Written Answers of 18 April 1989

ENVIRONMENT

  River Conservation
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been taken to ensure that the national freshwater quality classification scheme will consider the conservation status of rivers, in terms of their ability to support and maintain aquatic plant and animal communities.

  Mr. Howard
  The existing classification schemes for rivers and estuaries are currently under review and my right hon. Friend will be publishing a consultation paper on possible revisions later in the spring. The paper will address the ability of watercourses to support aquatic flora and fauna.

  Pollution
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain a copy of "Pollution-Controlling the Problems" and "Nuclear Waste and Radiation Risks" recently published by the Association of District Councils for his departmental library; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Copies of these two reports are in the Department's library. We have taken note of their contents.

  Pyrton Depot Site
  Mr. Heseltine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the residual land on the depot site in the parish of Pyrton in Oxfordshire is surplus to the Crown's requirements; and what plans he has to return it to agricultural use.

  Mr. Ridley
  The depot site is surplus to the Crown's requirements. There are no plans to return it to agricultural use.

  Mr. Heseltine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Property Services Agency will relinquish rights assumed in wartime over the depot site in Pyrton, Oxfordshire.

  Mr. Ridley
  No. Rights were not assumed in wartime. Records show that rights were established before the war when the buildings were erected.

  Mr. Heseltine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of any documents held by(a) the Property Services Agency and (b) his Department, relating to the acquisition, planning status, construction, rating and occupancy of the depot site in the parish of Pyrton in the county of Oxfordshire which have not been released to the Public Record Office.
  76
  Mr. Ridley
  I have arranged for copies of such documents to be placed in the Library.

  Departmental Circulars
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many circulars from his Department since 1970 have dealt with land needs for(a) housing, (b) employment, (c) shopping and (d) outdoor recreation.

  Mr. Ridley
  I invite my hon. Friend to refer to my Department's "Planning Guidance: Index of Extant Circulars", a copy of which is in the Library. The index lists seven circulars, two development control policy notes and two planning policy guidance notes relating to housing development; two circulars relating to employment; three circulars and one planning policy guidance note relating to retail development; and three circulars relating to sport and recreation.

  Urban Development Corporations
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which urban development corporations have signed agency agreements with local authorities for development control work, and which urban development corporations are using consultants for development control work.

  Mr. Trippier
  All urban development corporations, other than Bristol and London Docklands, have agency agreements with their local authorities for development control work. Bristol DC uses consultants for this work; London Docklands DC uses in-house staff.

  Housing
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many homes were built by(a) local authorities and (b) housing associations in 1988.

  Mr. Trippier
  It is provisionally estimated that there were 15,300 local authority completions and 9,200 housing association completions in 1988.

  Multiple Occupation
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate any changes he proposes to make following his consultation exercise in 1988 on houses in multiple occupation.

  Mr. Trippier
  Possible changes are still under consideration.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to monitor problems arising from the new regulations on fixing of rent levels for houses in multiple occupation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  We shall monitor the impact of the new private renting regime in relation to all types of dwelling, including houses in multiple occupation.

  Housing Investment (Stockton)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what housing investment programme allocation has been made to the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in the current year.
  77
  Mr. Trippier
  Details of local authorities' housing investment programme allocations for 1989–90 were announced on 8 December 1988. Stockton-on-Tees borough council's allocation is £2,241,500 which includes £37,500 for the homes insulation scheme.

  Capital Receipts (Stockton)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what capital receipts were available to the borough of Stockton-on-Tees at the beginning of the current financial year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not yet available.

  Housing Projects (Stockton)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estate action and other housing projects his Department is undertaking in Stockton-on-Tees.

  Mr. Trippier
  Two ongoing housing schemes, on the Clarences and Eastbourne estates, are being supported by estate action resources in 1989–90.

  Shopping Areas
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about neglect of shopping areas awaiting redevelopment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  This issue is sometimes raised in the context of development plan policies, individual planning applications and proposals for inner-city regeneration. The most recent representations are those raised by my hon. Friend in the Adjournment debate on 10 April, to which I replied.

  Roman Remains
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the significance of and need to safeguard the Roman remains discovered on the Hammerson Group site, Cannon street.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  English Heritage has informally advised that the existing consent will enable satisfactory recording of the majority of the archaeological remains. It is in touch with the developers and the Museum of London. To date we have received no other representations.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take immediate action to safeguard the Roman remains discovered on the Hammerson Group site, Cannon street.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Scheduling ensures that any works to the site require scheduled monument consent. Our information is that some of the remains will be destroyed but most of these areas were already partly damaged by the foundations of the previous building. The scheduled monument consent granted in December 1988 allowed for preservation by record of this part of the site. The majority of the remains, some 75 to 80 per cent. will be preserved beneath adjoining buildings.
  78
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the historic significance of the Roman remains discovered on the Hammerson Group site, near Cannon street station; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The site was scheduled in June 1986, being one of the largest Roman baths found in Britain. Recent discoveries have confirmed the existence of extensive and high quality remains.

  Amusement Arcades
  Sir Charles Morrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been received seeking a tightening of the town and country planning law relating to amusement arcades; and whether the Government have any plans for future amendments to the law.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about planning decisions affecting amusement centres. Although some people regard them as socially or morally undesirable, amusement centres are a lawful use of land, and any applications for planning permission to establish them must be judged on their merits in terms of their land use planning implications. I do not consider that any amendment of planning law would be appropriate. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department is responsible for the licensing arrangements under the Gaming Act 1968, and for byelaws under the Public Health Act 1961, which regulate the operation of amusement centres.

  Teesside Development Corporation
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what funding has recently been awarded to the Teesside development corporation; and for what projects it has been allocated.

  Mr. Trippier
  The external financing limit of the Teesside development corporation in 1989–90 has been agreed at £34 million. The corporation will continue to fund a number of major projects, including the redevelopment of the Teesdale area and the Tees offshore base.

  Good progress has been made on the reclamation of the Teesdale site, the proposals for which include housing, offices and leisure facilities. The comprehensive redevelopment of this site will require the construction of a new bridge and barrage across the River Tees. These schemes are the subject of a Private Bill which was laid before Parliament in November last year.

  The Tees offshore base is being developed as a joint venture between Teesside development corporation and the Tees and Hartlepool port authority. A number of major companies have already located at the base which is expected to provide 1,000 new jobs by the end of 1989.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons
  79
  Commission, what rights exist for safety representatives to inspect and take copies of accident reports and statistics in the House of Commons.

  Mr. Beith
  There is no restriction on safety representatives who are members of the House of Commons Safety Committee, inspecting and taking copies of accident reports and statistics in the House.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what health and safety training is being provided for young workers in the House of Commons.

  Mr. Beith
  The accepted definition of "young workers" is those between 16 and 18 years of age. The House does not employ staff in this category. Training in health and safety is available, however, to staff of the House as part of the general training programme organised on a departmental level.

  Industrial Injuries
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, how many industrial injuries were sustained by workers in the House by category in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Beith
  Information on reported accidents which have been classified as industrial injuries is not readily available. The number of reported accidents from 1979 to date is as follows:

  House of Commons staff

  Property Services agency staff

  1979

  n/a

  24

  1980

  n/a

  23

  1981

  64

  26

  1982

  40

  31

  1983

  49

  19

  1984

  67

  23

  1985

  45

  22

  1986

  47

  22

  1987

  29

  30

  1988

  36

  10

  n/a = not available

  Fire Drills
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, when the House of Commons last held a fire drill.

  Mr. Beith
  Thursday 16 February 1989.

  Members' Cloakroom (Losses)
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what have been the reported losses of property from the House of Commons Members' cloakroom in 1988 and 1989 to date.

  Mr. Wakeham
  A coat, a cap and umbrella, and some champagne were reported lost from the House of Commons Members' Cloakroom in 1988. The coat was subsequently found. A blue holdall is the only reported loss, to date, this year.

  Organic Food
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, answering on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, what is the policy of the House of Commons Commission on the purchase of organic food for sale in the restaurants of the House of Commons.

  Mr. Beith
  Direct responsibility for the purchase of foodstuffs for use in the House lies not with the Commission but with the General Manager of the Refreshment Department, whose policy is to purchase adequate and regular supplies of good quality food at reasonable prices. It is understood that the Refreshment Department will use organic foods whenever these criteria are satisfactorily met.

  Visitors (Shelter)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he will list in specific terms the difficulties currently preventing more satisfactory arrangements for parties of visitors to the Palace of Westminster to shelter from inclement weather while queueing to join the Line of Route; what steps are being taken to overcome these difficulties; and when the issue will be finally resolved and new arrangements put in place.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) on 17 April 1989. It would not be appropriate at this stage for me to identify the difficulties involved or the steps being taken to resolve them. However, it is hoped that mutually acceptable arrangements will be agreed shortly and that these new arrangements will be put in place as soon as possible thereafter.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Special Needs
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average annual cost of(a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special needs pupils in the United Kingdom for the year 1987–88; and what is the average cost per pupil in Durham for (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) special needs for the same year.

  Mr. Butcher
  The available information is given in the table.

  Net Institutional Expenditure1 per pupil2—1987–88

  Nursery and primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Special education

  £

  £

  £

  Durham

  1,050

  1,405

  4,620

  England

  1,010

  1,520

  4,925

  1 Net institutional expenditure includes the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

  2 The figures are based on LEA expenditure returns to DoE and pupil number returns to DES.

  Information for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  Alcohol and Drugs
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what programmes exist which teach children about(a) the dangers of alcohol, (b) the dangers of smoking and (c) the dangers of illegal drugs; and if there is evidence of local education authorities encouraging their schools to run any such schemes.

  Mr. Butcher
  An increasing number of schools now provide pupils with education about the dangers associated with alcohol and drug misuse and cigarette smoking. Such education programmes have increased as a result of Government and LEA funding of drugs education co-ordinators and in-service training for teachers. The order recently laid for science in the national curriculum makes specific provision for the teaching of different aspects of health education, including education about alcohol, drugs and smoking.

  Teacher Numbers
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what per cent. of teachers trained in United Kingdom in the years 1970 to the latest date available remain in the profession for at least five years and 10 years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, on the basis of teacher entry, wastage and re-entry rates for the year ending March 1986 (the latest for which figures are available), it can be estimated that 61 per cent. of those completing initial teacher training in England and Wales are in full-time service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in England and Wales five years later. The proportion in service 10 years after qualification is 47 per cent. Thereafter, the numbers leaving and re-entering service are in balance, so that the proportion in service 20 years after qualification is still 47 per cent.

  Broadcast Loan Scheme
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has considered making extra funds available to the Open university to allow for the reintroduction of the broadcast loan scheme.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend announced on 2 November last year an increase in the Open university's grant of £4·2 million in the financial year 1989–90 and similar additions for the next two years. The detailed allocation of these additional resources within the undergraduate programme is a matter for the university. It is receiving £68·4 million in recurrent grant in 1989.

  School Building Replacement Scheme
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money he has allocated in each of the last five years to local education authorities in respect of the school building replacement programme; and if he will make a statement on the criteria he applies in reaching decisions about the allocation of funds to the replacement programme.

  Mr. Butcher
  Local education authorities are responsible for the maintenance of school buildings. Under the 82
  Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, each year authorities receive block allocations of prescribed expenditure for the main service blocks, including education, but it is for them to decide how to spend their allocations. My right hon. Friend sets the local education authorities' allocations of prescribed expenditure for education. In formulating these capital allocations, priority is given to committed expenditure up to the levels previously indicated to authorities, new projects to meet population growth and new projects to remove surplus places in the schools sector. Any remaining funds are allocated for improvement and replacement projects. In accordance with the criteria the allocations for schools in the last five years are set out in the table.

  £ million

  County and voluntary controlled schools

  Voluntary aided and special agreement schools

  1985–86

  230·0

  35·3

  1986–87

  232·9

  27·8

  1987–88

  254·0

  39·1

  1988–89

  319·0

  47·1

  1989–90

  311·4

  56·1

  Notes:

  1. The table provides details of the notional schools capital allocation.

  2. The allocations shown are those announced before the start of the financial year in question and do not include subsequent revisions.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his best estimate of the numbers of young people in further or higher education or on Government training schemes under the age of 25 years who will be liable for at least 20 per cent. of the community in(a) Scotland and (b) England and Wales.

  Mr. Jackson
  All students (excluding school pupils) aged 18 to 24 will be liable for at least 20 per cent. of community charge. In 1987–88 there were some 110,000 full-time and part-time students aged 18 to 24, excluding those on training courses, studying in Scotland and 970,000 in England and Wales. The Training Agency estimates that in 1987–88 there were on average 6,000 people aged 18 or over on the youth training scheme in Scotland and 71,000 in England and Wales. In addition, 12,000 trainees aged 18 to 24 started on employment training in Scotland and 78,000 in England and Wales between 5 September 1988 and 31 March 1989.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of(a) the number of educational establishments in the Greater London area which will require certification officers for the introduction of the community charge in April 1990 and (b) the number of students who will require certification in the Greater London area.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  It is estimated that, excluding private and independent establishments, there are 114 educational establishments within the area of the London boroughs which will require certification officers for the introduction of the community charge. There is no reliable estimate of the numbers of independent and private establishments requiring certification officers. It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the numbers of students requiring certification for community charge purposes within the
  83
  area of the London boroughs because the criteria for registration as a student do not coincide with categories of students for whom figures are collected.

  University Posts
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to ensure that applicants for academic and non-academic university posts are interviewed by a selection committee whose chairman does not enjoy sole executive authority.

  Mr. Jackson
  That is a matter for the universities.

  Pupil—Teacher Ratios
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the current pupil— teacher ratios for both primary and secondary education in each local education authority.

  Mr. Butcher
  In January 1988 the pupil—teacher ratios in maintaned primary and secondary schools in each local education authority in England were as follows:

  Pupil teacher ratios by LEA January 1988

  Primary Pupil: teacher ratio

  Secondary Pupil: teacher ratio

  Barking

  20·9

  14·7

  Barnet

  20·1

  14·2

  Bexley

  22·4

  16·0

  Brent

  18·5

  11·1

  Bromley

  23·0

  15·8

  Croydon

  21·8

  15·1

  Ealing

  19·3

  13·9

  Enfield

  21·7

  15·1

  Haringey

  19·0

  11·9

  Harrow

  21·8

  15·6

  Havering

  22·6

  15·1

  Hillingdon

  22·0

  15·6

  Hounslow

  20·1

  14·9

  Kingston upon Thames

  21·5

  14·2

  Morton

  21·6

  15·9

  Newham

  21·5

  14·1

  Redbridge

  24·0

  16·1

  Richmond upon Thames

  20·9

  15·5

  Sutton

  22·7

  16·5

  Waltham Forest

  21·2

  11·8

  Inner London

  17·6

  13·1

  Birmingham

  23·2

  16·0

  Coventry

  22·5

  14·4

  Dudley

  22·7

  14·0

  Sandwell

  22·4

  14·0

  Solihull

  23·1

  15·5

  Walsall

  20·8

  13·9

  Wolverhampton

  20·1

  13·8

  Knowsley

  20·7

  13·4

  Liverpool

  21·0

  14·4

  St. Helens

  22·3

  14·0

  Sefton

  23·2

  16·1

  Wirral

  21·6

  15·7

  Bolton

  22·9

  15·1

  Bury

  22·4

  15·0

  Manchester

  21·4

  12·9

  Oldham

  22·4

  15·5

  Rochdale

  22·3

  14·1

  Salford

  21·7

  13·8

  Stockport

  23·3

  15·0

  Tameside

  23·4

  15·5

  Trafford

  21·9

  14·8

  Wigan

  21·2

  13·6

  84

  Primary Pupil: teacher ratio

  Secondary Pupil: teacher ratio

  Barnsley

  21·6

  15·2

  Doncaster

  21·4

  15·4

  Rotherham

  21·2

  15·3

  Sheffield

  19·9

  14·0

  Bradford

  19·8

  15·2

  Calderdale

  22·8

  15·5

  Kirklees

  20·9

  15·0

  Leeds

  20·0

  14·7

  Wakefield

  21·8

  15·2

  Gateshead

  20·7

  14·6

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  19·7

  13·8

  North Tyneside

  18·6

  12·9

  South Tyneside

  20·6

  14·3

  Sunderland

  22·1

  15·1

  Isles of Scilly

  13·1

  9·1

  Avon

  23·8

  16·4

  Bedfordshire

  22·0

  16·8

  Berkshire

  23·4

  16·0

  Buckinghamshire

  24·0

  16·2

  Cambridgeshire

  23·4

  16·2

  Cheshire

  23·6

  16·2

  Cleveland

  22·3

  15·1

  Cornwall

  23·4

  16·3

  Cumbria

  21·7

  14·9

  Derbyshire

  21·2

  14·4

  Devon

  23·3

  16·6

  Dorset

  23·3

  16·3

  Durham

  22·0

  16·0

  East Sussex

  22·7

  16·2

  Essex

  22·7

  16·6

  Gloucestershire

  22·6

  16·0

  Hampshire

  22·5

  16·2

  Hereford and Worcester

  23·7

  16·6

  Hertfordshire

  21·7

  15·4

  Humberside

  22·2

  15·0

  Isle of Wight

  23·5

  16·4

  Kent

  24·0

  16·4

  Lancashire

  23·3

  15·6

  Leicestershire

  22·9

  15·0

  Lincolnshire

  23·9

  16·6

  Norfolk

  22·6

  15·9

  North Yorkshire

  22·0

  15·9

  Northamptonshire

  22·9

  16·1

  Northumberland

  22·8

  16·1

  Nottinghamshire

  21·0

  14·8

  Oxfordshire

  23·0

  16·6

  Shropshire

  21·4

  15·3

  Somerset

  23·1

  16·3

  Staffordshire

  23·2

  16·3

  Suffolk

  22·4

  16·7

  Surrey

  21·4

  15·4

  Warwickshire

  21·9

  16·0

  West Sussex

  22·9

  16·7

  Wiltshire

  22·6

  15·4

  England

  22·0

  15·4

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in tabular form(a) the number of teachers in each local education authority in England and Wales, (b) the number of pupils in each and (c) the pupil-teacher ratio of each.

  Mr. Butcher
  [pursuant to his answer, 11 April 1989, c. 428.]: The figures for England are as follows. Corresponding figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon.. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
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  Pupils, Teachers and PTR's by LEA January 1988

  Local Education Authority

  Total FTE Pupils

  Total FTE Teachers

  Pupil/ Teacher ratios

  Barking

  22,615

  1,388

  16·3

  Barnet

  39,078

  2,545

  15·4

  Bexley

  31,480

  1,783

  17·7

  Brent

  32,136

  2,523

  12·7

  Bromley

  35,033

  1,979

  17·7

  Croydon

  41,475

  2,541

  16·3

  Ealing

  36,445

  2,346

  15·5

  Enfield

  37,304

  2,255

  16·5

  Haringey

  25,026

  1,827

  13·7

  Harrow

  25,170

  1,471

  17·1

  Havering

  35,533

  2,157

  16·5

  Hillingdon

  30,839

  1,808

  17·1

  Hounslow

  29,681

  1,863

  15·9

  Kingston upon Thames

  16,621

  1,063

  15·6

  Merton

  20,242

  1,268

  16·0

  Newham

  33,862

  2,281

  14·8

  Redbridge

  29,574

  1,664

  17·8

  Richmond upon Thames

  15,992

  958

  16·7

  Sutton

  21,668

  1,250

  17·3

  Waltham Forest

  29,644

  2,184

  13·6

  Birmingham

  166,487

  9,575

  17·4

  Coventry

  46,820

  2,895

  16·2

  Dudley

  44,721

  2,713

  16·5

  Sandwell

  47,655

  2,842

  16·8

  Solihull

  32,633

  1,859

  17·6

  Walsall

  45,199

  2,831

  16·0

  Wolverhampton

  39,795

  2,598

  15·3

  Knowsley

  26,398

  1,670

  15·8

  Liverpool

  75,461

  4,701

  16·1

  St. Helens

  30,051

  1,819

  16·5

  Sefton

  44,397

  2,419

  18·4

  Wirral

  50,463

  2,950

  17·1

  Bolton

  43,365

  2,567

  16·9

  Bury

  25,578

  1,509

  17·0

  Manchester

  67,376

  4,445

  15·2

  Oldham

  37,224

  2,218

  16·8

  Rochdale

  34,648

  2,207

  15·7

  Salford

  36,042

  2,108

  17·1

  Stockport

  42,922

  2,529

  17·0

  Tameside

  34,839

  1,878

  18·6

  Trafford

  28,088

  1,706

  16·5

  Wigan

  50,753

  3,284

  15·5

  Barnsley

  33,998

  2,012

  16·9

  Doncaster

  47,000

  2,799

  16·8

  Rotherham

  41,776

  2,488

  16·8

  Sheffield

  70,448

  4,524

  15·6

  Bradford

  79,596

  4,946

  16·1

  Calderdale

  31,271

  1,837

  17·0

  Kirklees

  60,719

  3,725

  16·3

  Leeds

  103,174

  6,574

  15·8

  Wakefield

  47,421

  2,865

  16·6

  Gateshead

  29,415

  1,842

  16·0

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  38,401

  2,513

  15·3

  North Tyneside

  29,625

  2,082

  14·2

  South Tyneside

  23,594

  1,437

  16·4

  Sunderland

  48,987

  2,832

  17·3

  Isles of Scilly

  279

  27

  10·3

  Inner London

  269,994

  20,020

  13·5

  Avon

  130,030

  7,121

  18·3

  Bedfordshire

  81,988

  4,772

  17·2

  Berkshire

  104,683

  5,890

  17·8

  Buckinghamshire

  92,589

  4,949

  18·7

  Cambridgeshire

  95,504

  5,110

  18·7

  Cheshire

  150,143

  8,362

  18·0

  Cleveland

  96,211

  5,480

  17·6

  Cornwall

  66,779

  3,744

  17·8

  Cumbria

  72,926

  4,407

  16·5

  Derbyshire

  137,654

  8,353

  16·5

  Devon

  129,531

  7,109

  18·2

  Dorset

  79,911

  4,480

  17·8

  Durham

  91,765

  5,019

  18·3

  East Sussex

  79,267

  4,445

  17·8

  Essex

  223,116

  11,969

  18·6

  Gloucestershire

  73,987

  4,193

  17·6

  Hampshire

  208,983

  11,674

  17·9

  86

  Local Education Authority

  Total FTE Pupils

  Total FTE Teachers

  Pupil/ Teacher ratios

  Hereford and Worcester

  94,764

  5,273

  18·0

  Hertfordshire

  146,085

  8,828

  16·5

  Humberside

  136,026

  7,895

  17·2

  Isle of Wight

  16,606

  973

  17·1

  Kent

  216,556

  11,784

  18·4

  Lancashire

  208,597

  11,828

  17·6

  Leicestershire

  135,891

  7,658

  17·7

  Lincolnshire

  82,384

  4,556

  18·1

  Norfolk

  101,307

  5,527

  18·3

  North Yorkshire

  97,533

  5,548

  17·6

  Northamptonshire

  92,508

  5,236

  17·7

  Northumberland

  47,362

  2,684

  17·6

  Nottinghamshire

  146,479

  8,702

  16·8

  Oxfordshire

  71,946

  4,103

  17·5

  Shropshire

  60,732

  3,595

  16·9

  Somerset

  62,256

  3,379

  18·4

  Staffordshire

  157,255

  8,746

  18·0

  Suffolk

  88,751

  4,929

  18·0

  Surrey

  120,234

  6,946

  17·3

  Warwickshire

  70,929

  4,085

  17·4

  West Sussex

  89,580

  4,817

  18·6

  Wiltshire

  77,496

  4,371

  17·7

  ENGLAND

  6,832,378

  401,507

  17·0

CIVIL SERVICE

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Office.

  Mr. Luce
  Senior grades in my Department are recruited by the Civil Service Commission. The commission has recently run publicity campaigns aimed at increasing awareness amongst ethnic minorities of career opportunities in the Civil Service. The commission monitors the ethnic origin of all applicants.

THE ARTS

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.

  Mr. Luce
  Senior grades in my Department are recruited by the Civil Service Commission. The commission has recently run publicity campaigns aimed at increasing awareness amongst ethnic minorities of career opportunities in the Civil Service. The commission monitors the ethnic origin of all applicants.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Local Authority Income
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent his Department has studied the possibility of replacing locally collected local authority income with a hypothecated amount within the income tax system; and if he will list such research or studies which have taken place over the last 10 years.

  Mr. Major
  This approach of "assigned revenues" has been considered and rejected in successive studies of local
  87
  government finance, most recently in the 1983 White Paper "Rates: Proposals for rate limitation and reform of the rating system" (Cmnd. 9008). It is not the practice of the Government to hypothecate revenues from a particular tax to particular areas of expenditure.

  11 Downing Street (Works of Art)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing(a) the works of art, objects or artefacts currently on loan from national museums and galleries at 11 Downing street, (b) the museum or gallery from whose collections they are loaned and (c) the term of each loan.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: The works of art on loan to No. 11 Downing street from galleries are as follows. Details of the terms of loan for each painting can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  National Portrait Gallery

  Painting—Shackleton John—Pelham, Henry (C1695–1754) Prime Minister C1752

  Painting—Long Edwin—Iddesleigh, Stafford Henry Northcote, 1st EARL (1818–87)

  Painting—Watts George Frederick—Sherbrooke, Robert Lowe, 1st Visc. (1811–92) Chanc/Exch

  Painting—Hall Sydney Prior—Gladstone, William Ewart (1809–98) Prime Minister

  Painting—Childers Emily Maria—Childers, Hugh Culling Eardley (1827–96) Statesman

  Painting—Sargent John Singer—Hill, Octavia (1838–1912), Social Reformer

  Painting—Millais John Everett—Beaconsfield, Benjamin Disraeli, Earl (1804–81)

  National Gallery

  Painting—Zais Giuseppe—Landscape with a Ruined Tower

  Painting—Corot J. B. C.—The Waggon-Souvenir of Saintry 1874

  Painting—Hobbema Meyndert—A Stream by a Wood

  Painting—Bakhuisen Ludolf—A Beach Scene with Fishermen

  Painting—Corot J. B. C.—Souvenir of a Journey to Coubron

  Painting—Corot J. B. C.—A Flood

  Tate Gallery

  Painting—Opie John—Reynolds, Mrs. S. W.

  Painting—Anon 18C British School—Family Group in a Landscape

  Painting—Orpen William—Orpen, Lady

  Painting—Laszlo Philip A. De—Wantage, Lady

  Painting—Orchardson William Q.—Her First Dance

  Painting—Raeburn Henry—Fraser, Pringle

  Painting—Raeburn Henry—Lauzun, Mrs. H. W.

  Painting—Gainsborough Thomas—Blackstone, Sir William

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been removed from the United Kingdom at the expense of the carriers under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987, by country of destination.

  Mr. Renton
  None. The Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 does not contain powers to remove people from the United Kingdom.

  Rape and Child Abuse
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department towards 88
  encouraging courts in England and Wales to allow rape or child abuse victims to give their evidence behind screens to try to stop intimidation of such people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  It is for the courts to decide in the circumstances of each case whether or not to use screens. In addition, section 32 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 enables children under the age of 14 to give evidence by live television link from outside the courtroom in trials on indictment for violent and sexual offences. An advisory group chaired by his honour Judge Thomas Pigot QC is considering whether video-recorded evidence by children and other vulnerable witnesses should be admissible in criminal proceedings, and we look forward to receiving its report in the summer. We will examine any proposals for further protecting witnesses from courtroom intimidation in the light of group's findings.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights in England; and which organisations made these representations.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Representations are regularly received, both from individuals and organisations, which might be interpreted as alleging violations or denials of human rights in relation to specific cases or generally. No central record is kept of such representations or of the organisations making them.

  Police Sporting Schemes
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of whether police schemes for providing young people with purposeful activity of a sporting nature during their leisure time or vacation provided any evidence of a reduction in criminal referrals; how many such schemes are in operation; and what assessment has been made as to the costs of these schemes compared with the cost of referrals.

  Mr. John Patten
  There are no central records of schemes of this kind, although we are aware of many being run throughout the country, most of which draw local sponsorship and voluntary effort. It is for chief officers to decide whether to establish such schemes and to assess their value within the general cost-effective management of each force. One scheme, the Staffordshire police activity and community enterprise programme, (SPACE) in Staffordshire, has been the subject of a Home Office crime prevention unit paper which concluded that there was a possible link between SPACE and changes in the local crime pattern, but that other factors could also be involved. In Avon and Somerset, police schools liaison officers run over 100 different schemes and activities.

  Homosexuality
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hornchurch,Official Report, 1 December 1988, column 396, what response he has had from the Law Officers in Jersey and the Isle of Man in respect of amending their laws on consensual homosexual acts between males.
  89
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The island authorities in Jersey and the Isle of Man have indicated that they have under consideration the question of legislation on this matter in order to enable them to conform with the European convention on human rights.

  Women Prisoners
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking on the recommendations of the National Association of Probation Officers recent report on the imprisonment of women with dependent children, a copy of which he has been sent.

  Mr. John Patten
  We published last year proposals for the development of non-custodial sentences. The national standards for community service orders, introduced on 1 April, ask probation areas to ensure that community service placements are available for women offenders, including those who are pregnant and those with young children. A review is taking place of policies on mothers and babies in prison.

  Guildford and Woolwich Pub Bombings
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost hitherto of the current investigation into the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombings; how far this is apportioned between(a) the Home Office, (b) Avon and Somerset policy authority; how many officers are absent from duties in Avon and Somerset and whether full account is taken of this; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The inquiries by the Avon and Somerset constabulary into the new evidence which had been made available to my right hon. Friend in this case have been concluded. Following the issue of a writ the matter of costs is sub judice.

  The case was referred to the Court of Appeal on 16 January and the conduct of the prosecution case now rests with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  Murders (Chinatown)
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the progress of investigations into the recent murders in London's Chinatown.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. The conduct of the investigation is a matter for the commissioner.

  Single Market (Immigration)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what effect the single European market in 1992 will have on immigration arrangements for people from(a) Montserrat and (b) other British dependencies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  None.

  Drunkenness (Wiltshire)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief 90
  constable of Wiltshire as to the number of (i) soldiers and (ii) civilians arrested by Wiltshire constabulary in (a) Salisbury and (b) Amesbury and subsequently charged with being drunk and disorderly or causing a breach of the peace in each of the past 12 months.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information available centrally relates to the number of persons found guilty or cautioned for offences of drunkenness in the Wiltshire police force area in 1987. This information was published in Home Office statistical bulletin 31/88, a copy of which is in the Library.

  To produce such information for each month of 1987 would involve disproportionate cost. Information is not collected centrally on the occupation of persons found guilty or cautioned nor can the area breakdown requested be given. Information for 1988 is not yet available.

  Immigration
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the number of(a) fiances and (b) male spouses who have been refused entry clearance and had an appeal against that refusal turned down on more than one occasion over the last five years.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is not available; the information available centrally does not separately identify re-applicants.

  Prisons (Overcrowding)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what positive practical proposals are being considered by his Department for continued or future support for schemes including bail support provision and other measures as a means of tackling overcrowding in(a) Her Majesty's prison Armley and (b) other prisons with a view to reducing the number of unconvicted young prisoners on remand; and what further measures he proposes.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Government continue to demonstrate their commitment to reducing the number of young people remanded in custody and to relieving prison overcrowding.

  An extensive development programme is under way to provide 500 extra bail places at approved hostels by April 1991. The first two hostels in this programme are due to open shortly and one of these is in Bradford. We are considering proposals of establish further approved bail hostels in West Yorkshire.

  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is preparing improved training on bail decisions for magistrates. We are encouraging the development of bail information schemes which give courts better information on which to base decisions about bail. A scheme is proposed for Leeds and is now subject only to final approval.

  By the mid-1990s over 25,000 new prison places will have been delivered by the prison building programme. The programme is frequently enhanced. We are now considering proposals to build two 300-place remand centres by 1991. One of these is at Everthorpe on Humberside. The building programme includes a refurbishment project at Her Majesty's prison Leeds which will increase its certified normal accommodation by 226 in 1992 and by 500 in 1997.
  91
  At the end of February this year there were over 600 fewer young prisoners on remand than 12 months previously.

  Immigrants (Literacy Test)
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce a language or literacy test for immigrants seeking to settle in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Renton
  We have no plans to apply such a test to those who wish to come to this country for settlement. But anyone wishing to acquire British citizenship by naturalisation is already subject to a language requirement.

  Television Licence Fee
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prior notice and publicity of the recent increase in TV licence fee charges was given(a) in Stoke on Trent North and (b) nationally.

  Mr. Renton
  The increase from 1 April 1989 was announced to the House by my right hon. Friend on 27 October 1988, and was widely reported. Counter grille notices were displayed at Post Offices from 20 March. Reminders were also enclosed with renewal notices for licences expiring on 31 March; though I understand that in some areas these were delayed in the post. The Post Office is inquiring into the reasons for this.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the level of TV licence fees(a) generally, (b) for the elderly and (c) for those in sheltered accommodation.

  Mr. Renton
  Increases in the standard licence fee will remain linked to RPI increases until April 1991. There are no plans to alter these arrangements before then. Licence fees for the elderly and those in sheltered accommodation have been discussed on a number of occasions, and we are not persuaded of the need for further review.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department, (b) the police and fire services and (c) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangements on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: A total of 181 vehicles was purchased by the Home Office in 1988, at a cost of £1·95 million. Of these, 173 were described by the manufacturers as United Kingdom-produced, on the definition employed by the Department of Trade and Industry for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom-produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value.

  Information on the country of origin of vehicles purchased by individual police forces and fire brigades and by public sector agencies is not held centrally. However, about 80 per cent. of the vehicles in use in the police service in 1988 are reported to be United Kingdom-produced.

  War Crimes Inquiry
  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to publish the forthcoming report of the war crimes inquiry, which is currently investigating persons suspected of involvement in Nazi crimes and now resident in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Hurd
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: As I indicated to the House in exchanges following my statement on 8 February 1988 announcing the establishment of the inquiry, publication of its report will depend on the nature of its contents. I shall consider this matter carefully when I have received the report.

  Amusement Machines
  Sir Charles Morrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the law governing licences for the installation of amusement machines; and whether the Government proposes to review the law in this area.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: We have received representations from a wide range of organisations and individuals concerning the provisions of the Gaming Act 1968 as they apply to amusement-with-prizes machines, in particular on the question of possible excessive involvement of children and young people in playing such machines. As a result we undertook a review, including research by the Home Office research and planning unit, during 1987–88 and we announced our conclusions on 28 July 1988 at columns 423–24. The results of the research showed that, while for a small minority of young people public concern is well-founded, the scale of the problem does not justify legislation. We have, however, initiated various steps, including consultation with all interested parties, to deal with problems identified in the review.

  We have also received representations to allow amusement-with-prizes machines in licensed betting offices, but have no current plans to do so.

  Mr. K. Vinayagamoorthy and Mr. A. Anapatan
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the immigration and work permit status of the late Mr. Kandiahkanapathy Vinayagamoorthy and the late Mr. Ambikaipahan Anapatan.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: Both men had been granted exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom, which entitled them to take employment.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in the Department of Trade and Industry are(a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Forth
  The figures as at 13 April 1989 are:
  93

  Number

  Percentage

  (a) Women

  G1

  Nil

  —

  G2

  1

  8·3

  G3

  3

  5·4

  G4

  Nil

  —

  G5

  24

  10·9

  G6

  14

  8·0

  G7

  110

  11·4

  All staff

  5,974

  43·4

  (b) Ethnic minorities1

  G1–4

  Nil

  —

  G5

  2

  0·9

  G6

  4

  2·3

  G7

  16

  1·7

  All staff

  1,147

  8·3

  1 From 86 per cent, response to survey.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Department of Trade and Industry last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  An ethnic survey of DTI staff was completed in April 1988. The resulting data base is continuously updated.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Mr. Forth
  Recruitment to senior grades is normally conducted on the Department's behalf by the Civil Service Commission. On those few occasions when DTI recruits directly, the Department makes clear in its advertisements that it is an equal opportunity employer.

  National Weights and Measures Laboratory
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the future status of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory.

  Mr. Forth
  Today the National Weights and Measures Laboratory has been established as a next steps agency. The laboratory is responsible for ensuring that the measurement aspects of retail and wholesale trade are accurate and fair through its work to approve designs of equipment such as scales, petrol pumps and weighbridges. It will play an important role as the EC becomes a single market in 1992.

  As an agency, the NWML will have increased financial and management freedoms to enable it to operate more effectively and efficiently. The change to agency status will give Dr. Peter Clapham, the chief executive, and the laboratory greater freedom to meet the challenges arising from the rapid development of technology as well as from the single European market.

  The NWML remains part of the DTI and its 50 employees will continue to be civil servants. It will continue to serve both local authority customers and industry, as well as advising on technical matters relating to measurement and trade.

  Details are set out in the laboratory's policy and resources framework document, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Single Market
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what effect the single European market in 1992 will have on trade arrangements with(a) Montserrat and (b) other British dependencies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Removal of remaining internal trade barriers after 1992 will make it easier for everyone to do business throughout the Community. The Community will undoubtedly continue to offer preferential access to developing country products under the ACP/Lomé and other arrangements.

  New Companies (Share Capital)
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of new companies formed in 1987 and 1988 had a nominal share capital of £100 and £100 to £1,000.

  Mr. Maude
  In 1987–88 a total of 38·3 per cent. of new companies in Great Britain were incorporated with nominal share capital of up to and including £100, and 0·5 per cent. with nominal share capital of over £100 and under £1,000. This and other information about companies is available from "Companies in 1987–88" a copy of which is in the Library.

  Accounting Standards (Stock Exchange Letter)
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the text of his Department's letter to the stock exchange complaining about the exchange's publicly expressed hostility to the proposals of Sir Ronald Dearing in his report on the future making of accounting standards.

  Mr. Maude
  No. The hon. Member may have seen a further press release from the international Stock Exchange, which the Government welcome.

  Arms Contracts (Losses)
  Mr. Chris Mullin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on how many arms contracts losses have been incurred under the export credits guarantee scheme for each year since 1979; and what has been the total involved for each year.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Separate figures are only available for arms business underwritten on ECGD's section 2 (national interest) account. On this basis, total figures for premium, claims and recoveries are as follows:

  Financial Year

  Premium £000s

  Percent age of Total Premium received by ECGD

  Claims £000's

  Percent age of Total Claims paid by ECGD

  Recoveries £000's

  1979–80

  13,192

  8·7

  26,162

  9·9

  4,011

  1980–81

  6,357

  4·2

  31,684

  10·9

  3,847

  1981–82

  9,238

  3·9

  7,471

  2·5

  10,701

  1982–83

  12,196

  3·5

  5,183

  0·9

  4,012

  1983–84

  17,465

  10·7

  18,502

  2·7

  5,747

  1984–85

  10,754

  6·7

  10,445

  1·2

  924

  95

  Financial Year

  Premium £000's

  Percentage of Total Premium received by ECGD

  Claims £000's

  Percent age of Total Claims paid by ECGD

  Recoveries £000's

  1985–86

  22,375

  13·1

  8,212

  1·1

  447

  1986–87

  20,667

  13·0

  29,909

  3·8

  594

  1987–88

  15,013

  10·7

  46,000

  4·7

  154

  The figures relate to cash flows in the relevant financial year. Claims figures should not be equated with losses; in particular, substantial recoveries can be expected from the proceeds of on-going rescheduling agreements. The figures indicate that ECGD's general experience on this arms business has been better than on other trade sectors.

  Vehicles
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many vehicles and at what value were purchased by(a) his Department, (b) the Post Office and (c) other public sector agencies for which he is responsible, in 1988; and how many of these vehicles were British-made within the definition of British as set out by the Department of Trade and Industry in its arrangement on content with the European Community.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: My Department purchased 77 vehicles in 1988 at a total cost (including VAT) of £583,000. Seventy-six of these vehicles were produced in the United Kingdom on the basis of the definition employed by my Department for statistical purposes, under which a vehicle is classified as United Kingdom produced if the United Kingdom content exceeds 50 per cent. of the ex-works value. Vehicle purchases by the Post Office are a matter for the board, and information relating to public bodies for which my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State is responsible is not available centrally.

PRIME MINISTER

  Transport and Energy Planning
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Departments of Transport, Environment and Energy, relating to transport planning and energy use matters; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is satisfied with the co-ordination between the Departments of Transport, Environment and Energy, relating to transport planning and energy use matters.

  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding her recent visit to Africa.

  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding her recent visit to Africa.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I refer my hon. Friends to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Sir H. Rossi) earlier today.

  NATO
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the 40th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the 40th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the 40th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has not received any recent representations on NATO's anniversary, although she is regularly involved in a range of matters regarding the United Kingdom's relationship with the allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

  Rastafarians
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the employment of Rastafarians in the public service.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  The policy of Her Majesty's Government is to afford equal opportunity for employment within the public service to all eligible persons. This requires that employees are selected on the basis of their ability, qualifications and fitness for work and that there is no discrimination on racial grounds. This policy applies to all ethnic groups.

  United States President
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to meet the President of the United States of America.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will see President Bush when he is in Europe for the NATO summit meeting at the end of May.

  Namibia
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Prime Minister what is her assessment of the prospects of a peaceful solution to the political problems of Namibia.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  We very much regret the early difficulties encountered in the implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence and deplore the incursion which led to these. We welcome the agreement on the return of SWAPO forces to positions north of the 16th parallel in Angola. It is essential that this is put into effect and that henceforth all sides abide by their undertakings in the United Nations plan.

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

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans at present to do so.

  Elections (Publicity)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what is the total amount of money being spent by Her Majesty's Government Departments on publicising the individual's right to vote in the forthcoming(a) county council and (b) European elections.

  The Prime Minister
  Every person registered to vote at these elections will receive a poll card specifying the election, and when and where polling will take place: the cost to the Treasury at the forthcoming European parliamentary elections is expected to be in excess of £3 million; a corresponding figure for the county council elections is not readily available. The cost of delivering candidates' election addresses at the European parliamentary elections, expected to be in excess of £4 million, will also be met by the Treasury. An annual campaign undertaken by the Home Office at a cost of around £0·5 million publicises the need to be included in the electoral register in order to secure the right to vote at all elections in the forthcoming year.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 18 April.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have been asked to reply.

  This morning my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister addressed the conference on security and co-operation in Europe forum at the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre. This afternoon my right hon. Friend will attend the 150th anniversary of independence celebrations in Luxembourg.

  Grade

  Number

  Percentage

  HCS

  DS

  Aid Wing (at 1 April 1989)

  Diplomatic Wing (at 31 December 1988)

  Aid Wing Diplomatic Wing (at 1 April 1989)

  Aid Wing Diplomatic Wing at 31 December 1988)

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  1–3

  Senior grade

  0

  4

  0

  2·6

  4

  No DS equivalent

  0

  —

  0

  —

  5

  DS4

  4

  10

  10

  3·5

  6

  No DS equivalent

  3

  —

  4·6

  —

  7

  DS5

  19

  35

  11

  9·8

  All grades

  DS1 mainstream

  663

  759

  43·8

  24·3

  1 Information concerning all Home Civil Service equivalent grades in the FCO at 31 December 1988 is not yet available.

  There are no members of ethnic minority groups at DS5 and above in the diplomatic wing. The total number of

  EC (Monetary Union)
  Sir Peter Hordern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library a copy of the Delors committee's report on economic and monetary union in the European Community.

  The Prime Minister
  I have done so today.

  Football Violence
  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken to enforce the convention on spectator violence at sports events signed on 19 August 1985 by Ministers of 10 nations, including the United Kingdom; what specific results have been achieved in the implementation of each of the 17 articles of this convention, and if she has any plans to assure the European Union of Football Associations that the convention will be fully implemented so that English football clubs can be re-admitted to European football competitions.

  The Prime Minister
  Fifteen countries have signed and ratified the European convention which was initiated and drafted by the United Kingdom following the Heysel stadium tragedy in 1985. The United Kingdom was the first signatory to the convention and chairs the standing committee which monitors its operation. Considerable progress has been made by the Government, the police and the football authorities to give effect to the measures contained in the convention. The Football Spectators Bill will provide further measures to counter hooliganism at football matches in this country and abroad. We will continue to keep UEFA informed of progress on these matters.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are(a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Eggar
  The most recent information available as regards women officers in the aid wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and in the equivalent diplomatic service grades is as follows:

  staff in the diplomatic wing who have identified themselves as coming from ethnic minorities is 97, representing 1·8 per cent. of respondents.
  99
  In the aid wing, 1·7 per cent. of staff above grade 7 are from ethnic minorities. The total number of aid wing staff who have identified themselves as coming from ethnic minorities is 89, representing 5·9 per cent. of respondents.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  New recruits are asked to complete a form concerning their ethnic origins when they join the diplomatic or aid wings of the FCO.

  An initial survey of the ethnic origins of existing staff was carried out in April 1986 with follow-up exercises in September 1986, and January-February 1988. There are no plans for a further survey of this kind.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  There is no direct recruitment into the top grades of the FCO—above DS8–7D, equivalent to AT/HEO/D in the home Civil Service.

  Appointments in the aid wing are by internal promotion or by open competition, and an equal opportunities policy is applied.

  The FCO is an equal opportunity employer. This policy is made clear in recruitment literature and advertising, including, on occasions, in the ethnic press.

  Rain Forest
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his discussions with Senor Londono, Foreign Minister of Colombia, during his visit to London on rain forest problems.

  Mr. Eggar
  During his visit to London from 10 to 13 April, I raised with Senor Londono the strong concern felt in this country about the problems of the tropical rain forests. I stressed that we were willing to co-operate with South American Governments on this issue.

  Namibia
  Mr. Robert Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the United Nations peace plan of recent outbreaks of violence in Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Recent events in Namibia have demonstrated that implementation of the United Nations plan for Namibian independence can be a success only if all parties abide by their undertakings in that plan. We have been active diplomatically in helping to put the United Nations plan back on track.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there are any immediate plans to deploy the 7,500 United Nations troops in Namibia as specified under United Nations Security Council resolution 435.

  Mrs. Chalker
  This is a matter for the United Nations Secretary General. We have made it clear that, as a100
  permanent member of the Security Council, we would consider promptly and sympathetically any request by the United Nations Secretary General for reinforcing the United Nations transition assistance group. He has made no such request.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Nations troops were in Namibia on 1 April; how many were proposed to be there under the original United Nations plan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The strength of UNTAG's military component on 1 April was over 750. The full strength of UNTAG's military component is 4,650 as recommended in the United Nations Secretary General's report of 23 January. This is a reduction from the original level of 7,500 set out in 1978. The rate of deployment of UNTAG was for the United Nations to decide, once authorisation had been given by the General Assembly. We regret that delays, not of our making, in the Security Council and the General Assembly gave the secretary general inadequate lead-in time.

  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East,Official Report, 10 April, column 359, when he expects a decision on how the 10 million ecus earmarked by the European Community for the Namibia development trust are to be spent: and if he will make a further statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No decision has yet been taken on how the sum to which my hon. Friend refers is to be spent. It has not however been earmarked for the Namibia development trust. The Namibia development trust is simply one organisation which will be eligible to receive funds if it submits suitable projects. The European Commission is well aware of the need for assistance to Namibia to be strictly impartial during the transition to independence.

  South Africa
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent action within the Council of Ministers Her Majesty's Government took in relation to a proposed joint EEC statement on the South African Disclosure of Foreign Funding Bill; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have drawn attention within meetings of the Council of Ministers to the need for careful consideration of the Bill's implications for positive measures programmes in South Africa. A demarche on behalf of the Twelve was subsequently made by the Spanish ambassador in Cape Town. As my hon. Friend the Minister of State said on 16 March, we have also made bilateral representations to the South African Government.

  Diplomats
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many serious offences were allegedly committed in 1988 by persons entitled to diplomatic immunity; and how many foreign diplomats were withdrawn from their posts in Britain in that year as a result of alleged offences.
  101
  Mr. Eggar
  Forty-four alleged serious offences by persons entitled to immunity were drawn to the attention of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1988. "Serious offences" are defined in accordance with the report to the Foreign Affairs Committee "The abuse of diplomatic immunities and privileges (1985)" as offences falling into a category which could in certain circumstances attract a penalty of six months or more; we are advised that very few of the alleged offences would have been likely to attract a custodial sentence. The majority involved drinking and driving and shoplifting.

  Fourteen diplomats were withdrawn from their posts in Britain in 1988 following alleged offences.

  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the number of unpaid parking fines incurred by each diplomatic mission in London during 1988.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information is given in the table. The table also includes those international organisations which have incurred unpaid fines. The figures may be reduced by late payment.

  The total for 1988 (10,079) indicates a 30 per cent. reduction over the total 1987 figure (14,437) and is only 9 per cent. of the 1984 figure (108,845) the last to be published before the introduction in May 1985 of the Government's policy on parking by members of diplomatic missions in May 1985.

  We welcome the further reduction in unpaid parking fines that has been achieved during 1988 and appreciate the co-operation of diplomatic missions since the introduction of the parking policy. We shall continue to monitor carefully the level of unpaid fines, and bring pressure to bear on diplomatic missions to reduce this still further.

  Unpaid parking fines

  1988

  1987

  Egypt

  668

  799

  Soviet Union

  656

  622

  Saudi Arabia

  357

  382

  Poland

  340

  329

  Cameroon

  311

  159

  Spain

  310

  435

  Cote d'lvoire

  300

  138

  Sudan

  286

  236

  Brunei

  281

  127

  Iraq

  274

  424

  Greece

  259

  258

  Malaysia

  237

  329

  Pakistan

  228

  394

  Qatar

  228

  413

  Turkey

  201

  254

  Israel

  195

  216

  Thailand

  188

  246

  Morocco

  182

  263

  Korea

  175

  149

  China

  167

  551

  Tunisia

  158

  166

  Sierra Leone

  157

  189

  Zaire

  141

  150

  Germany (Federal Republic)

  123

  130

  United Arab Emirates

  122

  358

  France

  112

  513

  Japan

  110

  153

  Portugal

  109

  170

  Ghana

  105

  205

  Venezuela

  105

  116

  Brazil

  120

  149

  Germany (Democratic Republic)

  91

  185

  Algeria

  88

  172

  Bulgaria

  88

  80

  102

  1988

  1987

  Yugoslavia

  88

  104

  Jordan

  87

  165

  Ethiopia

  80

  82

  India

  79

  207

  Bangladesh

  77

  71

  Peru

  75

  155

  Cyprus

  72

  96

  Norway

  72

  60

  Kuwait

  70

  186

  Italy

  69

  302

  Canada

  66

  130

  Liberia

  61

  70

  Finland

  59

  82

  Senegal

  58

  43

  Tanzania

  58

  48

  Romania

  54

  59

  Barbados

  50

  172

  Sweden

  50

  58

  Ecuador

  49

  24

  Belgium

  45

  57

  Zambia

  45

  60

  Hungary

  44

  53

  Nigeria

  44

  251

  PDR Yemen

  44

  53

  Fiji

  43

  40

  Ireland

  43

  74

  Cuba

  41

  26

  Jamaica

  41

  68

  Kenya

  40

  138

  Indonesia

  38

  65

  Uruguay

  38

  55

  Burma

  37

  88

  Angola

  36

  0

  Somalia

  36

  41

  Czechoslovakia

  35

  38

  Lebanon

  35

  41

  Zimbabwe

  34

  223

  Iran

  33

  183

  Mauritius

  32

  25

  Uganda

  32

  41

  Gabon

  31

  78

  Paraguay

  31

  33

  Nicaragua

  29

  10

  Yemen Arab Republic

  29

  44

  Gambia

  28

  27

  Guyana

  27

  42

  Oman

  26

  295

  Philippines

  26

  45

  Malawi

  22

  6

  United States of America

  22

  77

  Honduras

  16

  16

  Iceland

  16

  51

  Trinidad

  16

  31

  Dominica

  14

  2

  Panama

  12

  22

  Lesotho

  11

  19

  Togo

  11

  18

  Colombia

  10

  23

  Mexico

  10

  35

  Afghanistan

  9

  8

  Seychelles

  9

  10

  Guatemala

  8

  0

  Netherlands

  8

  6

  Antigua and Barbuda

  6

  13

  Austria

  6

  12

  Chile

  6

  76

  Vietnam

  6

  4

  Bolivia

  5

  5

  Botswana

  5

  29

  Eastern Caribbean

  5

  8

  Nepal

  5

  10

  Sri Lanka

  5

  8

  Mongolia

  4

  I

  Luxembourg

  3

  2

  Switzerland

  3

  0

  Bahamas

  2

  7

  Denmark

  2

  5

  E1 Salvador

  2

  0

  103

  1988

  1987

  Singapore

  2

  2

  Papua New Guinea

  1

  3

  Australia

  0

  0

  Bahrain

  0

  6

  Belize

  0

  0

  Costa Rica

  0

  20

  Grenada

  0

  0

  Holy See

  0

  0

  Malta

  0

  0

  Mozambique

  0

  0

  New Zealand

  0

  0

  South Africa

  0

  19

  Swaziland

  0

  5

  Tonga

  0

  0

  International Organisations

  Commonwealth Secretariat

  21

  75

  Cocoa

  13

  7

  WEU

  10

  15

  IMO

  1

  13

  EEC

  1

  0

  UN

  0

  0

  Coffee

  0

  0

  Immarsat

  0

  0

  Sugar

  0

  0

  Totals

  10,079

  14,437

TRANSPORT

  St. Pancras-Sheffield Line
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to discuss with the British Railways Board the further electrification of the St. Pancras-Sheffield midland line.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have no plans to do so. It is for BR to propose such a scheme if it believes it to be worthwhile.

  Ryrie Rules
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had concerning the Ryrie rules for(a) road projects and (b) rail projects.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend and I have meetings from time to time with potential private sector operators about the interpretation of these rules.

  Lindane Container (English Channel)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the individual amounts of expenditure laid out by his Department in the attempt to recover the lost container of lindane in the Channel.

  Mr. Portillo
  The container of lindane was on board MV Perintis which sank in international waters in the English Channel on 13 March.

  As the result of an Anglo-French air-sea search the floating container of lindane was located in a French area of responsibility on 15 March and taken under tow towards Cherbourg by the French authorities. While in transit the container was lost again. The French have subsequently carried out a very extensive but unsuccessful search but have not sought—or required—British assistance.

  The exact location of the container is still unknown but is thought to be about 15 km north-west of Cap de la
  104
  Hague, in a sector of the Channel for which the French authorities are fully responsible for taking counter-pollution action. Accordingly the Department has not been involved in the search.

  Only £302·24 has been expended by the Department in the search for the lindane, on an aerial surveillance flight by an MPCU aircraft on 15 March as part of the initial, successful, search for the floating container.

  M1-M25 Junction
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average lengths of peak hour tailback on the M1 at its junction with the M25.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We do not systematically record information about the lengths of tailbacks.

  M1 (Traffic Flow)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State For Transport, pursuant to the answer of 11 April to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth, if he will identify the types of vehicles and numbers in the quoted traffic flow of 5,200 between junctions 9 and 10 on the M1.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Typical peak flows by vehicle types are:

  A.M. peak southbound Per cent.

  A.M. peak northbound Per cent.

  Motorcycles

  0·5

  0·8

  Cars/taxis

  71·0

  77·4

  LGV

  8·0

  9·3

  HGV

  20·0

  11·5

  Bus/coach

  0·5

  1·0

  TOTAL

  100·0

  100·0

  M1 (Accidents)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles were involved in accidents between junctions 9 and 10 on the M1 for each month since January 1985.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The number of vehicles involved in injury accidents between junctions 9 and 10 on the M1, by month, from 1985 to 1987, are shown in the table. Detailed figures for 1988 are not yet available.

  Number of vehicles involved in accidents

  1985

  Number of vehicles

  January

  0

  February

  4

  March

  1

  April

  5

  May

  1

  June

  0

  July

  1

  August

  6

  September

  0

  October

  8

  November

  6

  December

  12

  Total

  44

  105

  Number of vehicles involved in accidents

  1986

  Number of vehicles

  January

  4

  February

  1

  March

  5

  April

  7

  May

  0

  June

  5

  July

  2

  August

  20

  September

  3

  October

  21

  November

  4

  December

  15

  Total

  87

  Number of vehicles involved in accidents

  1987

  Number of vehicles

  January

  0

  February

  2

  March

  0

  April

  14

  May

  0

  June

  9

  July

  7

  August

  4

  September

  12

  October

  24

  November

  5

  December

  5

  Total

  82

  Container Terminal (Hull)
  Mr. John Townend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the present situation with regard to the closed container terminal in Hull.

  Mr. Portillo
  I understand that this terminal in the port of Hull ran at a loss for many years. After trying without success to secure the registered dock workers' agreement to reduced manning levels in order to make the terminal competitive, Associated British Ports announced its temporary closure last August. This January ABP announced that the closure would be permanent. The future of the terminal site is a commercial decision for ABP.

  Roads
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he intends to publish proposals on the future road network in the north-east region;

  (2) when he expects to announce changes in the roads programme;

  (3) when he expects to publish a White Paper on the future of the road system.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are currently reviewing the trunk road programme, including routes in the north-east region. We expect to announce the results in the early summer.

  Traffic Area Organisation
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he proposes to carry out a review of the traffic area organisation.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have commissioned a review of the functions of the traffic commissioners and of the traffic area offices to identify any changes which would improve efficiency or standards of performance. The review will be carried out by Mr. J. Palmer, CB, who was a deputy secretary in the Department until his retirement. Any views or representations can be sent to Mr. Palmer at the Department's headquarters at 2 Marsham street.

  "Motorcycling Safety"
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions he has reached in the light of comments received on his paper "Motorcycling Safety", issued in February 1988.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The proposals for change were warmly received. There was a general recognition that the urgent need was to make motorcycling safer. The proposal that prospective moped riders and motorcyclists should be trained before being allowed to ride on their own received particularly widespread support.

  The aspects of the proposals which led to most comment, were those dealing with progression to more powerful machines (over 400cc), and the duration of provisional motorcycle licences, which we propose reducing to one year. On the former, many commentators advocated a power limit either as well as, or instead of, the 400cc limit. On the latter, there was widespread concern that one year was not long enough, although the need for a firm incentive for provisional licence holders to take training within a year at most was widely recognised. Comments were also received on the proposed changes to the car licence holders, moped and motorcycle entitlements, and on the proposed prohibition on learners carrying passengers on the road.

  In the light of these comments we have reached the following conclusions:

  1. Car drivers' full moped entitlement will in future be provisional. This will make the position regarding moped the same as that for motorcycles. Car drivers' provisional motorcycling entitlement will be retained.

  2. Car drivers will have to undergo the same training as other prospective motorcycle and moped riders before their provisional licence entitlement comes into effect.

  3. The compulsory training, to be known as "basic training", will not necessarily have to be completed on one day. In the light of representations, there will be waivers of the basic training requirement for certain offshore islands, but these will be subject to tight conditions. We are to start mandatory training in mid-1990. In the meantime, training schemes will be phased in on a voluntary basis wherever possible. Detailed discussions are now well advanced with training bodies, local authorities, motorcycle manufacturers and dealers about the content of the training courses and the arrangement for ensuring that motorcyclists can take the training with the minimum practical difficulties.

  The proposal to reduce the validity of provisional licences from two years to one will be modified. A licence will be valid for one year in the first instance and will be extended for a further year if the holder has taken but failed a test before the end of the year or has booked a test which, for good reason, could not be taken.

  4. The proposal to create a licence category for motorcycles in excess of 400 cc will be amended to incorporate a power limit. We favour a system under which drivers will be

  107
  able to progress to larger machines after two years' riding experience on a full licence. The technical definition of the power limit, and the scope of the two years' experience qualification, will be considered further in the light of consultations on the European Commission's proposal for a second directive on driver licensing which covers both points. We are still considering whether an additional test could be provided for those exceptional cases where a rider might have gained sufficient experience to ride a bigger machine in less than two years.

  5. As proposed in the original package, learner riders will be banned from carrying passengers. Concern expressed in the consultation exercise about the degree to which carrying pillion passengers changes the handling characteristics of motorcycles (particularly smaller ones) far outweighed comments favouring continuation of the present arrangements.

  BREL (Sale)
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the sale of British Rail Engineering Ltd. is to be completed.

  Mr. Portillo
  I am pleased to announce that the railways board has today completed the sale of its engineering subsidiary BREL (1988) Ltd. to the consortium comprising the management and employees of BREL, Trafalgar house plc and Asea Brown Boveri Ltd.

  Traffic Noise
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the noise levels on the db(A) scale at which compensation or soundproofing grants may be payable for the United Kingdom and the other members of the European Economic Community in respect of new roads or railway lines.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: For England and Wales road traffic noise is covered by the Noise Insulation Regulations 1975. Broadly comparable regulations apply to Scotland. There are no such regulations applying to Northern Ireland. We do not have (for either road or rail) detailed information of arrangements in the other EC countries.

  The 1975 regulations apply a threshold level of 68db(A)L10 18 hour. Where it is estimated that noise levels from traffic will within 15 years be at or in excess of this level at dwellings within 300 m of the new road, a duty is imposed on highway authorities to offer secondary glazing provided that:

  (a) the traffic noise level will be at least 1 db(A) more than the level before the road was built; and

  (b) noise from traffic using the new road will contribute at least 1 db(A) to the calculated level.

  There is no statutory noise standard for new railways. For further information on rail noise insulation, I refer to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) on 10 April at column 409.

  Ferries
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by name, for each of the seven passenger ferries which do not comply with the enhanced safety standards recommended after the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise, the reason why modification is not a realistic proposition(a) because it is technically impossible to make the modification, (b) because financial
  108
  consideration prevents work being carried out, or (c) due to any other specified reason; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Sir D. Price) on 4 April 1989, at column 20, which named the ferries that the owners have indicated will not be retained for more than about another three years. Modification would be so extensive that they do not believe it to be economically realistic.

WALES

  Beef
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the present state of the beef sector of the agricultural industry in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The beef sector in Wales is in a healthy condition. The June 1988 agricultural census results show that the total beef herd in Wales increased by 2 per cent. over the previous year while the number of heifers in calf intended mainly for rearing calves for beef rose by 24 per cent., reflecting producers' optimism for the beef market.

  Water Charges (Fire Service)
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that the fire service will be exempt from charges for water when Welsh Water is privatised.

  Mr. Grist
  Clause 79(1) of the Water Bill currently before Parliament specifically precludes the privatised companies from making charges in respect of water taken for the purposes of extinguishing fires, testing apparatus installed or equipment used for extinguishing fires.

DEFENCE

  Disarmament
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the achievements made by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in multilateral disarmament of(a) conventional weapons, (b) chemical and biological weapons and (c) nuclear weapons since 1959.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I have been asked to reply.

  With regard to conventional weapons, all NATO states are signatories of the agreement reached in Stockholm in September 1986 on a range of confidence-building measures designed to increase openness and predictability about military activities in Europe NATO states are currently participating in a further round of such talks in Vienna designed to build on the results achieved in Stockholm. Also in Vienna, NATO/Warsaw pact negotiations have just begun on conventional armed forces in Europe with the aim of establishing a stable balance of forces in Europe: the mandate for these negotiations is based largely on Alliance proposals. These new talks supersede the MBFR negotiations, in which a number of Alliance countries participated: these concluded on 2 February.
  109
  In the field of biological and chemical weapons an international convention prohibiting the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons was concluded in 1972. All NATO member states are a party to it. The multilateral negotiations for a global ban on chemical weapons continue at the 40-nation conference on disarmament in Geneva.

  In respect of nuclear weapons NATO countries actively supported the successful negotiation of the INF treaty removing ground based intermediate range nuclear missiles from Europe: the elimination of these missiles was first proposed by NATO in 1981.

  Soldiers (Arrests)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers have been arrested by the military police in(a) Salisbury and (b) Amesbury and subsequently charged with being drunk and disorderly or causing a breach of the peace in each of the past 12 months.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Royal Military police made no arrests for alcohol-related offences in Salisbury during the last 12 months. In Amesbury however, they arrested one soldier in July 1988, two in August 1988 and one in March 1989 for such offences.

  DROPS
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what grounds he has made payments to Leyland Dal, in connection with DROPS, additional to contract; when these payments were made; if he plans to make further such payments; in what form, and in favour of which company, these payments were made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Following experience from the validation trials, the Ministry of Defence decided to combine features from the evaluation truck and the validation truck in finalising the production build standard for the medium mobility vehicles. Appropriate amendments were therefore made to the contract and payments were authorised to Leyland Daf reflecting these amendments. These payments were contained within the original approved programme limits. No further such amendments for DROPS equipments are envisaged.

  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from Leyland Daf on errors in the DROPS requirements as originally framed by EASAMS; what assessment he has made of the implications for defence procurement of these errors; to what extent companies competed against standards outwith the formal requirements; if he plans to seek to recover from EASAMS sums paid to Leyland Daf for rectification of the problems caused by these errors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There have been no such representations from Leyland Daf. Companies competed against target figures laid down by the Ministry of Defence, not EASAMS Ltd. who were employed in the role of management support only. The statement of requirement made clear to the competing companies that these targets would be difficult to meet in combination and that trade-offs between parameters would be allowed.

  Swimming Pool (Mount Troodos)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received calling for the construction of a swimming pool at RAF Mount Troodos in Cyprus; and whether he intends to install such a facility.

  Mr. Neubert
  No bid has been received for a swimming pool at RAF Troodos. Moreover, the current scales for the funding of swimming pools at public expense provide only for their installation and maintenance if the pool meets a service training requirement; there is none in this case.

  Tornado
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about training of aircrew on Tornado aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  None.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last reviewed the operational capacities of the Tornado; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The operational capabilities of the RAF's front-line aircraft are kept under constant review. The build-up of the Tornado F3 force is proceeding satisfactorily, and the fourth squadron is due to become operational this year. As for the Tornado GR1, my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, informed the House during the Royal Air Force debate on 9 March at columns 1055–56 that we have decided to proceed with a mid-life improvement programme (columns 1055–56). A contract for the development phase of the programme was placed on Panavia on 16 March.

  RAF Leeming (Security)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last reviewed the security of RAF Leeming in Yorkshire.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A comprehensive security inspection by command staffs took place in February 1989 and interim inspections are conducted by the station security staff.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to erect a perimeter fence at RAF Leeming.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There is already a boundary fence which delineates the extent of MOD property. Where it has been considered necessary to provide enhanced physical security, additional fencing has been erected.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unauthorised intrusions have occurred at RAF Leeming in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There were no reports of any unauthorised intrusions.

  RAF Upper Heyford
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement about proposed United States military construction at RAF Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire;
  111
  (2) when his Department was first notified of the decision of the United States Air force to apply for funding for (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop at RAF Upper Heyford, in fiscal year 1990;

  (3) on what date representations were first received from his United States counterpart regarding proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop;

  (4) when he was first aware that the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop had been added to the United States military construction budget request for fiscal year 1990;

  (5) on what date or dates design work started on the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop;

  (6) which company or companies have been awarded conracts for design work on the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop;

  (7) on what date or dates the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop is scheduled to be started;

  (8) which construction contracts for the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop have been awarded; and to which company or companies;

  (9) on what date or dates the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop is scheduled to be completed; and when these facilities are scheduled to be operational;

  (10) whether it is normal practice for the United States Air Force to start design work for proposed construction in the United Kingdom before approval for such construction has been given by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The budget for the United States military construction programme submitted to Congress at the end of January 1989 for the fiscal years 1990–91 included proposals for additions to the flight simulator facility, the avionics maintenance shop and the jet engine shop at RAF Upper Heyford. The hon. Member was informed of these budgetary proposals in the reply that I gave him on 6 February at columns 515–16.

  Congress has not yet approved these proposals, nor has the United Kingdom Government authorised work to proceed. Consequently, no contracts have been let for these projects. However, in accordance with normal United States forward planning procedures, some preliminary design work was commissioned from the PSA in August 1988 and the Ministry of Defence was informed of the proposals in parallel.
  112
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will describe the role and function of the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop;

  (2) what variants of the F-111 aircraft will be supported by the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop;

  (3) how many aircraft will be supported by the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop;

  (4) if he will describe the new mission that will be supported by the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Government have not agreed to any changes to the role or aircraft of the USAF 20th Tactical Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Upper Heyford, nor have they authorised any proposals to alter or expand the facilities at the station, other than for the aircraft currently based there.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyforcl of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop was not included in the answer to the hon. Member for Leyton,Official Report, 9 June 1988, columns 660–62 regarding United States military construction in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  These proposals were knot submitted to Congress until January 1989.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries have been informed of the proposed construction at RAF Upper Heyford of (i) additions to the flight simulator facility, (ii) additions to the avionics maintenance shop and (iii) additions to the jet engine shop.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding United States military construction at RAF Upper Heyford for the next five fiscal years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 6 February 1989 at columns 515–16.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation funded military construction at RAF Upper Heyford for the next five years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  NATO infrastructure funding for 1990 onwards has not yet been approved.

  Dual-Capable Aircraft
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy on granting approval to
  113
  the United States Air Force for construction of new facilities to support the basing of new dual-capable aircraft in advance of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation decisions on nuclear modernisation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No construction required to support new dual-capable aircraft will be authorised in advance of NATO decisions; no early decisions are expected.

  United States Air Force
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on whether it is normal practice for the United States Air Force to request funding for proposed construction in the United Kingdom before approval for such construction has been given by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I am informed that it is not unusual for the United States Administration to request budgetary authority in advance of construction approval because of the long lead times in the United States programming and budgeting process.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what special circumstances in the last five years Royal Air Force aircrew have been authorised to fly at a height less than that set out in joint service publication 318 and the United Kingdom military low flying handbook, as provided in section 51(b) of the Air Force Act 1955.

  Mr. Neubert
  [holding answer 9 February 1989]: The military flying regulations (JSP 318) set out special circumstances under which flight at a height less than that provided for in those regulations is allowed.

  Joint Warfare Wing
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates, at what cost to his Department, and on what topics guest speakers have been invited to the joint warfare wing or its successor establishment since 1978.

  Mr. Neubert
  [holding answer 4 April 1989]: I have taken the hon. Member's question to relate to non-Government guest speakers, but including those who have retired from Government service or the armed forces. Records of visits by such speakers to the joint warfare wing 1978–1982 are no longer available. Full records for the period 1982 onwards are not available but topics on which guest speakers can be identified as having lectured include aspects of the Soviet threat; campaigns since world war 2; current international affairs; arms control negotiations; counter-terrorism; the conventional balance in Europe; the strategic defence initiative; the role of conventional land/air forces; and aspects of modern media and publicity techniques. Speakers are offered a fee in the region of £50 to £80, together with travel expenses.

SCOTLAND

  Wildlife and Countryside Act
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the annual
  114
  payments by district council area made in respect of compensation agreements approved under section 30 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in 1988 and each of the preceding four years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Nature Conservancy Council (Scotland) has advised me that it has received no claims for compensation under section 30 of the 1981 Act in the period 1984–88. Had claims been made I would be unable to divulge details for reasons of confidentiality.

  Federation Internationale des Vins et Spiritueux
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what approach he has received about the hosting of a reception for the Federation Internationale des Vins et Spiritueux during its forthcoming assembly in Scotland organised by the Scotch Whisky Association; and what has been his response.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any such approach.

  Torness Power Station
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total cost and value of third party insurance for the consequences of any nuclear accident at Torness power station; and if he will make a statement on the proportion of the risk which is carried by the Government, the South of Scotland Electricity Board and insurance companies, respectively.

  Mr. Lang
  The Nuclear Installations Act 1965 requires all operators of nuclear sites to make provision, either by insurance or other means, to meet claims for compensation in respect of injury or damage arising from a nuclear accident. The level required under the Act is currently £20 million. The cost to the South of Scotland Electricity Board of providing this cover is a matter for the board. Any claims in excess of the operator's liability and up to a sterling equivalent of 300 million special drawing rights (about £230 million) would be met from public funds. Beyond that, the Act provides that claims shall be satisfied to such extent and out of funds provided by such means as Parliament may determine.

  Adult Education
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will set out Her Majesty's Government's policy on adult education in Scotland;

  (2) what plans he has to issue guidelines to local authorities regarding provision of adult education in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what proposals he has to promote adult education in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Education authorities in Scotland have a duty under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 to ensure that there is available in their areas adequate and efficient provision of further education, and this includes voluntary part-time and full-time courses of instruction for persons over school age and social, cultural and recreative activities. Adult education is one element of this provision. Education authorities decide for themselves the level of provision in the light of local needs and
  115
  circumstances, and having regard to the activities of other institutions providing further education or promoting its development.

  The Government monitor developments in further education and, using resources available centrally, encourage particular areas of activity and provide support to a range of bodies and voluntary organisations whose functions include the promotion, development and provision of further education. But the education authorities determine their own adult education programmes and respond to needs as they arise in their localities. The Government have no plans to issue guidelines to authorities.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to earmark central Government educational expenditure grant for the provision of adult education in local education authorities in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  General support for local authority services is provided through revenue support grant which affords local authorities maximum discretion to choose their own spending priorities. The excellent revenue support grant settlement for 1989–90 should afford authorities plenty of scope to provide such adult education services as they deem appropriate.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report figures for the past five years showing what financial resources were devoted to adult education in Scotland broken down by education authority area on a per capita basis;

  (2) if he will list in the Official Report total expenditure on adult education in Scotland shown at constant 1979 prices for 1979 to the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Expenditure on adult education is one element of expenditure on further, higher and community education and cannot be identified separately.

  REPLAN Scheme
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce a similar scheme in Scotland to the REPLAN scheme in England and Wales.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No. Education authorities have a responsibility to ensure that adequate and efficient further education is available in their areas. The flexibility of the modular system of further education applying in Scotland and the Scottish wider access programme have both increased the opportunities available for all adults—including those not currently in employment—to benefit from education and updating. Education provision for the unemployed is also available through voluntary organisations supported by Scottish Education Department funding, and through the Training Agency's employment training programme.

  Adult Counselling
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has plans to expand and develop adult counselling in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 gives education authorities powers to provide 116
  vocational guidance services for persons other than those attending or leaving schools and colleges. Advice was given to education authorities in "The Careers Service—Memorandum of Guidance to Education Authorities in Scotland" issued in March 1988. Guidance and counselling for adult students is an important element of the provision being made by education a ill authorities under the Scottish wider access programme.

  Open Learning Centres
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has plans to expand and develop open learning centres in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Office is providing funds towards the establishment and development of an open learning centre in Whitfield, Dundee. I hope that this initiative will provide valuable experience in delivering adult basic education, which may lead to the establishment of further centres in Scotland.

  Human Rights
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many representations he has received about the denial of human rights in Scotland; and which organisations made these representations.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not available. My right hon. and learned Friend receives a large number of representations from individuals and organisations covering a wide range of subjects. While a number of these could no doubt be regarded as alleging breaches or denials of human rights, such representations are not separately identified and details of their origin and number cannot therefore be provided.

  Motor Neurone Disease
  Mr. Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will instigate research into the suitability of the drug L.Threonine for the treatment of motor neurone disease;

  (2) what proportion of his budget is spent on research into motor neurone disease.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Scottish Home and Health Department is not funding any research relating to the drug L.Threonine or motor neurone disease, but sympathetic consideration would be given to applications for any soundly based research project. The Medical Research Council funds research into aspects of motor neurone disease and is presently supporting two projects based in Edinburgh and two in Glasgow.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are(a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The number and percentage of women officers in grades 1 to 7 and overall in the Scottish Office and associated departments are shown in the table:
  117

  Women

  Women per cent.

  Grade 1

  —

  —

  Grade 2

  —

  —

  Grade 3

  1

  4·0

  Grade 4

  —

  —

  Grade 5

  8

  6·8

  Grade 6

  25

  14·3

  Grade 7

  42

  10·7

  Overall

  3,185

  41·8

  None of the staff in unified grades 1 to 7 describe themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority. Of the total staff 0·4 per cent, are from the ethnic minority groups.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My Department conducted a voluntary survey of the ethnic origins of staff in 1987. Since then all new entrants have been asked to complete a questionnaire in order to keep this information up-to-date. I have no plans to conduct a further survey.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My Department does not conduct recruitment for top grades.

  Pupil-teacher Ratios
  Mrs. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the current pupil-teacher ratios for each of the Scottish education authorities in both primary and secondary education.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The provisional average pupil-teacher ratios in education authority schools at September 1988 are set out in the table.

  Primary

  Secondary

  Borders

  17·9

  12·3

  Central

  20·2

  13·3

  Dumfries/Galloway

  18·7

  11·6

  Fife

  19·9

  13·1

  Number of schemes

  Schemes on transitional funding grant before April 1989

  Schemes run by local authorities

  Schemes run by community and voluntary organisations

  Total YTS schemes

  Schemes run by local authorities

  Schemes run by community and voluntary organisations

  Total YTS schemes on transitional funding

  Borders

  4

  —

  7

  2

  —

  2

  Central

  13

  —

  90

  7

  —

  8

  Dumfries and Galloway

  7

  —

  51

  6

  —

  7

  Fife

  12

  2

  90

  5

  —

  8

  Grampian

  7

  1

  36

  2

  1

  3

  Highland

  20

  2

  43

  6

  —

  7

  Lothian

  29

  8

  179

  12

  8

  20

  Orkney

  3

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Shetland

  2

  —

  4

  1

  —

  1

  Strathclyde

  94

  8

  605

  56

  2

  67

  Tayside

  7

  5

  31

  3

  5

  8

  Western Isles

  2

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Scotland

  200

  26

  1,140

  100

  16

  131

  118

  Primary

  Secondary

  Grampian

  19·2

  13·1

  Highland

  18·1

  12·2

  Lothian

  20·0

  12·7

  Strathclyde

  21·3

  12·8

  Tayside

  19·7

  11·6

  Orkney

  16·1

  10·2

  Shetland

  13·6

  9·5

  Western Isles

  15·0

  10·0

  ALL SCOTLAND

  20·2

  12·6

  Storm Damage
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the amount of timber lost through wind blow during the storm that struck Scotland on 13 February; what measures he has taken to compensate the owners of such timber; and what has been the total cost of such measures.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  An estimated 300,000 cu m of timber were blown down in Scotland on 13 February. As regards compensation, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) yesterday by my hon. Friend the Minister of State.

  YTS
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many YTS schemes are run by voluntary and community organisations in each Scottish region;

  (2) how many YTS schemes are run by the local authorities for each Scottish region;

  (3) what is the total number of YTS schemes run in each local authority region in Scotland;

  (4) how many YTS schemes are run by voluntary and community organisations which received a transitional funding grant before 1 April for each Scottish region;

  (5) how many YTS schemes are run by local authorities which received a transitional funding grant before 1 April for each Scottish region;

  (6) how many YTS schemes were paid a transitional funded grant in respect of training before 1 April for each Scottish region.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: Details requested are set out in the table:
  119
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many YTS schemes trainees are on schemes run by local authorities in each Scottish region;

  (2) what is the total number of YTS scheme trainees in each local authority region in Scotland;

  (3) how many trainees are on transitional funded YTS schemes run by local authorities for each Scottish region before 1 April;

  Number of trainees on schemes

  Schemes on transitional funding grant before I April 1989

  Schemes run by local authorities

  Schemes run by community and voluntary organisations

  Total YTS schemes

  Schemes run by local authorities

  Schemes run by community and voluntary organisations

  Total YTS schemes on transitional funding

  Borders

  168

  —

  231

  129

  —

  129

  Central

  921

  —

  3,384

  357

  —

  387

  Dumfries and Galloway

  642

  —

  1,383

  142

  —

  212

  Fife

  1,262

  200

  3,666

  432

  —

  496

  Grampian

  948

  59

  3,908

  99

  59

  158

  Highland

  633

  89

  2,065

  302

  —

  340

  Lothian

  1,608

  341

  5,254

  588

  341

  929

  Orkney

  150

  —

  150

  —

  —

  —

  Shetland

  106

  —

  114

  99

  —

  99

  Strathclyde

  5,764

  807

  25,185

  3,505

  306

  4,372

  Tayside

  1,320

  503

  3,868

  100

  276

  376

  Western Isles

  217

  —

  217

  —

  —

  —

  Scotland

  13,739

  1,999

  49,425

  5,753

  982

  7,498

HEALTH

  Westminster and Chelsea Teaching Hospital
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when it is planned that demolition work will begin on the site of St. Stephen's hospital, Fulham, in preparation for the construction of the new Westminster and Chelsea teaching hospital.

  Mr. Freeman
  I understand from North West Thames regional health authority that contractors will be starting work on the St. Stephen's hospital site on 15 May 1989.

  Constituency Sizes
  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the 25 largest constituencies in England, in terms of numbers of electors on the register as at the current date.

  Mr. Freeman
  The 1989 electoral statistics for local authority areas will be published in "OPCS Monitor EL89/1" on 25 April. Electoral statistics for parliamentary and European constituencies are still being prepared. They will be published in "Electoral Statistics, 1989" (Series EL No. 16) at the end of May, and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  Tobacco Advertising
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received the second report of the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship has submitted its
  120
  (4) how many YTS trainees are on schemes run by voluntary and community organisations in each Scottish region;

  (5) how many trainees were on YTS transitional funded schemes run by voluntary and community organisations in each Scottish region before 1 April;

  (6) how many trainees were on YTS transitional funded grant schemes in each region in Scotland before 1 April.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: Details requested are set out in the table:

  second report and copies have been placed in the Library. I am grateful to the committee and its chairman, Sir Peter Lazarus, for their excellent work in continuing to monitor the arrangements and for their second report. The report shows that, in general, the system of voluntary agreements, which govern tobacco advertising, health warnings and sports sponsorship, are continuing to work well and that the tobacco companies are honouring their commitments. This view is supported by the fact that the level of complaints to the committee has dropped substantially since its first report was published last year.

  The chairman has expressed the hope that the Government and the tobacco industry will soon embark on renegotiating the voluntary agreements. We note his concern, and intend to discuss the way forward with the industry shortly. We also note and share his concern about older permanent advertisements which do not carry health warnings.

  Bottled Water
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost in 1987 and 1988 of bottled water supplied to families with young babies by the East Anglian regional health authority and the Norwich district health authority.

  Mr. Freeman
  The health authorities did not supply bottled water to families with young babies.

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proportion of National Health Service funding, by region, is dedicated to services for(a) premature senile dementia, (b) youth mental illness services and (c) forensic services;
  121
  (2) if he will list the estimated cost by region of maintaining hospitals for the mentally ill, mentally handicapped and elderly.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information on health authorities' expenditure specifically on premature senile dementia, youth mental illness services and forensic services is not collected centrally.

  For information on regions' total revenue expenditure on hospital services analysed to types of hospital (including "Geriatric", "Mental Illness" and "Mental Handicap") I refer the hon. Member to tables in the Department's annual publication "Health Services Costing Returns" (the latest being for 1986–87), copies of which are held in the Library.

  NHS (Resources)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria were employed to determine the allocation of

  1985-Based Population Projections for Standard Regions

  Percentage of elderly population

  England and Wales

  Regions

  Age

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  North

  Over 75

  6·62

  6·71

  6·73

  6·68

  6·65

  6·91

  7·15

  7·34

  7·46

  7·57

  7·67

  Over 85

  1·31

  1·37

  1·42

  1·49

  1·55

  1·60

  1·65

  1·70

  1·75

  1·80

  1·84

  Yorkshire and

  Over 75

  6·91

  6·95

  6·92

  6·83

  6·76

  6·97

  7·14

  7·26

  7·32

  7·37

  7·41

  Humberside

  Over 85

  1·44

  1·50

  1·55

  1·61

  1·67

  1·72

  1·76

  1·80

  1·84

  1·88

  1·92

  East Midlands

  Over 75

  6·63

  6·69

  6·68

  6·60

  6·54

  6·76

  6·94

  7·07

  7·14

  7·21

  7·26

  Over 85

  1·37

  1·43

  1·48

  1·54

  1·60

  1·64

  1·69

  1·74

  1·78

  1·82

  1·86

  East Anglia

  Over 75

  7·61

  7·66

  7·65

  7·57

  7·51

  7·77

  7·94

  8·06

  8·13

  8·19

  8·23

  Over 85

  1·63

  1·70

  1·77

  1·85

  1·92

  1·99

  2·04

  2·10

  2·16

  2·22

  2·27

  South East

  Over 75

  7·08

  7·09

  7·05

  6·94

  6·85

  7·03

  7·16

  7·25

  7·29

  7·32

  7·33

  Over 85

  1·59

  1·64

  1·69

  1·75

  1·81

  1·85

  1·89

  1·93

  1·96

  2·00

  2·03

  Greater London

  Over 75

  6·91

  6·87

  6·78

  6·62

  6·49

  6·60

  6·66

  6·69

  6·67

  6·64

  6·59

  Over 85

  1·56

  1·61

  1·66

  1·71

  1·75

  1·79

  1·82

  1·84

  1·86

  1·88

  1·90

  Remainder of South East

  Over 75

  7·19

  7·23

  7·22

  7·13

  7·07

  7·29

  7·47

  7·60

  7·67

  7·73

  7·78

  Over 85

  1·60

  1·66

  1·71

  1·78

  1·84

  1·89

  1·94

  1·98

  2·03

  2·08

  2·12

  South West

  Over 75

  8·60

  8·63

  8·60

  8·48

  8·40

  8·64

  8·79

  8·89

  8·93

  8·97

  8·99

  Over 85

  1·95

  2·02

  2·09

  2·18

  2·25

  2·32

  2·38

  2·44

  2·49

  2·55

  2·60

  West Midlands

  Over 75

  6·22

  6·30

  6·32

  6·26

  6·22

  6·45

  6·66

  6·81

  6·91

  6·99

  7·05

  Over 85

  121

  1·27

  1·32

  1·38

  1·44

  1·48

  1·53

  1·57

  1·62

  1·66

  1·69

  North West

  Over 75

  6·77

  6·80

  6·77

  6·67

  6·59

  6·78

  6·94

  7·04

  7·09

  7·13

  7·16

  Over 85

  1·38

  1·44

  1·49

  1·55

  1·60

  1·65

  1·69

  1·73

  1·76

  1·80

  1·83

  Wales

  Over 75

  7·24

  7·30

  7·33

  7·30

  7·30

  7·54

  7·73

  7·87

  7·97

  8·07

  8·17

  Over 85

  1·53

  1·59

  1·65

  1·71

  1·77

  1·83

  1·87

  1·92

  1·97

  2·02

  2·06

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for each district health authority, the total number of people(a) receiving mental illness services for up to six months, (b) receiving mental illness services for six months to one year and (c) receiving mental illness services for over one year.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested on duration of receipt of mental illness services in residential accommodation or on a non-residential basis is not held centrally.
  122
  the additional resources made available to the National Health Service as set out in the 1988 Autumn Statement (a) to regional health authorities and (b) from regional health authorities to district health authorities.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. and learned Friend's reply of 21 December 1988 to my hon. Friend the Member for Twickenham (Mr. Jessel) at columns 316–18.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by region the estimated growth in the population of(a) over 75-year-old and (b) over 85-year-old people as a percentage of the total population for each of the next 10 years.

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

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has given to regional health authorities on the funding of resettlement projects for the mentally ill.

  Mr. Freeman
  Resources for care in the community are made available from the main programme expenditure of health authorities and local authorities. Although no guidance has been given centrally, is is for health authorities and local authorities to determine how to deploy these resources in the light of local needs and circumstances.

  Within health authority budgets, a specific allocation of joint finance is identified for community schemes jointly agreed between health authorities, local authorities, family practitioner committees and voluntary organisations.
  123
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has issued any guidelines to regions for achieving targeted growth in mental illness services.

  Mr. Freeman
  Last summer we issued planned guidelines to health authorities which included a requirement that by 1991 each district must have developed a "care programme" to provide a system of co-ordinated continuing care for people chronically disabled by mental illness, but living mainly in the community.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has issued any guidelines to health authorities on the way in which they determine the proportion of resources they should devote to services for the mentally ill.

  Mr. Freeman
  In general, allocations to regional health authorities do not make separate provision for individual clinical services or client groups. It is for authorities to determine how the resources available to them should be spent in line with national policy guidelines and their assessment of local needs and priorities.

  Maternal Deaths (Anaesthesia)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women of non-Caucasian origin were among the 19 maternal deaths and one late maternal death in England and Wales in 1982, 1983 and 1984 associated with anaesthesia.

  Mr. Freeman
  Four.

  Salmonella
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the source of(a) his statement on 5 December that 1,000 people had been affected by outbreaks of salmonella traced back to eggs and (b) his Department's statement on 6 December that 7,000 cases of salmonella had been so traced.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 17 February 1989]: My statement on 5 December 1988 at column 19 that

  Table A

  £ million

  Main service provision 1988–89

  1989–90 main service provision

  Initial cash levels1

  Column 1 adjusted to 1989–90 cash levels

  Initial cash levels1

  Column 1

  Column 2

  Column 3

  Northern

  735

  793

  832

  Yorkshire

  830

  894

  937

  Trent

  1,010

  1,089

  1,147

  East Anglian

  438

  472

  497

  North West Thames

  808

  871

  913

  North East Thames

  1,007

  1,086

  1,137

  South East Thames

  898

  968

  1,018

  South West Thames

  746

  804

  844

  Wessex

  615

  662

  699

  Oxford

  482

  520

  558

  South Western

  732

  789

  832

  West Midlands

  1,186

  1,278

  1,340

  Mersey

  586

  631

  664

  North Western

  1,005

  1,083

  1,140

  124
  "up to the end of October there had been 46 reported outbreaks of salmonella food poisoning in England and Wales involving about 1,000 cases"

  related to cases where the infection was directly attributable to the consumption of eggs. Over the same 10-month period there had been a total of 23,039 salmonella isolations of which 10,544 were salmonella enteritidis phage type 4, the type predominantly associated with chicken and eggs.

  My Department has never made any statement on 6 December or at any other time about 7,000 cases being traced.

  Health Authorities (Allocations)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the cash allocations to regional health authorities in 1988–89 and 1989–90 in standard prices using 1989–90 as the base; and if he will estimate the cash allocations to regions on a weighted capitation basis for 1990–91 and 1991–92 using 1989–90 as the price base, assuming the total flow of resources as per the public expenditure White Paper, assuming population forecasts as per the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, and before taking account of inter-regional direct payments;

  (2) what are the actual allocations made to regional health authorities for 1988–89 and for 1989–90 both on a current and standard price basis; and, in the case of the 1989–90 cash allocations, what are their percentage distances from the 1988–89 resource allocation working party target adjusted (a) by inflation and (b) by the percentage change between 1988–89 and 1989–90 in total nominal cash resources between 1989–90.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 16 March 1989]: Initial allocations to regional health authorities in 1988–89 and 1989–90 at the price bases requested are shown in the following tables, together with 1989–90 allocation distances from 1988–89 RAWP targets adjusted as requested. The level of resources which will be allocated to direct payments between regions will be discussed with regional health authorities, and, until this process is complete, it is not possible to speculate about the distribution of funding in future years.
  125

  1 Initial cash limit main provision. Excludes earmarked sums, for example, supra-regional services, AIDS, breast cancer screening and additional funding for the review body pay awards.

  Table B

  2Distance from 1988–89 targets adjusted by:

  1989–90 main service provision1

  Inflation 1988–89 to 1989–903

  Actual increase in cash resources between 1988–89 and 1989–90

  £ million

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Column 1

  Column 2

  Column 3

  Northern

  832

  +6·1

  -1·58

  Yorkshire

  937

  +6·1

  -1·41

  Trent

  1,147

  +5·2

  -2·78

  East Anglian

  497

  +3·9

  -4·15

  North West Thames

  913

  +12·4

  4·27

  North East Thames

  1,137

  +15·4

  6·79

  South East Thames

  1,018

  +9·9

  1·66

  South West Thames

  844

  +8·8

  0·96

  Wessex

  699

  +6·4

  -1·82

  Oxford

  558

  +7·2

  -2·64

  South Western

  832

  +6·9

  -1·41

  West Midlands

  1,340

  +6·2

  -1·34

  Mersey

  664

  +9·6

  1·45

  North Western

  1,140

  +6·6

  -1·36

  1 As column 3 of Table A.

  2 Targets calculated from total resources available in 1988–89.

  3 As measured by the Gross Domestic Product Deflator.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Farmers
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of farmers derive a significant proportion of their income from non-agricultural activities; and what proportion of national agricultural output is produced by those farmers.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Sea Disposal Licences
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those operations for which sea disposal licences for the deposit or incineration of waste at sea have been granted under part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The number of licences issued under part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 for disposals in England and Wales is as follows:

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Marine incineration

  20

  13

  15

  Liquid industrial waste

  26

  20

  18

  Solid industrial waste

  3

  8

  11

  Sewage sludge

  17

  17

  15

  Dredged spoil

  100

  101

  138

  All licences are now issued on an annual basis; until 1988 some solid industrial waste disposals were covered by five-year licences. With the exception of the dredged spoil category virtually all licences issued were renewals of existing licences.

  Details of licences issued are maintained by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on a public register.

  Storm Damage
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the amount of timber lost in the storm which struck England during October 1987; and what is the total cost of the measures taken as a result of the storm.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  It is estimated that some 4 million cu.m of timber were blown down in England in the October 1987 storm. The Forestry Commission is expecting to pay in the region of £3 million in supplementary grants for the restocking of woodlands damaged in the storm.

  Pesticides
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice or recommendations he has received from the working party on pesticide residues on the enforcement of existing, or introduction of new, pesticide regulations, or other legislation, as a means of helping to reduce the use of pesticides against wildlife.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The working party on pesticide residues' remit is to collect and report data on pesticide residues: it does not make recommendations concerning the use or misuse of pesticides, since that is the task of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. I believe that it is for the enforcement authorities to control the misuse of pesticides against wildlife, taking advantage of the improved opportunity for prosecuting those responsible which results from the introduction of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply of 23 March,Official Report, column 726–27, what advice and recommendations he has received from the advisory committee on pesticides on the enforcement of existing, or the introduction of new, pesticide regulations, or other legislation, as a means of helping to reduce the use of pesticides against wildlife.
  127
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The advisory committee on pesticides has taken the view that enforcement of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 is a matter for the competent enforcement agencies. The level of misuse of pesticides against wildlife has not suggested the need for additional measures or legislation.

  Alar
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many hectares of orchards were sprayed with Alar in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Under the regular cycle of surveys, data have been collected for 1987 but not for 1988. The 1987 data are now being collated and will be published as soon as possible.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the crops on which the chemical Alar is used and the purposes for its use.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  From the information available Alar products are currently used as growth regulators on apples, pears, chrysanthemums and other ornamentals, seed potatoes and on field beans for animal consumption.

  Original budget (concluding supplementary budgets)

  Supplementary budget

  Outturn

  National United Kingdom contribution

  United Kingdom receipts

  Conversion rota

  mua

  mua

  mua

  mua

  mua

  lmu = £

  1973

  3,263

  —

  3,786

  333

  152

  0·416667

  1974

  3,839

  —

  3,228

  355

  279

  0·416667

  1975

  4,306

  —

  4,914

  668

  848

  0·416667

  1976

  5,490

  717

  5,793

  939

  517

  0·416667

  1977

  6,581

  934

  6,964

  1,340

  422

  0·416667

  mecu

  mecu

  mecu

  mecu

  mecu

  lecu = £

  1978

  9,131

  —

  9,000

  1,386

  480

  0·663759

  1979

  10,022

  725

  10,880

  1,904

  593

  0·649236

  1980

  11,878

  —

  11,943

  2,484

  941

  0·805540

  1981

  13,401

  -1,070

  11,581

  2,490

  1,198

  0·556891

  1982

  14,533

  —

  13,077

  3,165

  1,357

  0·557801

  1983

  14,786

  1,763

  16,637

  3,677

  1,849

  0·586581

  1984

  17,288

  1,848

  19,092

  4,166

  2,244

  0·583969

  1985

  20,755

  —

  20,549

  4,011

  2,016

  0·588051

  1986

  23,104

  —

  23,028

  3,340

  2,084

  0·647851

  19871

  24,174

  -73

  23,963

  3,882

  1,840

  0·719320

  19882

  29,001

  —

  na

  na

  na

  0·662252

  19893

  28,618

  —

  na

  na

  na

  0·645161

  Source: EC budget, EAGGF financial reports, EC Court of Auditors reports, implementation of the budget reports.

  Notes: Before 1978, Community expenditure was expressed in units of account. As this unit had a different basis from the present ecu the figures for 1973–77 are not directly comparable with those for later years.

  1 Covers expenditure on market support for first 10 months only. In addition the PDB contains 640 mecu for depreciation of old stocks, 800 mecu for reimbursement of butter disposals in 1987–88 and a monetary reserve of 1,000 mecu.

  2 Covers expenditure on market support from November 1987 to 15 October 1988. In addition, the budget contains provision of 1,240 mecu for depreciation of old stocks and a monetary reserve of 1,000 mecu.

  3 Covers expenditure on market support from 16 October 1989 to 15 October 1989. In addition the PDB contains 640 mecu for depreciation of old stocks, 800 mecu for reimbursement of butter disposals in 1987–88 and a monetary reserve of 1,000 mecu.

  Insecticides (Cattle)
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence he has of residues in cattle hides resulting from the use of pour-on insecticides; and if he has any evidence of any consequential problems for the tannery industry.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Like all veterinary medical products, pour-on insecticides for use on cattle are subject to the licensing requirements of the Medicines Act 1968. A licence is granted only if the company making a product
  128
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much Alar was sold in the United Kingdom in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Such information is not collected by my Department.

  EC Budget
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will bring up to date the information in the reply dated 28 July 1988,Official Report, columns 389–90, concerning the European Community agricultural budget and outturn and the United Kingdom contribution; and if he will add the forecast up until 1991 as used in the compilation of the forecast in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm 621).

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The information requested is set out in the table. The United Kingdom contributes to the budget as a whole rather than to individual components, so the figures shown for the United Kingdom contribution are notional. It is not the Government's practice to produce calendar year forecasts for future years.

  can show that it is effective and of good quality and can be used safely. I am not aware of any problems in the tanning industry.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to how many people discharged from mental illness hospitals in
  129
  Northern Ireland in the last year after a main diagnosis of schizophrenia psychoses, having been proved vulnerable boarders, subsequently became voluntary boarders.

  Mr. Needham
  This information is not available.

  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many local authority residential places are currently available for those discharged from mental illness hospitals in Northern Ireland; what is the current rate of occupancy; and what are the projected figures for the next two years.

  Mr. Needham
  Statutory residential accommodation for the mentally ill in Northern Ireland is provided by the four health and social services boards. On 31 December 1987 the boards' homes and hostels provided 202 places for the mentally ill. The occupancy rate was 73·3 per cent. Information on projected figures for the next two years is not available centrally.

  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mental illness beds there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what was the rate of occupancy; and what is the planned number for the current year.

  Mr. Needham
  The numbers for each of the last five years for which information is available are as follows:

  Year

  Beds

  Occupancy rate

  1983

  4,732

  79·3

  1984

  4,599

  78·8

  1985

  4,478

  81·99

  1986

  4,330

  79·7

  1987

  4,163

  80·2

  The planned number for the current year is not available centrally.

  River Roe
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to extend the European Community salmonid designation to the tributary streams of the River Roe.

  Mr. Needham
  As explained in my answer of 1 March 1988 at column 524, it is the Department's intention to extend designation of salmonid waters under the European Community directive 78/659/EEC as soon as resources permit. Consideration will then be given to designating the tributary streams of the River Roe together with other eligible rivers in Northern Ireland.

  Under-age Drinking
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the introduction on 22 March 1989 in the Province of an over-18 card by the Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade of Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  I welcome the federation's action, which should assist in combating the problem of under-age drinking.

  Pupil-Teacher Ratios
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the current pupil-teacher ratios for both primary and secondary education in each of the education and library board areas in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Available information relates to the 1987–88 school year and is as follows:

  Education and library board

  1Primary

  2Secondary

  Belfast

  22·6

  13·9

  Western

  23·6

  15·2

  North-Eastern

  23·5

  14·9

  South-Eastern

  23·7

  15·0

  Southern

  24·2

  15·0

  1 Includes nursery classes in primary schools and preparatory departments of grammar schools.

  2 Consists of secondary intermediate schools and secondary departments of grammar schools.

  Kincora Boys' Home
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the reply of 9 March,Official Report, column 1024, to the hon. Member for Brent, East, what is the precise number of other claims for compensation from ex-residents of the Kincora boys' home which are being processed; and if he will make a statement on the length of time taken to agree such settlements.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 4 April 1989]: In addition to the three claims which have been settled, eight other claims from ex-residents of Kincora boys' home are currently being processed. Settlements are normally the result of negotiations between parties and their legal advisers and I am not privy to them.

  Disability
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the survey of disability in Northern Ireland will take account of the criticisms made by the Disablement Income Group of the surveys undertaken by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: The study of disability in Northern Ireland is modelled closely on the study carried out in Great Britain by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys so as to facilitate valid comparisons of the findings. As in Great Britain, the views of the Disablement Income Group will be taken into account in considering the findings of the Northern Ireland study.

  Anti-terrorist Co-operation (Firearms)
  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will state the conditions with regard to the carrying of firearms which have to be observed by police officers from the Republic of Ireland whilst in Northern Ireland for the purpose of discussing anti-terrorist co-operation with their counterparts in the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  [holding answer 14 April 1989]: A police officer from the Republic of Ireland, like any visitor,

  131
  may not lawfully carry a firearm in Northern Ireland unless he is in possession of the appropriate authorisation from the Chief Constable of the RUC.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Chief Adjudication Officer (Report)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking in response to the recommendations contained in the annual report of the chief adjudication officer, 1987–88.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The recommendations contained in the annual report of the chief adjudication officer, 1987–88 are currently being considered and the responses will be published in the next annual report as is the normal practice.

  Attendance Allowance
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for attendance allowance there were in each of the last five years; how many of these claims were(a) unsuccessful, (b) awarded the lower rate and (c) awarded the higher rate; how many of the successful claims (i) satisfied the attendance conditions and (ii) satisfied the supervision conditions; and how many of the unsuccessful claims were applied for on grounds of meeting the supervision conditions.

  Mr. Scott
  Not all the requested information is available: the information which is available is in the table.

  Attendance Allowance

  Initial Claims 1984–1988

  Numbers Received and Decided, Disallowed and Awards Made

  Year

  Claims received and decided

  Claims disallowed

  Awards made

  Higher rate

  Lower rate

  1988

  318,600

  110,527

  74,058

  133,795

  1987

  300,581

  91,888

  78,338

  130,355

  1986

  250,561

  76,497

  61,457

  112,607

  1985

  255,125

  70,526

  66,218

  118,381

  1984

  239,804

  57,430

  67,445

  114,325

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has completed his review of the introduction of attendance allowance for severely mentally and physically disabled children under the age of two years.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 22 February at column 682.

  "Poverty"
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy with regard to the use of the word "poverty" in official governmental reports.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  It is our policy that, in reports prepared by the Department, the word "poverty" should be used whenever it is the appropriate word.

  Supplementary Benefit
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table using regional 132
  classification to show expenditure in 1988–89 on supplementary benefit payments for occupants of (a) private residential homes and (b) hostels.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The table shows the estimated expenditure on payments of income support to people in private and voluntary residential care homes. I regret that reliable figures for hostel cases are not available.

  Social security region

  Annual equivalent expenditure (nearest £ million)

  North Eastern

  64

  London North

  78

  London South

  125

  Wales/South West

  99

  Midlands

  73

  North Western

  76

  Scotland

  39

  Great Britain

  555

  Source: August 1988 Quarterly Statistical Enquiry.

  Vaccine Damage Payments
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many vaccine damage payments were made in 1987; and if he will categorise these according to the age of the child, when the vaccination took place, the year of the vaccination and the nature of the vaccination.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Ten payments were awarded in 1987 under the provisions of the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979. Details are in the table.

  Vaccine damage payments scheme awards made in 1987 by age of child at date of vaccination; year of vaccination and type of vaccination

  Age at date of vaccination (months)

  Year vaccine was given

  Type of vaccination cited on the claim form

  1 3–6

  1981

  Triple

  2 3–6

  1983

  Pertussis

  3 3–6

  1979

  Triple/polio

  4 3–6

  1984

  Triple/polio

  5 6–9

  1978

  Pertussis

  6 3–6

  1985

  Polio

  7 3–6

  1982

  Triple/polio

  8 3–6

  1984

  Pertussis

  9 6–9

  1985

  Triple/polio

  10 3–6

  1983

  Triple/polio

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide figures indicating the proportion of people of pensionable age in receipt of inflation-proofed occupational pensions in the following age bands(a) 60 to 65 years, (b) 65 to 70 years, (c) 70 to 75 years, (d) 75 to 80 years, (e) 80 to 85 years and (f) 85 years and over.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the national insurance contributions yield in 1989–90 and the first full year of the proposed reformed system for those workers at or below
  133
  (a) 25 per cent. average earnings, (b) 33 per cent. average earnings, (c) 50 per cent. average earnings, (d) average earnings, (e) twice average earnings, (f) five times average earnings, (g) 10 times average earnings, and (h) £150 per week.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 7 April 1989]: The information is as follows:

  Estimated yield: Class 1 primary national insurance contributions

  £ billions

  Earnings at or below

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (a) 25 per cent, average earnings

  01

  01

  (b) 33 per cent, average earnings

  0·3

  0·3

  (c) 50 per cent, average earnings

  10

  10

  (d) average earnings

  6·5

  6·2

  (e) twice average earnings

  12·8

  12·5

  (f) (g) three times average earnings

  13·4

  13·1

  (h) £150 per week

  2·2

  1·7

  All earners

  13·7

  13·4

  The Government Actuary's Department has supplied the estimate of the yield from national insurance contributions. Average earnings are those of all full-time male and female employees. Insufficient information is available to enable the yield from people earning five and 10 times the average to be calculated, and the table, therefore, includes figures based on earnings of three times average earnings and of all earners instead. All figures are rounded.

  Disabled People and Deaf People
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of money given under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 to(a) all organisations working with and for disabled people and (b) all organisations working with and for deaf people, for each year from 1980 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: I have been asked to reply.

  The following table, which relates to England only, gives as close an estimate as possible of the amounts given in each of the financial years 1979–80 to 1988–89 under the section 64 general scheme to (a) organisations working exclusively or primarily with or for physically disabled and sensorily impaired people: and (b) organisations working with or for deaf and hearing-impaired people. These totals do not include grants paid to some organisations concerned with specific medical conditions or organisations working primarily with mentally handicapped or mentally ill people, even though some of these also work with physically disabled people. Also excluded are the awards recently made following the error in calculating the retail prices index. During the period specified by the hon. Member, grants paid under the section 64 general scheme to organisations working with physically disabled and/or sensorily impaired people totalled approximately £20·2 million. Of that, approximately £2·03 million was awarded to organisations working with or for deaf or hearing impaired people.

  Total disabled

  Deaf/hearing impaired

  £

  £

  1979–80

  1,058,457

  54,060

  1980–81

  1,641,283

  155,420

  1981–82

  12,031,507

  158,600

  134

  Total disabled

  Deaf/hearing impaired

  £

  £

  1982–83

  1,837,190

  173,333

  1983–84

  2,129,394

  289,500

  1984–85

  2,153,267

  193,054

  1985–86

  2,339,083

  241,950

  1986–87

  2,535,750

  232,000

  1987–88

  2,528,043

  256,300

  1988–89

  21,975,965

  273,944

  1 This total includes the continuation of a number of grants related to the International Year of the Disabled in 1981.

  2 This total excludes the sum of £686,000 paid to Motability in 1988–89, as that grant was removed from the Section 64 general scheme in that year. Grants to Motability are included in the totals for earlier years.

ENERGY

  Margam Pit
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he now anticipates that a start will be made on the Margam pit.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The timing and priority of major projects is a matter for British coal, which keeps its capital expenditure programme under regular review. In the case of Margam, the timing will depend on the successful conclusion of a detailed agreement on six-day working and an up-to-date assessment of the project's commercial prospects.

EMPLOYMENT

  Construction Industry (Accidents)
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will estimate the number of accidents that go unreported in the construction industry.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will estimate the number of accidents that go unreported in the construction industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  All cases of fatal injury in the course of work activity are reported to the enforcement authorities. It is not known what proportion of other reportable injuries to people employed in construction go unreported, but it is thought to be significantly more than 50 per cent.

  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in construction industries in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in construction industries in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information for employees is shown in the table. More than one third of the people employed in the industry are classified as self-employed. Prior to 1981, injuries to the self-employed were not reportable and under current regulations they are not reportable for self-employed people working on their own. Figures for the self-employed are therefore not included in the table, but the provisional 1987–88 figure for the number of employees and self-employed killed in the course of construction activity was 141.
  135

  Injury rates per 100,000 employees in the construction industry1

  Fatal Injuries

  2Major Injuries

  3All reported Injuries

  1974

  13·6

  n/a

  2,830

  1978

  10·4

  n/a

  2,976

  41987–8

  10·1

  206·6

  1,914

  1 Defined as Order 20 of the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification in 1974 and 1978 and Division 5 of the 1980 SIC in 1987–88.

  2 The classification of injuries as major was first introduced in 1981.

  3 Includes all reported injuries causing more than three days' absence from work. Comparisons between years may be affected by variable under-reporting of non-fatal injuries.

  4 Provisional.

  n/a Not available.

  Factory Inspectors
  Mr. Heffer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors have left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many were retirements and how many resignations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Of the 39 factory inspectors who left the Health and Safety Executive between 31 March 1988 and 1 April 1989, eight retired and 27 resigned. A further four transferred to other Government Departments.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many factory inspectors were conducting preventive inspections on the following dates: 6 June 1988, 7 September 1988 and 23 January 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Factory inspectors in the Health and Safety Executive's area offices are not employed solely on preventive inspection but also make visits in response to accidents or other incidents, complaints, inquiries or to follow up previously identified shortcomings.

  Staffing figures are recorded on the first of each month. The numbers of factory inspectors in area offices on 1 June 1988, 1 September 1988 and 1 February 1989 were 520, 522 and 533 respectively.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional factory inspectors would he required to enable the percentage of reported accidents investigated to rise to 10 per cent.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information is not available in the form requested. Health and Safety Executive plans are not expressed in terms of a fixed percentage of reported accidents to be investigated. The 1989–90 plans provide for some 10,800 investigations of incidents (including occupational diseases, and dangerous occurrences, as well as accidents) reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Industrial Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. This compares with 9,900 planned in 1988–89.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of construction factory inspectors in post as at 1 April.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 April 1989 there were 99–5 inspectors employed on the inspection of construction activities.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the target numbers set for preventive inspections for factory inspectors in 1986, 1987 and 1988.
  136
  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive's Factory Inspectorate does not set target numbers for preventive inspections and therefore the information requested is not available.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of factory inspectors in post in 1979, 1987 and 1989 on 1 April.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 April 1979, 1987 and 1989 the Health and Safety Executive employed 742·5, 621·5 and 604 factory inspectors respectively.

  Early Retirement
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage mature experienced workers to remain in their jobs and not take early retirement; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government believe that the age at which a person retires is a matter to be settled between the individual and the employer. As the numbers of young people decline, it will increasingly be in employers' interests to make full use of the contribution which mature, experienced workers can make, and the Government are using a range of media to put this message across.

  Compact Initiative
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many schools are currently taking part in the compact initiative; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  The Training Agency has received proposals for operational compacts in 28 inner city areas to date. These plans indicate that once the proposals are approved and begin operation in September a total of 260 schools in these areas will be covered. All compacts have plans to expand in subsequent years.

  The quality of applications have been impressive and show what can be achieved when education and business work together to meet the needs of their locality.

  YTS
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of YTS trainees in 1986–87 gained a vocational qualification during their time on YTS; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  The figure for the period 1986–87 relates to all qualifications, vocational qualifications cannot be separately identified. A total of 21 per cent. of young people who left during 1986–87 gained a qualification while on YTS.

  Figures for the latest available period (two years up to October 1988) show that 65 per cent. of young people completing YTS gained a qualification.

  Employment Ministers
  Mr. Ground
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the Employment Ministers of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries to discuss levels of employment; and if he will make a statement.
  137
  Mr. Lee
  There are no current plans for joint meetings with Ministers from other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

  Levels of employment in the United Kingdom compare very favourably with those of other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. In the United Kingdom, a greater proportion of the population is in employment than is the case in our major European competitors and in many other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. This is partly the result of the rapid employment growth we have enjoyed since 1983.

  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the Employment Ministers of the United Kingdom's European Community partners to discuss levels of unemployment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he proposes to meet the Employment Ministers of the European Community to discuss the social proposals of the European Final Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer my hon. Friends to my statement on the last European Community Social Affairs Council, which appeared in the Official Report on 12 April 1989 at column 588. The next meeting of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers will be on 12 June at a meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council. The United Kingdom will continue its efforts to ensure that training and employment growth are Community priorities. In the meantime, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are continuing our programme of bilateral contacts with members states.

  New Businesses
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many businesses were started during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  In 1987, the latest year for which figures have been published, the estimated number of new registrations for value-added tax was 205,000. The net increase in the number of VAT-registered businesses in 1987 was 45,000, or nearly 900 a week on average. The indications are that the rate of increase during 1988 has been faster.

  Small Businesses (Advice)
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his plans for co-operation between enterprise agencies and training and enterprise councils for the delivery of advice to small businesses.

  Mr. Cope
  Support for new and expanding businesses will be a key responsibility for training and enterprise councils. They will assess what advice and other services are needed in their area and will seek to develop a coherent high quality system of support through local enterprise agencies and others who already contribute to the aim of assisting small business growth.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the 138
  Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss the introduction of training and enterprise councils.

  Mr. Fowler
  I have no immediate plans to meet the Director-General of the CBI. The CBI has strongly supported our proposals to introduce training and enterprise councils and I look forward to its continued involvement as the initiative develops.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received on the introduction of training and enterprise councils.

  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress is being made on establishing training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from industry and commerce in response to his plans to set up training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  I published a prospectus on 10 March inviting employers to form training and enterprise councils. The response from employers has been excellent; almost 4,000 individuals and organisations have expressed an interest.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the number of employers likely to be involved with the training and business programmes which will be organised by the training and enterprise councils.

  Mr. Cope
  Training and enterprise councils will ensure that a greater number of employers are involved with training and enterprise activities at a local level. One of the major tasks of TECs will be to encourage employers to invest in training and developing their own staff as well as supporting the training and business programmes of the TEC. I published a prospectus on 10 March inviting employers to form TECs. Response has been excellent and there is already considerable interest throughout the country.

  Mines (Occupational Health Services)
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the levels of occupational health services provided by British Coal under the requirements of the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act 1946 and by private sector employers in mines and quarries.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 replaced earlier legislative requirements relating to provision of occupational health services. There are no specific requirements as to how this should be implemented by employers in the mining and quarrying industries. However, British Coal provides an extensive range of services and employ over 600 qualified staff to operate them. Full details of this are published in the annual report of the British Coal medical service. No such detailed information is available for non-British Coal mines or for quarries.

  Small Firms Service
  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has for the future of the small firms service following the creation of training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  The small firms service now forms part of the Training Agency. This brings together the closely linked services of counselling and training, and will lead to a more coherent and effective approach to small business support.

  The training and enterprise councils will become responsible for the counselling activity of the SFS. This will help ensure that TECs become the natural focus for the local small business support network.

  The SFS will maintain its counselling service in each area covered now until a TEC is established. The SFS information service will remain as a national service.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people currently in training on the employment training programme had previously been unemployed for two years or more; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Figures for those currently in training on employment training who were previously unemployed for two years or more are not available. However, of the 239,000 entrants to the programme by 31 March, it is estimated that some 38 per cent. or 91,000 had been unemployed for two years or more. This is an outstanding achievement as the programme is specially aimed at the longer-term unemployed.

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many local authorities have supported employment training; and how many have opposed it.

  Mr. Nicholls
  As at 28 February 1989, a total of 263 local authorities were participating in employment training as training agents or training managers. There is no record held centrally by the Training Agency on the number of local authorities which have decided not to participate.

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently undertaking training on employment training; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  By 31 March there were over 175,000 people in training. They clearly recognise the benefits the programme has to offer and the opportunity it provides to help them get a job.

  Tourism
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the future of section 4 grants for tourism.

  Mr. Lee
  The section 4 scheme of assistance is being considered as one of a range of issues arising from the review of tourism policy. An announcement about the outcome of that review of policy, including the future of the section 4 scheme, will be made in due course.
  140
  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current capital investment in the hotel and tourism industry in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lee
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on 14 March 1989,Official Report, column 195.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to promote industrial tourism in the north-east of England.

  Mr. Lee
  Every opportunity will be taken to promote the benefits of industrial tourism in all parts of the country including the north-east and I welcome the initiative of the Northumbria tourist board to encourage more companies to open their doors to visitors by organising a conference on industrial tourism on 19 June at the Nissan factory, Washington new town.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for savings for 1988 as a result of investigations of fraudulent claims; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The net benefit saving from my Department's fraud investigation work during 1988 was £65 million.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were prosecuted for benefit fraud offences as a result of investigations by unemployment benefit fraud officers between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  As a result of investigations into benefit fraud offences, my Department prosecuted 3,981 people during the period from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989.

  Competent Persons
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will meet the chair of the Health and Safety Commission to discuss the role of competent persons.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so. Many provisions in health and safety legislation require specified tasks to he carried out by competent persons. The Health and Safety Commission keeps these provisions under review. If the commission wishes to make proposals to my right hon. Friend which would affect the role of competent persons in any particular area, he will consider those proposals most carefully.

  Pre-entry Closed Shop
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his proposals to reform the pre-entry closed shop.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Our Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment", which was published on 20 March, contains the proposal that legislation should provide a right of complaint to an industrial tribunal for any individual whom an employer refuses to engage on the
  141
  ground of non-membership of a trade union or of any particular trade union, or on the ground of refusal to agree that he will become a member after his employment has started. The Government believe that this proposal, together with existing legislation, would create a climate in which individuals will no longer have their livelihoods threatened simply because they are not members of a particular union or do not wish to belong to any union.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has as to the number of workers in the United Kingdom covered by pre-entry closed shop restrictions.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Our Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment", which was published on 20 March, estimates the total number of people covered by all types of pre-entry closed shop arrangements in Great Britain as being of the order of 1.3 million. This estimate is derived from a recently specially commissioned survey, a summary of which has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received following the publication of his Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment" on the reform of the closed shop; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Our Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment" was published on 20 March and the closing date for comments will be 20 June. We are, therefore, in the very early stages of the consultation period. To date we have received four representations on our proposal concerning the pre-entry closed shop and all expressed support for the Government's proposals.

  Literacy and Numeracy
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what special help is given to the unemployed who need training in literacy and numeracy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Considerable help is available to enable unemployed people receive literacy and numeracy training through YTS and ET. Additional support in YTS became available at the beginning of April through improved levels of funding. In ET, almost one in five trainees is receiving literacy and numeracy training. Further initiatives to improve the quality of provision are in hand.

  Chemical Industry (Accidents)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in the chemical industries in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Injury rates per 100,000 employees in the clinical industry1

  Fatal injuries

  2Major injuries

  3All reported injuries

  41974

  11·3

  n/a

  2,419

  1978

  3·2

  n/a

  2,699

  51987–88

  1·2

  160·4

  1,051

  1 Defined as Order 5 of the 1968 Standard Industrial Classification in 1974 and 1978 and Class 25 of the 1980 SIC in 1987–88.

  142

  2 The classification on injuries as major was first introduced in 1981.

  3 Includes all reported injuries causing more than 3 days absence from work. Comparisons between years may be affected by variable under-reporting of non-fatal injuries.

  4 Includes 28 people killed and 36 others who were injured by the explosion at the Flixborough Works and NYPRO (UK) Limited on I June 1984.

  5 Provisional.

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will estimate the number of accidents that go unreported in the chemical industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  All cases of fatal injury in the course of work activity are reported to the enforcement authorities. It is not known what proportion of other reportable injuries to people employed in the chemical industry go unreported, but it is thought that it may be less than 50 per cent.

  Salmonella
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what work the employment medical advisory service is currently undertaking on salmonella poisoning in poultry workers.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what work the employment medical advisory service is currently undertaking on salmonella poisoning in poultry workers.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The employment medical advisory service is not aware of any cases of salmonella poisoning in poultry workers. However, the Health and Safety Executive has established a task force on occupational zoonoses, that is, diseases transmissable from animals to man. The task force will be considering the possible transmission of salmonella in the workplace as part of its remit. It will also be examining proposals for a study to investigate salmonella in air from poultry houses.

  King's Cross Fire
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the Health and Safety Executive's research budget was expended as a result of the King's Cross fire investigations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Some 5 per cent. of the budget of the executive's research and laboratory services division was expended on the King's Cross fire investigation.

  Dangerous Machinery
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to improve current standards relating to the guarding of dangerous machinery.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I am satisfied that the standards required under United Kingdom legislation for the guarding of machinery are already high and I see no need for further legislation at present. However, we are awaiting the adoption of two European Community directives which may require some changes to United Kingdom legislation in due course.

  Health and Safety Executive (Research)
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of the Health and Safety Executive's medical division budget for extra-mural research in 1986, 1987, 1988 and the current financial year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Annual budgets for extramural biomedical research managed by the Health and Safety Executive's medical division for each of the four years are as follows:

  Year

  £

  1986–87

  1,411,000

  1987–88

  1,435,000

  1988–89

  1,506,000

  1989–90

  1,529,000

  Young People (Fatalities)
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people aged 18 and under have been killed at work in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Figures from all enforcing authorities show that in the year ended 31 March 1987, a total of 21 young people aged 16 to 18 were reported as killed in the couse of their employment. The corresponding provisional figure for the year ended 31 March 1988 is 19. I regret that figures for earlier years are not available on this basis.

  Wages Inspectorate (Prosecutions)
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many prosecutions were undertaken by the wages inspectorate south-east division in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Four prosecutions were instituted by the south-east division in the last 10 years. One of these was in 1986, two in 1987 and one in 1988.

  Wages Inspectorate (Wales)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the reduction in the wages inspectorate in Wales and its impact on rates of pay in Mountain Ash and the Cynon Valley.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The reduction of inspection activity in Wales was part of a general reduction throughout Great Britain in 1986–87. It reflected the simpler and quicker task of checking compliance with wages orders and the expectation that the level of compliance would rise following the reform of the wages council system in 1986. There is no simple link between wages inspection and rates of pay, but in Wales, as in Great Britain as a whole, the percentage of workers found to be underpaid in checks by the wages inspectorate has reduced. Inspection results are not available for areas smaller than Wales as a whole.

  Skill Training
  Sir Hal Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the national training task force to discuss the improvement of levels of skill amongst the United Kingdom work force.

  Mr. Cope
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have frequent meetings with Mr. Wolfson, the 144
  chairman of the national training task force. He will be advising me on the establishment of the new training and enterprise councils and their plans for improving the skills of the work force in their area.

  Productivity
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the increase in productivity for the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  Productivity in manufacturing, as measured by output per person employed, was 6·5 per cent. greater in the three months ending February 1989 than in the corresponding period ending February 1988. This compares favourably with the average of 4·2 per cent. a year recorded for the period 1979 to 1988. Since 1980 growth in United Kingdom manufacturing productivity has exceeded that of the other major industrialised countries.

  Productivity for the economy as a whole was 0·5 per cent. higher in the fourth quarter of 1988 than it was in the fourth quarter of 1987. However the 1988 figure was adversely affected by the Piper Alpha disaster and other oil industry interruptions.

  VDUs (Health Risks)
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what work is currently being undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive's medical division on the health risks of visual display units.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive has published a guidance note and a free booklet on VD Us and is participating in the development of national and international standards for VDUs, including discussions within the European Community on a proposed VDU directive. The executive is also supporting four research projects in universities and research institutes on, or directly related to working with VDUs.

  British Venture Capital Association
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the British Venture Capital Association to discuss the development of small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  I have no immediate plans to meet the chairman of the BVCA in the near future but I do have regular contact with the association.

  Agriculture (Accidents)
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will estimate the number of accidents that go unreported in the agriculture industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  All cases of fatal injury in the course of agricultural work activities are reported to the Health and Safety Executive's Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate. It is not known what proportion of other reportable accidents from agricultural activities go unreported, but it is thought to be more than 50 per cent.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many children died in accidents on agricultural premises in 1974, 1979, 1984 and 1988.
  145
  Mr. Nicholls
  The figures for fatal accidents to children under the age of 16 years on agricultural premises for the years in question are:

  Number

  1974

  25

  1979

  24

  1984

  4

  11988

  10

  1 Provisional.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates for agriculture in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information for employees is shown in the table. It has not been possible to produce a series of injury rates for the large number of self-employed and others involved in agricultural activity.

  Injury rates per 100,000 employees in the agricultural industry1

  Fatal injuries

  Major injuries2

  1974

  8·7

  n/a

  1978

  7·1

  n/a

  31987–88

  5·8

  152·8

  1 Defined as minimum list heading 001 of the 1968 standard industrial classification in 1974 and 1978 and class 01 of the 1980 SIC in 1987–88.

  2 The classification of injuries as major was first introduced in 1981.

  3 Provisional.

  Community Programme
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline recent or proposed changes in the community programme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  From 5 September 1988 the community programme was replaced by the adult training programme, employment training.

  Unemployment Register
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will review the Government's ruling which prevents men over 60 years from registering as unemployed.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no ruling preventing men aged over 60 from claiming unemployment benefit in the normal way. Under a special concession men, over 60 who do not qualify for UB or whose entitlement is exhausted may claim income support and—or be credited with national insurance contributions without regularly attending the unemployment benefit office to sign on as unemployed. Jobcentre services are available to everyone, regardless of whether they are claiming at a UBO and staff are happy to discuss options with anyone seeking work, whatever their age.

  Enterprise Agencies
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his future plans for enterprise agencies.

  Mr. Cope
  Responsibility for the future development of local enterprise agencies, which are independent private sector led organisations, rests primarily with their boards and private sector backers.
  146
  The introduction of training and enterprise councils will provide those LEAs able to demonstrate high-quality service with the opportunity to contract for counselling and other enterprise programmes.

  Elderly People (Job Prospects)
  Mr. Moate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps the Government has taken to improve job prospects for the elderly; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The Government believe that the best way to improve job prospects for all age groups is to maintain a strong economy and to allow the labour market to work efficiently. Recruitment decisions must be left to employers, but in making them they should not discriminate unfairly on age grounds. Demographic trends make it particularly important at present that the contribution which older workers can make to the economy is fully utilised. We are putting these messages across to employers through various media, and I am encouraged by evidence that some firms are already adopting a more positive approach in their recruitment and employment practices.

  Construction Industry (Training)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the current statutory arrangements for training in the construction industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Construction Industry Training Board was established by the Industrial Training (Construction Board) Order 1964 for the purpose of encouraging the adequate training of persons employed or intending to be employed in the construction industry.

  As envisaged in the White Paper "Employment for the 1990s" (Cm. 540) I have asked the chairman of the board to bring forward proposals for future arrangements.

  Mining (Accidents)
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in mining in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

  Mr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the fatal and major injury rates in mining in 1974, 1978 and 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information is shown in the table:

  Injuries in the mining industry reported to enforcing authorities1

  Incidence rates (per 100,000 employees)

  Fatal

  Serious/major

  Fatal

  Serious/major

  1974

  Coal mines4

  48

  2497

  18·7

  2193·6

  Other mines

  2

  214

  n/a

  n/a

  TOTAL

  50

  2511

  n/a

  n/a

  1978

  Coal mines4

  63

  2·494

  25·4

  2199·1

  Other mines

  6

  217

  n/a

  n/a

  Total

  69

  2511

  n/a

  n/a

  147

  Incidence rates (per 100,000 employees)

  Fatal

  Serious/major

  Fatal

  Serious/major

  1987–885

  Coal mines4

  12

  3756

  11·2

  3708·5

  Other mines

  1

  314

  n/a

  n/a

  TOTAL

  13

  3770

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a—Not available.

  1 Reported to HSE's Inspectorate of Mines and Quarries and all other relevant enforcing authorities.

  2 Serious injuries as reported under 1954 Mines and Quarries Act.

  3 Major injuries as reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1985, which widened the definition of serious injury as compared with the 1954 Act definition.

  4 Excludes opencast coal mining.

  5 Provisional data for the year commencing 1 April 1987.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of accidents in coal mining in the last 12 months occurred in private coal mines.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Provisional accident figures for the 12-month period ending 31 March 1989 indicate that fatal and major injuries at private coal mines represented 10 per cent. and 3·3 per cent. respectively of the total reported accidents in these categories at all coal mines.

  It is not possible to differentiate the over three-day accidents recorded under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Skill Shortages
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received in the last six months regarding skill shortages in the south-east.

  Mr. Cope
  In addition to seven questions asked in the House, we have been approached by two organisations in the last six months, regarding skill shortages in the south-east or in London.

  Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the target figure for the number of nuclear installations inspectors to be in post by 1 April 1989; and what are the target figures for 1 April 1990 and 1 April 1991.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive planned to have 140 nuclear installations inspectors in post on 1 April 1989 and to increase this to 160 by I April 1990. Staffing beyond these dates depends on future work loads which cannot be predicted with precision.

  Young Workers (Accidents)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last met representatives of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive to discuss the accident rates of young people at work.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend's meeting with representatives of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive cover the full range of their responsibilities.
  148
  Young people's accident rates have been raised in correspondence in the context of the Department's consultative document "Restrictions on the Employment of Young People and the Removal of Sex Discrimination in legislation".

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he intends taking to reduce the number of accidents to young people at work.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive suggest that injury rates for young people aged 16 to 24 are now lower than the corresponding injury rates for employees as a whole. The Government will continue to support the efforts of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive to reduce accidents to workers of all ages.

  Secondary Industrial Action
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received on the proposals contained in his Green Paper to reform further the law covering secondary industrial action.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Our Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment" was published on 20 March and the closing date for comments is 20 June. We are, therefore, in the very early stages of the consultation period. To date, one representation has been received on these Green Paper proposals.

  "Employment for the 1990s"
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received in response to the White Paper, "Employment for the 1990s."

  Mr. Cope
  We have received several hundred representations following publication of the White Paper "Employment for the 1990s", the majority of which have expressed interest in and support for the introduction of training and enterprise councils. The prospectus inviting local groups led by employers to submit proposals for forming training and enterprise councils in their areas was published on 10 March.

  Agriculture Safety Inspectorate
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the frequency with which the agricultural safety inspectorate plans to visit all the premises for which it is responsible.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectorate's programme of preventive visits is planned on the basis of a rating system. There is no fixed period between inspections; premises with poor standards, poor management or high-risk potential being inspected more frequently. Visits to investigate accidents, dangerous occurrences and complaints are made on a reactive basis.

  Harbour Areas (Safety)
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the implementation of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations in harbour areas.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations which come into force on 1 October,
  149
  will apply to any store-based work activities in harbour areas where substances hazardous to health are used or given off. The only exceptions will be asbestos, lead and ionising radiations which are covered by other regulations.

  The regulations will also apply to certain activities on board ships in dock. The COSHH will not impose duties on the master or crew of a seagoing ship or their employer in relation to the normal shipboard activities of a ship crew under the direction of a master.

  Food and Environment Protection Act
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what training and information has been given to the agricultural inspectorate on environmental assessment associated with the Food and Environment Protection Act.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Prior to undertaking their enforcement responsibilities under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985, the Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectors are given a week's specific training on the requirements and implications of the Act. This is supplemented as required by further local and national training.

  Agricultural Inspectors
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many agricultural inspectors were conducting preventive inspections on the following dates, 6 June 1988, 7 September 1988 and 23 January 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Agricultural inspectors in the Health and Safety Executives area offices are not employed solely on preventive inspections but also make visits in response to accidents or other incidents, complaints, inquiries or to follow up previously identified shortcomings.

  Staffing figures are recorded on the first of each month. The numbers of agricultural inspectors in area offices on 1 June 1988, 1 September 1988 and 1 February 1989 were 137, 145 and 142 respectively.

  Training Scheme Allowance
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on(a) the future operation of the employment training scheme allowance following the introduction of the community charge in Scotland and (b) his plans for its operation in England and Wales after April 1990.

  Mr. Nicholls
  As announced on 12 April, the benefit-related part of employment training, training allowances will be increased in line with the general uprating in benefits. When he announced this uprating on 27 October 1988, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security explained how the new levels of benefit allow for individual liability for the community charge in Scotland, England and Wales.

  Pesticides (Wildlife)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what advice or recommendations he has received from the Health and Safety Executive on the enforcement of existing, or introduction of new, legislation as a means of helping to reduce the use of pesticides against wildlife.
  150
  Mr. Nicholls
  The advisory committee on pesticides advises Ministers on pesticides and their usage. All pesticides undergo a full environmental safety assessment before being approved by Ministers for use.

  The Health and Safety Executive enforces all aspects of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 under the terms of an agency agreement. However, where incidents affecting wildlife come to the attention of HSE's inspectors, they refer them to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, which has existing arrangements for investigating such incidents.

  Hazardous Substances
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the differences between the assessment processes required under the Asbestos and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There are no significant differences.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what training is being provided for Health and Safety Executive employees on the implementation and enforcement of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what training is being provided for Health and Safety Executive employees on the implementation and enforcement of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive has established a comprehensive programme of internal conferences and special meetings to train its employees on the aspects of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations appropriate to their individual responsibilities. Although the principles of occupational hygiene now enshrined in the regulation are not new to Health and Safety Executive inspectors, doctors and scientists, the training and briefing on the implementation of the regulations now being provided will ensure a consistent approach.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are registered as unemployed in Greater London; and what was the comparable figure 10 years ago.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In March 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in Greater London, was 230,200, compared with 115,700 in March 1979 on a consistent basis.

  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average monthly fall in the number of unemployed during the last quarter for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In the quarter ending March 1989, the average fall in unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 39,800 per month. Unemployment has now fallen over 32 consecutive months by 1,215,100 since July 1986, the longest and largest sustained fall since the war.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of people employed in a
  151
  part-time capacity within the employment areas of South Yorkshire; and what was the comparable position 10 years ago.

  Mr. Lee
  The available information on a comparable basis is from censuses of employment taken in September 1981 and September 1984. The table gives the available information for each of the travel-to-work areas in South Yorkshire.

  More up-to-date estimates from the September 1987 census of employment will become available later this year.

  Employees in part-time employment1 in the travel-to-work areas in South Yorkshire

  Travel-to-work areas

  September 1981

  September 1984

  Barnsley

  14,400

  13,700

  Doncaster

  17,300

  18,600

  Rotherham and Mexborough

  17,500

  19,900

  Sheffield2

  53,400

  56,200

  1 Excludes the self-employed and members of Her Majesty's forces; part-time workers are defined as those working for not more than 30 hours a week.

  2 Not wholly within South Yorkshire.

  For the county, the September 1981 and September 1984 figures for employees in part-time employment were 100,000 and 105,800 respectively.

  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the average monthly fall in the number of unemployed in the west midlands during the last quarter for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In the quarter ending March 1989, the average fall in unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the west midlands was 6,300 per month. Unemployment in the west midlands has fallen by 67,800 or 27·2 per cent. over the last 12 months.

  47. Mr. Alison: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the Yorkshire and Humberside region was 2,160,000. This represents an increase of 169,000 or 8 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people aged 16 to 18 years were jobless in June 1983 and March 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In March 1989 there were 2,457 people under 18 in the United Kingdom claiming unemployment-related benefits. There were an estimated 190,800 in June 1983.

  The recent extension of the guaranteed offer of a YTS place to all those aged under 18 not in full-time education or employment means there is now no need for these young people to be unemployed. Consequently, only a few now remain entitled to unemployment-related benefits following the associated changes from September 1988 in the benefit regulations for people aged under 18.
  152
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in the west midlands.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the west midlands region was 2,471,000. This represents an increase of 298,000 or 14 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the fall in unemployment in the east midlands during the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In the 12 months to March 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the east midlands fell by 34,500 or 22·6 per cent. on a consistent basis.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of St ate for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In March 1989 unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,918,100, the lowest for more than eight years on a consistent basis. Unemployment has now fallen for 32 months running, giving the longest and largest continuous fall since the war.

  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in the east midlands.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the east midlands region was 1,844,000. This represents an increase of 221,000 or 14 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the employment trends in the east midlands for 1989.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the east midlands was 1,844,000. My Department does not produce forecasts or estimate trends.

  Mr. Fishburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of long-term unemployment in London.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants who had been unemployed for one year or more in Greater London was 98,786, a fall of 58,202 or 37·1 per cent. compared with two years ago. This comparison is affected slightly by the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to the new benefit regulations affecting those aged under 18.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the last 12 months in the south-west; and if he will make a statement.
  153
  Mr. Nicholls
  In March 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the south-west was 104,600, a fall of 40,700 or 28 per cent. since March 1988 on a consistent basis.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of employment in the north of England.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the northern region was 1,297,000. This represents an increase of 128,000 or 11 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of long-term unemployed in June 1987 and to date.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Unemployment figures by duration are calculated on a quarterly basis. In January 1989, the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for one year or more was 821,419, compared with 1,238,288 in July 1987—a fall of 416,869 or 33·7 per cent. The comparison is slightly affected by seasonal influences as well as the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to new benefit regulations affecting those young people aged under 18 years.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest total for the numbers of employed and self-employed people in East Anglia.

  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in East Anglia.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in East Anglia was 1,023,000 of which 138,000 were self-employed. This represents an increase of 229,000 or 29 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people at present are unemployed in the west midlands, expressed as a percentage of the numbers unemployed in May 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In March 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the west midlands was 180·8 per cent. of the level in May 1979 on a consistent basis.

  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the increase in the number of self-employed in the west midlands since June 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, there were an estimated 248,000 self-employed in the west midlands region. This represents an increase of 39,000 or 19 per cent. since June 1987.

  This self-employment estimate incorporates the latest LFS results, and will be subject to sampling error.
  154
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of employment in the north-west.

  Mr. Lee
  In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the north-west region was 2,676,000. This represents an increase of 101,000 or 4 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people aged 18 to 24 years were jobless in June 1983 and March 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Unemployment figures by age are compiled on a quarterly basis. In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in the United Kingdom aged 18 to 24 years was 595,734, compared with 966,375 in July 1983—a fall of 370,632 or 38·4 per cent. The comparison is affected by seasonal influences and slightly by the change in the compilation of the count in March 1986 to remove over-recording.

  Lost Working Days
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many working days were lost through strike action in the first quarter of 1989; and what were the comparable figures for the previous 10 years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  For the latest three-month period for which data is available, ending February 1989, it is provisionally estimated that 135,000 working days were lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes. Figures for comparable periods in the previous 10 years, together with the latest figure, are shown in the table.

  Working days lost in the three months ending February

  Year

  Number

  1979

  5,933,000

  1980

  6,219,000

  1981

  778,000

  1982

  1,721,000

  1983

  1,184,000

  1984

  983,000

  1985

  6,235,000

  1986

  685,000

  1987

  1,914,000

  1988

  820,000

  1989

  135,000

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many professional and technological officers the Health and Safety Executive had in place on 1 April.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 April 1989 the Health and Safety Executive employed 29·5 members of the Civil Service professional and technology group. Most are employed by the executive's electrical equipment and certification service.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the Health and Safety Executive's budget provision for the next three years.
  155
  Mr. Nicholls
  Gross provision for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive in the three years from 1 April last is £118·3 million, £125·9 million and £133·5 million. The provision allows for real growth in the executive's activities in all three years, including an increase in the number of inspectors, and of inspections. Details will be published shortly in the commission's plan of work for 1989–90 and beyond.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many reviews and audits of the staffing and structure of the Health and Safety Executive have been carried out in the past two years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Between March 1987 and April 1989 there were some 19 reviews which examined, among other things, questions of staffing and structure. These included 12 reviews of particular parts of the organisation conducted by the Executive's management review section; four other internal reviews; and three independent(externally led) reviews.

  Staffing and other resources requirements for the executive are reviewed annually by the commission in preparation for the public expenditure planning round.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many scientists have left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many were retirements and how many were resignations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, a total of 22 scientists left the Health and Safety Executive. Of these, a total of six retired, 12 resigned, three transferred to other Government Departments and one died.

  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional staff the Health and Safety Executive required as a consequence of the passing of the lead regulations; and how many staff the executive estimated it would require at the initial drafting stage.

  Mr. Nicholls
  None in both cases. The enforcement of the regulations was expected to be, and has been, integrated into normal inspection arrangements.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total staffing level of the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 August 1975, the first date for which figures are available, 2,937 permanent staff were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 4,170 and 3,449 respectively.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff years were taken by the Health and Safety Executive's work on European Economic Community directives, legislation and initiatives in 1988; and how many are planned for 1989.

  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff years were taken by the Health and Safety Executive's work on European Economic Community directives, legislation and initiatives in 1988; and how many are planned for 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive's plans for 1989–90 allocate some 188 staff years specifically to 156
  work of international (mainly EC) origin: on legislation and other policy projects, development of safety standards, and notifications and assessments of substances. Information is not available on a comparable basis for the previous year. The estimate excludes senior management time and a significant proportion of staff time on other HSE functions which derives directly or indirectly from EC initiatives.

  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff were employed by the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advice services in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The numbers of staff employed in the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advisory service at 1 April in each of the last three years were:

  Number

  1986

  10·6

  1987

  98·5

  1988

  10·1

  At 1 April 1989, a total of 102.5 staff were employed.

  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many doctors left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many of them were retirements and how many were resignations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, a total of nine doctors left the Health and Safety Executive. Of these, four retired, four resigned and one transferred to another Government Department.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how often in the last five years cuts in the Health and Safety Executive's travel and subsistence budget have resulted in inspectors being prevented from making inspections on a planned basis.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The allocation of expenditure between travel and subsistence and other items of running cost is a matter for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive. The commission has only once in the last five years (in 1987–88) sought additional running cost provision during the year. Ministers agreed to this in full.

  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many scientists were employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many scientists were employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 August 1975, the earliest date for which figures are available, 259 scientists were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the total were 355·5 and 300 respectively.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the targeted number of agricultural safety inspectors on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989 employed by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate joined the Health and Safety Executive from the Ministry
  157
  of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during 1976–77, with the field force in place in HSE by 1 March 1977. On that date, there were 191 inspectors in post in HSE. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 190 and 165 respectively.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what work the Health and Safety Executive's medical division is currently undertaking on Legionnaires' disease.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In addition to continuing its wide-ranging programme of activities on Legionnaire's disease, the Health and Safety Commission has asked the HSE to undertake a review of policy on this subject.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the targeted number of factory inspectors on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989 employed by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 July 1975, the earliest date for which figures are available, 557 factory inspectors were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 742·5 and 604 respectively.

  Mr. Jim Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the post of chief employment nursing adviser with the Health and Safety Executive will be filled.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This post has been advertised within the Health and Safety Executive and an appointment will be made as soon as a suitable candidate has been identified.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many requests for advice and publications were received by the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advice services in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The number of requests for advice and publications received in each of the last three years by the public inquiry points of the Health and Safety Executive's directorate of information and advisory services was:158

  1986–87

  1987–88

  11988–89

  Telephone inquiries

  53,461

  54,116

  67,000

  Letters received

  34,205

  27,603

  36,000

  Prestel frame accesses

  95,000

  98,510

  100,000

  Free leaflets issued

  3,898,147

  4,150,941

  5,200,000

  1Provisional.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many specialists have left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many were retirements and how many were resignations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, a total of 17 specialist inspectors left the Health and Safety Executive; of these, five retired, nine resigned, and three transferred to other Government Departments.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many mines inspectors and quarries inspectors the Health and Safety Executive had in place on 1 April.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 April 1989 the Health and Safety Executive employed 58 mines inspectors and 11 quarries inspectors.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the targeted number of specialist inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 1975, 1979 and 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 1 July 1975, the earliest date for which figures are available, 198 specialist inspectors were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. On 1 April 1979 and 1989, the totals were 225 and 211 respectively.

  MANSION HOUSE STATION
  MANSION HOUSE STATION
  NATO: 40 YEARS OF PEACE—PUBLICITY
  NATO: 40 YEARS OF PEACE—PUBLICITY
  BROADCASTING: UNLICENSED STATIONS
  BROADCASTING: UNLICENSED STATIONS
  METROPOLITAN POLICE: INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS
  METROPOLITAN POLICE: INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS
  METROPOLITAN POLICE: SEARCH PROCEDURES
  METROPOLITAN POLICE: SEARCH PROCEDURES
  PRISONS: CNA INCREASES
  PRISONS: CNA INCREASES
  PRISON STAFF AND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
  PRISON STAFF AND OCCUPATIONAL STRESS
  PRISON ESTABLISHMENTS: CLOSURES
  PRISON ESTABLISHMENTS: CLOSURES
  HONG KONG: BRITISH NATIONALITY APPLICATIONS
  HONG KONG: BRITISH NATIONALITY APPLICATIONS