Written Answers of 19 April 1989

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  South Africa (Sanctions)
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the issue of nuclear sanctions against South Africa will be on the agenda for the forthcoming Council of Ministers meeting in Granada, Spain, on 15 and 16 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  There was no discussion of nuclear sanctions against South Africa at Granada, although the possibility of South Africa's accession to the nonproliferation treaty was noted and EC Foreign Ministers agreed to keep it under review.

  It remains our policy not to supply any materials or equipment to South Africa which would aid her nuclear programme. This policy is exercised through the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1985.

  Prisoner Repatriation Agreements
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report the progress made on concluding prisoner repatriation agreements with Egypt, Peru and Thailand; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Details of our negotiations with Foreign Governments are confidential. However, the present position is as follows.

  The agreement with Egypt was to have been signed in Cairo in December 1988. Unfortunately, this did not prove possible. Discussions continue.

  The Peruvians proposed a revised draft text of a proposed agreement in July 1988. Further discussions will shortly take place with the Government of Peru.

  A Thai delegation is expected in London in the next few months to discuss the outstanding points on the proposed agreement with Thailand.

  British Citizens (Convictions)
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out, for each of the last five years for which figures are available, the number of British citizens who are convicted of offences abroad and who have not received custodial sentences, giving the nature of the offences and the sentences passed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested is unavailable. There is no requirement for us to be notified of non-custodial sentences enforced on British nationals by foreign courts.

  Turkey (Detentions)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have 160
  been made to the Government of Turkey regarding the detention of Dr. Nihat Sargin and Mr. Haydon Kutlu; and what effect Turkey's continued detention of political prisoners has on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Turkey's application for admission to the European Community.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The Turkish Government are well aware of our concern about such cases, and our expectation that they should respect and abide by the human rights conventions to which they are a party.

  Turkey's application to join the EC has been referred to the Commission for its opinion. Once available, the Council of Ministers will consider it further, taking alto account all relevant factors including Turkey's human rights record.

TRANSPORT

  King's Cross Fire
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now authorise the reimbursement of the legal costs of the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority in relation to its representation at the King's Cross public inquiry.

  Mr. Portillo
  We see no reason to question Mr. Fennell's judgment, reached after careful consideration of representations from the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority, that it was not appropriate that it should receive an order for costs, notwithstanding his acknowledgement of the substantial contribution made to the proceedings by the authority.

  "The Road User and the Law"
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses he has received to date to the White Paper, "The Road User and the Law".

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have had over 90 representations from hon. Members, interested organisations and members of the public. We welcome the enthusiastic public response that the White Paper has received.

  M5 (Wellington Access)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the closure of the southern exit off the M5 motorway at junction 26 and its consequences for access to Wellington; why the closure is necessary; and what temporary signposting measures he is taking to assist southbound motorway traffic heading for Wellington.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The work involves the complete reconstruction of about one mile of the southbound carriageway including that length through the interchange abutting the southbound slip road, which has to be closed for reasons of practicality and safety. The work should be completed before the spring bank holiday.

  Signs warning of the closure were installed at junctions 25 and 26 about four weeks before work started. The diversionary routes are well signed on the M5, A38 and A358 at strategic positions. These routes are little longer but may take more time depending on the level of traffic congestion in Taunton.
  161
  Representations have been received from the Wellington chamber of trade, a local manufacturer and a member of the public, concerning the alternative route through Taunton and its signing.

  M1-M25 Junction
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 11 April to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth, when he expects to conclude his consideration of what remedial action is required to ease the way for traffic leaving the M1 and joining the M25.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We expect to make an announcement in early summer following completion of the current comprehensive review of the road programme.

  M1 (Traffic Flow)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 11 April to the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth, what action he will be taking to reduce congestion during peak hours to restore traffic flows between junctions 9 and 10 of the M1.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We are seeking to increase capacity, assist traffic flow and offer improved alternative roads.

  Our current programme includes the provision of climbing lanes for use by slow moving heavy goods vehicles in both directions from junction 9. The northbound one will extend the whole length between junctions 9 and 10, creating an extra lane. The southbound one will extend 1·41 km. from junction 9. Work is planned for 1991–92.

  The possibility of further improvement is being considered in the current review of the road programme.

  Motorways (Traffic Flows)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the current hourly traffic flow standards for(a) two-lane motorways and (b) three-lane motorways.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department uses "design reference flows" rather than traffic flow standards when designing motorways. These indicate only the starting point for detailed economic and operational assessment of options.

  The Department's design reference flows for a dual three-lane motorway range from 50,000 to 79,000 vehicles per annual average day in the design year (15 years after the road opens). Comparable figures for a two-lane motorway are 28,000 to 54,000 vehicles per day.

  The capacity of roads is substantially greater than design reference flows.

  Road Building
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government financial assistance has been allocated to county road building and improvement programmes for 1988–89 and for 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The 108 local highway authorities in England were given a total capital allocation of £567·111 million for capital expenditure in 1988–89 on 162
  road building and improvements. Of this £191 million was provided by way of transport supplementary grant towards the cost of schemes of more than local importance. The corresponding figures for 1989–90 are £513 million and £204 million respectively.

  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government financial assistance has been allocated to East Sussex's road building and improvement programme for 1988–89 and for 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  East Sussex county council was given a capital allocation of £7·180 million for expenditure on road building and improvements in 1988–89. Of this £2·121 million was provided by way of transport supplementary grant towards the cost of schemes of more than local importance. The corresponding figures for 1989–90 are £6·720 million and £2·482 million respectively.

  Forth Rail Bridge
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications for transport safety of the decision to withdraw the services of watchmen from the Forth rail bridge.

  Mr. Portillo
  Whilst this is a management matter for British Rail, which considers that the decision does not endanger safety, I understand that watchmen's duties were to guard against risk of fire from steam trains and to deter trespassers when the only other means of crossing the Forth was by ferry.

  Derbyshire (Traffic Problems)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set up a departmental inquiry into traffic problems in Dronfield, Derbyshire.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  An A61 Trunk road bypass on Dronfield was opened in October 1975. Any traffic problems within Dronfield are a matter for the local highway authority, Derbyshire county council.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or one planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It would be extremely difficult to draw up a complete inventory of all the Department's publicity material (posters, leaflets, TV and radio "fillers", etc) which are likely to be issued or broadcast during the current quarter. Nor could all this material be properly dignified with the title of "campaign".

  The Department produces a wide range of publicity material, particularly in the road safety field, which will be available throughout the period in question. Specific campaigns to be conducted during the first three months of 1989–90 are as follows:

  —child seat belts ("Belt Up in The Back") from 24 April

  —merchant navy reserve from 17 May

  —drink/drive ("Drinking and Driving Wrecks Lives") from 12 June to mid July.

  Only the drink-drive campaign involves television advertising.
  163
  We try, with limited success, to offer information constantly for news and current affairs coverage of the causes of road casualties.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Bowls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he proposes to take to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents.

  Mr. Channon
  I have today announced a series of proposals in a document "Pedestrian Safety: Making Walking Safer". I am placing copies in the Library. The measures include:

  1. A major pilot "Traffic Club" demonstration for pre-school children, funded by General Accident, and covering some half a million children.

  2. Proposals to amend the road hump regulations so as to allow them to be used more widely, and to help and encourage local authorities with area wide traffic calming and urban safety schemes.

  3. A campaign this autumn to encourage the greater use of reflective material on children's clothing.

  4. Enlisting the help of the motoring organisations in improving driver awareness of pedestrian safety.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of General Accident's support for the Government's efforts to reduce road accidents and road casualties.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  General Accident has supported the Government's road safety efforts magnificently. Its initiatives since 1986 have included:

  1986

  a. National Children's Poster Competition—Winning efforts used as basis of 1988 General Accident calender.

  b. Roadsafe Family of the Year Competition 1986.

  c. "The Road's Story" Booklet.

  d. 100 sets of interactive video equipment.

  e. Interactive video programme—funded jointly with Department of Transport "Road Show".

  f. Advertising Campaign—£750,000.

  g. Support for the regions of United Kingdom not primarily covered by the Department of Transport—Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

  h. Reflective conspicuity aids.

  i. Gallup Polls—Driver behaviour (September)

  Drink/Drive (December).

  j. Road Safety Officer/Department of Transport/GA Regional Liaison Meetings.

  1987

  a. "The Road's Story" Booklet—revised edition—making 3·5 m in total.

  b. Welsh edition of "The Road's Story".

  c. 100 sets of interactive video equipment.

  d. Interactive video programmes—funded jointly with the Department of Transport—"Roadsafe Family of the Year" and "The Bike Show".

  e. Reflective conspicuity aids.

  f. "Roadsafe Family of the Year" competition 1987.

  g. Support for the regions of the United Kingdom not primarily covered by the Department of Transport—Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

  164

  h. Video in support of PACTS—Children wearing suitable restraints and seatbelts in rear of car.

  i. 1988 General Accident Calendar.

  j. Road Safety Officers Conference—Exeter.

  k. Gallup Poll—Children/Parents Driver (August) "Dumbos and Yobs" Drink/Drive (December).

  l. "Are you prepared to be safe?" Leaflet giving advice for those going abroad on holiday.

  m. Road Safety Officers/Department of Transport/GA Regional Liaison Meetings.

  1988

  a. "On the Motorway"—a new 'Road's Story' booklet.

  b. "Roadsafe Family of the Year" competition 1988.

  c. "Lorry Driver of the Year" competition 1988.

  d. Police National Motorway Safety Campaign.

  e. National Competition in support of Motorway Safety Campaign.

  f. Police Summer Conference on Road Safety.

  g. "Trouble Free Motoring"—a paperback by Roger MacDonald ex BBC.

  h. 25 more sets of interactive video equipment.

  i. Interactive video programmes funded jointly with Department of Transport—"The Collector" and "Streetsense".

  j. Gallup Poll on Motorway Driving.

  k. Support for regions of United Kingdom not specifically covered by Department of Transport—Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

  l. Research Fellowships—£500,000 for six projects. These cover various aspects of road safety, including road crossing skills for children, and driver behaviour amongst women, the elderly, and young drivers.

  m. "Positive Cycling" booklet—a joint initiative with the Department of Transport and CTC.

  n. Road Safety Officers/Department of Transport/GA Regional Meetings.

  o. Road Safety Officers Conference—Solihull

  p. Exhibitions—International Motorshow, Welsh Show, Scottish Roadshow and London Road Safety Officers "Eurosafe" '87.

  q. Launch of "FIRMS"—an insurance package designed to provide fleet operators with an incentive to include driver training as part of fleet management.

  1989

  a. "On the Road in GB" for visitors abroad.

  b. "Highway Code for Young Road Users".

  c. "Lorry Driver of the Year 1989"

  d. Re-print "The Road's Story" and "On the Motorway.

  e. 25 more sets of interactive video equipment—total now 250.

  f. Interactive video programmes—jointly with Department of Transport. One based on "Highway Code for Young Road Users".

  g. Road Safety Officers Conference—Reading.

  h. Research Fellowships.

  i. Support for regions of United Kingdom not specifically covered by Department of Transport—Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

  j. Road Safety Officers/Department of Transport/GA Regional Liaison Meetings.

  k. Gallup Poll—Pedestrians.

  l. Pilot Traffic Club for pre-school children.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or ones planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department is not currently involved in any publicity campaigns. However, a teacher recruitment publicity campaign mounted by the teaching as a career unit has recently been completed. This included newspaper advertising but not television advertising. The campaign has attracted over 10,000 responses. There are no plans at present for any Departmental publicity campaigns in the first three months of the financial year 1989–90.

  Under-Fives
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he proposes to reply to the report of the Select Committee on Education, Science and Arts entitled "Educational Provision for the Under Fives".

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I have sent the Government's response to this report to the Chairman of the Committee today. A copy has been placed in the Library.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Land Registry (Security)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps are taken to ensure that the security arrangements at the land registry in Nottingham are sufficient to ensure that documents remain confidential and are not disposed of in public places; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  All the normal security arrangements to be found in government offices obtain for the Nottingham district land registry. Those arrangements at Nottingham, as at all district registries, remain under constant review to ensure that documents are in safe custody. A small number of papers stolen from the Nottingham district land registry have recently been recovered. An urgent, independent investigation is being conducted into the loss of these documents, and the circumstances of their recovery.

  Commonhold
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to make a decision on implementation of the recommendation of the working group of the Law Commission on commonhold, Cm. 179; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The Lord Chancellor hopes to be in a position to announce a decision on the implementation of the Law Commission working group report on commonhold during the summer. Work is continuing at the Law Commission on the preparation of draft legislation to give effect to the report.

PRIME MINISTER

  Hospitals (Norwich)
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Prime Minister if, in the last three years, she has met medical consultants concerning the location of the second district general hospital in the Norwich health district.

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

ENERGY

  Efficiency Expenditure
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much will be spent by his Department in the next financial year in energy efficiency work; and what was the expenditure of his Department five and 10 years ago.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Expenditure by my Department on energy efficiency programmes was £2·4 million in 1979–80 and £17·5 million in 1984–85. The provision for expenditure by the energy efficiency office in 1989–90 is £15 million as published in the supply estimates.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy 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. Parkinson
  As at 1 April 1989 there were no women in grades 1 to 4; three (7 per cent.) at grade 5; one (5 per cent.) at grade 6; and 18 (12.5 per cent.) at grade 7. Information on ethnic origin in these grades is not yet available.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy 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. Parkinson
  A survey was completed in 1986 and a further survey is planned later this year.

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

  Mr. Parkinson
  My Department, which is an equal opportunities employer, does not itself recruit to senior posts. The Civil Service Commission recruits to these positions, following equal opportunities procedures.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or campaigns planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Parkinson
  There is a continuing programme of publicity to promote the work of the Department's energy
  167
  efficiency office, offshore supplies office and the use of renewable sources of energy. None of these campaigns will involve television advertising.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Recruitment and Training
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when he next plans to visit the Fylde coast area to discuss matters relating to Civil Service recruitment and training.

  Mr. Luce
  I have no plans to do so. However, I am pleased to note that, in terms of the north-western region as a whole, numbers of civil servants have been increasing in recent years, a period when overall numbers in the service and numbers in the south-east have declined. I am sure that the relative attractiveness of the region for departmental recruitment has been an important factor in this.

THE ARTS

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

  Mr. Luce
  The number, and percentage, of women officers in grades 2, 5, 6, 7, and overall, in the Department, are given in the table. The Department does not employ anyone at grades 1, 3 and 4.

  Number of women in grade

  Percentage

  Grade 2

  —

  —

  Grade 5

  1

  25

  Grade 6

  1

  100

  Grade 7 (and equivalent)

  4

  33

  Departmental total

  27

  45

  My information is that none of the staff of the Office of Arts and Libraries is a member of the ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Minister for the Arts when his Office 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. Luce
  The last survey was conducted in 1986. There are no plans to repeat it, but the ethnic origins of all new entrants to the Office of Arts and Libraries are monitored on a continuous basis by the Cabinet Office.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Balance of Trade
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects Britain's trade to be in balance.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects the balance of trade to be positive.
  168
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects Britain's trade to be in balance.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects Britain's trade to be in balance.

  Mr. Major
  The Financial Statement and Budget Report for 1989–90 shows a forecast of a deficit in visible trade in 1989. Forecasts of the balance in later years are not published.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the level of the parameters of inaccuracy for the balance of trade.

  Mr. Major
  The estimates for trade in goods are generally considered to be of fairly high quality. Figures for trade in services are subject to much wider margins of error.

  There are considerable difficulties in measuring the United Kingdom's balance of payments account as a whole, and over the last three years, the "balancing item" has averaged £14 billion per year. The "balancing item" reflects errors and omissions in both the current and capital account.

  Trade Deficit
  Mr. Harry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he now expects to be the trade deficit in 1989.

  Mr. Major
  The Financial and Budget Report for 1988–89 shows a forecast deficit for visible trade in 1989 of £211/2 billion.

  Manufacturing Trade Deficit
  Mr. Bell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the manufacturing trade deficit in 1989.

  Mr. Major
  The Financial Statement and Budget Report for 1989–90 shows a forecast deficit in manufactured trade in 1989 of£151/2 billion.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the deficit in trade in manufactures for 1990–91.

  Mr. Major
  The Financial Statement and Budget Report for 1989–90 provides a forecast of the manufactured trade balance for 1989 only. Forecasts of the balance in later years are not published.

  EC Budget
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will bring up to date the information in his reply dated 28 July 1988,Official Report, columns 497–98, concerning the United Kingdom net contribution to the European Community budget; and if he will add forecasts for 1989, 1990 and 1991, drawing attention to any differences between these figures, and those used for the estimates in table 21.2.2 of Cm 21.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: The updated figures are set out in the table. An estimate of the

  169
  United Kingdom's net contribution in 1989 will be contained in the statement on the 1989 Community

  £ million

  Year

  Net contribution before refunds or VAT abatements (cash)

  Negotiated-refunds

  VAT abatements

  Net contribution after refunds and abatements (cash)1

  Net contribution after refunds and abatements at constant 1988 prices2

  1975

  -56

  —

  —

  -56

  -180

  1976

  167

  —

  —

  167

  467

  1977

  369

  —

  —

  369

  908

  1978

  822

  —

  —

  822

  1,813

  1979

  947

  —

  —

  947

  1,828

  1980

  804

  98

  —

  706

  1,138

  1981

  1,090

  693

  —

  397

  574

  1982

  1,625

  1,019

  —

  606

  815

  1983

  1,454

  807

  —

  647

  827

  1984

  1,184

  528

  —

  656

  802

  1985

  2,035

  61

  166

  1,808

  2,090

  1986

  2,273

  —

  1,701

  572

  639

  1987

  2,866

  —

  1,153

  1,713

  1,827

  1988

  2,956

  —

  1,594

  1,362

  1,362

  1 United Kingdom figures show payments to the Community budget on a cash flow basis. Budget refunds and abatements are credited to the year they are paid.

  2 Constant prices have been constructed using the GDP deflator at market prices.

  Third World Debt
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on what percentage of the capital of British banks was represented by outstanding loans by major Third world borrowers in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 April 1989]: The percentage of the capital of major British clearing banks with exposure to highly indebted Third world countries represented by outstanding loans to those countries in each of the last five years is as follows:

  Year

  Figures

  1984

  179

  1985

  128

  1986

  103

  1987

  81

  1988

  65

  The figures for exposure do not take account of the provisions made by the banks against their loans to these countries. Net of provisions the banks' exposure to these countries represented 44 per cent. of their capital in 1988 (56 per cent. in 1987).

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. Brooke
  The information is as follows:

  Women

  Ethnic minorities1

  Number

  Percentage of staff in grade

  Ethnic Number2

  Percentage of staff in grade

  Grade 1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Grade la

  1

  25

  0

  0

  Grade 2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Grade 3

  3

  13

  0

  0

  Grade 4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  170
  budget, to be published later in the month. It is not the Government's practice to publish calendar year forecasts for future years.

  Women

  Ethnic minorities1

  Number

  Percentage of staff in grade

  Ethnic Number2

  Percentage of staff in grade

  Grade 5

  9

  13

  0

  0

  Grade 6

  0

  0

  2

  3·5

  Grade 7

  43

  16

  0

  0

  Total for Department3

  1,241

  39

  IIS

  44·8

  1 Information on ethnic origins was provided on a voluntary basis.

  2 In accordance with the Department's Code of Practice governing the use of ethnic data, figures for ethnic minorities have been rounded to the nearest 5 to preserve confidentiality; the 2 denotes less than 3. The percentages have been calculated on the basis of unrounded data.

  3 Equivalent information on ethnic origins of industrial staff is not available.

  4 Because of 3 above, the percentage quoted is based on the figure for non-industrial staff only.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. Brooke
  My department conducted an ethnic survey of all its non-industrial staff during 1986; updating and monitoring information on the ethnic origins of our staff is a continuous process.

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

  Mr. Brooke
  The Civil Service Commission is responsible for recruitment to the top grades in my Department.

  Internal Market
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the total value to the latest available full year of public sector contracts in England of a character which will make them open to Community-wide bidding as part of the creation of the internal market.

  Mr. Brooke
  None. The cost of assessing the value of public contracts in England to be opened to Community-
  171
  wide bidding would not be justified. The European Commission is currently investigating the effect of applying procurement rules to contracts above various value thresholds in sectors excluded from the existing Community directives.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Pollution
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farms in England were advised by agricultural development advisory service staff about methods of controlling agricultural pollution in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  Grain Stores
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many grain stores the intervention board owns and manages on his behalf; if he

  Location and managers

  Storage area '000 sq.ft.)

  Capacity (tonnes wheat equivalent)

  Value1 (£'OOO)

  1 Driffield (North Humberside)

  Fishers Seeds and Grain Ltd.

  180

  74,000

  650

  2 Hartlebury (Hereford and Worcester)

  Anglia Agricultural Merchants Ltd.

  214

  67,000

  900

  3 Hemswell (Lincolnshire)

  William Gleadell and Sons Ltd.

  180

  75,000

  800

  4 Locharbriggs (Dumfries)

  Storage Services (Leith) Ltd.

  135

  71,000

  960

  5 Manby (Lincolnshire)

  Wilsons Corn and Milling Ltd.

  155

  53,000

  800

  6 Prees Heath (Shropshire)

  Wilsons of Hadleigh

  144

  59,000

  600

  7 Tangmere (Sussex)

  John Bryant (Romsey) Ltd.

  86

  29,000

  1,320

  8 Yorkshire (Yorkshire)

  Fishers Seeds and Grain Ltd.

  230

  78,000

  2,750

  1 As advised in 1988 by the Inland Revenue district valuers with the intervention board as sitting tenants.

  MV Perintis
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what information he based his opinion recorded in the preamble to the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Sea Fish) (Revocation) Order 1989, S.I., 1988, No. 619, that the toxic substances which escaped as a result of the sinking of the MV Perintis were not in the area designated in the schedule to the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Sea Fish) Order, S.I., 1989, No. 529.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The precautionary ban on fishing was lifted after the French navy had completed an intensive search of the sea-bed in the area concerned. I understand their search operation extended over two weeks and involved a number of specially equipped surface ships and submersibles at a cost of over 8 million French francs but they were unable to find the lindane container in the area where they previously suspected it had sunk. In addition, the results of fish and water sampling which we and the French authorities were carrying out revealed no evidence of lindane leakage in this area.
  172
  will publish in the Official Report the location, size in square feet or volume, the capacity and the approximate value of each; how and by whom each of these stores is managed; how and by whom the managers are recruited and appointed and how much they are paid; and which of the stores has returned a profit or a loss and of what order, in each of the financial years 1980 to 1988.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The intervention board does not own any intervention grain stores but rents eight Government-owned properties from the Property Services Agency estates. Details of the locations, volumes, capacities, values and managing companies are given in the table. Managing companies are contracted by the intervention board after selection by competitive tender. Information on amounts paid to individual companies is commercially confidential. The stores are used exclusively to store intervention grain or oilseeds and the intervention board derives no income from their use other than the European Community's contributions at standard rates towards handling and storage costs. In terms of the cost per tonne of grain or oilseeds handled and stored, they are fully competitive with the commercial stores contracted for intervention storage.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the types and approximate number of fishing vessels registered in the United Kingdom and other countries, which have been, or are likely to be, affected by the precautionary fishing ban, invoked by the Minister, under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 following the foundering of the vessel Perintis on 13 March.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The precautionary fishing ban, which applied to United Kingdom and Channel Islands vessels between 21 March and 7 April, covered an area of sea lying within a radius of seven nautical miles, centred a n the position where the container of lindane was presumed to have sunk.

  For part of the period the area was unsuitable for fishing because of poor weather and tidal conditions.

  The area is used for potting by six vessels from Alderney. No English or other Channel Island vessels are understood to take significant catches from the area.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the methods of
  173
  monitoring instituted by his Ministry, following the loss of the MV Perintis in the Channel on or about 13 March; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Immediately following the sinking of the MV Perintis, my Ministry undertook a programme of monitoring of water and biological material (fish and crabs) from around the wreck of the vessel and from the area in which the container of lindane was presumed to have sunk. This programme has since been extended to include fish landed at south coast ports. The results of the monitoring indicate that there has been no leakage of the permethrin, cypermethrin or lindane being carried by the vessel.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations are taking place regarding the retrieval of the container containing five tonnes of organochlorine insecticide, lindane, which was lost when the vessel Perintis foundered north-west of Guernsey on or about 13 March; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  My officials have kept in close touch with the Department of Transport, the Home Office, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of Health and the Department of the Environment in connection with the search by the French authorities for the container of lindane lost from the MV Perintis on 13 March. Contacts were maintained with the French authorities both directly and through the Department of Transport, which has lead responsibility for marine pollution control operations. Officials from my Department participated in a meeting with French and Channel Island experts on 4 April to review the degree of threat to the marine environment posed by this container of lindane.

  Piper Alpha Platform
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline the role performed by his Department in the monitoring of the area above and on the seabed surrounding the wreckage of Piper Alpha; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Monitoring in the area concerned is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Beef Special Premium
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to switch the beef special premium from its present administration to on-farm administration.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The beef special premium scheme has been in operation for just over two weeks. I have no plans to change its administration in Great Britain at present. However, as my right hon. Friend announced on 6 March we shall be reviewing the operation of the scheme with my colleagues in other Departments to assess the practicability and cost-effectiveness of moving to an on-farm operation in due course.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he established the beef special premium as an off-farm administration.
  174
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  We have had only a very short time in which to make arrangements for the operation of the beef special premium scheme in Great Britain. As my right hon. Friend announced on 6 March, we concluded that in the first instance it was desirable to build on the arrangements then in place for the operation of the beef variable premium scheme and thus to operate the scheme at live markets and abbatoirs. This method of operation has the further advantage of enabling producers to apply for premium under the new scheme in much the same way and at the same marketing stage as they like to apply for beef variable premium. In practice, the transition to the new arrangements has been effective relatively smoothly, largely in consequence of this decision.

  Fishing Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that those British owners of fishing vessels who have not yet been issued with full or temporary certificates despite submission of bona fide applications are not in any way disadvantaged in terms of access to fishing quotas and grounds.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I understand that the Department of Transport has now issued full or temporary certificates to all applicants fulfilling the necessary requirements. Fishing entitlements for such vessels have not been affected by the introduction of the new registration arrangements.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or ones planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The current publicity campaigns being conducted by my Department and planned for the first three months of 1989–90 are as follows:

  On-going campaigns:

  Imports

  Rabies

  Food

  additives

  labeling

  surveillance

  Farm and conservation grants scheme

  Recruitment

  Farm woodlands

  Environmentally sensitive areas

  Diversification

  Planned campaigns:

  Plant health—May 1989 to October 1989

  Colarado beetle—May 1989 to June 1989

  Food nutrition—April 1989 ongoing

  Food safety (joint with Department of Health)—May 1989 ongoing.

  No campaigns use paid TV advertising.

  Potatoes
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will announce his conclusions following the review of potato market policy.

  Mr. MacGregor
  My right hon. Friends and I have considered the many replies to the consultation document.
  175
  I have also just completed meetings with various producer and processor interests. We now need time to reflect on the conclusions to be drawn from this exercise. I do not at present envisage an announcement before the end of May.

SCOTLAND

  Tweed Towards 2000 Symposium
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what is the estimated total cost related to participation by civil servants at the Tweed Towards 2000 symposium to be held in May; and if any charge is being made by his Department to the organisers of the symposium for this service.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Five scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland laboratories at Aberdeen and Pitlochry were invited to participate in the symposium on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 May 1989 by the organisers, the Tweed Foundation. The scientists will be attending in their own time with their travelling and accommodation costs being met by the Tweed Foundation. A charge by the Scottish Office for their services would not be appropriate in the circumstances.

  Motor Neurone Disease
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if L-Threonine is available on the National Health Service for the treatment of motor neurone disease;

  (2) how many people in Scotland suffer from motor neurone disease.

  (3) if he will list the drugs available on the National Health Service for sufferers from motor neurone disease in Scotland;

  (4) what representations he has received about the availability of L-Threonine.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Under the NHS, general medical practitioners have freedom to prescribe whatever drugs they consider to be clinically necessary for the treatment of their patients, except items which are excluded under the selected list scheme. Foods and food supplements are not normally prescribable and L-Threonine is more properly classed as a food supplement than as a drug. Doctors can, however, prescribe food supplements where they are, in their clinical judgment, necessary for the treatment of patients but may be asked to justify their prescribing by their area medical committee. Exact information on the numbers of people in Scotland suffering from motor neurone disease is not centrally available. There are no drugs which are specifically recommended for the treatment of motor neurone disease. Representations have been received from the hon. Members for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith) and for Livingston (Mr. Cook) and from two general medical practitioners.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why the decision not to allow the sale of the extract of the community charge register was taken; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  The decision was taken after careful consideration of representations made by the Data 176
  Protection Registrar and others that the sale of the publicly available community charges register was not an essential part of the community charge system and that there would be a potential threat to privacy if extracts were made too readily available to interests who might wish to use them as mailing lists.

  Police Rent Allowance
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consult local authorities about the possibility of introducing a temporary flat rate allowance for officers in provided accommodation in Scotland to take account of their requirement to pay the community charge and pending the final outcome of the rent allowance arbitration.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No. This matter was considered at a meeting of the police negotiating board on 17 April when the staff side's proposal for an interim housing allowance payable to officers in provided accommodation was rejected by the official side.

  However negotiations between the two sides on long-term arrangements proposed by the Police Arbitration Tribunal are continuing.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations he has received from police authorities in Scotland concerning the desirability of interim financial arrangements being introduced to ensure that no police officer is worse off as a result of the introduction of the community charge pending the final outcome of the recent rent allowance arbitration; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will consider the difficulties facing new recruits to the police forces in Scotland due to the uncertainty surrounding the financial recompense for the community charge pending the final outcome of the rent allowance arbitration; and if he will take urgent action in conjunction with the local authorities to introduce interim arrangements as suggested by the arbitrators, subject to subsequent adjustment following the Government's decision on the recommended implementation of the new housing allowance.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations from police authorities about this issue. In response it was made clear that the question of interim arrangements was a matter for the police negotiating board. The question was considered at a meeting of the board on 17 April when, with the position of my right hon. and learned Friend being reserved, the official side agreed the staff side's proposal that all officers in Scottish forces in receipt of rent allowance on 31 March 1989 should continue to receive the levels payable at that date pending the introduction of a new housing allowance recommended by the Police Arbitration Tribunal. There are no grounds for interim arrangements for officers entering the service after 31 March 1989.

  The tribunal accepted the official side's case that the community charge payable by police officers should not be reimbursed.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. William
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many projects have been supported by regional assistance over the past year.

  Mr. Newton
  My Department expects to have supported in excess of 7,500 projects through regional assistance during 1988–89. Specifically, the Department has made 1,275 offers of regional selective assistance and 920 offers of regional enterprise grant, approved 5,380 projects under the revised regional development grant scheme and made payments under the original regional development grant scheme in respect of some 270 projects. All these figures are provisional.

  Inner-City Task Forces
  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many projects have been supported by his inner-city task forces.

  Mr. Newton
  Since the task forces began their work in 1986 over 1,200 projects have been approved and over £38 million has been committed. These projects are projected to secure over 4,000 jobs, facilitate over 23,500 training places and provide support for over 2,600 businesses.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the leaders of the inner-city task forces; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell) on 15 March 1989 at column 256.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the distribution of European regional development fund moneys within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Newton
  Since the inception of the European regional development fund in 1975, the United Kingdom has received commitments valued at £3,307 million. Commitments for England have been £1,602 million, for Scotland £792 million, Wales £491 million and Northern Ireland £343 million. The remaining £79 million has been committed on a multi-regional basis. The future distribution will depend on decisions by the Commission, and may fluctuate from year to year.

  Internal Market
  Mr. Jim
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent estimates his Department has made of the effects of 1992 on Britain's regions.

  Mr. Maude
  None. It is for individual businesses, wherever they are, to assess for themselves what the effects of the single market will be for them. My Department provides a comprehensive information service to enable them to do so.

  Mergers and Acquisitions
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the percentage increase in expenditure on mergers and acquisitions since 1979.

  Mr. Maude
  Expenditure on acquisitions and mergers by industrial and commercial companies within the United Kingdom in 1988 is estimated to be about £22 billion. In current prices this is about 13 times greater than the 1979 total of about £13/4 billion.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the percentage increase in expenditure on mergers and acquisitions since 1979.

  Mr. Maude
  Expenditure on acquisitions and mergers by industrial and commercial companies within the United Kingdom in 1988 is estimated to be about £22 billion. In current prices this is about 13 times greater than the 1979 total of about £13/4 billion.

  Consumer Advice Centres
  Mr. John
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for strengthening the national network of consumer advice centres.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for strengthening the national network of consumer advice centres.

  Mr. Ernie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for strengthening the national network of consumer advice centres.

  Mr. Forth
  I have no such proposals. Funding of consumer advice centres is a matter for the local decision and local funding. The Government do fund the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, and Citizens Advice Scotland which provide central support services for local bureaux. In recent years the grant to these bodies has risen substantially in real terms. In 1980 the local bureaux took over a considerable proportion of the work of consumer advice centres.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives from local authority consumer advice centres; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Tom
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives from local authority consumer advice centres; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Bill
  To askton the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives from local authority consumer advice centres; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Forth
  I have had no such meeting and none has been requested.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Orme
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects Britain to have a trade surplus in information technology.
  179
  Mr. John
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects Britain to have a trade surplus in information technology.

  Mr. Newton
  It is not possible to make a prediction of the kind that the hon. Member seeks. What is important is that this Government's economic policies have led to record levels of productivity, output and investment and have helped to attract companies such as Fujitsu which will provide a major boost to our balance of trade in imformation technology, through both exports and import substitution.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his response to the Select Committee on Trade and Industry's report into information technology.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on his response to the Select Committee on Trade and Industry's report into information technology.

  Mr. Newton
  We have received no formal representations on this response.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement of the Government's policy for information technology.

  Mr. Newton
  The Government's response to the Trade and Industry Select Committee's report on information technology published on 9 March as Cm 646 contains a comprehensive statement of the Government's policy towards information technology.

  Mr. Win
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the balance of trade in information technology in 1979 and 1988.

  Mr. Newton
  For the information technology and electronics manufacturing sector the United Kingdom had an adverse balance of trade in 1979 of £444 million. In 1987, the latest full year for which figures are available, the adverse balance for this sector was £2,226 million.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the balance of trade in information technology in 1979 and 1988.

  Mr. Newton
  For the information technology and electronics manufacturing sector the United Kingdom had an adverse balance of trade in 1979 of £444 million. In 1987, the latest full year for which figures are available, the adverse balance for this sector was £2,226 million.

  Company Liquidity
  Mr. Ron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his latest estimate of company liquidity; and when it was last lower.

  Mr. Maude
  The liquidity ratio for all large industrial and commercial companies is estimated by the Department's survey to be 76 per cent. at the end of the fourth quarter of 1988 on a seasonally adjusted basis. This is the lowest figure since the end of the third quarter of 1982.

  Manufacturing Productivity
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster by what proportion manufacturing productivity has increased since 1980.
  180
  Mr. Maude
  In the three months to February 1989 manufacturing productivity, as measured by output per person employed, was 55 per cent. higher than the 1980 average level.

  Footwear Industry
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent representations he has received regarding the British footwear industry.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Since I replied to a similar question from the hon. Member on 15 February at column 305 of the Official Report for 16 February a number of hon. Members have made known to me the concerns of their constituents.

  I am taking a close interest in this matter and in the outcome of the Commission's investigation into imports of footwear from Taiwan and South Korea.

  Borrowers (Advice)
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the range of advice available to borrowers and potential borrowers on alternative forms of credit, especially in the inner cities.

  Mr. Maude
  The Office of Fair Trading has a statutory duty under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 to inform the public about credit. It gives advice through the media, and booklets, posters and videos which are freely available through citizens advice bureaux, trading standards departments and public libraries. In addition the banks provide a banking information service. In the inner-city areas certain local authorities have set up money advice services; and some 20 financial organisations are providing £750,000 over a period of three years for money advice and debt counselling services.

  Civil Research and Development
  Mr. Ted
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in which Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries the proportion of gross domestic product spent by Government on civil research and development has fallen since 1983.

  Mr. Alan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reduced the share of gross domestic product spent on civil research and development between 1983 and 1986; and which countries increased it.

  Mr. Forth
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Clelland) on 15 March at column 265.

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reduced t he share of gross domestic product spent on civil research and development between 1983 and 1986; and which countries increased it.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reduced the share of gross domestic product spent on civil research and development between 1983 and 1986; and which countries increased it.
  181
  Mr. Forth
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Pike) on 14 February at columns 256 and 257 of the Official Report for 15 February.

  Communications Infrastructure (Report)
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Macdonald report on communications infrastructure.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Macdonald report on communications infrastructure.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Macdonald report on communication infrastructure.

  Mr. Forth
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) on 15 March at column 266.

  Directors (Disbarral)
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many times in the last 10 years he has exercised his power to disbar directors of public companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The Secretary of State may apply to the court to disqualify directors under various provisions now consolidated in the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

  Between 1 April 1979 and 28 April 1986, when the current provisions came into force, 111 applications were made. Since 28 April 1986 the number of applications has been:

  Number

  1986

  22

  1987

  180

  1988

  421

  11989

  99

  1 To 31 March.

  Such applications relate both to public and private companies.

  The Act also empowers the courts to disqualify directors in certain criminal proceedings and where the Secretary of State brings such prosecutions it is his practice to draw the court's attention to these powers.

  Industrial Investment
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest indications he has for the growth in industrial investment over the past year.

  Mr. Maude
  The volume of investment by the manufacturing, construction, distribution and financial industries in 1988 was nearly 11 per cent. higher than in 1987.

  Competitiveness
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from industry on matters affecting competitiveness.
  182
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from industry on matters affecting competitiveness.

  Mr. Maude
  Frequent, numerous and diverse.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from industry on matters affecting competitiveness.

  Mr. Maude
  Most contacts which my Department has with industry and commerce involve matters having a bearing on United Kingdom competitiveness.

  EC (Trade Barriers)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action he is taking to ensure that the European Community does not erect protectionist trade barriers.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to him on 16 February at column 248.

  Single Market
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest indications he has of awareness in the business community about opportunities presented by the completion of the single market in 1992.

  Mr. Maude
  Our surveys indicate that over 90 per cent. of firms throughout the country are aware of the single market challenge.

  Mr. Nicholas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement about the achievements of his 1992 campaign.

  Mr. Maude
  Since the campaign was launched on 18 March 1988, the DTI has handled over 205,000 requests for further information. Our surveys indicate that over 90 per cent. of firms throughout the country are aware of the single market challenge and that around 50 per cent. of British business is taking action or considering steps to prepare for the single market.

  Mr. Andy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many calls have been received to date by his Department's 1992 hotline.

  Mr. Maude
  Our 1992 hotline has received over 123,000 calls since it opened on 18 March 1988.

  Midland Bank
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received over the activities of the Midland bank in(a) the distribution of unsolicited auto-cheque cards and (b) other banking issues; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I am not aware of any representations about unsolicited auto-cheque cards or other banking issues relating to Midland bank. I understand that as certain service cards are renewed some have been incorporated into a multi-purpose card but I am not aware that this has caused any difficulties.

  Boeing 747 Aircraft
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the Boeing 747 series of aircraft is manufactured by the British aerospace industry.
  183
  Mr. Forth
  A number of United Kingdom aerospace companies participate in the Boeing 747 programme but the United Kingdom share is largely dependent upon the choice of engine. If a Rolls-Royce engine is selected, as is increasingly the case, the United Kingdom share of the initial sale value of the aircraft is 25 per cent., rising to 30 per cent. of its lifetime value once engine spares have been provided.

  Consumer Rights
  Mr. Geoffrey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he now has plans to bring forward legislation affecting consumer rights.

  Mr. Forth
  We intend to improve the protection given to consumers in a number of ways, including the introduction of regulations under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 on price indications at bureaux de change and changes to other legislation affecting consumers' interests.

  Business in the Community
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met representatives of Business in the Community; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Newton
  I last met representatives of Business in the Community at its president's committee meeting on 7 March 1989. The committee discussed how companies can contribute to community regeneration through their mainstream business activities, and what action companies can take to improve opportunities on housing estates.

  Airbus Industrie
  Mr. Gerald
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made by Industry Ministers in the restructuring of Airbus Industrie.

  Mr. Atkins
  A new management structure for Airbus Industrie, broadly based on the recommendations contained in the 1988 report of the Airbus "wise men", was introduced with effect from 1 April 1989. The new structure is intended to strengthen the strategic control of Airbus projects by the four partners in the consortium while, at the same time, placing the senior managers of Airbus Industrie at the centre of all day-to-day operations of particular Airbus programmes.

  Export Science System
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to extend the export licence system to cover material capable of being used for torture.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Licences are required for export to all destinations of military, para-military, police and security equipment which is subject to control under the Export of Goods (Control) Order, 1987, (SI 1987, No. 2070) as amended. It is not our normal practice to grant a licence for the export of equipment which is likely to be used for internal repression.

  It is impractical to seek to control materials capable of being used for torture, since almost any material could be put to such use.

  Manufacturing Productivity
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in which position Britain lies in an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development league table for manufacturing productivity.

  Mr. Maude
  No reliable comparisons exist for absolute levels of manufacturing productivity between different countries. But available figures do show that in the eighties the United Kingdom has had the fastest rate of growth of manufacturing productivity of all the major industrialised countries.

  Overseas Companies
  Mr. Ian
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many overseas companies set up operations in Britain in 1988.

  Mr. Newton
  According to the latest figures known to the Invest in Britain Bureau, during the first three quarters of 1988, 271 inward investment decisions were made to locate in the United Kingdom. These include the establishment of a new business, expansion or acquisition of an existing business and involvement in joint venture.

  Council of Consumer Ministers
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what matters he intends to discuss with his European Economic Community counterparts at the next meeting of the Council of Consumer Ministers.

  Mr. Nicholas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what matters he intends to discuss with his European Economic Community counterparts at the next meeting of the Council of Consumer Ministers.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what matters he intends to discuss with his European Economic Community counterparts at the next meeting of the Council of Consumer Ministers.

  Mr. Forth
  I plan to represent the United Kingdom at the next meeting of the Council of Consumer Ministers which the Spanish presidency has provisionally scheduled for 1 June. The presidency has yet to finalise the agenda for the Council.

  Regional Grant and Assistance
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the planned and estimated outturn expenditures on regional development grant and regional selective assistance for the year 1988–89.

  Mr. Forth
  The estimated 1988–89 outturn expenditure for regional development grant in England is £161·3 million, against supply estimate provision of £158·9 million. The equivalent figures for regional selective assistance are £136·1 million and £164·3 million. All figures are gross of domestic and European Community receipts. The RDG figures cover expenditure under the original and revised schemes. Those for RSA cover industrial and training grants, as well as expenditure under the business improvement services and exchange risk guarantee schemes.

  House of Fraser
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the question of publication of his inspectors' report into the acquisition of the House of Fraser.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the matter of publication of his inspectors' report into the acquisition of the House of Fraser.

  Mr. Maude
  I and my colleagues have received a number of representations.

  Civil Aerospace Programmes (Aid)
  Mr. David
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much launch aid for civil aerospace programmes was provided by his Department in 1988; and how much has been committed for 1989.

  Mr. Atkins
  For the calendar year 1988, £63 million was provided to British Aerospace in connection with the development of the Airbus A330/A340 programme and £10.3 million to Westland Helicopters in connection with the EH101. For the financial year 1988–89 the total figures were respectively £88.5 million and £9.9 million. For the financial year 1989–90 up to £154 million will be available to BAe and £12 million to Westland. The A330/340 and the EH101 are the only programmes currently receiving launch aid from the Department.

  Licensed Credit Brokers (Advertising)
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures he proposes to take to monitor the growth of advertising of loan facilities offered by licensed credit brokers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  Responsibility for monitoring the day-to-day operation of the Consumer Credit Act and of the activities of licensed credit businesses are matters for local authority trading standards departments and the Office of Fair Trading. In relation to credit advertisements, I intend shortly to make new regulations under the Act governing advertisements, and my Department circulated proposals in a consultation letter dated 5 April 1989.

  EC Commissioner for Consumer Affairs
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs; and what matters were discussed.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the European Commissioner for Consumer Affairs; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Forth
  I met Commissioner Van Miert during his visit to London on 2 February, shortly after his appointment. The Commissioner took the opportunity to mention in general terms his views on the future direction of EC consumer policy.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further representations he has received on the effects of current interest rates on industry.
  186
  Mr. Maude
  I have received a number of further representations about the effects of interest rates on cash flow and investment in industry. Representations continue to give overwhelming support for firm action to control inflation and investment intentions remain strong.

  Company Mergers
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment his Department has made of company mergers and the effect on employee rights.

  Mr. Maude
  Normal employee rights continue when a company is taken over.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his Department's latest indication of the value of inward investment into Britain in 1988.

  Mr. Newton
  Inward investment into the United Kingdom in 1988 was £11·2 billion of which £7·1 billion was direct investment and £4·1 billion was portfolio investment.

  Seals (Exports)
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further steps he plans to take to encourage exports from companies that manufacture seals.

  Mr. Maude
  Comprehensive support measures are already available through the DTI export initiative to assist companies who wish to export their products.

  Regional Development
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he plans to announce any new initiatives to benefit Britain's regions.

  Mr. Newton
  Major changes in the focus of DTI's policies were made only last year. Regional policy now operates within a framework designed to encourage enterprise and economic growth in all parts of the country but with extra help available for firms in the regions.

  Yorkshire and Humberside Confederation of British Industry
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Yorkshire and Humberside Confederation of British Industry to discuss industrial trends in that region.

  Mr. Newton
  I have no plans for such a meeting at present.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he plans to announce any new initiatives to benefit Britain's regions.

  Mr. Newton
  Major changes in the focus of DTI's policies were made only last year. Regional policy now operates within a framework designed to encourage enterprise and economic growth in all parts of the country but with extra help available for firms in the regions.

  Ford Motor Company
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for
  187
  Warrington, North of 12 April, Official Report, column 545, if he will make it his policy that in the next discussion between his Department and Ford about that company's manufacturing strategy, Ministers or officials will seek to encourage Ford to publish its own estimate of the net effect on the United Kingdom balance of payments of the transfer of the manufacture of Sierras.

  Mr. Maude
  The transfer of Sierra manufacture from Dagenham to Genk is only one element in Ford's reorganisation which also includes expansion of Fiesta manufacture at Dagenham, of Escort manufacture at Halewood and Transit van manufacture at Southampton. The overall effect of these changes on the balance of payments is dependent on so many variables as to be impossible to estimate with any accuracy and I see no value in encouraging Ford to attempt to make such an estimate.

  Bophuthatswana
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what trade is carried on between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Bophuthatswana; and what outward trade missions there have been.

  Mr. Alan
  Clark Since Her Majesty's Government do not recognise the independent status of Bophuthatswana, UK trade statistics do not disaggregate trade figures for it or other regions within South Africa.

  UK trade missions to South Africa may have visited Bophuthatswana but I am not aware of their precise itinerary.

  Deregulation
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current membership of the advisory panel on deregulation; and when he will be appointing new members.

  Mr. Maude
  Four new members have been appointed and will join the panel on 24 April 1989. They are:Professor Sue Birley—Philip and Pauline Harris Professor of Entrepreneurship, Cranfield School of Management, Bedford.
  Mr. John Lawrence—Chief Executive, Thorn Security Ltd., Feltharn.
  Mr. Brian Prime—Proprietor, Northbay House Residential Care Home, Lowestoft.
  Mr. Brian Wicks—Deputy Director General, National Farmers Union, London.

  The advisory panel makes an important contribution to the enterprise and deregulation unit's work by advising them on the impact of regulatory requirements on business and enterprise development. I should like to express my gratitude to them and particularly to the four retiring members, Mr. Colin Dauris, Mr. George Gray, Mr. Damon de Laszlo and Mr. Phillip White.

  These new appointments will help to ensure the panel's continuing effectiveness as a source of valuable advice.

  The existing membership of the advisory panel on deregulation is as follows:
  Sir Nigel Mobbs DL, Chairman—Chairman and Chief Executive, Slough Estates plc, Slough.
  Mr. Mike Fisher—Managing Director, Whale Tankers Ltd., Solihull, West Midlands.
  Mrs. Teresa Graham—Senior Manager, Price Waterhouse, Newcastle.
  Mr. Neil McArthur—Chairman, Thurnall Engineering Ltd., Manchester.
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  Mr. Stephen Moss—Managing Director, BCP Parking, and Director, Grosvenor Securities Ltd., London.
  Mr. Tom O'Connor—Chairman and Managing Director, Elta Plastics, Stockton-on-Tees.
  Mrs. Jenifer Rosenberg—Managing Director J and J Fashions Ltd., London.
  Mrs. Celia Urquhart—Managing Director, CU Data L td., Glasgow.

  National Engineering Laboratory
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will now publish the report produced by the consultants Touche Ross on the National Engineering Laboratory, East Kilbride.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: The report has only just been received. No decision about publication has yet been taken.

  Harrods (Report)
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he now has any plans to meet the serious fraud office to discuss the publication of his Department's inspectors' report into the sale of Harrods; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  I have nothing to add to the statement made on 3 April by my right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in another place and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy's reply to a Private Notice Question by the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) on 4 April(Official Report, cols. 19–20).

  British Shipbuilders
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any further progress has been made on the disposal of the subsidiaries of British Shipbuilders; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Pursuant to my answer to the hon. Member of 16 March at column 282, I am pleased to report that William Steward and Company, Ltd. has now acquired British Shipbuilders' pipe work and electrical contracting subsidiary Sunderland Forge Services Ltd. This will become the centre for the Steward group's expansion into building services contracting in the north-east. The whole of William Steward's subsidiary, Durham Switch Gear Ltd., will shortly be moving its switch gear manufacturing activities, together with 135 employees, from nearby Washington into the factory previously owned by Sunderland Forge Services. William Steward's has in addition taken on nearly 200 of the previous 254 employees of Sunderland Forge Services and believes there is a good prospect of more jobs to come.

  On 16 March I also told the House of my agreement to the disposal of British Shipbuilders Training Ltd. at Govan to a management team. This sale has now also been successfully completed, thereby maintaining an important training resource in Govan and south of the Clyde providing employment for 28 people in the area of training and management consultancy.

  Finally, I can report that British Shipbuilders has now received a number of new bids for its design and computing subsidiary, Marine Design Consultants Ltd., based at Sunderland and Dundee. As with the new bids

  189
  that have been received for Ferguson Shipbuilders Ltd., these are now being assessed by the corporation and its advisers.

WALES

  "Roads in Wales"
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to begin improvements to meet traffic requirements between Woodbank junction and Shotwick, as referred to in his Department's publication, "Roads in Wales" 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The section of trunk road between Woodbank and Shotwick is to be improved as an extension of the Department of Transport scheme for improvement between Woodbank and Ledsham, a start of works on which is envisaged in the financial year 1993–94 subject to satisfactory completion of statutory procedures and the availability of funds. Work in Wales will also be subject to the findings of a study that I am commissioning to determine the need and timing of improvements to the trunk road network in north east Clwyd.

  Road Maintenance
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will indicate the extra resources he intends to make available to the valley councils concerning trunk road maintenance and local authority highways maintenance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Allocations for trunk road maintenance are made annually on a county area basis. Allocations for 1989–90 will be announced shortly. Provision for county councils for maintenance of their roads in 1989–90 formed part of rate support grant settlement. Grant is allocated according to need on the basis of arrangements agreed by the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or one planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The current publicity campaigns being conducted by the Welsh Office or are planned for the first three months of 1989–90 are as follows:

  Duration of campaign

  General

  Celebration of British food and farming

  4–9 May

  National curriculum and its implementation

  On-running through year

  Education Reform bill

  On-running through year

  School governors' guide to the law

  May/June

  Careers services in Wales

  No date decided

  Community charge

  8–31 May

  WOAD/ADAS publicity for:

  Research and development

  On-running through year

  ADAS divisional funds

  ESA open days

  Welsh outlook conference for farmers

  Trawsgoed open day

  190

  Duration of campaign

  ESA parliamentary report

  June/July

  Road safety drink/drive

  Awaiting decision from Department of Transport

  Child rear seat belt restraints

  May/June

  Child pedestrians and cyclists

  May/June

  Priority estates project final report

  September

  Tenants choice

  Awaiting decision from Department of Health

  TASC publicity

  May/October

  Various housing publications covering compulsory purchase, public development, business development, farming, traffic noise and road developments

  No date decided

  History of education in Wales centenary

  October/November

  document

  A55 publicity

  On-running through year

  StreetSense

  April

  Industry

  Various initiatives planned in conjunction with Department of Transport covering exports, grants, marketing etc.

  On-running through year

  Programme for the valleys—printed publicity material

  May/June

  Health

  Anti-smoking campaign

  October/November

  Keep well keep warm

  November 1989/ February 1990

  Donor cards

  On-running through year

  Breast cancer screening

  On-running through year

  Hospital complaints procedure

  October/December

  Mental illness strategy report

  February/March 1990

  Nursing recruitment literature from Department of Health

  On-running through year

  Midwifery

  On-running through year

  Your health abroad

  On-running through year

  Contagious diseases

  On-running through year

  Rabies

  On-running through year

  Drug abuse and AIDS

  September onwards

  Nursing recruitment campaign (Welsh Office)

  September onwards

  Health care Wales

  On-running through year

  Television was not involved in any of these campaigns either last year or in the current financial year.

  Valleys Initiative
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the projects in the Cynon valley which are currently receiving funding under the valleys initiative; and from which budget or funds they are being supported.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: The hon. Lady will be delighted that this is a lengthy reply.

  The following projects and activities in the Cynon valley have benefited in 1988–89 or will benefit under the key programmes and initiatives identified in "The Valleys: A Progamme for the People":

  Welsh Development Agency (WDA) Programmes

  Five Cynon valley projects have been supported to date under the new valleys small loan scheme and valleys

  191
  enterprise loan scheme. Current WDA research on component supply includes a pilot project involving a Cynon valley based company.

  Nine potential Cynon valley small businesses registered for a "Be Your Own Boss" course held in September 1988.

  The advance factory and workshop programme includes the following projects which are currently under way:

  Four 5,000 sq ft factories currently under construction at Aberaman

  Site redevelopment at Hirwaun

  Landscaping schemes at the Hirwaun industrial estate.

  Discussions are taking place with Cynon valley borough council on providing additional small factories and valley workshops. Projects expected to go ahead in 1989–90 are 20,000 sq ft of small units at Hirwaun and sewer replacement in the same location.

  The land reclamation programme includes schemes currently under way at:

  Cwmcynon/Deep Duffryn (95 acres)

  Graig y Dyffryn Tip (70 acres)

  Abercwmboi tip (4 acres)

  A further six schemes involving 300 acres are planned for future years.

  The agency is supporting environmental improvement schemes at:

  Bryntirion

  Mount Pleasant street

  Bryn Cynon club

  Dare valley

  Railway link—Monk street to Brynmawr

  Victoria hall, Aberdare

  Gap site, Abercwmboi

  Riverside walk, Hirwaun

  Robertstown, Aberdare

  Abercynon

  The Welsh Development Agency's renewal unit carried out a development study of Mountain Ash in 1988–89 jointly with the relevant local authorities. Following this the Welsh Development Agency's urban renewal programme includes support for:

  Mountain Ash town square improvements

  Landscaping on southern approach to Mountain Ash town centre

  Feasibility study of a proposal to build 35,000 sq ft industrial workshop space at Mountain Ash

  New footbridge construction at Mountain Ash

  With the assistance of increased Welsh Development Agency funding in 1989–90 the Prince of Wales Committee is supporting:

  Restoration of Tyle Morgug farmhouse Rhigos for use as activity centre

  Restoration of Darwonno farm—phase II

  Welsh Office support for industry and enterprise

  During 1988–89, 69 projects in the Cynon Valley received offers of assistance under the regional selective assistance, regional development grant and regional enterprise grant schemes.

  Local enterprise agency services were strengthened in 1988–89 by the establishment with Welsh Office support of a "One Stop Shop" scheme to be run by MADE and a new computer data base for MADE.

  Export clinics will be held in the Cynon Valley area 1989–90. Approximately 50 companies will be invited to attend.

  Training Agency programmes
  192
  The Training Agency provided more than 1,100 places in the Cynon Valley in 1988–89 under the youth training scheme, employment training, adult training and wider opportunities for women.

  Urban Programme

  Welsh Office urban programme allocations made in 1988–89 and for 1989–90 include the following projects in the Cynon valley:

  Appointment of field development officer for the hearing impaired.

  Aberdare craft and youth enterprise centre

  An integrated approach to children in trouble

  Access road, Ynysboeth industrial estate, Abercynon phase 2

  Conversion of Gadlys/SWEB buildings into youth enterprise centre.

  Cynon valley women's aid

  Litter abatement scheme

  Housebound library scheme

  Aberdare pedestrianisation scheme

  Interpretation and tourism project, Dare valley country park

  Business centre/enterprise centre Aberdare

  Home improvement agency service

  Library service scheme for Fernhill and Penywaun

  Enterprise development workshop scheme—Cwmbach

  Provision of community alarm system for elderly

  Provision of grants and loans within industrial and commercial improvement areas

  Provision of a community centre at Penywaun

  Repairs to Coliseum theatre, Trecynon, Aberdare

  Seed capital for new businesses

  Cynon Valley MIND support and development project

  Pedestrianisation of main shopping areas in town centre

  Landscaping around by-pass and major roads

  Development of respite care and family link scheme

  Cynon valley community support unit

  Environmental improvements to adjoining highways in Aberdare

  Conversion to business units of the former station buildings, Aberdare

  Provision of community centre, Fernhill, Mountain Ash

  Salaries and running costs for the MADE business centre, Aberdare

  Three nursery factory units at Aberaman

  Refurbishment of Cwmamman public hall and institute

  Establishment of Cynon valley groundwork trust

  Purchase of equipment for Cynon valley Disabled Alliance sports section

  Urban Development Grant

  Welsh Office gave final approval of two projects for Urban Development Grant support in 1988–89:

  Development of 19 low-cost houses at Aberarnan.

  Redevelopment of Park Cinema, Aberdare for shop and office premises.

  Welsh Office support for housing

  In 1988–89 the Welsh Office approved special allocations for the following enveloping schemes:

  Wyndham crescent, Aberaman—114 houses

  John street, Abercwmboi—71 houses

  Glanlay street, Penrhiwceiber—82 houses

  Carnetown, Abercynon—191 houses

  King street/Queen street, Cwmdae—88 houses

  Approval in principle has been given for a further three schemes to be undertaken for renovation of some 160 dwellings in 1989–90.

  Welsh Office support for health and social services

  A 40-bed unit for elderly people at Aberdare general hospital is programmed to start in July 1989 with completion anticipated in early 1991 with the assistance of 50 per cent. Welsh Office funding.
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  Diabetic liaison nurse care of the elderly in Merthyr Tydfil and Cynon valley was approved under the elderly initiative grant scheme in 1988–89.

  Prince of Wales Committee tree and bulb planting campaign

  With the assistance of Welsh Office support under the special grants (environmental) programme the Prince of Wales Committee organised the following schemes in 1988–89:

  Railway Halt, Aberdare (Aberdare and District Civic Society)

  Cwmbach church school

  Cwmbach infant school

  Hirwaun junior school

  This is not a comprehensive list of activities. Further projects are being considered under the headings listed above. In addition the area stands to benefit from initiatives which have a wider geographical coverage and from other ongoing main programmes.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Horse Racing
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will supply a detailed breakdown of all financial grants made to individual horse racecourses in Britain by the Horserace Betting Levy Board since 1987.

  Mr. John Patten
  I understand from the board that its records are of annual totals of financial grants for direct expenditure by horse racecourses for particular purposes, not of grants to individual racecourses. For example, the annual grant of prize money is apportioned to individual racecourses by the Jockey Club.

  Following is the information as to totals of grants for racecourses which is held by the board, for the financial years 1987–88 and 1988–89:

  £000s

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Prize money

  12,000

  12,850

  Seventh race scheme

  —

  100

  Daily grant

  1,612

  1,612

  SUB TOTAL

  13,612

  14,562

  Fixture fees

  1,397

  1,541

  Fire and safety

  115

  323

  Plastic running rail

  187

  275

  Track ambulance

  —

  225

  TOTAL

  15,311

  16,926

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will provided a list of the levels of prize moneys at each registered horse racing course in Britain for each year since 1987;

  (2) if he will provide a list of all horse racing courses in Britain, by region, showing the level of attendances at each course since 1987.

  Mr. John Patten
  I understand that the "Racing Industry Statistical Bureau Statistics", which are published by the Jockey Club, provide information on the annual totals of prize money and attendances at each approved horse race course in Britain over a period of five calendar years. The next edition of the statistics, to be published at the end of April, will therefore provide this information for 1984–88 inclusive.
  194
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will supply a list of all financial grants made by the Horserace Betting Levy Board to other horseracing bodies in Britain during 1987.

  Mr. John Patten
  Following is the information requested, for the financial years 1987–88 and 1988–89:

  1987–88

  1988–89

  £

  £

  Field Force Grant

  1,425,000

  1,132,000

  Racehorse Publicity Agency

  120,000

  89,000

  Horseracing Advisory Council

  116,000

  139,000

  Apprentice School Charitable Trust

  70,000

  100,000

  South Yorkshire Apprentice Training School

  12,000

  90,000

  Farriers Apprentice Scheme

  27,000

  29,000

  The Shire Horse Society

  28,000

  38,000

  The National Pony Society

  26,000

  26,000

  National Light Horse Breeding Society

  110,000

  110,000

  The Arab Horse Society

  8,000

  12,000

  The Welsh Pony and Cob Society

  6,000

  6,000

  Irish Draught and Horse Society (Great Britain)

  5,000

  5,000

  The Clevelant Bay Horse Society

  5,000

  7,000

  The British Percheron Horse Society

  5,000

  5,000

  The Clydesdale Horse Society

  5,000

  7,000

  The Suffolk Horse Society

  7,000

  7,000

  The Hackney Horse Society

  7,000

  7,000

  Animal Health Trust

  278,000

  303,000

  Equine Virology Research Foundation

  58,000

  50,000

  Point to Point

  144,000

  151,000

  Racing Industry Accident Benefit Scheme

  —

  25,000

  Statistical Bureau

  6,000

  2,000

  Horseracing Scientific Advisory Committee

  5,000

  5,000

  Horseracing Forensic Laboratory Limited

  1,117,000

  1,613,000

  Racecourse Technical Services Limited

  4,493,000

  4,716,000

  Research Projects, Scholarships, Residentship and Travel Grants

  645,000

  665,000

  Veterinary Advisory Committee

  10,000

  12,000

  Bookmakers Committee

  67,000

  121,000

  Totals

  8,805,000

  9,472,000

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown of the distribution of the finances raised by the Horserace Betting Levy Board in each year since 1983.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested, for each financial year from 1983–84 to 1987–88 inclusive, is given in the respective annual reports of the board, copies of which are in the Library. My right hon. Friend envisages laying the board's report for 1988–89 before the House in July this year.

  Depot Site (Pyrton)
  Mr. Heseltine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of any documents held by 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.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The supply and transport branch of the Home Office occupied this depot between 10 November 1978 and 20 July 1987 under standing arrangements with the Property Services Agency. Home Office papers relate only to the administration of the depot
  195
  during this period and are of a routine nature: they will in due course be disposed of under the Public Record Acts of 1958 and 1967. I understand that copies of relevant papers are being placed in the Library by the Property Services Agency.

  Asylum
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will institute procedures within the immigration service to ensure that persons applying for asylum on entry to the United Kingdom are dealt with in accordance with procedures laid down in the immigration rules and the obligations of the United Kingdom under international law.

  Mr. Renton
  Such procedures are already in place.

  Electoral Register
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the reasons why the sale of the electoral register is allowed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Representation of the People Regulations 1986 provide for the publication and supply of the electoral register, including supply of copies at a prescribed fee. These provisions reflect the fact that the electoral register is a public document which needs to be in wide circulation for electoral purposes; and the conclusion that its use by commercial organisations could not effectively be prevented.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each year since 1978, the number of citizens of the United Kingdom whose citizenship was revoked, providing the following information in each case(a) the reasons for which citizenship was revoked, (b) the country to which each individual was deported, and (c) the length of time between the granting of citizenship and its removal.

  Mr. Renton
  No order to deprive a person of citizenship has been made since 1973.

  Holloway Prison
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what efforts are being made to recruit permanent nursing staff to Her Majesty's prison, Holloway; and what plans there are to improve C2 psychiatric unit.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Campaigns to recruit permanent nursing staff are undertaken regularly. Arrangements for the next campaign are in hand. Plans to replace the present facilities for psychiatric assessment with a purpose-built unit are being pursued.

  Mr. Corbyn
  (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the approved complement for medical units at Her Majesty's prison, Holloway; what is the current shortfall in permanent staff; and how often agency nurses are used to make up the numbers.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The approved complement of nursing staff is 84. On 17 April 1989 a total of 47 of the 196
  posts were filled and 17 others were covered by agency nurses. Agency staff have been used for some years as a consequence of recruitment difficulties in London.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long the position of health care manager/chief medical officer has been vacant at Her Majesty's prison, Holloway; and when this vacancy will be filled.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The decision to create a post of health care manager was taken in September 1987. The post has been vacant since then. An appointment has now been made and takes effect on 1 May 1989.

  Guildford Four
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to facilitate ease of legal access for solicitors acting for the Guildford Four; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The inmates may be visited by their legal representatives at their current prison locations. Any request for alternative facilities would be carefully considered.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow independent medical assessors to examine the Guildford Four prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The physical and mental health of these prisoners is the responsibility of the prison medical officers of their respective establishments. Prison medical officers can arrange for a second opinion when this is clinically indicated.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payments have been made by his Department to the Somerset and Avon constabulary in respect of their costs in inquiring into new evidence surrounding the conviction of the Guildford Four; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) yesterday.

  Traffic Police
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state for police authorities in England and Wales the number of traffic officers employed in traffic branches in each force for the years 1980, 1985 and 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Information for 1980 is not readily available. That for 1985 and 1988 is as follows:

  Police forces in England and Wales

  Traffic division strengths

  31 December

  1985

  1988

  Avon and Somerset

  295

  251

  Bedfordshire

  99

  95

  Cambridgeshire

  132

  127

  Cheshire

  229

  231

  City of London

  74

  34

  Cleveland

  98

  90

  Cumbria

  138

  123

  197

  Traffic division strengths

  31 December

  1985

  1988

  Derbyshire

  155

  156

  Devon and Cornwall

  239

  231

  Dorset

  136

  114

  Durham

  132

  132

  Dyfed-Powys

  120

  103

  Essex

  277

  257

  Gloucestershire

  142

  84

  Greater Manchester

  496

  448

  Gwent

  102

  109

  Hampshire

  304

  259

  Hertfordshire

  143

  155

  Humberside

  167

  166

  Kent

  265

  159

  Lancashire

  283

  294

  Leicestershire

  157

  77

  Lincolnshire

  81

  81

  Merseyside

  340

  350

  Metropolitan

  896

  906

  Norfolk

  103

  112

  Northamptonshire

  75

  76

  Northumbria

  258

  247

  North Wales

  131

  140

  North Yorkshire

  141

  156

  Nottinghamshire

  181

  183

  South Wales

  259

  262

  South Yorkshire

  203

  201

  Staffordshire

  242

  239

  Suffolk

  106

  101

  Surrey

  195

  226

  Sussex

  264

  246

  Thames Valley

  305

  318

  Warwickshire

  101

  112

  West Mercia

  113

  216

  West Midlands

  540

  452

  West Yorkshire

  427

  381

  Wiltshire

  116

  104

  Total

  9,260

  8,804

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or ones planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Home Office's crime and fire prevention campaigns continue, although there is no current press or television advertising. The only other publicity campaign planned for the three month period from April to June 1989 is a small probation officer recruitment campaign, starting 17 May and finishing 31 May.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assistance is being given to local authorities to enable them to cope with the influx of cases being referred to them for housing benefit from April; if his Department intends to carry out a review of delays due to the change over; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The only category of claimant who became entitled to housing benefit for the first time from April were people in board and lodging accommodation whose housing costs were formerly met from income 198
  support. This change was part of the April 1988 reforms of social security but implementation was postponed at the request of the local authority associations. The administrative arrangements for the transfer were discussed with the local authority associations and individual timetables for implementation were agreed locally between the Department's local office and local authorities. The Government made £1 million available to local authorities for their costs in preparing for this change. In addition, the overall level of provision for local authorities' housing benefit administration costs in 1989–90 has been increased by more than £7 million because of the expected increase in work load. There is thus no reason for the changeover to result in delays. Delay in general is kept under review as part of the Department's monitoring of the social security reforms.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in the borough of Walsall will receive no actual increase in total benefit in April; and what is the number who will receive a sum less than the increase paid in the retirement pension.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 6 March at column 445.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or ones planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Department is running one publicity campaign involving television advertising in the first three months of 1989–90. The campaign is to promote the take-up of family credit. Paid advertising started on 13 April and is currently planned to run until 30 June.

  Women's Help Centres
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women's help centres are in operation in the United Kingdom; and what percentage of their operating costs are funded by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Mellor
  No figures are collected centrally on the numbers of refuges for battered women. However, the national voluntary organisation, Women's Aid Federation (England), estimates that there are some 256 refuges in the United Kingdom. None of these refuges receives central Government funding.

DEFENCE

  Territorial Army
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to reply to the letter of 16 January 1989 from the hon. Member for Woolwich about the release of local education authorities' employees for Territorial Army training.

  Mr. Neubert
  I have now written to the hon. Member f cw42about this matter.

  F111 Aircraft (Upper Heyford)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many F111 aircraft of the United States Government are currently stationed at Upper Heyford.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I understand that 78 F111 aircraft are assigned to RAF Upper Heyford.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he has given permission for an increase in the number of F1–11 aircraft of the United States Government stationed at Upper Heyford;

  (2) what requests he has received from the United States Government for the extension of facilities for F1–11 aircraft at Upper Heyford; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he has had any discussions with the Secretary of Defense of the United States in relation to an increase in the number of F1–11 aircraft to be stationed at Upper Heyford.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 18 April 1989 to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen).

  Dual-capable Artillery
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what number of dual-capable artillery pieces was held by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in 1986, 1987 and 1988; and what proportion in each year have been assigned a nuclear role.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested can be found in figure 15 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1986" (Cmnd. 9763-I), figure 16 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1987" (Cm. 101-I), and figure 19 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988" (Cm. 344-I).

  Launchers
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many launchers of each type the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation had in its nuclear systems(a) in 1979 and (b) at the latest available date.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Details of launchers for NATO's theatre nuclear forces have been given in successive Statements on the Defence Estimates.

  Cyprus (Accommodation)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on accommodation for service personnel and their families in Cyprus and plans for its improvement.

  Mr. Neubert
  The standards of accommodation for service personnel and their families serving overseas are kept under regular review and a major study into both single and married accommodation is currently under way in Cyprus.

  In the eastern sovereign base area a £3·5 million Army project of new build married quarters and single living accommodation, together with the upgrading of some existing single accommodation, was started in March 1988 and is due for completion in 1991. In the western sovereign
  200
  base area a first phase of new build of 48 soldiers' married quarters began this year and will be completed in 1990 with further phases to follow. Extensive refurbishment of single accommodation is planned. At Akrotiri the RAF have a substantial refurbishment programme underway for both single and married accommodation and plans have been agreed for the construction of up to 100 airmen's married quarters over the next three years.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or ones planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The following publicity campaigns are currently under way or will be undertaken during the periods shown:

  (a) NATO 40th anniversary postal slogan in April 1989, which appeared on approximately 46 million items of mail.

  (b) NATO briefing tour in April 1989, which will visit six major towns and cities in the United Kingdom.

  (c) NATO exhibitions from April until late in 1989, which is an annual exhibition, but which will be enhanced this year to reflect the 40th anniversary of NATO, and will visit 15 venues throughout the United Kingdom.

  (d) National Employer Liaison Committee campaign, which started in September 1988 and will last for five years, and whose aim is to enhance the image of the Reserve services with employers.

  (e) A regular recruitment campaign for Royal Navy and Royal Marines officers and other ranks, which will continue throughout the year, together with some smaller scale recruitment campaigns for specialist trades and reservists.

  (f) A recruitment campaign for the Army which will run throughout the year as usual, aimed at officers, other ranks, and territorial reservists. This year the campaign will include limited television advertising from 31 March to 22 April, with a parallel campaign on Capital Radio. The television commercial will also be screened at 246 cinemas in London from 14 April to 22 June.

  (g) A regular recruitment campaign for RAF officers and airmen, which will run throughout the year.

HEALTH

  Select Committee Recommendations
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about, and how many accepted by, his Department since June 1987.

  Mr. Mellor
  In the four Departmental Select Committee reports completed since June 1987 which relate to what is now the Department of Health, and to which the Government have already responded, a total of 30 recommendations were made, of which four have been accepted by the Government in whole or in part. A further nine recommendations have been noted. Most of these reflected proposals in the recent White Paper, "Working for Patients" [CM 555]. Copies of Government replies to all four reports have been placed in the Library.

  Staffing Costs
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of expenditure by each regional health authority on administrative and clerical agency staff in 1987–88.

  Mr. Mellor
  Following is the information for each health region derived from annual accounts submitted to the Department for 1987–88:

  Expenditure on non-National Health Service (agency, etc.) administrative and clerical staff

  £000

  Regions1

  Northern

  137

  Yorkshire

  853

  Trent

  1,421

  East Anglian

  1,317

  North-West Thames

  9,613

  North-East Thames

  9,754

  South-East Thames

  6,680

  South-West Thames

  4,607

  Wessex

  1,346

  Oxford

  980

  South Western

  1,181

  West Midlands

  2,029

  Mersey

  184

  North Western

  518

  Regions total

  39,620

  Special health authorities2

  3,463

  Total

  43,083

  1 Regional and district health authorities.

  2 Special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.

  Note:—The figures include costs relevant to typing, secretarial and all other administrative and clerical staff.

  Midwives
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by sex how many midwives there are in the Trent regional health authority; what the figure was five and 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested is in the table.

  NHS Midwives in post at 30 September of each year Trent Region

  Whole-time equivalent1

  1979

  1984

  1987

  Total Midwives

  1,827

  21,211

  22,172

  Male Staff

  n/a

  2

  —

  Female Staff

  n/a

  2,119

  2,172

  Source: Department of Health (SM13) annual census of NHS non-medical manpower.

  1 All figures are independently rounded to the nearest whole-time equivalent.

  2 Latest available.

  n/a = Not available.

  Mental Illness
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has as to the reasons for the disproportionate rate of mental illness among ethnic minorities

  Mr. Freeman
  None, but we are taking a close interest in research in this area which hopefully will suggest reasons for what seems to be a higher incidence of some forms of mental illness.

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the amounts due to pharmacists in England and Wales for each year from 1978 to 1988 for the provision of pharmaceutical services; and what were the amounts paid and the profits earned for the same period.

  Mr. Mellor
  The amounts for England and Wales as shown in the balance sheets prepared with representatives of the profession are as follows; the basis of calculation change in 1985 from calendar years to financial years:

  Year

  £ million

  £ million

  Overpayment outstanding at beginning of 1978

  8·0

  1978

  142·0

  147·0

  1979

  170·9

  155·4

  1980

  215·2

  205·5

  1981

  238·9

  246·7

  1982

  280·0

  283·7

  1983

  324·8

  301·3

  1984

  350·3

  359·6

  1 January 1985—31 March 1985

  96·6

  89·5

  1985–86

  383·7

  390·1

  1986–87

  415·0

  427·8

  1987–88

  485·8

  443·2

  Arrears payments: 1 July 1988 and 1 May 1989

  45·3

  Information for 1988–89 is not yet available. No information is held on profits earned by pharmacists.

  Private Hospitals
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will institute an inspectorate of private hospitals with the responsibility of inspecting hospitals in the private sector and of providing a report annually to him which evaluates the level of patient care;

  (2) if he will order an immediate investigation into the allegations of patient abuse at the private hospital at London bridge;

  (3) if he will discuss with the chairman of the relevant district health authority the conduct of experimental treatment at the London Bridge hospital and its effect upon patient care.

  Mr. Mellor
  Registration and inspection of private hospitals is the responsibility of district health authorities. The authority concerned has already initiated inquiries into the allegations and is continuing discussions with London Bridge hospital. The treatment to which the hon. Member refers in fact had ceased by the time the allegations were made.

  Heart Disease
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted into how much vigorous exercise is required by the age groups(a) under 14 years, (b) 14 to 23 years, (c) 23 to 50 years and (d) 50-plus years in order to significantly reduce the threat of heart disease; and what measures are being taken to encourage people to achieve these levels.

  Mr. Mellor
  The appropriate amount of exercise to help reduce the threat of heart disease will vary not only according to age but also according to each individual's physical and medical condition. It is not possible to quantify the amount of exercise that would be beneficial simply by broad age bands. The Sports Council
  203
  encourages participation in physical exercise and has published, jointly with the Health Education Authority, booklets on exercise which give "rule of thumb" guidelines on "testing" levels of fitness and measuring improvements in those who start to exercise regularly. These reflect the broad consensus of medical opinion that everyone would benefit from physical exercise and that 20 to 30 minutes exercise, on two or three occasions a week, is beneficial against coronary heart disease and brings many other benefits. I understand that the Sports Council hopes to carry out a national fitness survey in 1989–91.

  AIDS
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding Health Service provision for AIDS.

  Mr. Mellor
  I have received three such representations. Two from the network of voluntary organisations in AIDS/HIV and one from the British Medical Association foundation for AIDS.

  Unpasteurised Milk
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations have been made to his Department concerning the possible banning of unpasteurised green top milk; what would be the health repercussions of such a ban; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department has received a number of letters from members of the public about a possible ban on the sale of unpasteurised milk.

  The proposed ban would reduce the risks to consumers of salmonella and campylobacter infections. Other infections will also be made less likely, for example, streptococcus zoepidemicus, which in 1984 caused the deaths of eight people who had been drinking untreated milk.

  Nurse Grading
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many successful nurses' grading appeals have been heard to date;

  (2) how many nurses' grading appeals have been heard to date.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not hold this information centrally.

  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are currently fully qualified but have not yet received their PIN numbers.

  Mr. Mellor
  The issue of PIN numbers to qualified nurses, midwives and health visitors is a matter for the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Dame Audrey Emerton, DBE, chairman of the council if he is aware of any problems in this matter.

  Radioactivity (Accidents)
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those district health authorities, which do not have designated medical physics departments for the purposes of his Department's circulars HC(89) and HN (FP) (89) 8 on arrangements for dealing with accidents involving radioactivity.
  204
  Mr. Mellor
  The relevant circular requires regional health authorities to let the Department have details of designated medical physics departments by 31 July 1989. I shall write to the right hon. Member when this information has been received and collated.

  Hospital Sites (Sales)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department lays down any guidelines to regional health authorities about the advertising for sale of hospital sites on which no closure decision or consultation has taken place.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for local management.

  Rural GPs
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average list size of a general practitioner in rural practice in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Mellor
  The average list size of general practitioners in receipt of rural practice allowance (payable if 10 per cent. or more patients live in rural areas) in England at 1 October 1987 was 2,020. Figures for previous years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average general practitioner salary for doctors in rural practices in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the payments for child immunisation targets and cervical cytology targets for doctors in dispersed rural areas under the proposed general practitioner contracts.

  Mr. Mellor
  Our proposals for target payments to general practitioners who achieve the target levels of coverage for childhood immunisation and cervical cytology will apply equally to rural and non-rural doctors.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will define the concept of rurality to be used as a basis for providing supplementary capitation allowances under the proposed general practitioner contracts.

  Mr. Mellor
  We propose that a rural capitation supplement to basic practice allowance should be related to population density in future; areas of greatest sparsity attracting the highest level of supplement.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the level of estimated payments to be made to general practitioners in rural practices for health promotion work and under the proposed practitioner contracts;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the provision for elderly patients in rural areas under the proposed general practitioner contracts.

  Mr. Mellor
  The proposals set out in "A New Contract" make clear that the provision of health promotion, including the offer of three-yearly check-ups,
  205
  and annual check-ups for patients aged 75 and over, will be made specific requirements in general medical practitioners' terms of service. We intend to introduce a new sessional fee for health promotion clinics, and to raise significantly the level of the capitation fee for patients aged 75 and over. These proposals will apply equally to general practitioners in rural and non-rural areas. The amounts of these payments have not been decided.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of night fees which may be paid to doctors other than from the patient's own practice in sparsely populated rural areas.

  Mr. Mellor
  Under the Government's proposals a higher level of night visit fee will be payable if the visit is made by the patient's own doctor or by a partner or another member of the group practice. A lower fee will be payable if another doctor sees the patient. The same arrangements are proposed for both rural and urban areas. The amounts of the fees have not been decided.

  Publicity Campaigns
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or the Health Education Authority, respectively, or planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Mellor
  There are no publicity campaigns being conducted by my Department or planned for the first three months of 1989–90 involving television advertising.

  The following publicity campaigns are current or planned:

  Start

  Finish

  Nurse recruitment

  Youth audience magazines

  June only

  Adult audience national press

  June

  September

  Drugs misuse

  Centrally funded regional

  campaigns in Wessex, Trent

  and South East Thames

  March

  May

  National Health Service recruitment

  Mailing of recruitment materials

  to careers officers

  April

  In addition to the above the Department maintains information and awareness campaigns which run throughout the year which include the following:

  National blood transfusion service—donor recruitment.

  Organ donation—promotion of donor cards; awareness amongst National Health Service professional staff.

  Overseas travel—information for those travelling abroad.

  Services for the disabled—information.

  Free or subsidised National Health Service services for low income groups—information

  The Health Education Authority's current and planned publicity campaigns include:
  206

  Start

  Finish

  AIDS

  Encourage condom use— Women's magazines

  March

  June

  Travellers abroad—Poster

  June

  End of summer

  Skin cancer

  Those travelling abroad on holiday—Women's magazines

  June

  End of summer

  "Less Fat Fortnight"

  Consumption of lower fat products—Press

  June only

  Alcohol abuse

  National drinkwise day— sensible approach to alcohol consumption

  June 20

  None of these publicity campaigns involve television advertising.

  Griffiths Report
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his Department's response to the Griffiths report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 6 April at column 291.

  Public Service Broadcasts
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the likely implications for the transmission of Channel 4 of public service broadcasts emanating from his Department of the White Paper "Broadcasting in the 90s: Competition Choice and Quality".

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 17 March at column 383. I am not aware that the arrangements will be any different for Channel 4.

  Family Practitioners
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the average number of hours per week spent by full-time family practitioner(a) National Health Service work and (b) other medical work on and the amounts earned in respect of each; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: The survey of general medical practitioners' workload carried out in 1985–86 showed that the average GMP worked about 38 hours a week on general medical services duties. In addition a further 30 hours a week was spent on call during which time no duties were performed. Over and above his general medical services commitments the average GMP who undertakes non-general medical services work spent six hours a week on that work.

  The review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration recommends the level of GMPs' income each year. In 1989–90 GMPs' average gross income will be £60,000. This figure reflects the review body's recommendation in respect of GMPs net income and indirectly reimbursed expenses which the Government have accepted in full, plus

  207
  estimated directly reimbursed expenses. Information about the average amount earned on non-general medical services work by GMPs undertaking such work is not known.

  Accountants
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified accountants are currently employed in the National Health Service and how many extra will be required by April 1991 to implement the Government's White Paper, "Working for Patients."

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: Information on the numbers of qualified accountants employed by health authorities is not routinely collected. The latest available information relates to 31 December 1987, when a survey showed that there were about 1,100 qualified accountants in post in England, Scotland and Wales. We will be working with health authorities to establish the need for additional qualified accountants to implement the proposals in "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555).

  Health Education
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has any plans to introduce incentives for health authorities to invest money in health education.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: Prevention of ill health and the promotion of good health is a Government priority. Health education is a key part of that, especially given the relationship between so many diseases and personal behaviour such as smoking, alcohol, sexual behaviour, diet and exercise. However, it is for health authorities to determine how the resources allocated to them are apportioned between all the services for which they are responsible, including health education. Authorities' work is monitored and health education has featured in ministerial reviews of English health authorities for the past two years. The importance the Government give to health education was reflected in the establishment of the Health Education Authority in 1987. One of the authority's functions is to plan and carry out work in co-operation with health authorities and act as a national centre of information and advice on health education. In addition the recommendation in the chief medical officer's report "Public Health in England" that directors of public health be appointed in each district and produce an annual report on the health of the population they serve is being implemented. The annual reports will be public documents and will draw attention to local health education issues, providing an additional incentive to action.

  Factor 8
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what controls on imported factor 8 are being applied to the factor 8 currently being supplied in the United Kingdom on named product basis by the German-based company Octapharnna Gmbh; and what implications such controls have for the health of British haemophiliacs.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: Factor 8 is being supplied by Octapharnna Gmbh for use in a clinical
  208
  trial under the terms of the Medicines (Exemption from Licences) (Clinical Trial) Order 1981 (SI 1981/164). This states that this product can only be used in accordance with the conditions of the trial and with the informed consent of the patient.

  In addition, any physician, on his own responsibility, can order this factor 8 for use on a named patient basis.

  The Department is satisfied that the blood meets the requirements of both EC and WHO guidelines and the requirements specified in the BP (Addendum 1386) monograph for factor 8.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Teacher Training
  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why the Department of Education (NI) has introduced an annual bursary of £1,300 per annum for postgraduate teacher training courses in physis, chemistry and mathematics.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  In order to increase the supply of teachers in England and Wales trained to teach physics, chemistry, mathematics and craft, design and technology, a bursary scheme was introduced there in 1986 for all students studying for postgraduate certificates in education in these disciplines. This coincided with this year's relaxation of the embargo on awards to Northern Ireland students undertaking PGCE courses in Great Britain. There are no teacher shortages in Northern Ireland, but in the light of subsequent experience with the number and quality of applicants wishing to pursue these disciplines in local institutions, it became clear that there was a requirement for parity of incentive and it was therefore decided to introduce a parallel bursary scheme in Northern Ireland, thus ensuring the supply of appropriately trained teachers.

  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications for postgraduate certificate of education courses were received by Queen's university, Belfast, for courses commencing in 1986, 1987 and 1988; and how many of the places available were for teacher training courses in physics, chemistry and mathematics.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:—

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Total applications for PGCE courses

  672

  640

  625

  Places available for teacher training courses in:

  Physics

  10

  12

  10

  Chemistry

  10

  12

  10

  Mathematics

  14

  16

  15

  Young People
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 16 and 17-year-olds were in receipt of bridging allowance at the end of October 1988, November 1988, December 1988, January 1989, February 1989 and March 1989.
  209
  Mr. Viggers
  It is estimated that the following numbers were in receipt of bridging allowance in each relevant month:

  Number

  October 1988

  914

  November 1988

  808

  December 1988

  807

  January 1989

  895

  February 1989

  458

  March 1989

  344

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 16 and 17-year-olds currently receive income support and bridging allowance.

  Mr. Viggers
  At the end of March 344 persons were receiving bridging allowance and there are currently three claimants receiving income support under the severe hardship provisions. No figures are available for those receiving income support under the normal rules.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many 16 and 17-year-olds who previously received income support were transferred to bridging allowance after new benefit rules were introduced in September.

  Mr. Viggers
  A total of 986 young people were transferred to bridging allowance from income support.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will explain the methods being used to provide publicly available information on 16 and 17-year-olds who remain unemployed after the ending of the bridging allowance payments or extended child benefit.

  Mr. Viggers
  No such information is currently made available.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people of YTS eligible age, registered with jobcentres or the careers service were awaiting an offer of a YTS place at the end of October 1988, November 1988, December 1988, January 1989, February 1989 and March 1989; and of them, how many were receiving bridging allowance or extended child benefit or income support or a severe hardship grant from the social fund.

  Mr. Viggers
  The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide figures for the number of young people no longer on bridging allowance who have not yet been allocated a YTS place.

  Mr. Viggers
  The number of young people no longer receiving bridging allowance who have not yet been allocated a YTP place is 140. Some of these young people have been submitted to YTP schemes and results are awaited.

  Harland and Wolff
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that the terms and conditions of the employees of Harland and Wolff are protected when the undertaking is transferred to the privatised company.
  210
  Mr. Viggers
  On 22 March 1989 I approved, on behalf of the Government, heads of agreement for the sale of H&W plc to a management-employee buy-out team, backed by Mr. Olsen. The terms and conditions of the employees of the privatised company will be a matter for the new owners.

  Sectarian Funerals
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the present system of promulgation of information relating to the routing and timing of sectarian funerals; whether the cause of the failure to brief the late Corporals David Howes and Derek Wood in this respect, has been remedied; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  [holding answer 12 April 1989]: These are operational matters for the general officer commanding and the Chief Constable.

EMPLOYMENT

  Skill Shortages
  Mr. Patrick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about Government measures to alleviate skill shortages in manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Cope
  There are a number of Government measures designed to alleviate skill shortages in all industries. These include the setting up of training and enterprise councils to enable employers to define and meet local skill needs. The Government is also helping young people and the unemployed to learn new skills through YTS, employment training and the recently announced business growth training.

  Training Shortages
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment to what extent a lack of trained personnel is threatening the ability of United Kingdom industry to meet the surge in demand.

  Mr. Cope
  Previous figures cannot express completely the extent of the threat. The most recent quarterly survey of industrial trends, conducted in January 1989 by the Confederation of British Industry, reported that 25 per cent. of manufacturing firms in the United Kingdom anticipated that a shortage of skilled labour would limit output over the coming four months.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment further to his reply of 13 December 1988,Official Report, column 535, if he will make a further statement on the changes to calculation of the unemployment figures in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lee
  I have nothing to add to my previous reply.

  Training and Enterprise Councils (West Midlands)
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training and enterprise councils he expects to approve in the west midlands; and if he will make a statement.
  211
  Mr. Cope
  I published a prospectus on 10 March inviting employers to form training and enterprise councils (TECs) in their local area. Response to TECs in the west midlands or elsewhere has been excellent. Groups of employers have been asked to apply for development funding. The deadline for first bids is 28 April. Decisions on the numbers of TECs will be taken when the bids are considered.

  Business Growth Through Training
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of Business Growth Through Training.

  Mr. Cope
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State launched business growth training on 11 April 1989. The reaction that we have had from employers has been most encouraging. The Training Agency will be evaluating the impact of the new programme on business performance.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many specialist inspectors have left the Health and Safety Executive in the last 12 months; and how many have been(a) retirements and (b) resignations.

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

  Mr. Skinner
  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. Cox
  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.

  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.

  Mining (Accidents)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will estimate the number of accidents that go unreported in the mining industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  While under-reporting of accidents is significant in some industries, there is no evidence that it occurs to any marked degree in the mining industry.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to improve access for disabled people to tourist attractions.
  212
  Mr. Lee
  The English Tourist Board's advisory committee on visitor attractions has drawn up a voluntary code of practice for operators, which includes recomendations on access for disabled people. This code of practice is to be piloted in the west country in the near future, with the aim, following further consultations, of issuing the code in early 1990.

  Co-operative Development Agency
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received about the future of the Co-operative development agency; and what has been his response.

  Mr. Cope
  I have received written representations from 14 organisations on the future of the Co-operative Development Agency. I have also received representations from a Co-operative parliamentary delegation.

  All the representations are currently under consideration.

  Film and Television Industries
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why the report into the film and television industries by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission has not been made publicly available.

  Mr. Cope
  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission report entitled "Labour Practices in TV and Film Making" (Cm. 666) was laid before Parliament on 13 April. Copies are available to Members from the Vote Office and from HMSO bookshops.

  YTS Allowance
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the level of the 1983 YTS allowance would have been had it risen annually in line with(a) the retail price index, (b) average earnings and (c) the average yearly rate of inflation.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: The YTS allowance was £25 per week in April 1983. If the allowance had been increased in line with changes in the retail price index it would have been £33·17 in February 1989. 1f adjusted in line with increases in the average earnings index, the allowance would have been £38·69 in January 1989. Adjusting the allowance for the rate of inflation is equivalent to the adjustment made for changes in the retail prices index. Many trainees receive more than the minimum level of the trainee allowance.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which items included in the 1988–89 estimated outturn columns of table 7·29 on page 25 of the public expenditure White Paper published in January were not included in the estimated total of £17·8 million on publicity spending by his Department given in the answer to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras on 13 March,Official Report, column 56.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: Since the public expenditure White Paper and my previous answer were published, later information has become available.

  The latest estimated total for publicity expenditure for the Department of Employment in 1988–89 is £18·3

  213
  million. It includes expenditure for the employment service, but excludes that for the Training Agency, ACAS and the Health and Safety Executive.

  The expenditure for the Training Agency, which was given in the reply to the hon. Member on 13 March 1989, Official Report, column 55, excludes expenditure for the skills training agency (shown as "Other TA publicity" in the PEWP table).

  Job Clubs
  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what conclusions he draws from his Department's statistical information on whether assistance to the long-term unemployed is better provided by employment service jobcentres or private job clubs.

  Mr. Lee
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: At the end of February 1989, the job entry rate, or percentage of people leaving job clubs to go into jobs, was 56 per cent. for employment service job clubs against 52 per cent. from external job clubs. However the gap in performance is

  Date

  North West

  Great Britain

  Number into jobs

  Number into other positive outcomes

  Per cent. into total positive outcomes

  Number into jobs

  Number into other positive outcomes

  Per cent. into total positive outcomes

  Year to 31 March 1987

  2,280

  611

  71

  10,910

  2,364

  73

  Year to 31 March 1988

  10,623

  2,709

  69

  57,080

  14,883

  68

  11 months to 27 February 1989

  11,590

  3,307

  70

  64,179

  18,032

  69

  Note: Other positive outcomes include training, full-time education, self-employment, a place on community programme and now employment training.

  Skill Centres
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employment training places are currently contracted within skill centres; and what guarantees he will obtain as to their future post-privatisation.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: The number of employment training (ET) places currently contracted is 11,774. The skills training agency obtained these places in competition with other training providers, and private sector skill centres will be free to compete for ET places in the same way.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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. Cope
  The table below gives the information requested in respect of women in the Employment Department group in the grades specified. Overall, 34,485 (66·6 per cent.) out of the group's 51,751 administrative staff are women.

  Grade

  Total staff in grade

  Number of women in grade

  Percentage women

  G1

  2

  0

  0·0

  G2

  5

  0

  0·0

  G3

  27

  3

  11·1

  214
  closing; at the end of March 1988 employment service job clubs had a job entry rate of 57 per cent. and external job clubs 50 per cent. In some employment service areas external job clubs are now performing as well as or better than their employment service counterparts. A number of initiatives, such as improved job club leader training, are in progress which should further improve performance.

  External job clubs already provide valuable help to long term unemployed people and statistics suggest they are capable of performing broadly as well as those directly run by the employment service.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details of the destinations of job club participants since the start of the initiative to the most recent date, by year, for the north-west region and for the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Lee
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: Details of the destinations of job club participants since the year to 31 March 1987 are given in the table. Comparable earlier statistics are not available.

  Grade

  Total staff in grade

  Number of women in grade

  Percentage women

  G4

  12

  0

  0·0

  G5

  111

  17

  15·3

  G6

  120

  14

  11·7

  G7

  785

  124

  15·8

  In common with the rest of the Civil Service, the Employment Department group has carried out surveys of the ethnic origin of its staff. The surveys were undertaken on the basis of voluntary self classification. Results for 1 April 1989 show:

  Grade

  Total respondents

  Ethnic minority respondents

  Percentage

  Grades 1–6

  469

  3

  0·6

  Grade 7

  1,088

  9

  0·8

  All staff

  54,077

  2,501

  4·6

  A code of practice on the use of ethnic data exists to safeguard the confidentiality of individuals who have responded to the survey. For this reason we have not provided figures by individual grades for grades 1 to 6.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment 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. Cope
  The first survey of ethnic origin of staff took place in 1986 and was undertaken on the basis of voluntary self classification. A further inquiry was sent to all staff for
  215
  whom the information was not held in November 1988. As a result we now know the ethnic origin of 91·5 per cent. of Employment Department group staff. My Department is now considering whether further action is required.

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

  Mr. Cope
  Recruitment at grade 7 level and above is undertaken by the Civil Service Commission on behalf of my Department. Members of Employment Department group staff from ethnic minority backgrounds are participating in a series of newspaper advertisements being run by the commission to encourage more people from ethnic minorities to apply for professional posts. My Department is currently examining its effectiveness in selecting graduates with ethnic minority backgrounds, both externally and from our own staff for the "fast stream" schemes of management trainee and administration trainee/higher executive officer (development).

  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what new measures the Training Agency has undertaken in response to the report on racial inequality published in 1988 by the youth employment and training resource unit entitled "The Firms That Like to Say No".

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: This report presents a selective and biased account of the

  Table 1

  Details of entrants to employment training to end February 1989

  Percentage

  Entrants numbers

  Men

  Women

  Ethnic origin1

  PWD2

  Region

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  South East

  11,891

  65

  35

  90

  2

  2

  3

  3

  15

  London

  18,193

  59

  41

  50

  25

  12

  7

  6

  10

  South West

  11,081

  68

  32

  93

  2

  1

  2

  2

  16

  West Midlands

  22,564

  69

  31

  79

  9

  8

  2

  2

  12

  East Midlands and Eastern

  15,984

  73

  27

  87

  4

  6

  1

  2

  15

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  28,899

  75

  25

  90

  2

  5

  1

  2

  11

  North West

  30,202

  72

  28

  92

  2

  3

  1

  2

  12

  Northern

  20,473

  75

  25

  96

  1

  ֵ

  1

  2

  9

  Wales

  14,627

  71

  29

  94

  1

  1

  1

  3

  12

  Scotland

  22,512

  73

  27

  96

  ֵ

  1

  1

  2

  11

  1. Ethnic groups:

  1. White.

  2. Black/African/Caribbean descent.

  3. Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan descent.

  4. None of these.

  5. Prefer not to say.

  2 PWD—People with disabilities—People with a long-term health problem or disability which affects the work they can do.

  ֵ—Less than 0·5 per cent.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the most recent scheme by scheme details of the numbers of entrants and leavers, excluding community programme transfers, to employment training by sex, ethnic origin and disability in the Greater Manchester area.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: The information is not available in the form requested. Figures for entrants for the Greater Manchester area are provided in the following table. Information for these entrants who have now left employment training will be available in the summer.
  216
  representation of ethnic minority young people within YTS, and calls for no specific response. The Training Agency is, however, continuing its efforts to increase the proportion of ethnic minority trainees in employer-led YTS schemes. It is currently preparing improved marketing materials and new good-practice guidelines for managing agents, and is exploring with employer interests ways in which employers may improve and encourage access to training and employment opportunities for ethnic minority young people. A video is also in production to market YTS to ethnic minority young people.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish details in for the nine standard economic regions, of the total numbers of entrants and leavers, excluding community programme transfers, to employment training by sex, ethnic origin and disability.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]The information is not available in the precise form requested. Information is only available for entrants for the eight Training Agency regions in England and for Scotland and Wales. The information for entrants to employment training to the end of February 1989 is given in table 1. The number of these entrants who have left employment training is currently only available for Great Britain as a whole and is estimated to be 50,000.

  Table 1

  Details of entrants to employment training to end February 1989

  Percentage

  Greater Manchester

  Entrants Numbers

  11,208

  Men

  72

  Women

  28

  Ethnic groups

  White

  88

  Black/African/Caribbean descent

  4

  Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan descent

  4

  None of these

  2

  Prefer not to say

  2

  PWD—People with disabilities1

  2—

  217

  1 People with a long-term health problem or disability which affects the work they can do.

  2 Information not available for Greater Manchester. Proportion PWD for North West region is 12 per cent.

  Legionnaires' Disease
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals exist within the Health and Safety Executive to review policy on Legionnaires' disease and air-conditioning systems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 11 April 1989]: The Health and Safety Executive is currently undertaking a review of policy on this subject for the Health and Safety Commission. The commission will inform me of the outcome of this review as soon as possible.

ENVIRONMENT

  Footpaths
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the subject of the Ramblers Association 1989 footpaths appeal; what measures he is planning to prevent footpaths being removed from definitive maps and to encourage local authorities to clear signposts and improve local paths; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received a number of representations supporting the Ramblers Association's campaign to protect public footpaths. Successive Governments have recognised the importance of the rights of way network in providing access to the countryside for quiet enjoyment, and have given local authorities the duty of ensuring that such paths are recorded, maintained, and signposted where appropriate, and made available for public use. The Countryside Commission, through its "Enjoying the Countryside" initiative, has sought to encourage and assist local authorities to give appropriate priority to this work.

  Footpaths can be removed from definitive maps only by means of the statutory procedures providing for the creation, diversion and extinguishment of public paths. The Government propose to amend these provisions, in the light of the Rubinstein judgment, to restore the power to correct mistakes on such maps, where there is evidence to show that a right to way, or its status, was recorded in error.

  Recreational Facilities
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many acres of playing fields in(a) state schools and (b) private schools have been added in each of the last five years and how many have been lost to development; how many acres of private sports grounds have been added in each of the last 10 years and how many have been lost to development.

  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not held centrally. As far as school playing fields are concerned, local education authorities are required to meet the minimal standards prescribed by the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981. There have been some studies of private sports grounds which show that the position varies from 218
  area to area. While there has been a reduction in the number of grounds in industrial ownership there has been a substantial increase in both the quantity and quality of provision in the voluntary sector, for example, approximately 100 new artificial turf pitches have been provided in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what basis recreational need is assessed or calculated for the purposes of public inquiries.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The body or individual making the planning decision, whether a local authority, a planning officer or the Secretary of State, should consider the merits of the case having regard to all the relevant provisions of the development plan. They should also give consideration to the regional recreation strategies prepared by the regional councils for sport and recreation.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the significant regional variations in the provision per head of population of urban recreational open space.

  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what his Department recommends for the number of acres of playing fields per head of population; and what information he has on the figures recommended by (i) the National Playing Fields Association and (ii) the Sports Council.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Department makes no recommendations about the average size of playing fields to be provided per head of the population. However, circular 33/70 encourages local planning authorities to consult with the appropriate sports council (now regional council for sport and recreation) on such matters. I understand that the regional councils for sport and recreation take into account the frequency of play and the days of peak demand in offering advice. The National Playing Fields Association recommends 6 acres per 1,000 people.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many additional areas of recreational open space would be available to the community if dual use became universal.

  Mr. Moynihan
  So far as I am aware, no assessment has been made of the additional areas of recreational open space which would be available as a result of universal dual use.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his Department recognises and assesses increase in latent demand for sporting provision in the light of Government supported campaigns for healthy lifestyles and increased sports participation.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Sports Council have a research programme which monitors and assesses the demand for sporting provision. The results of this research underpin the council's strategies as set out in its annual corporate plan and in its longer-term strategy documents.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance is provided by his Department in the form of target figures for provision of outdoor recreation land within urban district boundaries.
  219
  Mr. Moynihan
  Circular 33/70 sets out the Government's general policy on the provision of recreational facilities. It is for local authorities to decide specific target figures in consultation with local or regional sports councils and in the light of all material considerations. Circular 33/70 encourages local authorities to identify private open spaces in their development plan.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of what are the most popular forms of physical recreation(a) indoors and (b) outdoors, and of what is the stated and latent demand for facilities for these activities and the anticipated provision in the next five years.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The table shows, by sport, the percentage of all adults participating in each activity in a four-week period immediately prior to interview. The figures are taken from the general household survey (1986). (Figures are rounded up).

  1977

  1980

  1983

  1986

  Outdoor

  1. Walking/rambling/hiking (2 miles or more)

  17

  19

  19

  19

  2. Football

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3. Golf

  2

  2

  2

  3

  4. Athletics—track and field (including jogging)

  1

  1

  2

  3

  5. Swimming (including public pools)

  2

  2

  3

  2

  6. Cycling

  1

  1

  2

  2

  7. Fishing

  2

  2

  2

  2

  8. Tennis

  1

  2

  1

  1

  9. Bowls

  1

  1

  1

  1

  10. Camping/caravanning

  1

  1

  1

  1

  11. Cricket

  1

  1

  1

  1

  12. Horse riding

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Indoor

  1. Swimming

  5

  6

  7

  9

  2. Snooker/billiards/pool

  6

  7

  8

  9

  3. Darts

  9

  7

  7

  6

  4. Keep fit/yoga

  1

  2

  3

  3

  5. Squash

  2

  2

  3

  2

  6. Badminton

  2

  2

  2

  2

  7. Gymnastics/athletics

  —

  1

  1

  2

  8. Bowls/tenpin

  1

  1

  1

  1

  9. Table tennis

  2

  2

  1

  1

  Information about the demand for facilities is not held centrally.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what percentage of urban recreation land lost to development has been replaced within the urban area; and what percentage has been replaced in the urban fringe.

  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not held centrally. There have however been a number of local studies which suggest that, although the position varies from area to area, the overall provision of recreational land has remained fairly static.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many acres of municipally owned recreation grounds have been added in each of the last 10 years and how many have been lost to development.

  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not held centrally.
  220
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many planning applications for development of recreational open space have been approved by(a) local planning authorities and (b) at appeal in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Information about approvals given by local authorities is not held centrally. In the case of appeals, the Department does not keep records of decisions in a form which would enable me to provide the information requested.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which participation in sport and recreation is related to availability of facilities within walking distance for(a) car-owners and (b) non-car-owners.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Research carried out by the Sports Council show that on average 20 per cent. of those people using swimming pools and indoor sports centres travel more than five miles to reach the facilities. Thirty six per cent. travel less than one mile. Cars are the most popular mode of transport to sports facilities although there a re variations from region to region. Fifty two per cent. of swimming pool users travel by car compared with 25 per cent. who walk. Studies of indoor sports centres show that 67 per cent. of users travel by car whilst only 8 per cent. walk.

  Car ownership is one factor which determines the use of a facility. However other factors such as the size and management of the facility and the availability of competition are also important.

  Sport
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been undertaken or commissioned by his Department to determine the extent to which people who take part in vigorous sport on a regular basis smoke less than average; and what measures are being taken to increase participation.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The general household survey shows that those people who participate in sport are slightly less likely to smoke than those who do not participate, whatever their age or income.

  The measures being undertaken by the Sports Council to increase participation are described in the following publications:

  The Sports Council Corporate Plan 1989–90;

  The Sports Council Annual Report 1987–88;

  A Strategy for Sport 1988–1993;

  Sport in the Community, Into the '90's

  Copies are available from the Sports Council.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the gap identified in the Wolfenden report between participation in sport before and after leaving school has been closed; whether he is now seeking an increase in post-school participation in the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Sports Council has identified that participation in sport falls sharply once young people have left school. Figures taken from the general household survey (1986) show that there has, over the last five years been an increase, in percentage terms, in the number of
  221
  young people participating in indoor sports but a slight decrease in those participating in outdoor sports. The Sports Council has adopted a variety of policies and initiatives aimed at fostering increased participation among this age group.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what extent the Sports Council campaign to increase sporting participation amongst young people has been successful; and what are its present aspirations in this area.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Sports Council has identified that participation in sport falls sharply once young people have left school. The council has adopted a variety of policies and initiatives, including the "Ever thought of Sport"? and "What's your Sport"? campaigns, aimed at reducing this trend.

  Public Inquiries
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria are established by his Department for the purpose of public inquiries as to how protection of(a) so-called "green lungs" and (b) view by residents are to be assessed.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The body or individual making the planning decision, whether a local authority, a planning officer or the Secretary of State, should consider the merits of the case having regard to the relevant provisions of the development plan and all other material considerations.

  Departmental Circulars
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department intends to issue a planning circular to replace circular 33/70.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Department hopes to issue a planning policy guidance note covering sport and recreation towards the end of this year. The PPG will consolidate and update the existing planning guidance, including that given in circular 33/70.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that private landlords who collect the community charge from their tenants keep accurate records of payments made by each tenant; and how the money will be recovered if any such landlord fails to pay in these sums in full by the date of enforcement action for recovery taking place.

  Mr. Gummer
  Landlords will be responsible for collecting contributions towards the community charge only where a dwelling has been designated for the purposes of the collective community charge. There is a legal requirement on such landlords to keep records, and it is for charging authorities to ensure that the law is complied with. No recovery action for a collective community charge can be taken against a tenant, whose sole liability is to pay contributions to the landlord. Landlords who fail to pay the charge are subject to the same remedies as other charge-payers, and in addition, where a debt exceeds £1,000, a local authority may apply to the court for a charging order on the property.
  222
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce imprisonment as a penalty for non-payment of the community charge.

  Mr. Gummer
  Imprisonment has always been available as a sanction of last resort where an individual refuses to pay rates, and where it is not possible to recover the outstanding amount through distraint. The remedies available to a charging authority for non-payment of a community charge have been widened to include, in addition to distraint, attachment of earnings and deductions from income support, to give people the opportunity to pay off arrears over time. If it proves impossible to recover the debt, a magistrates' court will be able to commit a person to prison but only if, having inquired into his means in his presence, the court are satisfied that his failure to pay was due to wilful refusal or culpable neglect.

  Babbington Colliery Tip
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial assistance his Department has given to reclaim the former Babbington colliery tip in Nottingham.

  Mr. Chope
  None. Responsibility for dealing with the tip rests with British Coal in accordance with the planning permission for tipping granted by Nottinghamshire county council.

  AIDS
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to encourage housing departments and associations to work on the issue of AIDS/HIV and housing; whether he intends to make resources available either through a special allocation or through the housing investment programme; and if he will support the recommendations of the local authority officers working group on AIDS and HIV report, "Housing and HIV Infection."

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department is considering jointly with the Department of Health the housing implications of AIDS/HIV infection, taking account of the working group's report and other information.

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

  Mr. Ridley
  The Civil Service Commission is responsible for recruitment of top grades to all Departments of the Civil Service. Recruitment is carried out on the principle of fair and open competition.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Ridley
  The number of(a) women and (b) ethnic minorities in grades 1–7 employed in the Department of the Environment as at 3 April 1989 are:
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  (a) Percentage of officers who are women

  DOE

  PSA

  Grade

  Number of women

  Percentage of women

  Number of women

  Percentage of women

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  3

  8·3

  0

  0

  4

  1

  10·0

  0

  0

  5

  21

  12·8

  2

  3·8

  6

  19

  7·8

  2

  1·1

  7

  105

  14·1

  21

  3·1

  Total

  149

  12·3

  25

  2·7

  All grades

  3,051

  42·8

  4,087

  28·8

  (b) Percentage of officers who are members of ethnic minorities

  DOE

  PSA

  Grade

  Number ethnic minorities1

  Percentage ethnic minorities1

  Number ethnic minorities1

  Percentage ethnic minorities1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  3

  2·1

  1

  2·4

  6

  2

  1·0

  2

  1·3

  7

  4

  0·7

  12

  2·2

  Total

  9

  0·9

  15

  1·9

  All grades

  350

  7·3

  412

  3·8

  1 Non-respondents to surveys not included.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. Ridley
  The Department completed its voluntary survey of the ethnic origins of staff already in post in the autumn of 1987. This information is kept up to date on a continuous basis by asking job applicants to complete a questionnaire about their ethnic origin.

  Water Rates
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average increase in water rates from 1 April by(a) water authorities and (b) statutory water companies.

  Mr. Howard
  I estimate that the average increase in all water charges is likely to be 9·8 per cent. for the water authorities and about 22 per cent. for the water companies. Information on the average rates levied on customers charged by rateable value is not yet available. I will publish the information requested in the Official Report as soon as practicable.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the average domestic water rate bill in (i) the current financial year and (ii) the financial year 10 years ago for(a) the Thames water authority region and (b) nationally; and if he will indicate the extent of the increase in real terms.

  Mr. Howard
  The average domestic water rate bill in 1979–80 for the Thames water authority region was £38·62, and for the whole of England, £41·47. Corresponding data for 1989–90 are not yet available.

  Climatic Change
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Linlithgow may expect a substantive answer to his questions of 10 April relating to climatic change.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  These questions were answered on 12 and 13 April at columns 586 and 667.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to bring forward the tenants' incentive scheme and other measures to assist housing association members to attain home ownership; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 22 March at column 642.

  Rate Precepts
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which three county councils have had the largest rate increase since 1981–82; and by how much they have increased.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is as follows:

  County councils with highest precept increases between 1981–82 and 1989–90

  Rank and county council

  Increase Percentage

  1 Humberside

  164·5

  2 Derbyshire

  160·8

  3 Nottinghamshire

  140·4

  Rates
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total proposed rate in Water Rates poundage and percentage terms for every local authority in England for 1989–90.

  Mr. Gummer
  The information requested is contained in a report "Rates and Expenditure of Local Authorities in England 1989–90" which has been placed in the Library.

  Burtenshaw Farm, Bolton
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the announcement by Barratts Housebuilders of an intention to build on land at Burtenshaw farm, Bolton, which was the subject of his decision to uphold a restrictive covenant on 23 November 1988.

  Mr. Trippier
  The enforcement of the covenant is a matter for Bolton borough council. I understand that the council is considering what action to take.

  Rents
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of the rent due, excluding rates, was collected by inner London boroughs in 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89.
  225
  Mr. Trippier
  The information is not available centrally in the form requested.

  Leasebacks
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the effect of section 100 leasebacks on housing investment programmes.

  Mr. Trippier
  Details of the treatment of housing investment programme allocation for leaseback payments under section 100 of the Housing Act 1988 appear in paragraph 22 of the Department of the Environment circular: "Tenants' Choice": The Housing (Change of Landlord) Regulations 1989 and the Housing (Change of Landlord) (Prescribed Forms) Regulations 1989. The prescribed expenditure arising from leaseback will not present a drain on the authority's housing investment programme.

  Housing Transfer (Gloucester)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what authority officers of his Department phoned Gloucester district council with consent for a proposed voluntary transfer; what was the legal status of that consent; and on what grounds the valuation of the sale was changed.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 April 1989 at column 153.

  Housing Subsidy
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the total amount and the average per tenant of(a) local authority subsidy for council housing, (b) central Government subsidy for council housing and (c) housing benefit payable in respect of council tenants in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland in 1978–79 and 1988–89 for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Trippier
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Parkinson Homes
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many privately owned Parkinson homes remain unrepaired.

  Mr. Trippier
  Of the 730 privately owned Parkinson houses identified by local authorities, three have been registered for repair under the PRC Homes Ltd. warranty scheme and 211 had been reported as repurchased up to 31 March 1987.

  Publicity
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all current publicity campaigns being conducted by or for his Department or ones planned for the first three months of 1989–90, indicating those which involve television advertising and the starting and finishing dates of each campaign.

  Mr. Ridley
  A public information campaign on the community charge will take place in May and early June 1989. This will not involve television advertising.

  Charitable Housing Associations
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he intends to give charitable housing associations on the circumstances in which they may acquire tenanted dwellings from local authorities and other public landlords.

  Mr. Trippier
  1. Housing associations now have wider opportunities to acquire tenanted stock from public authorities in three ways:

  under the tenants' choice provisions of the Housing Act 1988,

  proposals by a number of local housing authorities to dispose of their dwelling stock,

  the forthcoming wind-up of the remaining new town development corporations in England.

  The Department of the Environment and the Housing Corporation, in consultation with the Charity Commissioners, have prepared the following guidance for charitable housing associations with regard to the acquisition by them of tenanted housing stock.

  2. The main objects of many charitable housing associations are on the following lines:
  "to carry on for the benefit of the community the business of providing housing and any associated amenities for persons in necessitious circumstances upon terms appropriate to their means' and/or providing for aged persons in need thereof housing and any associated amenities specially designed or adapted to meet the disabilities and requirements of such persons".

  3. This guidance relates to associations with main objects expressed in the terms set out in paragraph 2 or terms which do not depart substantially from them. However, in all cases, an association's purposes, objects and powers must be carefully considered by its governing body, if necessary seeking legal advice and advice from the commissioners, before the acquisition of tenanted stock is embarked upon. Moreover they must be construed as a whole, and a proposed acquisition must be consistent not only with the main objects and powers but also with any others there may be.

  This guidance will refer to the various categories of qualifying needy or aged persons as "beneficiaries".

  The purpose of the proposed acquisition

  4. (i) In order to abide by the requirements both of its rules (or other governing instrument) and of general charity law, a charitable asociation may only purchase tenanted housing stock when it is satisfied that the acquisition will enable it to further its charitable objects and where the acquisition is capable of being regarded objectively in this way.

  (ii) A charitable association is likely to have two main reasons for contemplating an acquisition of tenanted stock: to provide a better service for the existing tenants than the present, or in some circumstances some other alternative landlord; and to increase the association's ability to provide, in the longer term, for beneficiaries of the kinds specified in its objects as vacancies arise in the acquired stock. A purchase for these reasons is capable of being within the association's main objects, depending on the circumstances. If for some reason one of them does not apply in a particular case (for example if the association is not confident of being able to provide better or more efficient management for existing tenants) correspondingly greater weight would have to be attached to the other for the transaction to be comparable with the objects.

  (iii) If the main reason for the acquisition of the tenanted stock is to provide vacant possession gradually

  227
  over a long period the association may to that extent also be looking at the acquisition as an investment. Accordingly, it may be considered desirable for associations contemplating the acquisition of public sector housing to ensure that their constitution allows the acquisition and holding of land as an investment.

  Factors to be considered by the association in assessing a proposed acquisition

  5. In assessing the compatibility of a proposed acquisition with its objects, the association's governing body will need to consider the following factors in good faith and with open minds (although the list is not intended to be exhaustive):—

  (i) how the acquisition fits in with the association's policy for fulfilling its objectives. The association must consider what the purchase is really likely to achieve for present and future beneficiaries, and whether it is an effective use of money and manpower which might otherwise be used elsewhere;

  (ii) the proportion of non-beneficiaries to the existing tenants as a whole. This will be a major factor. It is impossible to lay down a maximum acceptable percentage, because circumstances will vary too much from case to case, but beneficiaries should normally be a substantial majority;

  (iii) the extent to which the association may pick and choose particular dwellings within the portfolio on offer, and, conversely, the extent to which this might lead to difficult or inefficient management or other disadvantages to the beneficiaries. Where the portfolio on offer contains a substantial number of dwellings occupied by those who do not qualify as beneficiaries, the association may want to see if some or all of them can be excluded from the purchase. However, the vendor will not always be prepared to sell on this basis and there may in any event by management or social considerations which would make acquisition only of selected properties relatively disadvantageous to the beneficiaries;

  (iv) the expected rate of turn-over of non-beneficiary tenants. The higher the proportion of non-beneficiary tenants, the more important this will be. But the rate of turnover of beneficiary tenants may also be important if one of the reasons for the purchase was to get long-term access to vacant housing stock.

  (v) the opportunity to buy on advantageous terms. These transactions will normally take place not at unrestricted market value but at a lower "tenanted market value" assuming, among other things, that the dwellings will generally he kept available for letting and that rents will be kept down to levels within the reach of the lower paid.

  The preserved right to buy and other rights of tenants

  6. Existing tenants taken over from the public sector may have a preserved right to buy under section 171 A to 171 H of the Housing Act 1985 and section 127 of the Housing Act 1988. The association will need to take this factor into account, (and indeed the rights of or attributable to sitting tenants more generally, including security of tenure and a surviving spouse's right of succession) in considering how far the acquisition will enable it to provide for beneficiaries in the longer term (though these matters may of course be reflected in the purchase price). The right to buy might be disadvantageous if the association wanted a portfolio of properties as an integrated whole, to be kept intact as long-term housing stock for present and future beneficiaries, and the
  228
  association would have to consider how far its plans might be undermined by some tenants exercising their right to buy. But the fact that existing tenants, beneficiaries or non-beneficiaries, will have statutory rights including the right to buy does not of itself make the purchase inconsistent with the association's charitable objects.

  Bathing Water
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Norwich, South on 6 April, Official Report, column 281, concerning bathing water standards which are the responsibility of the Anglian water authority, what steps he proposes to require the authority to report on breaches of the European Economic Community guide and mandatory levels for pollutants which are not recorded in its report in the Library.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: I am satisfied that the Anglian water authority is correctly fulfilling its sampling and reporting requirements under the EEC bathing water directive.

  Urban Programme (Stockton)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, how much is being spent in the parliamentary constituency of Stockton, South under the urban programme; and on what schemes it is being spent.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 18 April 1989]: The current anticipated spend on the eight approved projects located in the Stockton, South constituency from the inner area programme of Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees borough councils for the 1989–90 financial year is £258,400. One further scheme valued at £13,000 is subject to discussion between the Department and Stockton-on-Tees borough council. The schemes are listed below:—

  £

  Security/Environment Grants to Industry

  52,500

  Thornaby Impasse

  4,200

  Riverside Stockton Landscaping

  500

  Neighbourhood Worker, Thornaby

  16,200

  CEDEMP Mobility Centre Test Track

  61,000

  Neighbourhood Management and Community Resource Centre

  42,000

  Whinney Banks Site 6

  62,000

  Street Lighting Whinney Banks

  20,000

  258,400

  In addition, the Stockton, South constituency will benefit, directly or indirectly, from a number of boroughwide projects totalling £306,545. Again, this figure could increase by a further £50,300 depending upon the outcome of forthcoming discussions between the Department and Stockton-on-Tees borough council.

  Water Charges
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average percentage increase in water charge for 1989–90 announced by the statutory water companies in England; and if he will list the percentage increase announced by each company in descending order of magnitude.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: 1 gave an estimate of the average increase in water company charges

  229
  in my reply on March 14 to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, South-West (Mr. Madel), Official Report, Vol. 149, column 211.

  The detailed information requested by my right hon. Friend is not yet available. I will publish a list when returns now being received by the Department have been analysed.

  Local Authorities (Businesses)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all local authorities which operate businesses themselves in competition with the private sector and the nature of each business concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 17 April 1989]: This information is not held centrally.

  Development Decisions (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which London boroughs currently supply his Department with information about development decisions in London; which boroughs do not; and what steps he is taking to ensure that all boroughs supply the information necessary for his proposed development monitoring system in London.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: Enfield, Haringey, Lewisham, Sutton and Waltham Forest are the only London boroughs which do not regularly provide the Department with information about development decisions. Officials are in communication with those boroughs in an effort to encourage them to provide the information.
  230
  The Department has set up a pilot study with the London planning advisory committee into establishing a development monitoring system with the co-operation of all the boroughs.

  Business Development (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he will use to decide whether London boroughs have made adequate provision in their unitary development plans for business development.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 April 1989]: The criteria used to judge whether adequate provision has been made will vary according to the individual circumstances and needs of the borough drawing up the UDP.

  Local Authorities (Finance)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to restrict the access of local authorities to private financial markets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 4 April 1989]: Clause 34 of the Local Government and Housing Bill provides that, where local authorities are authorised to borrow money, they will be able to do so by borrowing from authorised banking institutions, from the National Debt Commissioners or the Public Works Loan Commissioners, from the private sector by means of loan instruments as defined in subsection 34(4), or, with the consent of my right hon. Friend, by other means. It would be for the authorities to decide which of these means to use.

  LAMPUNG, SUMATRA: ALLEGED MASSACRE
  LAMPUNG, SUMATRA: ALLEGED MASSACRE
  INDONESIA: KILLINGS
  INDONESIA: KILLINGS
  HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS: TENANTED STOCK PURCHASE GUIDELINES
  HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS: TENANTED STOCK PURCHASE GUIDELINES
  COAL IMPORTS
  COAL IMPORTS