Department to the Royal Ulster Constabulary inquiry into the allegations of Captain Fred Holroyd (retired);

  (2) what was the nature and scope of the assistance given by his Department to the Royal Ulster Constabulary inquiry in 1982 into the allegations of Captain Fred Holroyd (retired).

  Mr. Freeman
  The Ministry of Defence responded appropriately on various dates to inquiries and requests for assistance from the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what Army regulations the special investigation branch of the Royal Military Police carried out their investigations into the allegations of Captain Fred Holroyd (retired).

  Mr. Freeman
  Assistance to civil police forces is given in accordance with Queen's Regulations for the Army and the Provost Manual.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to the answer of the 29 February,Official Report, column 422, the full Army medical board held on 1 July 1975 formally sat as a result of consideration given to the special confidential report written in June 1975.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. The full Army medical board proceedings were entirely separate from the special confidential report.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 29 February,Official Report, column 422, if the special confidential report relating to Captain Fred Holroyd (retired) written in June 1975 was subsequently amended.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes.

  Service Personnel (Psychiatric Treatment)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what redress is available for those Army service
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  men and women casualty-evacuated to a military psychiatric hospital as a result of false information provided by superior officers.

  Mr. Freeman
  The individual may appeal under section 180 of the Army Act 1955.

  Service Personnel (Downgrading)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 29 February,Official Report, column 422, under what regulations the downgrading of Army service men and women could have been recommended before 1975.

  Mr. Freeman
  The regulations under which medical downgrading of Army personnel may have been recommended before 1975 will have been contained in the following publications: The PULHEEM'S administrative pamphlet (1972); Regulations for Army Medical Services (1954); Queens Regulations for the Army 1961; the Army Commissioning Regulations 1971 and PULHEEM'S—A Joint Services System of Medical Classification 1951.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1), pursuant to the written answer of 29 February,Official Report, column 421, what is the significance in respect of the duties an individual is assessed as capable of performing of a medical report which recommends in a clinical summary of a patient's condition that the patient be medically downgraded from `S2' to `S3' on the PULHEEM'S system;

  (2) if he will list the terms used under (a) S2 and (b) S3 of the PULHEEM'S system of medical reports.

  Mr. Freeman
  The terms used under the PULHEEM'S system of medical classification are as follows:S2, "emotionally fit to perform Army duties adequately under full combatant conditions in any part of the world:"
  S3, "although having a history of emotional instability is at present well adjusted and fit to serve in any part of the world in a role which is not primarily a fighting one".

  Royal Engineers Surrey Troop, Castledillon
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which members of the Royal Engineers survey troop stationed at Castledillon in 1974–75 belonged to Army units other than the Royal Engineers;

  (2) how many officers and of what rank served in the Castledillon, Royal Engineers survey troop in 1974–75;

  (3) what role the Royal Engineers survey troop was carrying out whilst stationed at Castledillon in 1974–75;

  (4) how many service men and women served in the Royal Engineers survey troop stationed at Castledillon from 1974–75.

  Mr. Freeman
  Detailed information on this unit, which is not now deployed in the Province, is no longer available. The role of a Royal Engineer field survey is to provide or process aerial photographs, ground surveys and mapping for the Army as required. The strength of such a unit at that time varied between about 30 and 40, depending upon its specific task, and usually included two officers.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what unit the Royal Engineers survey troop stationed at Castledillon in 1974–75 was guarded.

  Mr. Freeman
  The RE squadron based at Castledillon at that time would have been responsible for the overall security of the base.
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  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the numerical designation of the Royal Engineers survey troop stationed at Castledillon in 1974–75.

  Mr. Freeman
  4 Field Survey Troop, Royal Engineers.

  Army Medical Board
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what circumstances a full Army medical board sits in the absence of the patient when medical reclassification is being considered.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 11 December 1987 at column 311.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards there are to prevent false information being given by commanding officers on special confidential reports to the Army medical authorities concerning officers under their command who may be undergoing medical assessment.

  Mr. Freeman
  The individual who is the subject of a special confidential report or a medical report may appeal under section 180 of the Army Act 1955. Special confidential reports are distinct from medical reports.

  Medical Reports (False Information)
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safeguards there are to prevent false information being given on medical reports.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave on 29 February 1988 at column 422.

  Northern Ireland Training and Advisory Team
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the role and composition of those elements of the Northern Ireland training and advisory team based in Northern Ireland from 1973 to the current date.

  Mr. Freeman
  Detailed organisational information on this is no longer available. There is no Northern Ireland training and advisory team (NITAT) currently in Northern Ireland. The role and composition of the NITATs are as described in my reply to the hon. Member on 29 February at column 422.

  AWACS
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the progress being made on the AWACS programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The E-3 AWACS programme is progressing well. The RAF looks forward to receiving the first aircraft as agreed.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many jobs have been created in defence industries as a result of the Boeing AWACS offset arrangement and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many offset jobs have been initiated in civilian manufacturing industries as a result of the Boeing AWACS offset arrangement; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Sainsbury
  Boeing's offset obligation to the Ministry of Defence is a financial one and will be measured in terms of the value and quality of contracts placed. Although we would expect the net effect on job numbers to be favourable, the Department has never set a target for jobs.

  Air Combat Manoeuvring System Platforms
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the nationality of the successful tenderer for the contract to build six air combat manoeuvring system platforms in the North sea; what was the value of the contract and how many United Kingdom-based firms or yards tendered for the contract.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The project referred to is a private venture to which my Department has made commitment.

  Royal Navy (Engineer Officers)
  Miss Fookes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action is taken by him to ensure that training for Royal Navy engineer officers takes account of developments in the wider engineering field.

  Mr. Freeman
  Most Royal Navy engineer officers are trained to a degree standard at the Royal Naval engineering college (RNEC), Manadon. Like other higher education institutions, RNEC needs to keep itself informed of, and take into account as necessary, developments within its own sphere of activity. The mechanism for such communication and consultation is often provided by advisory bodies and it has, therefore, recently decided to form an advisory council for the RNEC with the following terms of reference:"To advise the Admiralty Board, with particular regard to the role and work of the Royal Naval Engineering College on matters relating to:

  (a) higher education and the award of first and second level degrees.

  (b) national qualifications and training of Chartered Engineers; and

  (c) research and funding thereof."

  Professor Sir Hermann Bondi, KCB, FRS, has kindly accepted an invitation to serve as chairman of the advisory council, whose membership will include four ex officio representatives of the Ministry of Defence:

  the Director General Naval Manpower and Training;

  the Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command;

  the Chief Naval Engineer Officer; and

  the Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser.

  The following have also kindly accepted an invitation to serve on the advisory council:

  Lord Caldecote KBE, DSC, FEng

  Mr. T. N. Corkhill MSc, BSc, CEng, MRAeS

  Professor B. Crossland CBE, MRIA, FEng, FRS

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  Professor D. E. N. Davies CBE, FEng, FRS

  Professor M. G. Farley CEng, FRAeS, FIMechE, FIProdE, CBIM

  Mr. A. Frodsham CBE

  Professor W Gosling DSc

  Dr. D. Harrison FEng

  Mrs. J. A. G. Kennedy CEng

  Mr. J. R. S. Morris CBE

  Professor G. D. Sims OBE, DSc, LLD, FIFE, FEng.

  The inaugural meeting is planned to take place on 10 May 1988 at the college.

  155 mm Dual Capable Gun
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state the date upon which the 155 mm dual capable gun started in service.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The current 155 mm dual capable gun started in service.

  Strategic Defence Initiative
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the United States air force proposal to site a deep space tracking station at RAF Feltwell is in connection with the strategic defence initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The tracking station is not part of the SDI programme.

  Operational Support Unit
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the role and function of the operational support unit of the Ministry of Defence police; of which section of the Ministry of Defence police it is a part when it was first set up in its current role; what is its annual budget and whether it is autonomous from local Ministry of Defence police units in the areas in which it is deployed.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  the operational support unit (OSU) was set up on 1 April 1984, and comprises 50 MDP officers commanded by a chief inspector. Their primary role, which has remained unchanged, is explained in paragraph 9 of Cmnd. 9422, but they are also available to reinforce any MOD police detachment under pressure for any policing task, or to police MOD locations normally without MOD police should a need arise.

  The OSU is an independent unit reporting direct to MOD police headquarters, but when deployed comes under the operational command of the senior MOD police officer at the location.

  The OSU does not have a separate budget; its basic staffing costs are of the order of £775,000.

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