Written Answers of 21 December 1989

ENERGY

  Power Stations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether West Burton, Rugeley, Staythorpe and Aberthow power stations are to be transferred from National Power to PowerGen.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Government do not intend to reopen the existing non-nuclear split of assets between National Power and PowerGen.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department has made no expenditure on the arts during the last financial year. However, my Department has commissioned original design and artwork for publications, exhibitions and advertisements. The amount spent on this work cannot be separately identified.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Capital Allocations
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1978–79 to 1989–90 the capital spending allocations for(a) local education authorities and (b) voluntary aided and special schools.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Total capital allocations for LEAs, which may be topped up from capital receipts and other sources, from 1981–82 to 1989–90 were as follows, together with figures for actual gross expenditure financed by allocations, capital receipts, and other sources.

  £ million

  £ million

  Allocations

  Gross expenditure

  1981–82

  355

  406·1

  1982–83

  338

  456·1

  1983–84

  295

  469·2

  1984–85

  300

  501·2

  1985–86

  315

  530·2

  1986–87

  297

  574·9

  1987–88

  306

  592·8

  1988–89

  387

  702·0

  1989–90

  352

  n/a

  Details of initial allocations to individual LEAs for these years were provided in the reply given to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) by my right hon. Friend on 7 November 1989, at columns 588–636, and gave the
  350
  information requested in respect of local education authorities from 1981–82 to 1989–90. Comparable information is not available prior to 1981–82, as local education authorities did not receive block allocations, but were notified annually in the context of a rolling programme of the limit of the value of building starts in the following year.

  Payments of grants to voluntary aided and special agreement schools for capital expenditure were as follows:

  £ million

  1978–79

  16·4

  1979–80

  20·3

  1980–81

  22·1

  1981–82

  24·0

  1982–83

  26·1

  1983–84

  22·4

  1984–85

  29·1

  1985–86

  36·5

  1986–87

  31·8

  1987–88

  37·2

  1988–89

  50·4

  1989–90

  65·3

  Notes:

  1. Grant represents 85 per cent. of gross expenditure, 15 per cent. of which is met by governing bodies.

  2. Capital grant figures for 1978–79 to 1981–82 are not separately identified from a single building grant figure which included repairs and maintenance. The capital figures shown for this period are based on an apportionment of the building grant figure using the average ratio between capital and repairs during 1982–83 and 1985–86.

  Children (HIV)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidelines have been issued to local education authorities about the admission to schools of children who are HIV positive.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Bulk copies of the booklet "Children at School and Problems Related to AIDS" were issued to all chief education officers in England and Wales in June 1986, sufficient in number for copies to be sent to all maintained schools. The booklet advises that the fact of HIV infection should not be a factor taken into account by LEAs, governing bodies or headteachers in discharging their duties concerning school admissions, transfer and attendance, or exclusion from school. The booklet also provides guidance on safety measures to be taken by schools to avoid any risk of transmission of HIV infection. There are no known cases in the United Kingdom of transmission of HIV infection in the school setting.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  In 1988–89 the Department made direct grants totalling some £15·7 million to individual bodies primarily concerned with the arts and design education. In addition, central grants to universities and other directly funded institutions of higher education were used to cover expenditure on arts and design education. However, information on the amounts involved is not held centrally.

  Religious Education
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent local education authorities in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland have complied with the requirement to establish statutory advisory councils on religious education.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I understand that all local education authorities in Tyne and Wear and Northumberland have established standing advisory councils on religious education.

  Research Equipment (Survey)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will be publishing the ABRC survey of academic research equipment.

  Mr. Jackson
  I understand that the ABRC will be publishing the report of this survey very shortly.

  Teacher Shortages
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secreatry of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the likely level of teacher shortages in January 1990.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Department carries out a survey of teacher vacancies in January each year. I will report the results in the usual way.

  Teacher Vacancies
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he makes of the number of teacher vacancies in schools at 31 October or the latest available date.

  Mr MacGregor
  The most recent comprehensive survey of teacher vacancies was conducted by my Department in January 1989. Numbers of vacancies for full-time permanent teachers in maintained schools in England are given in the table.

  Full-time permament teacher vacancies in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools—England, January 1989

  Local Education Authority/Region

  Number of vacancies

  As a percentage of teachers in post

  Gateshead

  31

  1·8

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  50

  2·3

  North Tyneside

  0

  0·0

  South Tyneside

  0

  0·0

  Sunderland

  13

  0·5

  Cleveland

  12

  0·2

  Cumbria

  22

  0·6

  Durham

  15

  0·3

  Northumberland

  11

  0·4

  North

  154

  0·6

  Barnsley

  5

  0·3

  Doncaster

  22

  0·8

  Rotherham

  32

  1·4

  Sheffield

  12

  0·3

  Bradford

  28

  0·6

  Calderdale

  20

  1·2

  Kirklees

  30

  0·9

  Leeds

  61

  1·0

  Wakefield

  70

  2·6

  Humberside

  29

  0·4

  North Yorks

  46

  0·9

  352

  Local Education Authority/Region

  Number of vacancies

  As a percentage of teachers in post

  York and Humberside

  355

  0·9

  Knowsley

  10

  0·6

  Liverpool

  20

  0·4

  St. Helens

  9

  0·5

  Sefton

  3

  0·1

  Wirral

  19

  0·7

  Bolton

  11

  0·5

  Bury

  14

  1·0

  Manchester

  55

  1·4

  Oldham

  7

  0·3

  Rochdale

  33

  1·7

  Salford

  58

  2·8

  Stockport

  14

  0·6

  Tameside

  38

  2·1

  Trafford

  9

  0·6

  Wigan

  9

  0·3

  Cheshire

  24

  0·3

  Lancashire

  193

  1·8

  North West

  526

  1·0

  Derbyshire

  76

  1·0

  Leicestershire

  44

  0·6

  Lincolnshire

  52

  1·2

  Northamptonshire

  10

  0·2

  Nottinghamshire

  108

  1·3

  East Midlands

  290

  0·9

  Birmingham

  188

  2·2

  Coventry;

  24

  0·9

  Dudley

  48

  1·9

  Sandwell

  25

  0·9

  Solihull

  27

  1·6

  Walsall

  4

  0·2

  Wolverhampton

  24

  1·0

  Hereford and Worcester

  50

  1·0

  Shropshire

  13

  0·4

  Staffordshire

  50

  0·6

  Warwickshire

  31

  0·8

  West Midlands

  484

  1·1

  Cambridgeshire

  39

  0·8

  Norfolk

  31

  0·6

  Suffolk

  36

  0·8

  East Anglia

  106

  0·7

  Barking

  51

  4·0

  Barnet

  85

  3·9

  Bexley

  31

  1·9

  Brent

  32

  1·6

  Bromley

  10

  0·6

  Croydon

  39

  1·7

  Ealing

  116

  5·5

  Enfield

  72

  3·6

  Haringey

  128

  8·5

  Harrow

  16

  1·2

  Havering

  51

  2·7

  Hillingdon

  58

  3·5

  Hounslow

  24

  1·5

  Kingston

  9

  0·9

  Merton

  47

  4·1

  Newham

  194

  8·2

  Redbridge

  36

  2·3

  Richmond

  1

  0·1

  Sutton

  21

  1·9

  Waltham Forest

  75

  4·2

  ILEA

  1,028

  6·5

  South East and Greater London

  2,124

  4·3

  Bedfordshire

  117

  2·8

  Berkshire

  91

  1·7

  Buckinghamshire

  73

  1·6

  East Sussex

  74

  1·9

  353

  Local Education Authority/Region

  Number of vacancies

  As a percentage of teachers in post

  Essex

  123

  1·1

  Hampshire

  134

  1·3

  Hertfordshire

  109

  1·4

  Isle of Wight

  0

  0·0

  Kent

  224

  2·1

  Oxfordshire

  9

  0·3

  Surrey

  131

  2·2

  West Sussex

  74

  1·7

  Other South East

  1,159

  1·6

  Avon

  21

  0·3

  Cornwall

  47

  1·4

  Devon

  122

  1·9

  Dorset

  11

  0·3

  Gloucestershire

  0

  0·0

  Somerset

  73

  2·4

  Wiltshire

  68

  1·7

  South West

  342

  1·1

  Total England

  5,540

  1·5

  Greehouse Effect
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all projects funded by(a) the European Community and (b) Her Majesty's Government regarding global climate changes and all the environmental factors associated with the greenhouse effect.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 13 December 1989]: The provision of information in respect of projects funded by both the European Community and Her Majesty's Government is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

  Details of work relevant to global climate change undertaken by the research councils are as follows:

  Natural Environment Research Council:
  Application of weather radar to the alleviation of climatic hazards.
  Development of deep ocean pH instrument.
  Contribution to the world ocean circulation experiment.
  Fine resolution Antarctic modelling.
  Biogeochemical ocean flux study.
  Automatic submersible development programme.
  North sea project.
  Marine laboratories programme.
  Atmospheric sciences programme.
  United Kingdom universities global atmospheric modelling programme.
  Palaeoclimatology.
  BGS data collection for climatology.
  Pattern and change in Antarctic physical environment.
  Geological evolution of west Antarctica.
  Dynamics of the Antarctica terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem.
  Structure and dynamics of the South ocean ecosystem.
  Terrestrial and freshwater science programmes and support of research in universities and higher education
  institutions.

  Agricultural and Food Research Council:
  The absorbtion or release of carbon dioxide by plants in photosynthesis and respiration and the effects of carbon dioxide on growth, production and development.
  The fate of nitrogen in plants and soil and the release of gases such as nitrous oxide to the atmosphere.
  Predictive mathematical modelling of the response of plants and plant communities to the interacting effects of carbon dioxide, light, photoperiod, temperature, desiccation, water logging, pH and nutrition.
  354
  Effects of temperature of growth and development and the tolerance to extremes.
  Plant water relations and adaption to water shortage.
  The effects of changing environmental factors on pests and diseases.
  A significant part of the AFRC programme, especially in the plants and environment research area, bears on environmental aspects.

  Science and Engineering Research Council:
  The stratospheric and mesospheric sounder (SAMS) instrument for the NASA Nimbus 7 satellite.
  The improved stratospheric and mesospheric sounder (ISAMS) and the microwave limb sounder (MLS) instruments for the NASA upper atmosphere research satellite.
  The along track radiometer (ATSR) instrument for the ESA earth resources satellite (ERS-1).
  The geophysical data facility at the Rutherford Appleton laboratory.
  A mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere (MST) radar facility is being constructed by University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, in collaboration with the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
  In addition, SERC supports some research on chemical reactions relevant to the atmosphere, on improved combustion processes, on renewable energy sources, on the effects of environmental changes on civil engineering structures, projects on lower atmosphere and climate research and provides supporting computer facilities.

  In addition to the specific projects listed, other work of the councils has a relevance to factors associated with the greenhouse effect.

  Student Maintenance Award
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what was the average level of net student maintenance award and parental contribution for each year since 1979, at 1990–91 prices.

  (2) if he will give figures for the levels of student maintenance award, loan and parental contribution for students with average levels of maintenance award and parental contribution, at 1990–91 prices, from 1989–90 to 2007–8.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: The table shows average grant (including average supplementary allowances), contribution (including any contribution assessed against a spouse's or the student's own income), and, for the relevant years, loan, in constant 1990 prices. The figures take into account the recently announced main rates of student grant for 1990–91, and assume an inflation rate of 3 per cent. per annum from that year onwards.

  Academic year

  Average main tenance payment1 2

  Average contributions 1 2

  Average loan

  Total average resources

  1979–80

  2,133

  548

  —

  2,681

  1980–81

  2,137

  533

  —

  2,660

  1981–82

  2,007

  588

  —

  2,595

  1982–83

  1,906

  645

  —

  2,551

  1983–84

  1,857

  647

  —

  2,504

  1984–85

  1,684

  838

  —

  2,522

  1985–86

  1,505

  972

  —

  2,477

  1986–87

  1,515

  963

  —

  2,478

  1987–88

  1,488

  1,008

  —

  2,496

  1988–89

  1,463

  990

  —

  2,453

  1989–90

  1,448

  974

  —

  2,422

  1990–91

  1,462

  972

  420

  2,854

  1991–92

  1,419

  941

  494

  2,854

  1992–93

  1,381

  913

  559

  2,854

  1993–94

  1,344

  886

  623

  2,854

  1994–95

  1,309

  860

  685

  2,854

  1995–96

  1,274

  835

  745

  2,854

  1996–97

  1,240

  811

  803

  2,854

  355

  Academic year

  Average main tenance payment1 2

  Average contributions 1 2

  Average loan

  Total average resources

  1997–98

  1,207

  787

  859

  2,854

  1998–99

  1,176

  764

  914

  2,854

  1999–2000

  1,145

  741

  968

  2,854

  2000–01

  1,115

  720

  1,019

  2,854

  2001–02

  1,086

  698

  1,070

  2,854

  2002–03

  1,057

  678

  1,118

  2,854

  2003–04

  1,030

  658

  1,166

  2,854

  2004–05

  1,003

  639

  1,212

  3,854

  2005–06

  977

  620

  1,256

  2,854

  2006–07

  952

  602

  1,300

  2,854

  2007–08

  928

  584

  1,342

  2,854

  2008–093

  900

  571

  1,383

  2,854

  Notes:1 Figures for 1987–88 and previous years are outturn recorded by local authorities; for 1988–89 estimated; and for 1990–91 and later years compatible with the latest government spending plans.

  2 Assuming a cash freeze on maintenance grant rates and average contributions from 1990; and average total resources constant in real terms from 1990, at an annual inflation rate of 3 per cent.

  3 If supplementary allowances are excluded the sum of the remaining maintenance element and contribution equals the average loan by 2008–09.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Estate of Mr. Freddie Andrews
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made to date by the Royal Ulster Constabulary in their investigations into the handling of the estate of Mr. Freddie Andrews (1976 No. 516); and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  The Chief Constable has informed me that the RUC fraud section has carried out a thorough investigation of this complex matter. As a result one person was prosecuted and convicted for theft and deception. Any further information which may come to light will be carefully examined.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received concerning difficulties experienced by public health officers in enforcing existing regulations in relation to the display and sale of cooked and uncooked meats in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department of Health and Social Services has from time to time received representations from organisations representing enforcement interests about difficulties in enforcing these regulations. Similar representations have been received on the Government's recently published proposals for amending the existing law on food hygiene matters generally.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he proposes to strengthen the legislation governing the recommendations relating to hygiene regulations applying to the display and sale of cooked and uncooked meats in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  As part of a United Kingdom exercise, the Department of Health and Social Services recently completed consultations with interested parties on proposals for new legislation to tighten food hygiene law 356
  generally. Comments are now being considered and the Government intend that new regulations should be made as soon as practicable.

  RUC
  Mr. A. Cecil Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the cost to date of the Stevens inquiry into the Royal Ulster Constabulary and security; and when the inquiry will be in a position to make its findings available.

  Mr. Cope
  Precise costs for the investigations now being conducted by the deputy chief constable of Cambridgeshire, Mr. John Stevens, and his inquiry team are not yet available. However, it is estimated that they will be in the region of £ 100,000 to £125,000 per month, for the duration of the inquiry team's secondment to Northern Ireland.

  I understand that Mr. Stevens hopes to be able to report to the Chief Constable early in the new year.

  Anglo-Irish Agreement
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the expenditure of operating the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the running of the conference and the operation of the secretariat in Maryfield, Belfast, in 1989; and what was the comparable expenditure for previous years.

  Mr. Brooke
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: Details of expenditure are available only on a financial year basis. Between 1 April 1989 and 31 October 1989 identified expenditure by the British Government in holding meetings of the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference and operating the secretariat amounted to £529,000. Comparable expenditure in previous years is as follows: Expenditure by the Irish Government on conferences and the secretariat is a matter for them.

  £ million

  1985–86

  10·53

  1986–87

  11·09

  1987–88

  10·96

  1988–89

  0·93

  1 Includes estimated expenditure on additional policing.

  Harbour
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by category the number of(a) yachts, (b) fishing boats, (c) pleasure boats and (d) other sea-going vessels registered at Portrush, Ballycastle, Bangor, Ardglass, Donaghadee and Portstewart harbours.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: I have been asked to reply.

  I regret that this information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

TRANSPORT

  London Assessment Studies
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the estimate of the number of homes likely to be lost as a result of the decisions relating to stage 2B report of the London assessment studies;
  357
  (2) what levels of public transport fares increases and fuel cost increases were assumed in assessing the options in the London assessment studies;

  (3) what would be the estimated cost of implementation of each of the preferred options for each of the London assessment studies.

  Mr. Atkins
  The consultants assumed that public transport fares would rise in line with expected growth in gross domestic product, and that fuel costs would rise midway between the Department of Transport's high and low forecast. Forecast increases for the period from 1986 until 2001 are 46·3 per cent. and 13·7 per cent., respectively.

  Information on the cost and effects of the consultants' options is set out in their stage two reports, which have been placed in the Library.

  Learner Drivers
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list those European Community countries in which it is unlawful to give private driving tuition to learner drivers;

  (2) what studies have been undertaken by his Department of the practices employed in other European Community countries in the supervision of learner drivers.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department is a member of the Commission Internationale Des Examens de Conduite Automobile (CIECA) which exists to exchange information and experience about driver testing and training throughout Europe. We are participating in its latest update of national requirements. The value of these requirements needs to be assessed in the context of the accident records and problems of the countries concerned. CIECA data at present available indicate that Denmark, West Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Portugal do not allow learners to obtain practical driving experience other than through paid professional tuition.

  Aircraft Safety
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to implement the aircraft safety recommendations set out in the Civil Aviation Authority's report on aircraft evacuations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Civil Aviation Authority has the statutory responsibility for regulating safety in civil aviation. Consequently it is for the CAA to consider the results of the Cranfield trials, which were commissioned, funded and published by the CAA.

  British Rail (Investment)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward an amendment to the Railways Act 1968 to permit British Rail to invest speculatively; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  British Rail's duties and powers, which are defined mainly by the Transport Act 1962, enable British Rail to carry out any investment required for the purpose of its business. If my hon. Friend has a particular point in mind, I should be grateful if he would write to me.

  Penalty Points
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will report the results of the monitoring by his Department of the effects of the Penalty Points (Alteration) Order 1988;

  (2) what consultation he has had with the Magistrates Association concerning the effects of the Penalty Points (Alteration) Order 1988.

  Mr. Atkins
  We have invited the Magistrates Association to participate in monitoring the effects of the penalty points alterations which came into force on 1 March this year. No problems have been drawn to our attention so far.

  Traffic Area Organisation
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken on the Palmer report on traffic area organisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr Parkinson
  A number of interested organisations were invited to comment on the recommendations contained in the Palmer report. These are being considered. I expect to reach decisions on the main recommendations early in the new year.

  Gatwick Airport
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to when the TNA security equipment being installed at Gatwick airport will become operational.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The machine, which will be only the third of six production machines to be installed, will be loaned by the FAA for a 12-month trial and evaluation in a United Kingdom airport. We are in close touch with the FAA and Gatwick Airport Ltd. about the arrangements for its installation and operation. Many questions have had to be resolved and other agencies have had to be consulted. Negotiations and consultations are nearing completion. Before the machine can be delivered modifications requested by Gatwick Airport Ltd. will need to be completed by the American manufacturer. It will not become operational as part of the national aviation security programme until initial tests have been satisfactorily carried out.

  Lowlands Airports Policy
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision on the Scottish lowland airports policy review.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend expects to be in a position to announce his decision in the new year.

  British Rail
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss the disposal of British Rail land in Nottingham;

  (2) what rate of return he requires from British Rail on the sale of derelict land holdings;

  (3) what rules apply to the sale of British Rail land and the putting out to tender of such land.
  359
  Mr. Portillo
  The disposal of British Rail land is the responsibility of the British Rail Property Board (BRPB). The board's objectives require it to manage its operational property in accordance with best commercial practice, and to identify and divest itself of all underused or surplus land and property as rapidly as possible, at a proper commercial price.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss the electrification of the midlands main line.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of British Rail regularly. We welcome worthwhile proposals for electrification schemes. I understand that British Rail has no plans to electrify the midland main lines at present.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what correspondence he has had with British Rail regarding the sale of land in Nottingham;

  (2) what fiduciary duties apply to the sale of British Rail land.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend has had no such correspondence. The objectives for the British Rail Property Board require it to secure a proper commercial price when disposing of underused or surplus land.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will place in the Library a copy of the exchange of letters between British Rail and Eurorail referred to in his reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Mailing of 27 November,Official Report, column 81.

  Mr. Portillo
  No. The letters deal with commercially confidential matters.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what points he will require to be satisfied before giving his approval to the detailed shareholders' agreement for the joint venture between British Rail and Eurorail.

  Mr. Portillo
  I shall wish to be satisfied that the proposed joint venture offers value for money for British Rail, for the public and for the taxpayer. The details will depend on the ground to be covered by the agreement.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much direct funding has been provided by Her Majesty's Government to British Rail for(a) capital investment and (b) revenue subsidy in each year from 1980–81 to 1989–90 and projected for 1990–91, all expressed at constant prices.

  Mr. Portillo
  Her Majesty's Government do not usually provide direct funding for British Rail's capital investment programme, but the public service obligation grants meets the difference between costs and revenues for grant supported services. Eligible costs include depreciation, a supplement to fund capital renewals, and interest. Grant therefore provides support for capital investment, but grant is not allocated to particular categories of expenditure. The figures for "rail" investment and for revenue subsidy (PSO and level crossings grants paid in each financial year) are as follows, in £ million and at constant 1989–90 prices:
  360

  Year

  Rail investment

  Revenue subsidy

  1979

  526

  1,040

  1980

  537

  1,035

  1981

  439

  1,262

  1982

  357

  1,222

  1983

  352

  1,202

  1984

  1374

  1,110

  1985–86

  498

  1,060

  1986–87

  482

  912

  1987–88

  604

  915

  1988–89

  609

  2590

  1989–90

  2691

  3517

  41990–91

  962

  462

  1 1984–85 was a 15 month financial period. The figure shown for 1984 is the 12 month equivalent.

  2 Current forecast.

  3 PSO cash ceiling plus estimate for level crossings grant.

  4 Estimates.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Atkins
  In the last financial year the Department made no expenditure on the arts. The Department is involved in many aspects of design across a wide range of activities, with work undertaken both in-house and commissioned from outside bodies. It is not possible to establish the level of expenditure on design, except at disproportionate cost.

  C. Maine Company
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement concerning his Department's inspection of the C. Maine Company, Milford Haven, under the terms of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988; in the light of the European Court judgment in the Jaderow case delivered on 13 December.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  This judgment has no bearing on the registration of fishing vessels under the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.

  Pacer 142 Trains
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of British Rail on the safety of doors on Pacer 142 trains; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  British Rail is required under the statutory accident reporting procedure to notify the Department of a failure on any part of a train which causes, or is likely to cause, an accident. The railway inspectorate is discussing the problems with power doors with the British Railways Board.

  Oil Discharges
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the flag states of eight non-United Kingdom ships alleged to have been responsible for illegal oil discharges in United Kingdom waters since 1984; and when were these cases passed on the competent authorities in the relevant flag states for investigation.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is as follows:
  361

  Flag stale

  Date case passed to competent authority

  Liberia

  13 August 1986

  Liberia

  7 April 1988

  Liberia

  27 July 1988

  Bahamas

  10 December 1988

  Turkey

  27 June 1989

  Cyprus

  3 November 1989

  Brazil

  9 November 1989

  Antigua

  11 December 1989

  Stratford Station
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if there have been any changes in the plans to refurbish Stratford station, London E.15.

  Mr. Portillo
  The planning of station improvements is entirely a matter for the British Railways Board.

  Traffic, (London)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has regarding the total cost per annum arising from traffic congestion in London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department does not make estimates of the annual cost of traffic congestion in London. Congestion causes major problems and the Government have just announced further proposals for dealing with them.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he takes to consider the implications for London traffic flows arising from various building developments in the capital.

  Mr. Atkins
  The traffic implications of most new development in London is for the boroughs to consider as part of their development control and planning responsibilities under the Town and Country Planning Acts. The Government consider the traffic implications of new development affecting trunk roads on a case-by-case basis. It has established special liaison arrangements with the boroughs and the London Docklands development corporation over developments in docklands.

  Newbury Bypass
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision about the proposed route for the Newbury bypass; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Transport are carefully considering all the objections and representations made together with the report and recommendations of the independent inspector who held the public inquiry. They hope to be able to announce their joint decisions very early in the new year.

  Road Excavations
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all those authorities and organisations, both public and private, having a statutory right to dig up roads in London in(a) 1980 and (b) the current year.
  362
  Mr. Atkins
  Information is not available in the form requested. All highway authorities have statutory rights to carry out roadworks. The main public utilities have statutory rights of long standing to place and maintain their apparatus in the public highway. In addition various organisations have powers under public and private legislation or specific authority under licence to carry out excavation in the highway.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what efforts are made to co-ordinate road repairs and road excavation in London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Individual highway authorities co-ordinate those roadworks in London for which they are responsible. The Department attaches particular importance to the careful programming and traffic management arrangements of works on its own roads. The Department also encourages highway authorities to promote cooperation between organisations having statutory rights to excavate roads and to co-ordinate these works with their own. The Goverment have proposed, as part of the legislation they intend to bring forward to implement the recommendations of the Horne report, that in future highway authorities will be given a positive duty to co-ordinate all excavations in the highway with a view to minimising the disruption to road users.

  Greater Manchester Northern Relief Road
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who were the consulting engineers for the centre section of the Greater Manchester northern relief road M6 to M66.

  Mr. Atkins
  Allot and Lomax with G. Maunsell and Partners (in consortium) are looking at options for the M56-M62 section of the Greater Manchester western and northern relief road.

  Planning, (London)
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what organisation he has established in his Department to deal with the strategic planning of London's transport; what is its name; what is its staffing; and at what ranks and grades.

  Mr. Atkins
  Work on the strategic planning of London's transport is undertaken by a number of directorates within the Department, in particular highways, railways, public transport. The heads of these directorates, and colleagues from the Department of the Environment's London regional office, meet regularly to discuss London's transport problems and to co-ordinate action. In this they are supported by a secretariat from the transport policy unit. The unit is headed by a grade 5 and is at present made up of four grade 7s, a senior economic assistant and a personal secretary.

  Driver Testing and Training Division
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the annual report and accounts for driver testing and training division are available.

  Mr. Atkins
  The driver testing and training division's annual report and accounts for 1988–89 have now been issued. I am placing copies in the Library.

  Accounting Procedures
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether in the last 10 years he or his predecessors, either by direction or informally, secured changes in the accounting conventions followed by the British Transport Docks Board, Associated British Ports, the British Airports Authority or British Airways, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: British Transport Docks Board accounts were prepared under the historic cost convention during the period up to privatisation, adding current cost accounts as supplementary from 1980. British Airways accounts were produced under the historic cost convention with current cost accounts as supplementary for the whole period up to privatisation. British Airports Authority accounts were changed from modified historic cost convention to current cost convention in 1980–81 and produced on that basis up to privatisation. The change of convention was decided by the authority and agreed by the Government.

PRIME MINISTER

  Homelessness
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to visit a shelter for the homeless in London or other major city in the United Kingdom during the Christmas period.

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

  Meetings (Mr. David Hart)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) when Mr. David Hart last met Mr. Charles Powell; in what capacity; and for what purpose;

  (2) when Mr. David Hart last met Sir Percy Cradock; and for what purpose;

  (3) when Mr. David Hart last visited Downing street; in what capacity; and for what purpose;

  (4) when Mr. David Hart last visited the Cabinet Office; in what capacity; and for what purpose;

  (5) when she or her officials last met Mr. David Hart; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) at column 1169. Mr. Hart is not employed by me or by 10 Downing street in any capacity.

  My normal practice is and will continue to be neither to confirm nor deny that meetings with private individuals have taken place even in those cases where no such meeting has occurred.

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit the proposed relocation site for the Inland Revenue in Nottingham.

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

  Relocation
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what co-ordination exists between the Treasury and the Department of Transport on the use of British Rail land for the relocation of Government Departments.
  364
  The Prime Minister
  The use of British Rail land is a matter for the British Railways Board, which is free to deal with Government Departments.

  Official Historian
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to establish an official historian's office for the Prime Minister.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Prime Minister what expenditure was made by her office on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  The Prime Minister
  The total expenditure incurred by my office on the arts and design in 1988–89 was £9,794.

  Methodist Church
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received in the last two years asking her to meet leaders of the Methodist Church; when she last met them; and when she next proposes to meet them.

  The Prime Minister
  I receive a considerable number of requests for official meetings each year. I have at present no plans to meet leaders of the Methodist Church.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Select Committees
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward a substantive motion to give effect to the recommendations of the Liaison Committee report of Session 1984–85, HC 363, in respect of the automatic nomination of Select Committees after a general election.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The Government's view of the recommendations of the 1984–85 Liaison Committee was given on 23 November 1987 by my right hon. Friend the Member for Colchester, South and Maldon (Mr. Wakeham) who stated that he did not consider that the existence of a Standing Order providing for nominations for these Committees to be put forward within a prescribed period would necessarily have expedited their establishment in this Parliament.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the expenditure on full-time specialist staff appointed to service departmental Select Committees in each year since 1979.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The grade of temporary assistant (later to become specialist assistant) to Select Committees was introduced to the Clerk's Department in October 1980. The table sets out the numbers of specialist assistants in post at 1 April 1981 to 1 April 1989 and their total annual gross salaries payable at that date. All specialist assistants work for departmental Committees.

  1 April

  Numbers in post

  Total annual gross salary (£)

  1981

  5

  49,730

  1982

  6

  66,168

  1983

  6

  72,646

  365

  1 April

  Numbers in post

  Total annual gross salary(£)

  1984

  5

  64,892

  1985

  4

  53,756

  1986

  5

  69,909

  1987

  5

  75,862

  1988

  4

  61,128

  1989

  7

  117,691

  Voting Records (Press Fee)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Lord President of the Council under what arrangements newspapers and broadcasting stations are being asked to pay a fee to publish details of the Division voting records of hon. Members; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have no knowledge of any such arrangements.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Staff (Pay Scheme)
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement about the discretionary pay scheme for grades 2 and 3 staff in the home Civil Service.

  Mr. Luce
  In the third round of awards made under the arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 23 April 1987, awards have been made to 18 grade 2s and 77 grade 3s. The total number of staff currently granted awards following the first three rounds of the scheme is 36 grade 2s and 149 grade 3s, respectively 26 per cent. and 30 per cent. of each grade. This is within the ceiling of 35 per cent. of each grade recommended by the Top Salaries Review Body earlier this year.

  The full year cost of these awards is £463,400 or about 1·8 per cent. of the annual pay bill for the grades concerned.

  Next Steps
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will set out in the Official Report a table of bodies announced as candidates for Next Steps executive agency status, showing the date of announcement of candidature, date of establishment as agency (where appropriate) and the number of staff and expenditure-turnover for each candidate-agency at latest convenient date.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: The information requested is as follows:

  Agency

  Date announced as candidate

  Established

  Vehicle Inspectorate

  18 February 1988

  1 August 1988

  Companies House

  18 February 1988

  3 October 1988

  HMSO

  18 February 1988

  14 December 1988

  National Weights and

  7 June 1988

  18 April 1989

  Measures Laboratory

  Warren Spring

  7 June 1988

  20 April 1989

  Laboratory

  Resettlement Agency

  18 February 1988

  24 May 1989

  Civil Service College

  9 May 1988

  6 June 1989

  QE11 Conference Centre

  18 February 1988

  6 July 1989

  Historic Royal Palaces

  18 February 1988

  1 October 1989

  Laboratory of the

  7 June 1988

  30 October 1989

  Government Chemist

  Total 10 Agencies

  366

  Announced Candidates for Executive Agency Status

  Dates

  Building Research Establishment

  24 October 1988

  Cadw

  23 October 1989

  Central Office of Information

  9 February 1989

  Central Statistical Office

  5 April 1989

  Central Veterinary Office

  20 April 1989

  Civil Service Commission

  13 April 1989

  Civil Service Occupational Health Service

  9 May 1988

  Defence Accounts Organisation

  18 October 1989

  Defence Research Agency

  18 February 1988

  Department of Registers of Scotland

  29 April 1988

  Driver and Vehicle Licensing Directorate

  18 February 1988

  Driving Standards Agency

  25 July 1988

  Employment Service

  18 February 1988

  Forensic Science Service

  23 May 1989

  Fuel Suppliers Branch

  28 July 1988

  Historic Buildings and Monuments

  29 April 1988

  Hydrographic Office

  18 October 1989

  Insolvency Service

  13 July 1988

  Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce

  11 January 1989

  Land Registry

  26 October 1988

  Meteorological Office

  18 February 1988

  Military Survey

  18 October 1989

  National Engineering Laboratory

  24 July 1989

  National Physical Laboratory

  7 June 1988

  Ordnance Survey

  14 December 1989

  Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute

  19 December 1989

  Passport Office

  18 February 1988

  Patent Office

  13 July 1988

  Planning Inspectorate

  21 December 1988

  Property Holdings

  27 September 1989

  Radiocommunications Division

  13 July 1988

  RAF Training

  18 October 1989

  Royal Mint

  23 November 1989

  Royal Parks

  18 February 1988

  Service Childrens Schools

  18 October 1989

  Social Security IT Services

  17 May 1989

  Social Security Benefits

  17 May 1989

  Training Agency

  5 December 1988

  Vehicles Certification Agency

  25 July 1988

  Veterinary Medicines Directorate

  20 April 1989

  Total 43 Agencies (This includes three in Northern Ireland that are not listed here)

  The numbers of staff and expenditure/turnover for each agency and candidate are contained in annex A of the White Paper "The Finance and Accountability of Next Steps Agencies" (Cm. 914, published on 14 December 1989), except in the case of the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute (ODNRI) which employs 453 staff and has an annual expenditure of £16·4 million.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Mortgage Tax Relief
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of tax units receiving mortgage interest with investment income; and if he will provided a forecast for 1989–90.

  Mr. Lilley
  The information requested is in the tables. These estimates are subject to revision.
  367

  Tax units receiving mortgage interest relief by range of total income 1988–89

  (Thousands)

  Range of total income

  With no investment income

  With investment income

  Total

  Up to £5,000

  240

  280

  520

  £5,000-£ 10,000

  590

  1,380

  1,970

  £10,000-£15,000

  590

  1,970

  2,560

  £15,000-£20,000

  310

  1,510

  1,820

  £20,000-£30,000

  160

  1,350

  1,510

  £30,000 +

  50

  670

  720

  Total

  1,940

  7,160

  9,100

  Tax units receiving mortgage interest relief by range of total income 1989–90

  (Thousands)

  Range of total income

  With no investment income

  With investment income

  Total

  Up to £5,000

  210

  240

  450

  £5,000-£10,000

  490

  1,160

  1,650

  £10,000-£15,000

  530

  1,790

  2,320

  £15,OOO-£2O,O0O

  340

  1,690

  2,030

  £20,000-£30,000

  190

  1,680

  1,870

  £30,000 +

  50

  930

  980

  Total

  1,810

  7,490

  9,300

  Estimates of the numbers of tax units receiving mortgage interest relief are based on information from the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes. In the projections to 1988–89 and 1989–90, it is assumed that the proportions of mortgagors in each income range with investment income are the same as those for 1988–89 provided in previous reply to the hon. Member on 29 July 1988 at columns 732–34.

  Exchange Rate Mechanism
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the next revaluation of the exchange rate mechanism; and whether he will be making representations to that revaluation meeting.

  Mr. Ryder
  Any future realignment of the currencies in the exchange rate mechanism will take place in accordance with the resolution of the European Council of 5 December 1978 on the establishment of the European monetary system and related matters.

  Tax Evasion
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each type of tax currently levied on companies and the number of prosecutions for tax evasion in each category for the latest year in which figures are available.

  Mr. Lilley
  The four main taxes on companies and the number of completed prosecutions for evasion involving these taxes in the year to 31 March 1989 are:

  Tax

  Prosecutions

  Corporation Tax

  6

  Petroleum Revenue Tax

  0

  VAT

  33

  Rates

  1

  368

  1 Being a tax on property rates cannot be "evaded" in the sense that the term is normally understood. It follows there can be no prosecution in respect of rates although there are many civil actions for non-payment.

  Retail Prices Index
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the change in retail prices over the period June 1979 to October 1989, or the most recent month for which figures are available, measured against the retail prices index, of gas, electricity, bread, beer, four star/premium (97–99 RON) petrol net of duty and taxes and of four star/premium (97–99 RON) petrol including duty and taxes.

  Mr. Ryder
  The following table shows the percentage increase in the retail prices index (RPI) between June 1979 and November 1989, together with the equivalent increases for gas, electricity, bread, beer and petrol and oil (inclusive of duty and taxes).

  Percentage increase in the RPI between June 1979 and November 1989

  All items

  112·9

  Gas

  144·2

  Electricity

  122·3

  Bread

  86·7

  Beer

  176·7

  Petrol and oil

  88·8

  The RPI does not measure net prices; nor is a comparison for four-star petrol available separately from the RPI. However, using other sources, it is estimated that the price of four-star petrol increased by some 25 per cent. over approximately the same period net of duty and taxes, and by some 95 per cent. including duty and taxes.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what revenues he receives from the value added tax levied upon the sale of insulation, double glazing and heating control equipment; and whether he will make an estimate regarding the proportion of that tax which is reclaimed by value added tax registered traders.

  Mr. Ryder
  Details of the VAT charged on the supply of insulation, double glazing and heating control equipment are not available separately from other VAT revenue. Neither is it possible to determine the amount of such tax which is recovered by registered traders as part of their normal input tax deductions. When these products are incorporated in new domestic dwellings there is no burden of tax because the supply of new housing is zero rated to the consumer.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the conditions under which value added tax may be recovered from privatised contracts for ancillary services within the National Health Service; and when these conditions were first made known.

  Mr. Ryder
  The conditions under which VAT may be recovered in respect of these contracted out services are set out in the Treasury directions made under the provisions of section 11 of the Finance Act 1984. The first such
  369
  direction was made in 1984 and the latest direction was published in the Edinburgh Gazette in the issue dated 7 April 1989. A copy is in the House Library.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would have been the effect on the retail prices index had tobacco excise duty, inclusive of value added tax, been index linked for 1989–90.

  Mr. Ryder
  It is estimated that the impact effect on the retail prices index of an indexation of tobacco excise duty in 1989–90 would have been to increase the index by 0·15 per cent.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it Government policy to increase the appropriate cash limits in the Autumn Statement in line with inflation.

  Mr. Lamont
  No. Public expenditure is planned and managed in cash.

  Exchange Rates
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the exchange rate of the pound on the date of the publication of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement in terms of(a) the dollar, (b) the deutschmark, (c) the Japanese yen and (d) the sterling index; what are the latest available exchange rates for these categories; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  At the close of business on 15 November and 19 December, the exchange rates against sterling for the specified currencies were as follows:

  $/£

  DM/£

  Yen/£

  £ERI

  15 November

  1·5825

  2·9113

  227·2

  88·7

  19 December

  1·6030

  2·7764

  230·4

  86·6

  Green Pound
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the National Farmers Union concerning a realignment of the green pound and other proposals; and what response he has made.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend receives a large number of representations on a wide variety of subjects.

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure the successful relocation of the Inland Revenue in Nottingham.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Inland Revenue remains committed to its plans to relocate some 2,000 headquarters posts to Nottingham. However, it has always made it clear that its decision is conditional on obtaining a suitable site reasonably quickly on satisactory terms. I very much hope that, with the continuing support of the city and county councils, the department will be able to obtain a site in the near future.
  370
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last discussed the relocation of the Inland Revenue.

  Mr. Lilley
  I keep fully up to date with developments, on the Inland Revenue's proposals to relocate some 2,000 headquarters posts to Nottingham.

  HMSO
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial target he has set Her Majesty's Stationery Office for 1990.

  Mr. Ryder
  I have today laid a further Treasury minute setting HMSO the financial target for 1990 of achieving a profit after interest in current cost accounting terms of ·2.9 million. This compares with the target for 1989 of a profit after interest in current cost accounting terms of £1·7 million.

  Public Servants
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement about the Government's policy of abating the pensions of retired public servants who are re-employed in the public service.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Government have been reviewing the current abatement policy and has decided upon a change. In future, the pay or pension of retired public servants will no longer generally be subject to abatement if they are re-employed in a different public service after retirement. However, those who retire early may continue to be subject to abatement until they reach the normal retirement age in the public service from which they first retired. The administrative arrangements to give effect to the change will be made as soon as possible.

  Abatement will continue to apply for those who are re-employed in the same public service from which they draw pension. The review of this arrangement is not yet complete. I will make a further statement in due course.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of staff in post in central Government Departments at 1 October.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  On 1 October 1989 there were 565,075 staff in post in central Government Departments. Of these 497,294 were non-industrials and 67,781 were industrials. The figures for 1 April 1990 will be published next, when available.

  Non-domestic Construction (VAT)
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue has been raised to date due to the ending of zero-rating on non-domestic construction.

  Mr. Ryder
  Details of the revenue raised in the year to date as a result of the ending of zero rating on non-domestic construction are not available.

  Charities
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to legislate for the removal of taxation on charitable fund raising by appeals like that
  371
  for Children In Need or to make compensatory ex-gratia payments to such appeals of equivalent amounts to any taxation deducted.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: Donations to charitable appeals are not liable to income tax, corporation tax or VAT, provided the donors receive no benefit in return. One-off fund-raising events held by charities are exempt from VAT, and non-charitable bodies can also obtain VAT exemption when organising one-off events as agents of an appeal fund which has charitable status. Income tax or corporation tax may be payable where the fund-raising activities amount to trading but, by concession, the Inland Revenue does not charge tax on the profits where certain conditions are satisfied. Full details of the concession (C4) are contained in the Inland Revenue leaflet IR1 1988.

  Building Societies
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action the Building Societies Commission has taken with regard to full distribution by the Guardian building society to its members;

  (2) what advice the Building Societies Commission gave to the Guardian building society and the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society in respect of prudential matters relating to the proposed merger of the two societies;

  (3) why the Building Societies Commission's advice to the Guardian building society in regard to the proposed merger with the Cheltenham and Gloucester building society had excluded the need for the Guardian building society to obtain an up-to-date valuation of its gross assets, including freehold property.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply to two previous questions on this matter on 11 December 1989 at column 448.

  Distribution of £73 million available to the Hospital and Community Health Services to implement the proposals in the While Paper Working for Patients in 1989–90

  £ million

  Personnel function

  Finance function

  Asset registers

  Medical audit

  Resource management initiative (RMI)1

  RMI(capital)

  Hospital information systems strategy (HISS) revenue

  Training2

  NHS While Paper development projects

  100 consultants

  Total allocated

  Staff

  Training initiatives

  Basic

  Methodology development

  Local projects

  Northern

  0·366

  0·634

  0·015

  0·865

  0·051

  —

  0·053

  1·472

  0·080

  0·255

  0·072

  0·025

  0·397

  4·255

  Yorkshire

  0·411

  0·711

  0·042

  0·920

  0·053

  —

  0·016

  1·794

  0·113

  0·000

  0·054

  0·025

  0·307

  4·446

  Trent

  0·512

  0·887

  0·028

  0·946

  0·064

  —

  0·043

  1·260

  0·410

  0·225

  0·054

  0·050

  0·124

  4·603

  East Anglian

  0·220

  0·381

  0·032

  0·460

  0·031

  —

  0·020

  0·300

  0·000

  0·000

  0·054

  0·994

  0·112

  2·604

  North West Thames

  0·427

  0·739

  0·021

  0·865

  0·051

  —

  0·107

  0·027

  0·000

  0·000

  0·072

  0·050

  0·119

  2·478

  North East Thames

  0·526

  0·910

  0·030

  1·062

  0·063

  —

  0·030

  0·000

  0·000

  0·000

  0·036

  0·000

  0·171

  2·828

  South East Thames

  0·463

  0·801

  0·030

  0·959

  0·060

  —

  0·084

  1·455

  0·392

  0·225

  0·054

  0·085

  0·200

  4·808

  South West Thames

  0·374

  0·648

  0·018

  0·800

  0·044

  —

  0·070

  0·000

  0·000

  0·000

  0·036

  0·025

  0·162

  2·177

  Wessex

  0·307

  0·532

  0·006

  0·643

  0·042

  —

  0·032

  0·332

  0·050

  0·000

  0·036

  0·062

  0·333

  2·375

  Oxford

  0·247

  0·427

  0·112

  0·518

  0·048

  0·090

  0·040

  0·960

  0·060

  0·000

  0·036

  0·000

  0·100

  2·638

  South Western

  0·364

  0·631

  0·033

  0·738

  0·044

  —

  0·054

  0·005

  0·000

  0·000

  0·054

  0·302

  0·265

  2·490

  West Midlands

  0·587

  1·016

  0·029

  1·288

  0·077

  —

  0·017

  0·686

  0·050

  0·000

  0·072

  0·040

  0·162

  4·024

  Mersey

  0·294

  0·509

  0·041

  0·601

  0·036

  —

  0·059

  1·115

  0·060

  0·000

  0·036

  0·025

  0·138

  2·914

  North Western

  0·502

  0·869

  0·045

  1·108

  0·067

  —

  0·026

  1·044

  0·070

  0·000

  0·054

  0·000

  0·348

  4·133

  RHAs Total

  5·600

  9·695

  0·482

  11·773

  0·731

  0·090

  0·651

  10·450

  1·285

  0·675

  0·720

  1·683

  2·938

  46·773

  Others2

  0·100

  0·174

  0·100

  0·227

  0·019

  0·120

  0·065

  0·453

  0·000

  0·650

  0·500

  0·000

  0·100

  2·508

  Grant Total

  5·700

  9·869

  0·582

  12·000

  0·750

  0·210

  0·716

  10·903

  1·285

  1·325

  1·220

  1·683

  3·038

  249·281

  1 Includes RMI training.

  2 Excludes RMI training.

  3 Includes London post-graduate SHAs and NHSTA.

  4 A further £23·757 remains to be allocated.

  372
  The discussions between the building societies concerned and the Building Societies Commission are confidential. Interested parties will have an opportunity to put their representations to the hearing now scheduled by the Commission for 15 February 1990, if the special investors' and borrowers' resolutions are passed.

  Cigarettes
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the burden of excise duty and value-added tax on cigarettes has outstripped the all items retail prices index since 1979.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: The combined excise duty and value added tax levied on a typical packet of 20 king-size cigarettes increased by 32 per cent. more than the retail prices index in the 10 years between October 1979 and October 1989.

HEALTH

  "Working for Patients"
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Heath (1) what is the distribution by National Health Service region, by spending head, and by spending head within each National Health Service region of the sums so far announced for the implementation of the proposals in "Working for Patients" for the financial year 1989–90;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing the distribution between functions and National Health Service regions of the extra resources to implement "Working for Patients" including sums available for medical audit and information technology training.

  Mr. Freeman
  The £73 million available to the hospital and community health services in 1989–90 has been distributed as shown in the table.

  Sight Tests
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Durham area have had eye tests since April 1989; and what was the figure for the same period in 1988.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Statistics relating to private sight tests have not been gathered since April 1989. It is not therefore possible to supply directly comparable figures for the periods in question.

  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to monitor the volume of private sight tests.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State is instituting a survey covering Great Britain which will begin next month. The results should be available in the early spring.

  Miscarriages
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has concerning the number of miscarriages caused by pregnant women coming into contact with chlorydiosis infected sheep.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have assumed that the question was intended to refer to sheep infected with chlamydia psittaci. The information available for the years since 1984 is shown in the table:

  Chlamydia B/Chlamydia Psittaci 1984–88

  Laboratory reports to PHLS CDSC of miscarriage/abortions in cases of known contact with aborting sheep or who had ovine infections.

  Year

  Total lab reports

  2Miscarriage/Abortions

  1984

  410

  1

  1986

  326

  2

  11989

  568

  2

  Total

  2,516

  25

  1Provisional.

  2 Evidence for ovine origin is difficult to determine.

  HIV-positive Children
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines have been issued to establishments under his control about the admission of children who are HIV positive.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department manages two youth treatment centres which look after adolescent boys and girls. Testing for HIV antibodies is not carried out routinely.

  The centres have been advised that a young person infected with HIV antibodies could be managed satisfactorily and in the normal way until or unless the need for specialised medical treatment or nursing care became necessary. They have been further advised that the best protection for people working and living there is to adhere scrupulously to sensible and basic standards of hygiene, to ensure the close supervision of the young residents and to provide them with planned sex education curricula within their broader health education. In addition, the centres have been asked to provide staff training directed towards the understanding of infections such as AIDS and hepatitis B and their prevention.

  Adoptions
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children from overseas countries have been adopted by British citizens during each of the last five years; and, of this number, how many were from countries which do not operate similar adoption procedures to the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not available.

  Airports (Public Health)
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Heath what steps are being taken to strengthen public health regulations at Britain's international airports to reduce the risk of diseases being brought into the United Kingdom on aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979 relate to incoming and outgoing aircraft and authorise measures to be taken to prevent danger to public health and the spread of infection. They are being considered within the review of the law on infectious disease control in England and Wales currently being conducted by the Department as I announced on 24 October 1989 in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) at columns 411–12.

  Doctors
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Heath if he will give for each year since 1959 the number of doctors employed by the National Health Service, with each year also expressed as a percentage change of the previous year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Comparable data are not available prior to 1971. Informtion from 1971 is as shown in the table. Prior to 1975 comparable community health service medical staff figures are not available and are therefore not included.

  Year

  All doctors1

  Percentage change

  1971

  44,950

  1972

  46,498

  3·4

  1973

  48,110

  3·5

  1974

  49,107

  2·1

  1975

  55,629

  1976

  57,167

  2·8

  1977

  58,502

  2·3

  1978

  60,001

  2·6

  1979

  61,554

  2·6

  1980

  63,130

  2·6

  1981

  64,612

  2·3

  1982

  65,591

  1·5

  1983

  66,910

  2·0

  1984

  67,282

  0·6

  1985

  68,194

  1·4

  1986

  68,839

  0·9

  1987

  69,532

  1·0

  1988

  270,995

  2·1

  1Includes permanent paid and honorary staff; excludes locum staff, hospital practitioners and clinical assistants in the hospital and community health services. Includes general medical practitioners

  2 Includes 129 additional posts not shown in the main census, which have been returned late by regions.

  Abortion
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many representations he has received from(a) men and (b) women regarding abortion, in the past six months; how many of each of those categories were (i) for and (ii) against; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is not always possible to tell from a signature who wrote the letters or to distinguish between those in favour of a lower time limit or against abortion.

  Research Data
  Mr. John Townend
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will make an assessment as to the ownership of anonymised data for research purposes produced by general practitioners on computers provided by third parties.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Torridge and Devon, West (Miss Nicholson) on 13 December at column 681.

  Amniocentesis Tests
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the rate of miscarriage in pregnant women as a result of receiving an amniocentesis; and if he will give the source of his information.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A recent report from the Royal College of Physicians states that the best studies suggest a 1 per cent. excess risk of spontaneous abortion following amniocentesis. (Source:Prenatal diagnosis and genetic screening. Royal College of Physicians, September 1989, paragraphs 2·33–2·35.)

  Conductive Education
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Government have put into Peto clinic-style rehabilitation in each of the years since 1979 at constant prices; and what additional funding his Department has put aside for local authorities to assist such treatment over the same period.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information is not available in the form requested. Health authorities provide a wide range of treatment and rehabilitation services for disabled children. It is for individual authorities to allocate resources to these services in the light of their own circumstances.

  Hospices
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will obtain a copy of the proceedings of the annual conference of "Help the Hospices" regarding current funding for his departmental library.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Yes.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department gives to the Nottingham hospice of 384 Woodborough road, Nottingham NG3 4JF.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None. I understand that the project is funded by a trust and a contribution from local finance.
  376
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to bring funding arrangements for hospices in England into line with those in Scotland.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 15 December at columns 846–47.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has had from(a) the Nottingham hospice and (b) the Nottingham district health authority regarding the funding of the hospice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received no representations from the Nottingham hospice and the district health authority regarding funding of the hospice. I understand that the health authority provides some 25 hospice beds and has given the Nottinghamshire hospice some funds until April 1990.

  Midwives
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the grading of those post-registration midwives whose courses began prior to 1 April 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received a number of representations since the staff and management sides of the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council agreed in October 1988 on a new provision for staff who entered training after 1 April 1988.

  The Government have made their position clear in their response to the fourth report from the Social Services Committee 1988–89 "Resourcing the National Health Service: Midwives' Regrading 1988–89".

  Elderly People
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available to him on services currently being provided under section 45 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 which could not be provided under other legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We do not collect information in this form.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of(a) board and lodgings for military personnel, (b) use of military petrol and vehicles, (c) police overtime, (d) payments to St. John Ambulance and (e) payments to the Red Cross Society so far incurred in the ambulance dispute.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not available centrally of the costs of police overtime or of payments to St. John Ambulance and the Red Cross Society incurred so far in the ambulance dispute. It is understood that extra costs have been incurred by the armed forces of £0·792 million up to 30 November 1989.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.
  377
  Mr. Freeman
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Emergency Calls
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance personnel have been(a) killed, (b) seriously injured and (c) slightly injured in each of the past 10 years (i) in accidents while proceeding to an emergency call and (ii) while at the scene of an emergency call.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally.

  Vaccination Leaflet
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why the Health Education Authority has withdrawn the leaflet MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccination reference 1D19 ISBNI 85448 050 2 printed by Graphoprint 8/88 and replaced it with an edition which is identical save for the photograph of the child on the cover; how many copies were printed of the 1988 edition; how many remained in stock at the time of its replacement by the 1989 edition; how many copies of the 1989 edition have been printed; what was the reason for the replacement of the original photograph by the new one on the front of the 1989 edition; what was the cost of the 1988 and 1989 editions; and what was the cost of changing the photograph.

  Mr. Freeman
  A new edition of the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccination leaflet (ID19) was produced only after all stocks of the original leaflet were used. A new photograph was used after Health Education Authority research indicated that the original had limited appeal.

  The original leaflet cost £16,198 for 1.279,000 copies, and a reprint cost £6,095 for a further 400,000 leaflets. The new printing cost £9.785 for 850,000 leaflets, plus £400 for the new photograph.

  Region

  All

  Haemophiliacs

  Non-Haemophiliac Recipients of blood or blood products

  HIV+ (i)

  AIDS cases (ii)

  AIDS deaths (iii)

  HIV+ (iv)

  AIDS cases (v)

  AIDS deaths (vi)

  HIV+ (vii)

  AIDS cases (viii)

  AIDS deaths (ix)

  Northern

  305

  54

  33

  89

  17

  13

  *

  *

  *

  Yorkshire

  323

  66

  37

  65

  19

  10

  *

  *

  *

  Trent

  283

  51

  27

  63

  *

  *

  *

  *

  0

  East Anglia

  171

  32

  18

  39

  *

  *

  *

  0

  0

  North West Thames

  3,089

  1,063

  499

  33

  *

  *

  17

  *

  *

  North East Thames

  2,048

  497

  265

  163

  27

  18

  29

  *

  *

  South East Thames

  979

  271

  154

  113

  19

  *

  *

  *

  *

  South West Thames

  303

  92

  54

  22

  *

  *

  10

  *

  *

  Wessex

  251

  57

  32

  27

  *

  *

  *

  *

  0

  Oxford

  349

  52

  30

  115

  14

  *

  *

  *

  *

  South Western

  259

  55

  31

  36

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  West Midlands

  375

  56

  27

  147

  *

  *

  *

  0

  0

  Mersey

  162

  34

  24

  46

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  North Western

  388

  93

  59

  28

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  Channel Islands

  20

  *

  *

  *

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Wales

  144

  43

  29

  18

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  Northern Ireland

  62

  13

  *

  16

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Scotland

  1,707

  118

  58

  76

  *

  *

  12

  *

  *

  Total

  11,218

  2,649

  1,388

  1,097

  161

  102

  110

  44

  32

  Self-governing Hospitals
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what central funding is being made available for feasibility studies by hospitals considering self-governing status.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No central funds have been allocated specifically for work on feasibility studies by hospitals which have expressed an interest in NHS trust status.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (i) the numbers of HIV positive persons. (ii) the numbers of AIDS patients and (iii) the number of deaths from AIDS, in each standard region and in the United Kingdom since the AIDS epidemic began; and if he will show(a) the numbers of haemophiliacs so affected and (b) the numbers of non-haemophiliacs so affected as a consequence of infected blood products.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 29 November 1989]: The table shows the total numbers of HIV positive reports, AIDS cases and deaths of people with AIDS reported to the communicable disease surveillance centre and the communicable diseases (Scotland) unit to the end of September 1989, the numbers of those who were haemophiliacs, and the numbers of non-haemophiliacs thought to have been infected through receipt of blood or blood products in the United Kingdom or abroad.

  The regional breakdown is by regional health authority rather than standard regions as requested. All numbers in the tables which are fewer than 10 are represented by an asterisk to safeguard confidentiality, in line with the procedure followed in reports under the AIDS (Control) Act.

  Speech Therapists
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the independent experts which have been called in to advise at the Department of Health—National Health Service manpower planning advisory group on the recruitment and retention of speech therapists;

  (2) on what dates discussions have taken place on recruitment and retention rates of speech therapists at the Department of Health—National Health Service manpower planning advisory group;

  (3) over what period and in which authorities area data collection took place to inform the Department of Health —National Health Service manpower planning advisory group on recruitment and retention rates of speech therapists;

  (4) when the Department of Health—National Health Service manpower planning advisory group decided to study recruitment and retention rates of speech therapists;

  (5) which areas of speech therapy have been examined in the Department of Health—National Health Service manpower planning advisory group on recruitment and retention patterns of speech therapists.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 29 November 1989]: Work on the recruitment and retention of speech therapists is being undertaken as part of the national professional manpower initiative. This is a joint initiative launched in December 1987 between the Departments of Health, the manpower planning advisory group and the professional bodies concerned. The aim is to improve the quality and flow of information between the service, the professions and the Health Departments. This will enable the more informed analysis of, for example, recruitment and retention issues. For those staff groups covered by the pay review body for the professions allied to medicine, the aim is also to provide improved manpower information for the review body. The initiative covers all health authorities.

  The initiative has been discussed with representatives of speech therapy including a nominee from the College of Speech Therapists acting as the formal link between the college and the Department.

  Benzodiazepines
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to promote alternatives to treatment by benzodiazepine drugs in future.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: That some patients can become addicted to benzodiazepine drugs is well known in the medical profession. This is one of the factors that doctors bear in mind when considering alternative treatment possibilities for their patients, such as counselling. What form of treatment will be more effective for particular patients is a matter for the clinical judgment of their doctors. Ministers would not wish to seek to promote particular forms of treatment, either generally or for particular groups of patients.

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received about providing compensation for ex-service personnel who took part in the nuclear testing programme.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A number of representations have been made by right hon. and hon. Members and by others regarding compensation for participants in the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons test programme. As the Government have made clear on many occasions, we would be ready to pay compensation wherever the Crown's legal liability was established and where there was firm evidence to show that, on a balance of probabilities, ex-service personnel had suffered ill health as a result of exposure to radiation during the course of their duties as members of the armed forces.

  British Forces, Germany
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any proposals to change the level of British armed forces based in Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Conventional arms control discussions underway in Vienna concern certain categories of equipment held by the British armed forces. It is too early, however, to assess the impact of a CFE agreement on British forces in the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current manpower of(a) the Berlin Brigade, (b) the Royal Air Force in Germany and (c) the British Army of the Rhine.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The current peacetime establishment figures are as follows:

  (a) Berlin Brigade—a little under 3.000

  (b) the Royal Air Force in Germany—12,182 and

  (c) the British Army of the Rhine—55,200.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the amount of low flying carried out by the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Defence Establishments (Security)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures he is taking to improve security at his Department's establishments in West Germany; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It would not be appropriate to comment on individual security measures. However, a wide range of new security measures have been implemented recently in West Germany and further major measures are in prospect. Close liaison is also maintained with the Federal Republic of Germany authorities, which have primary responsibility for the prevention of terrorist crimes outside United Kingdom bases.

  RAF Installation (Aird Uig)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the former Royal Air Force installation at Aird Uig, Isle of Lewis, was disposed of and to whom; and what was the price paid.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The NATO communications installation at Aird Uig, which is operated by the RAF, remains in use. Only the adjoining domestic accommodation area amounting to some 12 acres was sold to a private individual in March 1973, but it is known that the site has been resold several times since then. It is not our practice to disclose details of commercial transactions.

  Amphibious Warfare
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to implement the Royal Navy's requirement for vessels to maintain its amphibian warfare capability.

  Mr Neubert
  The Government are committed to maintaining the Royal Navy amphibious capability in the longer term. To this end, we are currently examing the results of studies into replacing the capability offered by HMS Fearless and HMS Intrepid, either by extending their planned lives or by new build. A decision will be made in good time before these ships reach the end of their current useful lives. We are also evaluating the tenders we received earlier this year for the aviation support ship. We hope to be in a position to place an order during 1990. We will continue to maintain our force of landing ships logistic.

  Crown Immunity
  Mr Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many section 10 certificates have been issued since 1979 in respect of members of the services, excluding those who were nuclear test veterans.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend's responsibilities are limited to issuing certificates, under section 10(3) of the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, confirming the duty status of a member of the armed forces on any particular occasion. It is not possible to provide full details of all section 10(3) certificates issued since 1979, as these have not been kept. However, our records show that 11 such certificates have been issued in the four years from 1986 to date; of these, one related to a nuclear test veteran.

  Pirbright Ranges
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why it is proposed to extend the danger area at Pirbright ranges; what land clearance has been undertaken in preparation; whether the Nature Conservancy Council has been consulted; why Pirbright parish council has not been notified of these proposals; and if he will now take steps to ensure that local residents are fully informed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no plans to extend the danger area of the Pirbright ranges in the foreseeable future.

  Armed Forces (Fatalities)
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of Her Majesty's forces have been killed in each of the past five calendar years(a) as a result of terrorist action and (b) in other ways in the course of their duty; and what would have been the cost to the Exchequer if those killed, in each category, had been guaranteed a mimimum payment to their next of kin by the Ministry of Defence equivalent to one year's salary.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to my hon. Friend.

  Tanks
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central of 14 December,Official Report, column 822, if he will list the matters relating to tanks discussed between General Dynamics and his officials.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The details of meetings between General Dynamics and my officials to discuss possible future orders for tanks for the British Army are commercially confidential.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Neubert
  I am not aware of any expenditure made by my Department on either the arts or design as such during the last financial year. To research the matter fully would incur disproportionate costs.

  Reservists
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give details of the steps being taken in his Department towards expanding the size and role of reservists in British military capability; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Since 1979 the Ministry of Defence has set in hand measures to increase all volunteer reserve services. The Royal Naval Reserve has 11 new fleet minesweepers and has increased the numbers of communications and medical staffs. The role of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service has been expanded to include participation in the defence of ports and anchorages. Two new detachments of the Royal Marines Reserve have been formed to enhance and support 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and to undertake home defence tasks. Measures affecting the TA have included the raising of six new TA infantry battalions, an air defence regiment and five batteries, and eight airfield damage repair units. The Home Service Force has been established and 43 companies have now been raised. Seven new auxiliary field squadrons of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force have been formed to defend airfields, together with an auxiliary air movements squadron and an auxiliary aeromedical evacuation squadron. Some additional small measures are also under consideration.
  383
  Action continues to recruit volunteers for these services and to improve retention. Response from employers to the campaign to provide support for the Volunteer Reserves has been most encouraging.

  Home Defence
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the study of logistic sustainability of home defence being conducted by his Department.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The logistic requirements of our military home defence plans are reviewed periodically. Such a review is currently in progress, but it is not our practice to comment in detail on matters of this kind.

  Garrison Stables (Berlin)
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are employed in the garrison stables in Berlin; how many horses are stabled there; how many of these horses are owned by his Department; and how many by private individuals.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The British garrison stables in Berlin have three horses owned by the Ministry of Defence, nine ponies and 10 horses of the saddle club and 10 horses at livery owned by private individuals. Four soldier grooms are employed there.

  Sea Wolf
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans for further development of vertical launched Sea Wolf.

  Mr. Neubert
  Pre-feasibility studies have been completed and feasibility studies are expected to start shortly to examine the possibilities of updating all versions of the Sea Wolf point defence missile system.

  FMC Company, USA
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has had any discussions about defence contracts with or involving the FMC company of the United States of America.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My Department has had some discussions with the FMC Company of the United States of America concerning the possible purchase of equipment for the MLRS programme. Our purchases, however, have been made through Prime Contractors, LTV and EPG.

  The United Kingdom arm of the company, FMC Corporation UK, is on the defence contractors list. There is no record of any current contract with the company.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Race Relations
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1987–88 to 1990–91 the amount of actual or planned expenditure on section 11 grant.

  Mr. John Patten
  The amount of grant paid, or estimated to be paid under section 11 of the Local 384
  Government Act 1966 for the years in question is set as follows. This represents the Home Office element (75 per cent.) of the total expenditure, the remainder being the local authority contribution.

  Financial year

  Grant £ million

  1987–88

  93

  1988–89

  89

  1989–90

  115

  1990–91

  110

  The figure for the current year includes anticipated payments in respect of earlier years.

  Sports Grounds
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to amend the Public Order Act, section 5, in the light of recent reports on crowd safety and control at sports grounds.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have no plans to do so.

  Security
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the powers that regulate and control(a) non-Home Office police in the public sector and (b) private security firms performing a policing role; and if he will list all groups falling within category (a).

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The main non-Home Office police forces in the public sector are the British Transport police, the Ministry of Defence police, the Royal Parks constabulary and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority constabulary; statutory responsibility for these forces and for legislation or regulation governing them rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Transport, for Defence, for the Environment and for Energy.

  There are also some small bodies of constables operating on private property which are established under private legislation, which arc not directly answerable to a Minister, and on which information is not held centrally. We know of one case (at Parkeston quay) where members of a security force, sworn in as special constables under such legislation, were provided under contract to the harbour authority by a private security firm. The accountability of the members of such a force lies to the law and to the courts and to the statutory harbour authority.

  Police officers in the main non-Home Office police forces and some of the smaller forces are required to comply with the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and the codes of practice within the area of their jurisdiction, by agreements made under section 96 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

  The Government look to the private security industry to provide self-regulation. Considerable progress has been made by trade associations and regulatory bodies within the industry. We are currently considering, in the light of the report of a Home Office working group, whether there is scope for further improvement in self-regulation.

  Television Licence Fees
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions have been obtained concerning television licence fee evasion for each year of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The following information has been supplied by the national television licence records office. Provision of details for earlier years would involve disproportionate cost.

  Offenders found guilty of television licence fee evasion

  United Kingdom

  Financial year

  Number of convictions

  1984–85

  110,042

  1985–86

  123,122

  1986–87

  174,509

  1987–88

  158,182

  1988–89

  172,604

  The increase in recent years results from improvements in the detection rate.

  People who find the licence fee hard to pay in one lump sum can now take advantage of the new budget payments scheme. This enables colour licence payers to obtain a licence on payment of the first of four quarterly direct debit instalments.

  Prison Officers' Quarters
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have been allocated a second quarter while still registered as having a quarter in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Mellor
  This information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, I am aware of only two cases where a second quarter has been allocated to a prison officer before surrender of the original quarter with vacant possession.

  Police Disciplinary Codes
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the sections of police disciplinary codes that relate to giving misleading evidence in court.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Depending on the circumstances in which the offence takes place, such behaviour may fall within any one of a number of sections of the discipline code, including those relating to discreditable conduct (section 1), disobedience (section 3), falsehood or prevarication (section 5) or criminal conduct (section 16).

  Game Licences
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total net product of the sale of game licences in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The face value of game licences sold in England and Wales since 1981 is given in the table. Information on previous years is not readily to hand.
  386

  Year

  £

  1981–82

  191,210

  1982–83

  199,354

  1983–84

  204,370

  1984–85

  201,154

  1985–86

  196,146

  1986–87

  192,940

  1987–88

  205,114

  1988–89

  210,310

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer of 14 December,Official Report, columns 785–86, if he will specify the offence and the sentence of the only IRA member on category B, apart from the men convicted of the Birmingham bombings.

  Mr. Mellor
  The prisoner was convicted on 12 counts of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment on each count. Concurrent sentences of 20 years and five years imprisonment, together with a consecutive sentence of 10 years imprisonment, were also imposed for three convictions for causing explosions likely to endanger life and property.

  Irish Foreign Minister
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Foreign Minister of Ireland; what was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. and learned Friend has not yet met the Irish Foreign Minister. My right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) last met him as Home Secretary on 13 September 1989. They discussed matters of common concern to both Governments.

  Immigration
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total number of immigrants from New Commonwealth, or previously New Commonwealth countries(a) admitted for settlement in the United Kingdom or (b) admitted on such a basis as may eventually entitle them to United Kingdom citizenship with right of abode.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of persons from the new commonwealth and Pakistan accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1980–88 is published in table 22 of the annual Home Office volume "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1998" (Cm 726).

  Under the British Nationality Act 1981 British dependent territory citizens, British nationals (overseas), British overseas citizens, British subjects and British' protected persons who have been accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom, and fulfil the other conditions of section 4(2) of the Act are entitled to British citizenship. There is now no entitlement to citizenship for other adults, though those who have been accepted for settlement and fulfil the other relevant conditions of the Act may apply for citizenship by naturalisation, which is at the Home Secretary's discretion.

  The numbers of British dependent territory citizens from Hong Kong (including British nationals (overseas))

  387
  and of British overseas citizens, accepted for settlement in recent years is also shown in the aforementioned table 22. The numbers of acceptances for settlement of British dependent territory citizens other than from Hong Kong, of British subjects and of British protected persons are not separately identified in the settlement figures. However, information on grants of British citizenship in 1988 for most of these categories is shown in table 4 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 9/89 "Citizenship Statistics, United Kingdom 1988"

  Copies of both these publications are in the Library.

  Gun Clubs
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representation he has received concerning his proposals for the control of gun clubs; and if he will ensure that his proposals do not prohibit the practice of day membership for visitors or novices.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We have received a number of representations from right hon. and hon. Members, shooting organisations, individual clubs, and members of the public. We shall give careful consideration to the practice of day membership in the light of these and the advice of the firearms consultative committee.

  Police Officers (Housing Allowance)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to alleviate the difficulties facing police officers who have moved or will move to other forces before 1 April 1990 who cannot sell their houses in the depressed housing market and who will lose personal protection under the proposed replacement of rent allowance by housing allowance; if he will make it his policy to continue protection whilst present conditions persist; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend has already made it clear that he does not wish to see any officer receiving less by way of allowance after 31 March 1990 than he or she was receiving by way of rent allowance on that date. He is not clear that more than this could be justified. He will, however, consider my hon. Friend's point before reaching any final decision.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that police officers continue to be motivated to apply for senior positions in forces other than the one in which they are now serving, in view of the loss of personal protection known as red circling under the proposed replacement of rent allowance by housing allowance.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to be receiving shortly the recommendations of the Police negotiating board on rent allowance. In coming to his decisions he will bear in mind the need to ensure that senior police officers continue to be motivated to apply for senior positions.

  Emergency Calls
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firemen have been(a) killed, (b) seriously injured and (c) slightly injured in the past 10 years (i) in accidents while proceeding to an emergency call and (ii) while at the scene of an emergency call.
  388
  Mr. John Patten
  During 1979–1988 fire brigades in England and Wales reported firefighters killed and injured in the course of duty as follows:

  Killed in the course of operational duty

  as a result of firefighting or a special ser vice call

  as a result of a road accident

  Injured at an incident causing prolonged absence from duty

  1979

  2

  297

  1980

  3

  1

  341

  1981

  2

  0

  264

  1982

  4

  2

  270

  1983

  5

  0

  311

  1984

  3

  0

  249

  1985

  1

  4

  312

  1986

  0

  1

  303

  1987

  4

  3

  301

  1988

  0

  0

  327

  Totals

  23

  13

  2,975

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been(a) killed, (b) seriously injured and (c) slightly injured in each of the past 10 years in (i) accidents while proceeding to an emergency call and (ii) the execution of their duty.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is not available in the form requested. However, the following table sets out the number of deaths of police officers on duty during the years 1979 to 1988 inclusive, divided between homicides and other deaths, including accidental deaths.

  Homicides

  Other deaths

  Total

  1979

  1

  9

  10

  1980

  1

  4

  5

  1981

  1

  9

  10

  1982

  5

  10

  15

  1983

  4

  12

  16

  1984

  3

  12

  15

  1985

  1

  6

  7

  1986

  0

  9

  9

  1987

  2

  9

  11

  1988

  2

  1

  3

  Details of the circumstances surrounding these deaths are not held centrally. It is therefore not possible to determine whether deaths occurred in response to an emergency call, or, in the case of deaths not due to homicide whether death was accidental or due to negligence on the part of a person involved in the incident. Details of officers injured on duty are not held centrally.

  Elections (Candidates' Expenses)
  Sir Hal Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress on the proposed review of the system of controls on candidates' expenses at elections, announced on 21 June,Official Report, columns 131–33.

  Mr. Waddington
  I have placed in the Library copies of a consultation paper on candidates' election expenses, which the Home Departments are issuing today to representatives of the main political parties and local authorities. The paper briefly sets out the main issues which arise and indicates possible ways forward. Views are invited from any interested individuals or organisations,
  389
  and copies of the consultation paper can be obtained free of charge from D Division, room 739, Home Office, Queen Anne's gate, London SW1H 9AT; or Division IIA, room 227B, Scottish Home and Health Department, St. Andrew's house, Edinburgh EH1 3DE; or CPL Division, Northern Ireland Office, Whitehall, London SW1A 2AZ.

  Radio Authority
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to establish the Radio Authority.

  Mr. Waddington
  I am setting up the Radio Authority in shadow form on I January 1990. The appointment of Lord Chalfont as chairman has already been announced. I have today appointed the following to become members on 1 January:

  Mr. John Grant

  Mr. Richard Hooper

  Mrs. Jill McIvor

  Mr. Ranjit Sondhi

  One further appointment will be made in due course. Subject to parliamentary approval of the Broadcasting Bill, I intend to establish the authority with its full statutory powers on 1 January 1991.

  Independent Television Commission
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to establish the Independent Television Commission.

  Mr. Waddington
  I am setting up the Independent Television Commission (ITC) in shadow form on 1 January 1990. The appointments of Mr. George Russell as chairman and Lord Chalfont as a member have already been announced. I have today appointed Lady Popplewell and Professor James Ring to become members on 1 January. Further appointments will be made in due course. Subject to parliamentary approval of the Broadcasting Bill, I intend to establish the ITC with its full statutory powers on 1 January 1991.

  Visas (Indian Sub-Continent)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the refusal rate for queues 1, 2, 3 and 4 at each British post on the Indian sub-continent in 1989; and what were the comparable figures for 1988, 1987 and 1986.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: The information requested is not available centrally.

  Perjury
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of people convicted of the offence of perjury in 1986, 1987, 1988 and in 1989; and what is the average length of the sentences.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: The information requested is given in the table. Data for 1989 are not yet available.
  390

  Offenders convicted of perjury and average sentence lengths

  England and Wales

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Convictions

  124

  167

  205

  Numbers sentenced to immediate custody

  61

  52

  77

  Average sentence lengths (months)

  9

  11

  8

  Diplomatic Bags
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions he has had with his counterparts in other European Community countries to ensure that diplomatic bags are subject to non-intrusive searches;

  (2) what plans he has to require the non-intrusive searching of diplomatic bags entering and leaving the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have been asked to reply.

  None.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether accountancy firms who enjoy a monopoly of the external audit function are required to publish their financial statements.

  Mr. Redwood
  Under section 389(6)(c) of the Companies Act 1985, a body corporate is not qualified for appointment as auditor of a company. Accountancy practices which undertake statutory audit of companies are established as sole traders or partnerships and, as such, are not required to publish accounts. The Companies Act 1989 removes the prohibition on the appointment of a body corporate as auditors and, once section 25 of the Act is brought into force, it will be open to accountants conducting statutory audits to incorporate if they so wish, in which case they will be subject to the statutory duties and responsibilities of companies.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will provide a list of the auditing firms which his Department has criticised since June 1979 that have been allowed to make auditing policy through their membership of the auditing practices committee and its working parties;

  (2) whether any Arthur Andersen personnel have representatives on the accounting standards committee or its working parties, and on the auditing practices committee;

  (3) whether since 1979 any individuals appointed to the auditing practices committee and its working parties have come from (a) firms criticised by his Department's inspectors and (b) firms sued for negligence by the Government.

  Mr. Redwood
  As I explained in the replies I gave on 27 November at columns 92–93, on 13 December at column 702 and on 18 December at column 22 to questions by the hon. Member, membership of the Accounting Standards Committee and the Auditing Practices Committee is a matter for the Consultative Committee of Accountancy

  391
  Bodies, which has made clear that voting members of those committees are appointed on a personal basis and are not to regard themselves as delegates of sectional interests.

  Auditors
  Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the register of auditors which the recognised supervisory bodies are required to maintain under the Companies Act 1989 includes information relating to(a) criticisms of the firm by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors and (b) criticisms of firms by any disciplinary committee of the profession.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Corporate Insolvencies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the number of corporate insolvencies in 1988 and 1989, to date, in Britain; and in how many of those cases the companies in question received a going concern qualification in their last accounts prior to going into receivership.

  Mr. Redwood
  The chief executive of Companies house tells me that in Great Britain in the financial year 1988–89, and up to 30 November in the current year, 1,252 and 1,367 companies were placed in receivership, and 13,900 and 9,056 in liquidation respectively.

  No information is available on the number of companies who, in their last accounts prior to receivership or liquidation, received a going concern qualification from their auditors.

  Richards Shipbuilders Ltd.
  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about an application from Richards Shipbuilders Ltd. for assistance from the shipbuilding intervention fund.

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about an application from Richards Shipbuilders Ltd. for assistance from the shipbuilding intervention fund.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I am pleased to announce that I have approved in principle a grant from the shipbuilding intervention fund which will enable Richards Shipbuilders Ltd. confirm an order for a tug which will be constructed at its Great Yarmouth yard for the Alexandra Towing Co. Ltd. This order will maintain employment at this yard.

  Credit Cards
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to abolish the no discrimination rule imposed by credit card companies in the light of the Monopolies and Mergers report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  On 22 August, I published the report by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of credit card services in the United Kingdom. I announced that I would welcome the views of all interested parties on the MMC's recommendation to end the "no discrimination" rule in the United Kingdom. Under this rule,392
  imposed by the credit card companies, traders are required to charge the same price for purchases made with Visa or Mastercard/Eurocard (which includes Access) credit cards as for those paid for by cash or other means.

  I have received representations on this issue from a wide range of people including members of the credit card organisations, retailers and the general public. I have considered carefully, the views they expressed. In accordance with the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading, I have concluded that the no discrimination rule is anti-competitive. It restricts the freedom of retailers to set their own prices. This is a serious restriction on competition. Credit card purchases amounted to over £16 billion last year. Therefore I have decided that the rule should be brought to an end. I am asking the Director General of Fair Trading to seek the necessary undertakings. In the meantime, application of the rule remains a matter for the credit card companies.

  The effect of ending the rule will be to give retailers the freedom to choose whether or not to charge the same whether payment is made by credit card or cash. It will be for retailers to decide whether to offer different prices. They will not be obliged to do so. I intend, subject to the statutory consultation procedures, to bring in regulations under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 to require that any price indication makes clear whether differential pricing applies.

  Whether retailers find it attractive to take advantage of this new freedom will depend in part on the charges they themselves pay to the credit card companies. The MMC concluded that the level of profitability of five credit card companies accounting for some 80 per cent. of credit card lending last year was sufficiently above that which might have been expected in conditions of normal competition to be against the public interest. The MMC did not make any specific recommendations because of the prospect of increased competition. However, during the recent consultation period, considerable concern was expressed about the charges to retailers, including the interchange fee.

  I have therefore decided to go further than the MMC recommended by taking steps to increase competition in this area. Credit card companies will have to provide the Director General of Fair Trading with information on the range of charges to retailers and the interchange fees which they have been making and to publish similar information on their current charges. As well as enabling the director general to keep the position under review, this should act as a spur to competition and should strengthen retailers' ability to negotiate the level of charges with them. I intend to discuss these additional remedies with the credit card organisations and their members before initiating the statutory consultation procedure that is required before making orders under the Fair Trading Act.

  I announced last autumn that I was accepting the Commission's recommendation that the two credit card organisations, Visa and Mastercard-Eurocard should no longer restrict the freedom of issuers of their cards in the United Kingdom to act as merchant acquirers, recruiting traders to take credit cards and handling the subsequent transactions. The Director General of Fair Trading is seeking appropriate undertakings from these organisations. These measures in combination with increasing competition should remedy the adverse effects identified by the Commission in its report. Nevertheless, with the

  393
  Director General of Fair Trading, I will watch developments closely. If necessary, I will consider taking further action.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement indicating his preferred option for insurance cover connected with the use of credit cards in the retail sector.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: In August my Department issued a consultation document which proposed that where credit payment insurance and other ancillary services are offered as optional additions under a credit agreement, acceptance of the option should require a positive expression of acceptance by the borrower, such as the ticking of a box. A number of representations on this proposal have been received and are now under consideration.

  Post Office (Procurement Activities)
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made by the Post Office in the implementation of the recommendations made in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report on the Post Office's procurement activities.

  Mr. Forth
  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission reported on the Post Office's procurement activities in October 1986. The Post Office's initial response, produced in January 1987, partially rejected one and accepted the remainder of the report's 49 recommendations. A report on progress to October 1987 was placed in the Library in December 1987. Nearly half the MMC's recommendations had been implemented by that time.

  I have now received the Post Office's report on progress to October 1989, which I am placing in the Libraries. It indicates that considerable further progress has been made and all but one of the recommendations (relating to the introduction of productivity schemes in supplies department depots) have now been implemented. My Department will continue to monitor the Post Office's progress in implementing this recommendation.

  Telecommunications Council
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Telecommunications Council on 7 December.

  Mr. Forth
  The principal items for discussion were a proposed Commission directive under Article 90 of the treaty of Rome aimed at introducing competition into the Community market for telecommunication services and a related Council directive on a framework for open network provision (ONP) of telecommunication services.

  The Council agreed the policy content of the Commission directive with a number of amendments designed to ensure that the introduction of competition would not interfere with the general availability of packet and circuit switched data services in each member state. The Council also agreed amendments on ONP which may be expected to lead to a common position on the proposed framework directive, probably before the end of this year.

  The Government believe that this outcome was the best that could be achieved. In particular the essential market opening provisions of the article 90 directive have been retained. While the scope of the ONP directive will be
  394
  more extensive than we had proposed, it should not impede our objective of enabling competition to develop without the constraint of unnecessary harmonisation.

  Deregulation Reviews
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made under the rolling programme of deregulation reviews announced on 31 January by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs.

  Mr. Redwood
  Of the 22 reviews announced in January all are complete or nearing completion. They have already resulted in a wide range of benefits to business. In some cases it has proved possible to eliminate requirements altogether, in others to update and streamline controls. Quantifiable savings to business from these completed reviews should exceed £10 million per annum. Government communications with business have also been improved through the consultations which have taken place, as has the service provided by Departments.

  Our prime aim remains to remove the time loss and frustration caused to business by out-of-date or cumbersome requirements. We are therefore bringing forward consideration of a number of wider issues which have an impact particularly on the development of smaller businesses, together with reviews designed to identify regulatory barriers to building new businesses in various sectors.

  The full list of new departmental reviews is as follows:

  C & E—

  (i) Industrial oils reliefs; and

  (ii) Methylated spirits reliefs Review the burden placed on businesses by current administrative procedures, and consider whether the records required to be kept by users can be simplified.

  (iii) Production and dissemination of information to the trade and public Review will include the provision of VAT advice to business and the effectiveness of communications with new business.

  DH—Review of CAPRICODE guidance
  Review the procedures governing accountability in the NHS Building Programme (CAPRICODE) to ensure that no unnecessary restrictions are placed on the construction industry.

  DSS—Service to business in the new National Insurance Contributions Unit
  Review those areas of the Unit's work which provide a service to business and make recommendations on how these can be improved and burdens reduced.

  DTI—

  (i) Company law exemptions for private companies Review the provisions for their impact on non-public companies.

  (ii) Regulations made under Part II of the Consumer Protection Act 1987 Review the need for regulations in the light of the development of industry standards.

  (iii) CB radio licensing Review various options for improving the present system of CB licensing.

  (iv) Fixed-link radio user access system Introduce a user accessible database for radio fixed links.

  DTp—Type approval procedures for equipment on merchant ships.
  Review scope for changing procedures in order to reduce costs of UK ship-owners.

  HO—Betting-shop hours of opening
  Consider an extension of the permitted opening hours beyond the existing statutory closing time.
  395
  HSC—Strategy for negotiating EC health and safety Directives
  Assess general lessons for present and future regulatory policy based on experience of negotiating EC health and safety Directives.

  IR—P11D's
  Review the P11D form and procedures with a view to reducing the burden they impose on employers.

  MAFF—Export Refunds and Monetary Compensatory Amounts
  Enquiry into product classification for which exports refunds and Monetary Compensatory Amounts are fixed, and the differentiation of refund rates by destination.

  SO—

  (i) The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. Review the working of the Act, with particular reference to the scope for reducing inconsistencies in optional business licensing powers of local authorities.

  (ii) Registration and inspection of independent schools in Scotland. Review procedures to assess whether the system is burdensome for school proprietors and what scope exists for simplification.

  EDU—Faster and simpler business licensing
  Review feasibility of developing a cross-departmental public database to enable business to indentify quickly and clearly requirements to be met.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information is as follows:

  (a) nil,

  (b) £13,874,000.

  Grants
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1987–88 to 1990–91 the amount of actual or planned expenditure on(a) regional selective assistance, (b) English Estates and (c) inner city task forces.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Actual expenditure in England on regional selective assistance, English Estates and inner city task forces for 1987–88 and 1988–89 and planned expenditure for 1989–90 is as follows:

  £ million

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–901

  Regional Selective Assistance2

  122·7

  134·9

  147·3

  English Estates

  47·0

  45·5

  50·0

  Inner City Task Forces

  35·5

  16·4

  19·2

  1 Figures contained in the 1989-90 Supply Estimates·

  2 Regional Selective Assistance includes the Business Improvement Services and Exchange Risk Guarantee schemes as well as the main RSA project grants·

  3 DTI expenditure from November 1987 to end March 1988· Prior to November 1987 the Inner Cities Unit was located in the Department of Employment and therefore details of expenditure are not readily available to DTI·

  Expenditure plans for 1990–91 will be published in the Public Expenditure White Paper in January.

  Telephone Information Services
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what has been the level of funding of the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services in each year since its establishment;

  (2) what have been the sources of the finding of the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services, in each year since its establishment;

  (3) what is the total number of persons currently employed by the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services;

  (4) what are the current funding arrangements for the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services.

  Mr. Forth
  These are matters for the independent committee for the supervision of standards of telephone information services (ICSTIS). No Governmnt funding has been provided to ICSTIS. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman, Louis Blom-Cooper, QC, ICSTIS, 67–69 Whitfield street, London WIP 5RL.

  Export Credits Guarantee
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the countries with which trade is not supported by export credits guarantee.

  Mr. Ridley
  Libya and Zambia are the only countries for which ECGD export credit support is currently not available

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy that the introduction of private capital into the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department will not precede the abolition of comparable state-owned agencies in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

  Mr. Ridley
  I refer to the written answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart) on 18 December 1989 at columns 23–24.

  It is the Government's intention that private capital be introduced into the company created from ECGD's insurance services group quickly after its incorporation. The early completion of these changes is in the best interest of ECGD, insurance services, the staff of both organisations, their customers and United Kingdom exporters.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy that the headquarters of the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department will remain in Cardiff subsequent to any introduction of private capital into the ownership of the agency.

  Mr. Ridley
  The location of the new company once privatised will be a matter for decision for the management and shareholder(s).

  Mr Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements the Export Credits
  397
  Guarantee Department, insurance services group, Cardiff, have made with the Property Services Agency to occupy a new office building subsequent to ceasing to be a Government Department.

  Mr. Ridley
  Discussions have already been held with the Property Services Agency about possible future accommodation arrangements. No decisions have yet been taken.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of staff at the Export Credits Guarantee Department, insurance services group, Cardiff, have worked at projects group, London, during the past five years and vice versa.

  Mr Ridley
  The proportion of staff in the insurance services group, Cardiff, who have worked in the project group, London, during the last five years is about 0·15 per cent. and the proportion of staff in the project group who have worked in insurance services group is about 2 per cent.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the work done by the Export Credits Guarantee Department computer centre at Llanishen arises from insurance services group, Cardiff, and how much arises from projects group, Cardiff.

  Mr. Ridley
  The Export Credits Guarantee Department computer centre at Llanishen currently provides services to the two business units in the following proportions:

  Insurance Services Group—75 per cent.

  Project Group—25 per cent.

  It is expected that this will have changed by 1 April 1991 to give the following proportions:

  Insurance Services Group—80 per cent.

  Project Group—20 per cent.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make any future introduction of private capital into the insurance services group of Export Credits Guarantee Department conditional on satisfactory arrangements being made for future employment for the employees of the group.

  Mr. Ridley
  Any new employer will be bound by existing legislation which provides protection for the employees when the change of ownership takes place. Employment can best be safeguarded by growth in business. The changes I have announced will provide the best basis for such growth.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his written answer of 18 December to the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart), if he will make it his policy to give preference to the introduction of private capital into Export Credits Guarantee Department, insurance service group, only where due consideration has been given to the need to safeguard employment in the financial services industry in south-east Wales.

  Mr. Ridley
  Any new employer will be bound by existing legislation which provides protection for the employees when the change of ownership takes place. Employment can best be safeguarded by growth in business. The changes I have announced will provide the best basis for such growth.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the lease held by the Export Credits 398
  Guarantee Department, insurance services group, on the Crown buildings, Cathays park, Cardiff, precludes occupation by other than a Government Department or a charity.

  Mr. Ridley
  The lease on the Crown building land does include covenants about commercial activities and the implications of these are being examined by the Export Credits Guarantee Department and the Property Services Agency.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is his most up-to-date estimate of the effect on employment at the Export Credits Guarantee Department, insurance group services, of the change of status and ownership announced by him in his written answer of 18 December to the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart);

  (2) what is his most up-to-date estimate of the effect on total employment at Export Credits Guarantee Department in the Cardiff area of the change of status and ownership announced by him in a written answer to the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart) on 18 December.

  Mr. Ridley
  I see no reason why there should be any significant effect on employment. I believe the changes I have announced offer the best prospect of securing jobs for the future.

  Toys
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps he will take to protect the viability of craft toymakers from the financial costs of adhering to the European Community toy safety regulations;

  (2) what representations he has had from craft industries involved in toy making about the financial implications of the European Community toy safety regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  I have received a number of representations from craft toy-makers about the financial implications of complying with the Toys (Safety) Regulations 1989. The new regulations will require toys to comply with common European safety standards and bear a CE mark as a declaration of conformity. However, where applicable they will replace regulations and requirements dealing with the safety of toys, including those produced by craft toymakers, that have been in force in the United Kingdom for some 15 years. I have explained that where a toy has been manufactured in accordance with the common standards the toymaker will be able to self-certify the toy as conforming and the toy will qualify to bear the CE mark.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to seek to exempt craft toymakers from European community toy safety regulations.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: The EC directive on the safety of toys is a treaty obligation and we are required to implement it in full. Although the directive, and thus the United Kingdom implementing regulations, does include exemptions for certain products which might otherwise be thought of as toys, there are no exemptions for particular categories of toy manufacturer.

  Regional Assistance
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list for each region, Scotland and Wales payments of regional development grants, regional selective assistance, regionalinvestment grants and regional innovation grants for this financial year and,

  Regional Development Grants

  Regional Selective Assistance1

  Regional Investment Grants2

  Regional Innovation Grants2

  (£ million)

  (£ million)

  (£ thousand)

  (£ thousand)

  1988–89

  East Midlands

  7·9

  1·0

  l0

  nil

  North East

  78·7

  33·5

  234

  32

  North West

  49·6

  22·0

  299

  118

  South West

  6·6

  4·9

  61

  13

  West Midlands

  nil

  24·0

  3 n/a

  3 n/a

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  19·3

  21·1

  108

  44

  Scotland

  76·6

  37·7

  231

  51

  Wales

  58·6

  36·2

  182

  36

  1989–904

  East Midlands

  6·9

  0·5

  117

  50

  North East

  28·0

  18·6

  917

  311

  North West

  17·9

  14·9

  762

  99

  South West

  1·8

  2·1

  185

  41

  West Midlands

  nil

  13·5

  3n/a

  3n/a

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  8·0

  7·0

  629

  120

  Scotland

  41·0

  19·5

  448

  436

  Wales

  15·9

  17·8

  307

  172

  1 Industrial and training grants only. Further payments of £2·9 million and £0·6 million which cannot be allocated to a specific region were made in 1988–89 and 1989–90 respectively.

  2 These grants, which make up the Regional Enterprise Grants scheme, are applicable only in Development Areas and the Intermediate Areas in South Yorkshire designated under the EC RESIDER programme.

  3 No designated areas in this region.

  4 To end November 1989.

  Expenditure plans for 1990–91 and 1991–92 will be published in the public expenditure White Paper in January.

  Deflators for part-years are not readily available. It would be inappropriate to use the deflator for 1989–90 as a whole to convert the outturn figures for the first eight months of the year only.

  Accounting Procedures
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether in the last 10 years he or his predecessors, either by direction or informally, secured changes in the accounting conventions followed by British Telecom, Cable and Wireless, British Steel, Jaguar, Rover, Rolls-Royce or British Aerospace, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: When these companies were in the public sector, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry had powers to direct, with Treasury approval, the methods and principles according to which their statements of accounts were prepared. Details of when such directions were issued are not readily available and could be assembled only at disappropriate cost. Since privatisation, the accounting conventions used have been a matter for the chairman and board of each company in consultation with its auditors.
  400
  where relevant, for 1988–89, and with his projections for 1990–91 and 1991–92; and if he will also express the figures in real terms at 1988–89 prices.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: The requested information, with regard to expenditure in 1988–89 and 1989–90 (to end November), in respect of the listed schemes of assistance is as follows:

  Product Labelling
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of resources his Department is currently committing to the promotion of multilingual product labelling in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 12 December 1989]: It is vital for products to be labelled in a language which the customer understands, and this message forms part of my Department's general single market campaign. However, there are no departmental resources devoted specifically to multilingual product labelling: the costs of such labelling should properly be borne by United Kingdom firms themselves.

  ERDF Aid
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is his best estimate of the level of European regional development fund aid commitments to all eligible public bodies in each of the last five years in(a) Bradford, (b) the west midlands and (c) South Yorkshire;

  (2) what is his most up-to-date estimate of the total amounts of European regional development fund aid commitments to all eligible public bodies in 1989 and in 1990 in (a) Bradford, (b) the west midlands and (c) South Yorkshire.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: The information is as follows:
  401

  £ million

  Bradford

  West Midlands

  South Yorkshire

  1984

  4

  18

  21

  1985

  3

  45

  10

  1986

  10

  43

  19

  1987

  2

  63

  17

  1988

  0

  21

  3

  1989

  19

  10

  121

  1990

  2

  2

  2

  1 estimates

  2 estimates not yet available

  Footwear Imports
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will list the reasons why the United Kingdom representative failed to give a firm response at the consultation meeting between the European Community Commission and member states in committee 288 on 5 December regarding the Commission's inquiry into footwear imports from South Korea and Taiwan; and what advice his Department subsequently gave to the Commission by the stated target date for comments of 15 December.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: My noble Friend the Minister for Trade had been carefully considering the views expressed by the industry and other member states before reaching a final decision on how the United Kingdom should respond to the Commission's report following its inquiry into imports of footwear from South Korea and Taiwan. He has concluded that the report does not make out an economic case for restrictions on imports of footwear from Taiwan and South Korea. The Commission has been told that consistently with our general approach on trade policy issues the United Kingdom Government are therefore opposed to such safeguard action on imports of footwear from South Korea and Taiwan. We have, however, suggested to the Commission that if they were to propose some form of surveillance licensing we would give this sympathetic consideration.

  Babcock Fata
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grants for research, development and investment in equipment were made to Babcock Fata or related companies from 1984 to date.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: Payments totalling £61,795 have been made to Babcock Fata Ltd under the support for innovation scheme. This scheme closed in January 1988. No other grants have been made.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Unemployed People
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide estimates by sex for the number of claimants who will be removed from the unemployment count as a result of the introduction of the Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 1989; and if he will 402
  further break down these figures by sex into (a) part-time workers, (b) part-time and temporary workers and (c) short-time workers.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that figures are not available in the form requested; overall, we estimate that this measure will have no significant effect on the unemployment count.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many boarders were paid by each Scottish local office in March for those in residential care on grounds of(a) old age, (b) very dependent elderly, (c) mental disorder, (d) drug or alcohol dependency, (e) mental handicap, (f) physical disability, under pension age, (g) physical disability over pension age and (h) others; and for those in nursing homes on the grounds of (i) mental disorder, (ii) drug or alcohol dependency, (iii) mental handicap, (iv) terminal illness, (v) physical disability under pension age, (vi) physical disability over pension age, and (vii) others;

  (2) what is the number of boarders in nursing homes for Scotland, England and Wales by Department of Social Security region in the years from 1982;

  (3) what is the number of boarders in residential care accommodation in Scotland by Department of Social Security local office during the last financial year;

  (4) what is the number of boarders in residential care accommodation for Scotland, England and Wales by Department of Social Security region in the years from 1982.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend on 5 December at columns 157–58.

  Miss Jane Brown
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement of the findings by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration on the results of his investigation under the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 into a complaint made by Miss Jane Brown, 31 Moray road, Port Glasgow, (C850/88).

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  No. The hon. Member has had a full report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration who considered that his investigation had reached a satisfactory conclusion.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claimants of unemployment benefit will be denied benefit in the travel-to-work areas in the constituency of Roxburgh and Berwickshire by imposition of the £43 weekly earnings rule;

  (2) if he will list the proportion of claimants of unemployment benefit in each travel-to-work area in the United Kingdom who will be denied unemployment benefit by the new £43 weekly earnings rule.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Mr Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of people who will be excluded from unemployment benefit by the new £43 weekly earnings rule.
  403
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  It is estimated that, in any one week, around 5,000 people declare earnings in excess of £43 and will lose unemployment benefit.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will undertake a full review of benefits available to claimants of unemployment benefit to include the implications of new patterns of work for those claiming benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We have no plans to undertake a full review of unemployment benefit. We have recently introduced a number of changes to make the benefit more relevant to current needs. We are of course monitoring the effects of those changes.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will contact each of the people who lost their entitlement to unemployment benefit on 1 January 1989 to inform them that they are entitled to reclaim that benefit in line with section 16(1)(c) of the Interpretation Act 1978 and the previous decision of the Social Security Commissioner in paragraph 5 of case CG/069/1988 and in case Z/10/4811/Norwich.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  An appeal has been lodged with the Social Security Commissioner against the social security appeal tribunal's decision. It would not be appropriate to anticipate the outcome.

  Christmas Bonus
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the present amount of the pensioners' Christmas bonus if it had maintained its 1979 real value.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The present amount of the Christmas bonus had it been raised by increases in prices since 1979 would have been £18.70.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Discretion to make small-scale purchases of items of art is devolved to local managers and some initiatives for the commissioning of larger-scale murals for public waiting areas have taken place. The extent of expenditure and sponsorship in this and other areas of the arts is not normally separately identified, but our Newcastle central office carried out a special exercise and expenditure last year amounted to £4,359.

  Personal Pension Plans
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to provide, under social security legislation, for special disclosure requirements by plan managers to those investing in unit-linked personal pension plans.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  As part of our response to the Occupational Pensions Board report we intend to review the disclosure requirements for occupational and personal pension schemes. This review will include information required by those investing in unit-linked personal pension plans.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his assumptions for low community charge calculations of the level of income of a couple, one of whom is in work and who have no dependent children or other dependants, below which they may be eligible for rebate on their community charge.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Assumed community charge per percent (£)

  Level of income per week (£)

  100

  84·72

  150

  94·95

  200

  105·17

  250

  115·40

  Notes:

  1. The income figure is the level at which the minimum Community Charge Benefit of 50p a week will be payable for a couple under pension age, one of whom is working, neither of whom is disabled, who have no dependants, and who have savings of less than £3,000.

  2. 1990–91 benefit rates have been used.

  Personal Injuries
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security from what date the recovery scheme in section 22 of the Social Security Act 1989 will apply to compensation payments made for personal injuries; what amount is to be set for the lower limit of compensation payments below which offsetting will apply instead of recovery; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The scheme will apply to any compensation payment made on or after 3 September 1990 where the injury occurred on or after 1 January 1989. The lower limit of compensation payments to which recovery will apply is £2,500 gross—that is before benefits have been deducted. This amount is substantially more than the figure suggested by Touche Ross and will reduce the number of cases to be dealt with by around 37 per cent. It recognises the representations made by the Association of British Insurers, the CBI, TUC and others about the lower limit. We expect to lay affirmative regulations before Parliament soon setting out the administrative details of the scheme.

  Computerisation
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security to what extent his Department's(a) budget and (b) staffing level has been cut for the year 1989–90 in the light of anticipated savings to be achieved through computerisation.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department's administration budget for 1989–90 was settled during the 1988 public expenditure survey and published in the 1989 public expenditure Whie Paper (Cm 615). It reflected the wide range of the Department's activities, including its computerisation programme. If this programme had not been undertaken it is estimated that in the year 1989–90 the Department would have required 4,000 additional staff at a cost of some £42 million.

  Sick Pay
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of people who would become eligible for(a) statutory sick pay and (b) sickness benefit if they were paid for the first three days of illness, and the cost of making such payments.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress his Department has made towards establishing executive agencies; and what is the timetable for completion of each agency.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Resettlement Units Executive Agency was established in May 1989. We have also made a good deal of progress towards establishing the Information Technology Services Agency (ITSA) and National Insurance Contributions Unit (NICU), both of which are scheduled to commence in April 1990. The Social Security Benefits Agency is scheduled to commence in April 1991. Staff have been informed of progress.

  We expect the agencies to develop further after their launch as they gain experience and adjust their approach to management in line with the needs of their business. Establishment of the agencies is just the first step in improving service to the public and the cost-effectiveness of social security administration.

  Adoption
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many instances of complaint against local social security services he has received during the last five years from British citizens who have felt their efforts to adopt children from overseas have been hindered by lack of co-operation from social services staff.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department receives representations from time to time from people who find that local authorities are unable to provide advice and services in connection with the proposed adoption of children from overseas. People who contemplate this very serious step are especially in need of skilled advice and counselling. We would hope that this would be available from local authorities, bearing in mind the guidance issued by the Department in 1987 to introduce the comprehensive adoption service: the guidance stated that counselling of prospective adopters, including those who seek to adopt from overseas, should be provided as part of the service. It is particularly important that such people should know that arrangements to adopt a child from overseas should be made only through properly authorised agencies or charitable organisations.

WALES

  Natural Heritage
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those representations he has received from voluntary organisations in Wales in response to his 406
  proposed merger of the Countryside Commission and Nature Conservancy Council, indicating those which are opposed and those in favour.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  We have received 13 representations from voluntary organiisations in Wales on the general proposals. It is not possible clearly to state in all cases that particular organisations are opposed or in favour. A number of organisations have raised questions and made some criticisms but I am delighted that many other organisations, including the chairmen and chief officers of the national parks in Wales, the National Farmers Union committee for Wales, the advisory committees for Wales of the Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission, have all welcomed the proposals.

  Motor Neurone Disorders
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will establish a centre for the education of children with motor neurone disorders such as cerebral palsy; if he will visit the Peto Institute in Hungary; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State responsible for the disabled announced on 15 December a Government contribution towards the establishment of a new international Peto institute. The Welsh Office has been associated with the discussions leading to that announcement. Subject to the detailed negotiations, Welsh children, along with others from the United Kingdom, will have access to available places at the institute.

  The Department is keeping in close touch with progress on the pilot conductive education project in Birmingham. Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have any current plans to visit Hungary but we are aware of the work of the Peto institute from reports of visits by other Government Ministers.

  Roads
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amounts for road building in north Wales which encompasses the use of European Economic Community money.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  In 1988, £14 million was committed from the European regional development fund for road building projects in the counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the new money for road schemes announced in his publication "A55: the Road to Opportunity".

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The schemes to dual the A5 across Anglesey are being added to the trunk road improvement programme. Firm information on likely costs is not yet available. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him on Thursday 7 December and Thursday 14 December regarding the A548 Dee crossing scheme.

  Schools (Ministerial Visits)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of visits made this year, by county, to(a) nursery, primary and junior schools and (b) secondary schools by (i) the Secretary of State for Wales and (ii) the Minister of State, Welsh Office; and if he will name the schools involved.
  407
  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  During 1989 my right hon. Friend visited one comprehensive school and one independent school with an age range of seven to 18. In the same period I visited seven primary schools and six secondary schools. A summary of these visits shown in the following table:

  School

  Date

  Schools visits undertaken in 1989 by the Secretary of State for Wales

  Abersychan comprehensive school, Gwent

  27 June 1989

  Howells independent school for girls ( age range 7 to 18), South Glamorgan

  21 November 1989

  School visits undertaken in 1989 by the Minister of State for Wales

  Ysgol Morfa Rhiannedd (county primary), Gwynedd

  13 January 1989

  Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy secondary school, Gwynedd

  13 January 1989

  Kitchener county primary school, South , Glamorgan

  26 January 1989

  Fitzalan high school, South Glamorgan

  26 January 1989

  Glyncorrwg county primary school, West Glamorgan

  3 February 1989

  Cwm Tawe comprehensive school, West Glamorgan

  3 February 1989

  Ysgol Teilo Sant (county primary), Dyfed

  17 February 1989

  Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin (secondary school), Dyfed

  28 April 1989

  Coed Cae comprehensive school, Dyfed

  17 February 1989

  Penywaun infant and junior schools, Mid Glamorgan

  24 February 1989

  Treorchy comprehensive school, Mid Glamorgan

  24 February 1989

  Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni (comprehensive), Mid Glamorgan

  31 November 1989

  Rhosgoch primary school, Powys

  1 December 1989

  Isle of Anglesey Road
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of money for dualling the Isle of Anglesey road will come from(a) the European Economic Community, (b) the local authority and (c) central government.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The A5 across Anglesey is a trunk road and duelling will be funded by central Government. At present there are no proposals to apply for EC funding.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what basis of assumed expenditure was his estimate made regarding the likely levels of community charge in the Arfon borough council and Cyngor Dosbarth Dwyfor areas for 1990–1991.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The assumed expenditure levels (consistent with standard spending assessments) of £6·002 million for Arfon and £3·544 million for Dwyfor are based on 1989–90 budgets, adjusted for changes in functions and funding arrangements and inflated to 1990–91 levels.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assumption he made of the amount of income that(a) Arfon borough council and (b) Cyngor Dosbarth Dwyfor, would receive from the distribution of business rate when he assessed that their personal community charge per capita would amount to £156 and £155 respectively.
  408
  Mr. Peter Walker
  My provisional community charge estimates of £156 for the Arfon area and £155 for the Dwyfor area assumed:

  (a) £1,361,000 and

  (b) £758,000

  These figures were updated by my statement to the House on 18 December 1989 to:

  (a) £1,347,000 and

  (b) £733,000

  I now estimate community charge for 1990–91 to be £153 in the Arfon area and £149 in the Dwyfor area if councils spend in line with my assumptions.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the maximum charge per annum on community charge payers in Wales arising from the charge levied on account of the expenditure of a community council.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have made no such estimate.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the relationship between those areas, which have been granted transitional relief for the community charge for 1990–91, and the levels of per capita household incomes, and the indices for deprivation for such areas; and whether any area of the Dwyfor district has met the criteria to be granted such transitional relief.

  Mr Peter Walker
  Transitional relief is calculated by comparing average rate bills for 1989–90 in community areas with my estimates of community charge levels. As such the scheme is intended to moderate the increases community chargepayers would otherwise face in moving from the domestic rating system. Income levels and indices of deprivation are thus not relevant to the operation of these transitional arrangements.

  Provisional details of those communities who may be entitled to transitional relief were placed in the Library on 18 December 1989. No communities in Dwyfor were shown as receiving relief.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of community charge payers in Wales live in those communities eligible for transitional relief by way of additional grant; what is the total number of such people; and what is the maximum increase that will be made by way of individuals payment in such communities, on the basis of his statement to the House of 10 December.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my statement to the House on 18 December. Provisional details of communities which may be entitled to transitional relief have been placed in the Library.

  No community area will face a charge more than a threshold amount (about £20) above the average domestic rate bill per adult in 1989–90 (assuming that councils spend in line with the settlement).

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what will be the total payment to be made by non-domestic ratepayers in Wales in 1990–91; and what is the total payment to be made by these ratepayers in 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The total payment to be made by non-domestic ratepayers in Wales in 1990–91 is estimated to be £446 million, of which £3 million will be retained by charging authorities to meet the costs of collection. No
  409
  direct comparison can be made with the 1989–90 payment because of changes in the structure of exemptions and reliefs, and different arrangements for empty property rating, all of which take effect for the first time in 1990–91. The Welsh national non-domestic rating multiplier has been set such that the average business ratepayer will pay broadly the same in 1990–91, in real terms, as in 1989–90.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  These are the responsibility of the Welsh Arts Council and Design Council respectively, neither of which is funded by the Welsh Office.

  Regional Selective Assistance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of(a) the total amount of regional selective assistance paid out by his Department since its introduction and (b) the average sum granted for each project; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Expenditure on regional selective assistance' in Wales from the inception of the scheme to 31 March 1989 was £306 million. The average grant value2 was almost £200,000.

  1The expenditure quoted comprises payments of grants and loans (until 1979–80) under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, exchange risk losses on European loans (since 1981–82) and payments under the in-plant training scheme (since 1984–85) and the business improvement services scheme (since 1983–84).

  1 Based on the cumulative number and value of offers of section 7 assistance accepted to 31 March 1989 published in appendix 6, table 3 of the Industrial Development Act annual report for 1988–89.

  Initiatives
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will consider a similar initiative for west Wales to that in operation in the valleys and proposed for north Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Welsh Office, the Welsh Development Agency, the Development Board for Rural Wales, the Wales Tourist Board, the local authorities and many others are all working together with the private sector further to develop the economy of west Wales. I am glad to say that unemployment in Dyfed has fallen by 45 per cent. since the last general election.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the amount of development rural initiative venture and enterprise grant paid out by his Department in each year since its introduction; and if he will make a statement as to the future of the grant.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The development of rural initiative venture and enterprise grant scheme is operated by the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and the Development Board for Rural Wales (DBRW) in their respective territories. Since its introduction initially on an experimental basis, in March 1986, these bodies have made grant payments shown in the following tables:
  410
  Following an independent evaluation of the experimental scheme it was reintroduced in September 1989. I refer my hon. Friend to answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) on 27 July 1989 for further details.

  WDA£

  DBRW£

  1986–87

  250,000

  32,361

  1987–88

  420,000

  91,938

  1988–89

  430,000

  117,288

  Rural Conversion Grant
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the amount of rural conversion grant paid out by his Department each year since its introduction; and if he will make a statement as to the future of the grant.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The rural conversion grant scheme is operated by the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) and the Development Board of Rural Wales (DBRW) in their respective territories. Since the scheme's inception these bodies have made grant payments shown in the following table:

  WDA

  DBRW

  £

  £

  1983–84

  —

  18,900

  1984–85

  —

  17,780

  1985–86

  163,000

  39,500

  1986–87

  230,000

  21,655

  1987–88

  366,000

  15,612

  1988–89

  967,000

  86,784

  Urban Investment Grant
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the urban investment grant paid out by his Department since its introduction; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Since the introduction of UIG in April 1989, 10 projects have been approved with a total grant award of nearly £2·8 million. This is expected to bring forward over £10·3 million of private sector investment and to create over 600 permanent and nearly 270 temporary construction jobs.

  Cardiff Bay
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State of Wales (1) if he will place a copy in the Library of letters of warning sent by him in 1989, to the chairman of the board of Cardiff Bay development corporation about development in the Cardiff Bay development corporation designated area;

  (2) if he will publish his correspondende with the chairman of the board of Cardiff Bay development corporation asking the corpoartion to expedite development in the bay area;

  (3) what requests have been sent by him to the chairman of the board of Cardiff Bay development corporation to expedite development in the Cardiff Bay development corporation.
  411
  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have not made such a request. I am delighted with the progress that is being made to the benefit of Cardiff and of Wales, progress that should have the support of all Welsh Members of Parliament.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his most up to date estimate of total jobs lost to the Cardiff bay area subsequent to the breakdown of negotiations between developers and the Cardiff Bay development corporation in(a) 1988 and (b)

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Negotiations between developers and the Cardiff Bay development corporation are entirely a matter for the corporation. The development of the Cardiff bay area will create many thousands of jobs over the coming years and splendid progress has been made to see that this objective is achieved.

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list concerning the urban programme the(a) community and social provision and (b) voluntary and independent schemes grants and projects in each of the boroughs and districts of each of the counties of Wales giving their cash backing, employment consequences and objectives for 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Grist
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the Clwyd urban programme and urban development moneys and schemes for 1988 and 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The information as requested is shown in the following tables:

  Urban Programme 1988–89

  Approved costs

  Local authority and scheme

  Capital £

  Revenue £

  Clwyd County Council

  Welfare Benefits Advice Centre

  0

  50,000

  Rhyl and District Community Action Team

  0

  50,000

  Greenfield Valley Youth Centre

  0

  55,850

  Wrexham Technology Park

  27,500

  0

  Deeside Women's Aid

  0

  501

  IT Social Worker-Rhuddlan

  0

  4,597

  Rhyl and District Women's Aid

  0

  1,665

  Delyn Community Agency

  0

  120,167

  Employment of Family Support Worker, Wrexham

  0

  12,181

  Community Development and Local Authority Partnership Project

  0

  83,600

  Employment of Adult Worker, Youth Worker and an Education Home Adviser in the Holywell/Bagillt and Peulwys/Mochdre areas

  0

  27,693

  Employment of 2 Basic Education Co-ordinators for adults

  0

  34,485

  Holiday Projects

  0

  29,500

  Alyn Deeside District Council

  Former Catheralls Brickworks, Pinfold Lane, Buckley, Refurbishment and Redevelopment (Phase 1)

  200,000

  0

  Conversion of Infirmary wing to elderly and bedridden accommodation at Poor Clare Collentine Monastery, Hawarden

  16,000

  0

  Employment of full-time worker at Deeside Women's Aid

  0

  13,627

  412

  Approved costs

  Local authority and scheme

  Capital £

  Revenue £

  Environmental Improvements at River Lane, Saltney (capital slippage)

  40,000

  0

  Holiday projects

  0

  10,000

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Colwyn Community Environmental Improvement Scheme

  0

  10,920

  Community Development Programme

  0

  19,238

  Holiday Projects

  0

  4,000

  Delyn Borough Council

  Further Development of Delyn Enterprise Zone at Greenfield Park

  250,000

  0

  Greenfield Valley Youth Enterprise Centre

  0

  55,850

  Delyn Community Environmental Improvement Scheme

  0

  44,440

  Delyn Women's Aid Support Worker

  0

  13,561

  Expansion of Delyn Enterprise Agency

  0

  45,536

  Assistant Development Officer, Greenfield Valley

  0

  17,465

  Greenfield Valley Development Team

  0

  13,993

  Holiday Projects

  0

  8,500

  Glyndwr District Council

  Contact Warden Scheme, Llangollen

  0

  8,500

  Establishment of an Emergency Alarm and Contact Warden System, Trevor

  0

  7,820

  Rhuddland Borough Council

  Land Preparation for Industrial Development at Prestatyn (Capital Slippage)

  10,000

  0

  Rhyl and District Women's Aid Support Team

  0

  11,184

  Rhuddlan Environmental Improvement Scheme

  0

  31,350

  Wrexham Maelor Borough Council

  Redwither Industrial Estate— refurbishment and infrastructure works

  275,000

  0

  Wrexham Adventure Playground Association—Employment of Play Development staff.

  0

  11,000

  Wrexham Adventure Playground Association—Employment of Assistant Organiser

  0

  12,600

  Wrexham Free Church Federal Council.

  0

  1,722

  Wrexham Citizens Advice Bureau.

  0

  40,107

  Wrexham Housing Aid Centre

  0

  30,322

  Wrexham Adventure Playground Association.

  0

  22,572

  Community Litter Abatement Scheme

  0

  29,072

  Rhosymedre Pre-start and Training Workshop

  0

  54,246

  Holiday Projects

  0

  10,500

  Urban Programme 1989–90

  Clwyd County Council

  Shotton and Connah's Quay Business Enterprise Centre

  200,000

  0

  Delyn Community Agency

  0

  100,000

  Provision of a Centre for the Elderly at Rhosllanerchrugog

  200,000

  0

  Business Information Network

  0

  18,500

  Family Support Worker Wrexham

  0

  13,257

  Community Development and Local Authority Partnership Project

  0

  91,350

  413

  Approved costs

  Local authority and scheme

  Capital £

  Revenue £

  Employment of Adult Worker, Youth Worker and an Education Home Adviser in the Holywell/Bagillt and Peulwys/Mochdre areas

  0

  29,078

  Employment of 2 basic Education Co-ordinators for adults

  0

  38,672

  Welfare Benefits Advice Centre

  0

  54,600

  Rhyl and District Community Action Team

  0

  54,600

  Greenfield Valley Youth Enterprise Centre

  0

  60,743

  Wrexham Technology Park (Capital Slippage)

  135,000

  0

  Holiday Projects

  0

  29,500

  Alyn and Deeside District Council

  Refurbishment and Redevelopment of former Catheralls Brickworks

  250,000

  0

  Holiday Projects

  0

  10,000

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Crossroads Care Attendant Scheme

  750

  20,000

  Community Development Programme

  0

  20,200

  Holiday Projects

  0

  4,000

  Delyn Borough Council

  Further Development of Delyn Enterprise Zone and Greenfield Park

  450,000

  0

  Assistant Development Officer, Greenfield Valley

  0

  13,991

  Greenfield Valley Development Team

  0

  14,693

  Delyn Community Environmental Improvement Scheme

  0

  51,149

  Delyn Women's Aid Support worker

  0

  14,239

  Greenfield Youth Enterprise Centre

  0

  69,861

  Holiday Projects

  0

  8,500

  Glyndwr District Council

  Contact Warden Scheme, Llangollen

  0

  8,448

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  St. Asaph Business Park

  200,000

  0

  Rhuddlan Environmental improvement Scheme

  0

  32,918

  Rhyl and District Women's Aid Support Team

  0

  12,227

  Holiday Projects

  0

  4,200

  Wrexham Maelor Borough Council

  Redwither Industrial Estate

  250,000

  0

  Refurbishment to Kingsmill Centre

  50,000

  0

  Shelter Wales Housing Aid Service

  0

  30,322

  Wrexham Citizens Advice Bureau

  0

  40,107

  Wrexham Adventure Playground Association

  0

  6,300

  Night Shelter for the single homeless

  0

  1,491

  Wrexham Adventure Playgroup Association

  0

  26,565

  Community Litter Abatement Scheme

  0

  31,289

  Rhosymedre Pre-Start and Training Workshop

  0

  60,353

  Wrexham Adventure Playground Association-Play Development Staff

  0

  12,915

  Holiday Projects

  0

  11,500

  414

  Urban Development Grant

  Project

  Total UDG awarded

  Spend 1988–89

  Spend 1989–90

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Supermarket and Car Park Development at Connah's Quay

  0·325

  0·041

  —

  Factory Units at Broncoed Industrial Estate, Mold

  0·132

  0·132

  —

  Shops and Office Development at Earl Road, Mold

  0·104

  0·079

  0·025

  Industrial Units at Aber Park, Flint

  0·085

  0·021

  —

  Engineering Park at Sandycroft

  0·227

  —

  0·215

  Second Homes
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on second homes in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 26 May by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

  Roadbuilding
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is(a) the amount of transport supplementary grant he is making available to county councils in local roadbuilding, (b) the amount estimated by his Department to be used in local roadholding from revenue support grant, (c) the amount for local roadbuilding from capital receipts and (d) the amount for local roadbuilding from the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Transport grant support is given only to eligible (over £5 million) schemes. The amount of grant to be paid in 1990–91 is £26·8 million. The £86·6 million gross capital for roads and transport for 1990–91 which my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced on 29 November assumes that authorities will spend £0·6 million of their capital receipts. Revenue support grant is unhypothecated and it is for local authorities to decide their own spending priorities: similarly no estimate is available of the amount for local roadbuilding from the community charge.

  Council House Building
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he will take to encourage council house building for 1990.

  Mr. Grist
  It is for local authorities to decide about housing priorities, taking account of local needs and achieving value for money.

  Housebuilding
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of private housebuilding starts for 1987, 1988 and 1989; what is the predicted start number for 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Private housebuilding starts in Wales were:
  415

  Number

  1987

  8,741

  1988

  10,892

  Figures are not yet available for 1989 as the year has not yet ended but 8,084 were started in the first nine months. Forecasts for 1990 are a matter for the private housebuilding industry.

  Salmonella
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to hold a public inquiry allowing tests at public health laboratories in the wake of the Clwyd salmonella outbreak.

  Mr. Grist
  I have already announced that the Department is conducting an internal review.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to publish his findings following his internal inquiry into the Clwyd salmonella outbreak.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 20 December.

  Housing Revenue Accounts Subsidy
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his initial housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1990–91.

  Mr. Grist
  The housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1990–91 have been made today. Every local housing authority in Wales has been sent a copy of the determinations together with provisional figures on which its subsidy entitlement will he based. The figures for each individual authority are subject to change in the light of new information supplied by the authority itself. Copies of the determinations and of the provisional figures for all authorities are being placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

  The new housing revenue account subsidy was introduced by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. It replaces the existing main housing subsidy, the rent rebate element in housing benefit subsidy and the element in rate support grant related to authorities' own housing costs.

  Each authority's subsidy will he determined in accordance with the formulae prescribed in the determinations. For 1990–91, the formula assumes that there will be a national increase of 2 per cent. in gross rent income together with an allowance of 5 per cent. for inflation. However, unlike previous years, the determinations provide for different guideline rent increases in different authorities instead of a uniform increase for all authorities receiving subsidy. The rent guidelines for 1990–91 are set by reference to the value of each authority's housing stock.

  For 1990–91, the subsidy formula provides for a 3 per cent. real terms increase in the provision for management and maintenance expenditure. The allowance will be related to authorities' past expenditure.

  The subsidy formula also takes into account the full cost of loan charges and of rent rebates, subject to safeguards to prevent double subsidy and to provide an incentive for the efficient operation of the rent rebate scheme.

  Rechem (Pontypool)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will now arrange for further soil samples to be taken around the Rechem incinerator at Pontypool designed to detect polychlorinated hiphenyls at levels significantly lower than 200 parts per billion.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: I am considering what further action may be necessary in the light of the recent results of monitoring undertaken by the Welsh Office in the Pontypool area.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what action he intends to take following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination above background levels by polychlorinated biphenyls at Ordnance Survey grid reference number SH 5101: and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what action he intends to take, following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination above the established background levels by dioxins and furans at Ordnance Survey grid reference (a) SO 5101, (b) SN 5101 and (c) SH 5151; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State at the Environment Department in relation to levels at locations in England.

  Earnings
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report tables showing the proportion of (1) manual, (2) non-manual and (3) all full-time employees earning less than (a) £157, (b) 160, (c) £163. and (d) half average earnings a week, for (i) men, (ii) women, and (iii) all full-time employees excluding overtime, shift and public borrowing requirements premia, in each county in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 11 December 1989]: I shall write to the hon. Gentleman.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other European Community Ministers regarding the European monetary system and political co-operation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  European monetary union was discussed briefly at the Foreign Affairs Council held on 18 and 19 December in Brussels, and political co-operation at the European Council held in Strasbourg on 8 and 9 December.

  Vietnamese Boat People
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether identity passes are to be provided for Vietnamese boat people returning to Vietnam.
  417
  Mr. Maude
  All Vietnamese citizens carry identity cards containing a photograph and thumb print. We have no reason to believe that identity cards will not be issued to the returnees. This is one of the issues which will be raised in the course of the embassy's monitoring exercise.

  Bulgaria
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make all information in the hands of the Government available to the Lukanor inquiries into corruption in Bulgaria under its former rulers.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have received no such request from the Bulgarian authorities.

  Diplomatic Bags
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to non-European Community countries urging them to permit the non-intrusive searching of diplomatic bags.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None.

  Falklands Fishing Company
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he is making to the report by Mr. Stewart Boyd QC in relation to Mr. Brian Cummings over Falklands Fishing Company losses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Mr. Stewart Boyd QC was commissioned by the Governor of the Falkland Islands to inquire into the affairs of Seamount Limited, a joint venture between Stanley Fisheries Ltd., a subsidiary of the Falkland Islands Development Corporation, and Seaboard Offshore Ltd., a UK company.

  The report's contents and findings are entirely a matter for the Falkland Islands Government who are responsible for the operation of the Falkland Islands Development Corporation.

  Departmental Papers
  Mr. Manus
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which of his Department's papers have been made available to the public since 1 October 1988.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Between 1 October 1988 and 30 September 1989, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office—excluding the Overseas Development Administration—made the following papers available to the public on request:

  Africa

  Britain in Southern Africa

  Britain's Voice in South Africa

  Libya: External Relations and Activities

  Namibia Chronology: March 1988-March 1989

  Soviet Priorities in Africa

  Americas and Antarctica

  Antarctic Treaty System

  Antarctic Minerals Convention and Its Role in Protecting the Antarctic Environment

  Britain and Argentina: Attempts at Normalisation

  Cuban Economy

  Democracy and Regional Integration in South America

  Drugs in Latin America

  418
  Asia and Pacific

  Afghanistan: Long Road to Recovery

  Afghanistan: Continuing Conflict

  China's Energy Prospects

  China's External Economic Relations

  Fiji Coups, 1987: Context and Chronology

  General Information on Taiwan

  North Korea: Forty Years On

  Religion in China

  Soviet Interest in the Pacific Region

  Vietnam: Current Problems

  Europe

  CSCE: Implications of the Vienna Meeting

  Role of the Western European Union

  Western European Union

  Near and Middle East

  Demography and Politics in the Middle East and North Africa

  Guide to Arab-Israel Peace Plans

  Intifada: The Palestinian Uprising

  Lebanon: Background to Current Events

  Palestine Liberation Organisation

  Soviet Union and Eastern Europe

  CMEA at a Standstill

  Common Euopean Home: New Thinking

  Comparison of Soviet and Chinese Economic Reforms

  Crisis in Soviet Agriculture

  East European Energy Prospects

  Party and Government Leadership of the Soviet Union

  Soviet Communist Party's External Propaganda Activities

  Soviet Economic Reforms

  Soviet Energy Prospects

  Soviet Propaganda Organisations: A Survey

  Soviet Union: More Milestones

  Disarmament

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 10

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 11

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 12

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 13

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 14

  Arms Control and Disarmament Quarterly Review No. 15

  Chemical and Biological Weapons: Negotiations for an International Ban

  Political Impact of the Process of Arms Control and Disarmament

  The West's Arms Control Objectives and Priorities

  Economic

  Aid to the Developing World

  World Food Supplies

  World Shipping Prospects

  International

  Annual Review of Consular Work, 1988

  Destablising Effect of the International Drugs Trade in Developing Countries

  International Drug Trafficking: Attacking the Profits

  International Monitoring of Human Rights

  International Parliamentary Union: A Century of Parliamentary Diplomacy

  Non-Aligned Movement: Search for More Effective Role

  1958 Geneva Conference of Experts on the Prevention of Surprise Attack

  Review of Consular Work in 1987

  Saving the Ozone Layer: A Summary of the London Conference

  The 1989 World Youth Festival: Further Preparations

  World Youth Festivals: Retrospect and Prospect

  Foreign Affairs Council
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 and 19 December.

  Mr. Hurd
  I represented the United Kingdom at the Foreign Affairs Council and at a working dinner with the Soviet Foreign Minister in Brussels on 18 December. My
  419
  hon. Friend, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, represented the United Kingdom at a joint EC/EFTA Ministerial meeting on 19 December.

  The Council began with a discussion of follow-up to decisions taken at the Strasbourg European Council, in particular on the European bank for reconstruction and development, and on economic and monetary issues.

  The Council took note of the Commission's report on meetings with the US Administration on 14 and 15 December and confirmed the importance it attaches to close EC/US relations. I and other Ministers warmly welcomed Secretary of State Baker's wish, expressed in his recent speech in Berlin, to see a further strengthening of the United State's relationship with the Community.

  On specific EC/US issues, Ministers discussed the implications of the findings of the GATT panel on the US complaint against the EC's oilseeds regime, and expressed concern at lack of progress in the dispute over import of meat treated with hormones.

  The Council then discussed the Community's relations with Japan. It also agreed to the submission in Geneva on 20 December of a paper on long-term agricultural reform in the Uruguay round.

  The Council called for early consideration of a mandate for the negotiation of a trade and commercial and economic co-operation agreement with the GDR. It also took note of a Commission report, completed on 18 December, on Turkey's application for EC membership and agreed that it should be examined in depth.

  The Council also approved the Commission's negotiating mandate for a trade and commercial and economic co-operation agreement with Argentina and agreed a mandate for the negotiation of a second stage trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council. The Commission informed the Council that negotiations with Andorra on a customs union had been successfully completed. The Council also reached a satisfactory agreement on the Poseidon programme of support for the French overseas departments.

  On 18 December, the Commission and presidency, on behalf of the Community, signed a trade and commercial and economic co-operation agreement with the Soviet Union, and a second agreement on textiles. The co-operation agreement is an important landmark in the EC's relations with the Soviet Union, symbolic of the new relationships emerging between the Community and eastern and central European countries as political reforms and economic restructuring take hold. The agreement lays the foundations for a stronger EC relationship with the Soviet Union, which we welcome. Its significance, and the importance of developments in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, was noted at the subsequent dinner with Mr. Shevardnadze.

  On 19 December EC and EFTA Ministers agreed to open substantive negotiations on a new, more structured relationship in the first half of next year. Our joint aim is to extend as far as possible the single market to include EFTA. The United Kingdom fully supports this important decision, and will continue to play a full and constructive role in the negotiating process: a successful outcome would open the way to a new stage in EC-EFTA relations, benefitting all parties, and reflecting the Community's commitment to a liberal single market, open to all.

  The text of the joint conclusions agreed by EC and EFTA Ministers on 19 December will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Central American Presidents
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received on the outcome of the meeting of Central American Presidents in San Isidro de Coronado, Costa Rica, on 10 to 12 December; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have been encouraged by the positive outcome of the meeting, which condemned armed action and terrorism by rebel forces in the region and expressed solid support for the democratically elected Government of President Cristiani. I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the five Presidents' statement of 12 December.

SCOTLAND

  Health Service
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each year since 1970 the number of patients on hospital in-patient waiting lists in Scotland at 30 March and 30 September of each year.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The information available is set out in the table.

  Number of persons on waiting lists for NHS hospitals at 31 March and 30 September, Scotland

  Year

  31 March

  30 September

  1970

  57,305

  51,482

  1971

  51,675

  48,066

  1972

  n/a

  52,468

  1973

  n/a

  61,079

  1974

  n/a

  56,182

  1975

  n/a

  53,770

  1976

  54,442

  52,765

  1977

  53,974

  54,715

  1978

  56,987

  61,481

  1979

  76,968

  71,247

  1980

  70,195

  67,387

  1981

  67,908

  65,228

  1982

  66,880

  86,365

  1983

  96,933

  86,338

  1984

  85,543

  83,077

  1985

  79,262

  77,677

  1986

  81,249

  80,732

  1987

  81,324

  77,772

  1988

  67,226

  63,569

  1989

  61,011

  —

  The statistical system on which these figures are collected including the revision which took place in 1988 is explained in ISD Statistical Bulletin 1/88, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Scottish Information Office
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of recent changes in office accommodation in the Scottish information office corridor of New St. Andrew's house.

  Mr. Rifkind
  There have been no recent changes.

  BBC Scotland
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list the occasions on which each Scottish Office Minister, in each of the past 12 months, has required the Scottish information office to make representations about alleged programme bias to BBC Scotland;

  (2) if he will make a statement on recent correspondence between BBC Scotland and the Scottish Office concerning alleged editorial bias;

  (3) what representations he has made to BBC Scotland concerning the integrity of coverage accorded to his Department by it; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The Scottish Office has had need to make various representations to the BBC on these matters. So far as alleged programme bias is concerned, it is essential that the BBC charter is applied throughout the United Kingdom in a consistent manner.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what distribution was given to recent correspondence between Mr. Jack Regan of BBC Scotland, and Mr. Donald Stewart, of the Scottish information office.

  Mr. Rifkind
  As with all correspondence, it was distributed to those within the Scottish Office who appeared to have an interest.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to ensure that correspondence addressed to the Scottish Office is dealt with only from within the Scottish Office and that none is referred for answer to any party organisation.

  Mr. Rifkind
  It is Scottish Office policy to reply to all correspondence correctly addressed to it. Correspondence not falling properly within the responsibilities of the Scottish Office will normally be forwarded to whatever other body appears to be the correct recipient.

  Trials
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer of 12 December,Official Report, column 558, he will list each of the sheriff courts in which the number of summary criminal trials adjourned in the period 1 January to 30 September 1989 due to lack of court time exceeded 5 per cent. of the total number of trials set down in the period; and if, in each case, he will give the actual number of trials so adjourned and the percentage of the total number of trials set down.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The list of courts is as follows.

  Column 1

  Column 2

  Column 3

  Column 4

  1990–91 Rate Poundage Pre-UBR Reduction

  1990–91 Rate Poundage Pre-UBR Reduction

  Reduction to Ratepayer

  Region + District Reduction

  p

  p

  p

  p

  Borders

  38·4

  36·0

  -2·4

  —

  Central

  44·5

  41·7

  -2·8

  —

  Dumfries and Galloway

  40·9

  38·3

  -2·6

  —

  Fife

  49·2

  46·1

  -3·1

  —

  Grampian

  36·5

  34·2

  -2·3

  —

  Highland

  44·1

  41·3

  -2·8

  —

  Lothian

  50·6

  47·5

  -3·1

  —

  422
  1 January 1989 to31 March 1989

  Haddington1

  Alloa

  Stirling

  1 April 1989 to 30 June 1989

  Falkirk1

  Stirling1

  Haddington1

  1 July 1989 to 30 September 1989

  Stirling

  Dunfermline1

  Falkirk1

  Dumfries1

  1 Indicates that target not met for only part of 3 month period.

  Information on the actual number of trials adjourned and the percentage of the total number of trials set down is not held centrally.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Alan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on non-domestic rates in 1990–91.

  Mr. Rifkind
  In my statement to the House on 26 July about the revenue support grant settlement for 1990–91, 1 announced that I intended to reduce the rate bill for Scottish business next year by £80 million below what it would otherwise have been. I have now decided to apply this sum to reduce the rate poundage for all local authorities by 6·25 per cent. This will mean that all non-domestic ratepayers throughout Scotland will benefit from this further move to reduce their burden. The table shows the rate poundage which I intend to prescribe for each local authority in an order which I shall lay before Parliament early in the new year. The table also indicates the extent of the reduction in poundage at an individual ratepayer level as a result of our policy.

  It is implicit in our policy that, over a period, the 40 per cent. derating which at present applies to manufacturing and freight industry in Scotland should be eliminated. But my intention is that the phasing out of industrial derating should be co-ordinated with the phasing in of a unified business rate north and south of the border. This will give manufacturing and freight industry the assurance that the effect of reducing the level of derating will in any particular year be neutral. For all other business sectors, the: reduction will be entirely beneficial. Having regard to my decision to reduce rate poundages by 6·25 per cent., I intend to set the level of industrial derating next year to 35 per cent., a decrease of 5 per cent. on the present level. The position will be reassessed each year until a unified business rate has been achieved and industrial derating has been eliminated entirely.
  423

  Column 1

  Column 2

  Column 3

  Column 4

  1990–91 Rate Poundage Pre-UBR Reduction

  1990–91 Rate Poundage Pre-UBR Reduction

  Reduction to Ratepayer

  Region + District Reduction

  p

  p

  p

  p

  Strathclyde

  49·1

  46·0

  -3·1

  —

  Tayside

  45·9

  43·0

  -2·9

  —

  Orkney

  41·9

  39·3

  -2·6

  -2·6

  Shetland

  39·6

  37·1

  -2·5

  -2·5

  Western Isles

  61·5

  57·6

  -3·9

  -3·9

  Berwickshire

  8·0

  7·5

  -0·5

  -2·9

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  9·1

  8·5

  -0·6

  -3·0

  Roxburgh

  10·1

  9·4

  -0·7

  -3·1

  Tweeddale

  7·7

  7·2

  -0·5

  2·9

  Clackmannan

  15·9

  14·9

  -1·0

  -3·8

  Falkirk

  13·0

  12·2

  -0·8

  -3·6

  Stirling

  19·3

  18·1

  -1·2

  -4·0

  Annandale and Eskdale

  9·7

  9·1

  -0·6

  -3·2

  Nithsdale

  9·7

  9·1

  -0·6

  -3·2

  Stewartry

  8·4

  7·9

  -0·5

  -3·1

  Wigtown

  7·9

  7·4

  -0·5

  -3·1

  Dunfermline

  10·8

  10·1

  -0·7

  -3·8

  Kirkcaldy

  13·4

  12·6

  -0·8

  -3·9

  North East Fife

  12·0

  11·3

  -0·7

  -3·8

  Aberdeen City

  11·7

  11·0

  -0 7

  -3·0

  Banff and Buchan

  10·5

  9·8

  -0·7

  -3·0

  Gordon

  8·4

  7·9

  -0·5

  -2·8

  Kincardine and Deeside

  6·9

  6·5

  -0·4

  -2·7

  Moray

  8·8

  8·2

  -0·6

  -2·9

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  6·7

  6·3

  -0·4

  -3·2

  Caithness

  10·5

  9·8

  -0·7

  -3·5

  Inverness

  8·0

  7·5

  -0·5

  -3·3

  Lochaber

  12·1

  11·4

  -0·7

  -3·5

  Nairn

  6·7

  6·3

  -0·4

  -3·2

  Ross and Cromarty

  10·5

  9·8

  -0·7

  -3·5

  Skye and Lochalsh

  10·1

  9·4

  -0·7

  -3·5

  Sutherland

  7·5

  7·1

  -0·4

  -3·2

  East Lothian

  14·3

  13·4

  -0CC9

  -4·0

  Edinburgh City

  14·0

  13·1

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Midlothian

  14·3

  13·4

  -0·9

  -4·0

  West Lothian

  12·6

  11·8

  -0·8

  -3·9

  Argyll and Bute

  15·9

  14·9

  -1·0

  -4·1

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  10·9

  10·8

  -0·6

  -3·7

  Clydebank

  16·3

  15·3

  -1·0

  -4·1

  Clydesdale

  14·1

  13·2

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  13·9

  13·0

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  14·3

  13·4

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Cunninghame

  17·2

  16·1

  -1·1

  -4·2

  Dumbarton

  15·9

  14·9

  -1·0

  -4·1

  East Kilbride

  12·0

  11·2

  -0·8

  -3·9

  Eastwood

  8·4

  7·9

  -0·5

  -3 6

  Glasgow City

  22·3

  20·9

  -1·4

  -4·5

  Hamilton

  15·1

  14·2

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Inverclyde

  13·4

  12·6

  -0·8

  -3·9

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  13·9

  13·0

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Kyle and Carrick

  14·3

  13·4

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Monklands

  15·1

  14·2

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Motherwell

  13·7

  12·9

  -0·8

  -3·9

  Renfrew

  15·1

  14·2

  -0·9

  -4·0

  Strathkelvin

  13·4

  12·6

  -0·8

  -3·9

  Angus

  11·3

  10·6

  -0·7

  -3·6

  Dundee City

  18-1

  16·9

  -1·7

  -4·1

  Perth and Kinross

  11·7

  11·0

  -0·7

  -3·6

  Notes:

  1. Column 1 shows rate poundages which would have been required in 1990–91 were it not for the Government's Unified Business Rate policy.

  2. Column 2 shows the actual rate poundages for 1990–91 which the Secretary of State intends to prescribe following the £80 million UBR reduction.

  3. Column 3 shows the reduction in poundages at individual payer level.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his proposed community charge transitional relief scheme.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have today sent to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities a paper describing the 424
  conclusions I have drawn after consultation with it. I intend to lay regulations in the new year which will provide for the introduction of the scheme.

  Electricity Boards
  Mr. Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the annual reports and accounts for 1988–89 of the Scottish electricity boards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have now received the annual reports and accounts of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the South of Scotland electricity board. These have been laid before the House. Notwithstanding the position shown in the accounts at 31 March 1989, I have confirmed to the boards, with the agreement of Treasury that they shall continue to have access to advances which can be made by me under section 24(1) of the Electricity (Scotland) Act 1979 subject to the limit set out in section 29(1) of that Act, as amended, until the transfer date defined in section 67(4) of the Electricity Act 1989.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what extra resources he is proposing to devote to the promotion, development and provision of local authority nursery places in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is his policy regarding promoting an increase in local education authority provision of nursery places in Scotland;

  (3) what research he is currently undertaking to estimate the demand for local authority nursery places in Scotland;

  (4) what targets he has set for the increase in provision of local authority nursery education over the next five years.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: It is for education authorities themselves to determine, within the resources available to them, the level of nursery education places they wish to provide for their area, having regard to local circumstances and competing priorities. They are also responsible for estimating demand and setting any targets.

  UDG/URG applications 1987–88

  UDG/URG approvals 1987–88

  City grant applications 1988–89

  City grant approvals 1988–89

  Barnsley

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Birmingham

  4

  2

  6

  3

  Blackburn

  2

  2

  7

  3

  Bolton

  2

  3

  3

  2

  Bradford

  1

  1

  2

  —

  Brent

  1

  1

  2

  —

  Bristol

  1

  1

  3

  1

  Burnley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Coventry

  —

  —

  2

  1

  Derby

  —

  —

  10

  2

  Doncaster

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dudley

  2

  2

  2

  1

  Gateshead

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Greenwich

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Hackney

  —

  —

  1

  1

  Halton

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Haringey

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Hartlepool

  —

  —

  3

  1

  Islington

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  1

  —

  —

ENVIRONMENT

  Social Landlords
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to prevent private companies setting up as social landlords, obtaining a council dowry and then defaulting on their responsibilities.

  Mr. Chope
  Under the Housing Act 1988, tenants' choice landlords are required to meet stringent criteria if they are to be approved by the Housing Corporation to seek to acquire property under tenants' choice.

  Only responsible applicants with a long-term commitment to the provision of rented housing for those who need it will be approved. All applicants will also have to give a series of binding undertakings in a deed under seal to the corporation, regarding the way they operate.

  A negative valuation or "dowry" may arise where repairs are necessary to bring transferring property up to the standard required by the public sector landlord's repairing obligations. Disputed valuations are set on statutory principles by the district valuer.

  After a valuation is set, an approval landlord wishing to acquire property under tenants' choice is required to make a detailed offer to the tenants on a range of matters including repairs. If the tenants vote to accept the offer and transfer proceeds the offer is contractually binding on the landlord.

  Urban Development
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list for each qualifying authority(a) the number of inquiries, applications and approvals relating to either urban development grant, or urban regeneration grant in 1987–88 and (b) the number of inquiries, applications and approvals relating to city grant in 1988–89;

  (2) if he will publish a table which lists those qualifying authorities which did not win (a) any approvals for either urban development grant or urban regeneration grant in 1987–88 and (b) any city grant approvals in 1988–89.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The information requested is shown in the table:
  427

  UDG/URG applications 1987–88

  UDG/URG approvals 1987–88

  City grant applications 1988–89

  City grant approvals 1988–819

  Kingston upon Hull

  5

  3

  —

  —

  Kirklees

  —

  —

  3

  1

  Knowsley

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Lambeth

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Langbaurgh

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Leeds

  3

  3

  2

  1

  Leicester

  3

  1

  2

  2

  Lewisham

  1

  1

  2

  1

  Liverpool

  1

  1

  1

  —

  Manchester

  —

  3

  4

  —

  Middlesbrough

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Newcastle

  2

  1

  4

  3

  Newham

  1

  1

  —

  —

  North Tyneside

  1

  1

  2

  2

  Nottingham

  2

  5

  13

  7

  Oldham

  —

  1

  1

  1

  Plymouth

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Preston

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Rochdale

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Rotherham

  1

  —

  —

  —

  St. Helens

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Salford

  1

  —

  3

  2

  Sandwell

  2

  3

  3

  2

  Sefton

  —

  1

  1

  —

  Sheffield

  2

  2

  4

  3

  South Tyneside

  1

  3

  2

  —

  Southwark

  —

  —

  3

  1

  Stockton

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Sunderland

  —

  —

  3

  1

  Tower Hamlets

  1

  —

  4

  2

  Walsall

  3

  1

  —

  —

  Wandsworth

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Wigan

  2

  1

  —

  —

  Wirral

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Wolverhampton

  1

  —

  1

  —

  Wrckin

  2

  —

  1

  —

  Total

  54

  46

  113

  44

  Notes:

  1. Excludes projects in UDC areas.

  2. The information requested on inquiries which are not formal applications is not held centrally.

  3. Applications received towards the end of a financial year may be decided at the beginning of the following year.

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environments if he will list for each urban development corporation(a) the value of city grant approvals in

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  City Grant approvals

  Inner Urban Areas Act Grant approved expenditure

  Receipts from land Sales

  Area of land sold

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  hectares

  Black Country

  1·2

  0·4

  0·3

  2·5

  Bristol

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Central Manchester

  7·2

  —

  —

  —

  Leeds

  0·4

  —

  —

  —

  London Docklands

  —

  0·1

  133·1

  30·4

  Merseyside

  1·2

  0·4

  2·3

  19·0

  Sheffield

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Teesside

  2·2

  —

  0·1

  0·8

  Trafford Park

  0·1

  —

  —

  —

  Tyne and Wear

  7·9

  0·5

  0·6

  7·2

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1987–88 to 1990–91 the amount of actual or planned expenditure on(a) urban development corporations, (b) city grant, (c) derelict land grant, (d) city action teams, (e) Estate Action and (f) the urban programme.
  428
  1988–89.(b) the value of Inner Urban Areas Act grants distributed in 1988–89, (c) the value of receipts from land sales in 1988–89 and (d) the area of land sold in 1988–89.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The information is as follows:

  Mr. Moynihan
  The information is as follows:
  429

  £ million

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  (a) Urban Development Corporations1

  133

  234

  440

  542

  (b) City Grant2

  25

  25

  35

  49

  (c) Derelict Land Grant

  81

  78

  67

  72

  (d) City Action Teams

  5

  7

  6

  8

  (e) Estate Action

  75

  140

  190

  190

  (f) Urban Programme3

  266

  261

  260

  265

  1 External financing limits.

  2 Includes urban development grant and urban regeneration grant.

  3 Includes current and capital expenditure funded by the programmes of various Government Departments and local authority self-financed expenditure.

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for every qualifying authority the amount of urban programme aid spent in each year from 1986–87 to 1988–89 on(a) new industrial and commercial buildings, (b) improving and converting industrial and commercial buildings, (c) land improvement, (d) housing and (e) other buildings which fulfil a social purpose.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I am arranging for copies of the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of urban programme aid was allocated to each of the 57 qualifying authorities in 1987–88 and in 1988–89.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The amount of urban programme aid allocated to each of the 57 qualifying authorities and district health authorities in these areas for 1987–88 and 1988–89 is shown in the table. The figures do not include the amounts topsliced for the Merseyside special allocation, residual traditional urban programme commitments, low-attaining pupils programme and research.

  Region and Local authority allocations

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Northern

  Newcastle/Gateshead

  17·3

  16·8

  Hartlepool

  1·7

  1·8

  Langbaurgh

  1·6

  1·7

  Middlesbrough

  5·8

  5·5

  North Tyneside

  3·6

  3·4

  South Tyneside

  4·5

  4·4

  Stockton

  1·2

  1·4

  Sunderland

  4·3

  4·7

  North West

  Manchester/Salford

  24·3

  22·2

  Blackburn

  4·0

  4·0

  Bolton

  4·0

  3·8

  Burnley

  1·0

  1·8

  Oldham

  4·0

  3·7

  Preston

  1·3

  2·0

  Rochdale

  4·0

  3·6

  Wigan

  1·5

  2·2

  Merseyside

  Liverpool

  20·0

  20·4

  Halton

  1·5

  1·5

  Knowsley

  4·1

  4·0

  St· Helen's

  1·5

  1·7

  Sefton

  1·6

  1·5

  Wirral

  3·5

  3·5

  430

  Region and Local authority allocations

  1987–88

  1988–89

  West Midlands

  Birmingham

  25·4

  24·7

  Coventry

  4·4

  4·8

  Dudley

  1·3

  1·3

  Sandwell

  5·0

  4·9

  Walsall

  1·5

  1·5

  Wolverhampton

  5·5

  5·4

  The Wrekin

  0·6

  0·6

  East Midlands

  Derby

  1·5

  1·4

  Leicester

  5·4

  5·4

  Nottingham

  5·5

  5·7

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Barnsley

  1·6

  1·5

  Bradford

  4·5

  3·1

  Doncaster

  1·8

  1·8

  Hull

  5·0

  4·9

  Kirklees

  0·8

  0·8

  Leeds

  4·5

  4·8

  Rotherham

  1·8

  1·8

  Sheffield

  5·6

  5·5

  London

  Hackney

  10·8

  9·7

  Islington

  9·8

  9·7

  Lambeth

  11·7

  10·3

  Brent

  4·0

  3·9

  Greenwich

  1·5

  1·9

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  4·7

  4·3

  Haringey

  2·0

  2·3

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1·3

  1·9

  Lewisham

  1·7

  2·0

  Newham

  1·8

  2·3

  Southwark

  2·0

  2·3

  Tower Hamlets

  4·5

  4·5

  Wandsworth

  4·5

  4·5

  South West

  Bristol

  1·6

  1·5

  Plymouth

  0·5

  1·0

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table for each urban development corporation which shows, either in terms of units or in matters of square feet, the volume of planning applications since the inception of the corporations for(a) private housing, (b) industrial premises, (c) commercial premises, (d) warehousing and (e) retail premises.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The following information is available:

  Total amount of development (completed and under construction) in each UDC (to 31 March 1989)

  Type of Development

  Urban Development Corporations

  Year established

  Housing(number of Units)

  Non-housing(sq ft—millions)

  Merseyside

  1981

  572

  5·4

  London Docklands

  1981

  16,829

  20·1

  Trafford Park

  1987

  0

  0·5

  Black Country

  1987

  325

  1·7

  Teesside

  1987

  0

  2·2

  Tyne and Wear

  1987

  453

  0·2

  Central Manchester

  1988

  327

  0·3

  Leeds

  1988

  0

  0·1

  Sheffield

  1988

  0

  0·5

  Bristol

  1989

  0

  0

  431

  Total number of planning decisions by English UDCs

  Number of planning decision up to 30 June 1989

  Urban Development Corporations

  Year established

  Number of quarters for which date are available

  Dwelling

  Offices, Manufacturing, Storage & Waarehousing

  Retail

  Decisions

  Granted

  Decisions

  Granted

  Decisions

  Granted

  Merseyside

  1981

  20

  12

  9

  34

  30

  11

  8

  London Docklands

  1981

  20

  607

  587

  305

  287

  140

  134

  Trafford Park

  1987

  3

  1

  1

  37

  37

  2

  2

  Black Country

  1987

  7

  48

  43

  206

  193

  51

  44

  Teesside

  1987

  8

  1

  1

  67

  59

  6

  5

  Tyne and Wear

  1987

  7

  42

  39

  97

  75

  75

  60

  Central Manchester

  1988

  3

  2

  2

  10

  8

  6

  6

  Leeds

  1988

  3

  1

  0

  32

  27

  5

  2

  Sheffield

  1988

  3

  0

  0

  26

  24

  1

  0

  Bristol

  1989

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  0

  0

  Note:

  The information given in column 2 relates to the number of quarters since the establishment of each UDC for which data is available. Figures for Merseyside and London Docklands relate only to information available for the most recent 5 years.

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1987–88 to 1990–91 the amount of actual or planned expenditure designed to support the urban programme.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The figures showing the total amount of expenditure for the urban programme for the years 1987–88 to 1990–91 are as follows. These figures include the amounts topsliced for the Merseyside task force, residual traditional urban programme, low-attaining pupils programme and research.

  £ million

  1987–88 Actual

  266

  1988–89 Actual

  261

  1989–90 Planned

  260

  1990–91 Planned

  265

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list(a) the factors and (b) the figures used to determine the percentage increase in the 1990–91 standard spending assessments to take account of the costs arising from the geographical location of Surrey county and Spelthorne borough councils.

  Mr. Chope
  The standard spending assessments for all authorities in the south-east standard region are adjusted to take account of higher labour costs in the region as identified by standardised earnings for an appropriate range of occupations from the new earnings survey for 1988. The precise adjustments vary from service block to service block according to the proportion of total costs represented by labour costs. Provisional figures are set out in annex F to the draft distribution report which my right hon. Friend placed in the Library on 6 November.

  Pollution
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the appeals under section 10 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 currently under consideration by his Department; how many decisions have been issued since 27 July; and what steps he is taking to increase the speed of progress.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Following is a list of the appeals currently under consideration showing the dates they were 432
  first lodged. Three decisions have been issued since 27 July. Internal reorganisation of staff will allow greater priority to be given to these appeals in future, and changes have also been made to the various administrative procedures in order to speed up the decision-making process.

  Date

  Empire Brickworks, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  1 June 1982

  Seal Sands Terminal, Seal Sands, Cleveland

  26 June 1984

  Empire Brickworks, 51, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  8 September 1986

  Empire Brickworks, 231, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  8 September 1986

  Empire Brickworks, 323, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  8 September 1986

  Empire Brickworks, 324, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  8 September 1986

  East Tilbury (1) East Tilbury, Essex

  26 March 1987

  Aveley Clay Pit 2 and 3, Sandy Lane, Aveley, Essex

  10 July 1987

  Auckland Road, Leyton, LWRA

  21 July 1987

  Charleston Road, Hardley, Hampshire

  10 August 1987

  Gilbey Road, Grimsby, Humberside

  7 September 1987

  Old Railway Cutting, Chesterfield Road, Bolsover, Derbyshire

  7 December 1987

  Unit 3 Hartlepool, Sandgate Industrial Estate, Cleveland

  7 December 1987

  Springwell Hill, Nether Handley, Sheffield

  9 December 1987

  Norwood Industrial Estate, Rotherham Road, Killamarsh, Sheffield

  3 February 1988

  East Tilbury (2), East Tilbury, Essex

  18 April 1988

  Whinfield Farm, Pennington, Cumbria

  23 June 1988

  Munnery's Copse, Worthing, West Sussex

  27 June 1988

  Springwell Hill, Nether Handley, Sheffield

  1 August 1988

  Unit 10 Eddarbridge Industrial Estate, Cheshire

  19 August 1988

  Redbournbury Plant, St Albans, Hertfordshire

  24 November 1988

  Grazebrook Industrial Estate, Stubbers Green Road, Dudley

  6 January 1989

  Leabrook Road, Wednesbury, Sandwell

  10 January 1989

  Butterley Hole, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  6 February 1989

  Bakers Hole, Swanscombe, Kent

  8 March 1989

  Martin Earles No. 1, Cuxton, Kent

  8 March 1989

  Martin Earles Pit, Cuxton, Kent

  8 March 1989

  140 Moss Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire

  13 March 1989

  Grazebrook Estate (2), Stubbers Green Road, Dudley

  4 May 1989

  Mucking Wharf, Mucking, Essex

  16 May 1989

  Offham Quarry, Teston Road, Offham, Kent

  19 June 1989

  Stangate Quarry, Borough Green, Kent

  19 June 1989

  Pluckley Brickworks, Chambers Green, Pluckley, Kent

  29 June 1989

  433

  Date

  Vineyard Chalkpit, Rainham, Kent

  29 June 1989

  Stone Pits 5 and 6, Stone, Dartford, Kent

  29 June 1989

  Stone 1 and Atlas Stone, Stone, Dartford, Kent

  29 June 1989

  Heathside Farm, Sandyford, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

  3 July 1989

  Chesterfield Road, Barlborough, Derbyshire

  29 August 1989

  Barnett and Beddows, Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge, Walsall

  6 September 1989

  Moss Hall Farm, Rixton, Warrington, Cheshire

  19 September 1989

  Moss Hall Farm 2, Rixton, Warrington, Cheshire

  19 September 1989

  Rough Park Quarry, Mill Lane, Upholland, Lancashire

  9 October 1989

  Lumm Farm, Lumb Lane, Littlemoss, Droylesden, Greater Manchester

  20 October 1989

  Halfhead Farm, Shallowford, Stone, Staffordshire

  17 November 1989

  Bell Terminal, Grangetown, Middlesbrough, Cleveland

  20 November 1989

  Jolly Farmer Sand Pit, Guildford Road, Runfold, Surrey

  21 November 1989

  Farnham Sandpit, Alton Road, Farnham, Surrey

  8 December 1989

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what action he intends to take following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination above background levels by polychorinated biphenyls at Ordnance Survey grid reference numbers(a) NY 5151, (b) NZ 5101, (c) NZ 0151, (d) SE 0101 and (e) TR 3666; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what action he intends to take following the identification by Her Majesty's inspectors of pollution of local contamination levels of dioxins and furans above the established background levels at Ordnance Survey grid reference numbers (a) NY 5101. (b) NZ 5151, (c) SE 0101, (d) SE 0151, (e) SU 5101; (f) TQ 0151; (g) TR 0151; (h) SK 0202 and (i) NT 0301; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]: The report by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has shown PCBs, dioxins and furans to be ubiquitous in United Kingdom soils. As expected levels are higher where there is a history of heavy industry and urbanisation. I am, however, informed that the levels of these compounds found at the locations mentioned do not pose a direct risk to human health. Further work will concentrate on sampling around those processes having the potential to release significant amounts of these compounds.

  Clause 28 Prosecutions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the details of all prosecutions that have taken place under clause 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 (which prohibits local authorities from intentionally promoting homosexuality) does not create any criminal offence: there can therefore be no prosecutions under it.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to inform people of their rights to protect their confidentiality during the period remaining for implementation of the community charge in England and Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I am not aware that the implementation of the community charge in the manner advised jointly by the Department and the local authority associations poses any threat to confidentiality.

  Waste Paper
  Mr. Onslow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the quantity of waste paper removed from the House in an average week; and what proportion of this consists of unsolicited mail or other unused matter.

  Mr. Chope
  The quantity of paper removed from the Palace averages 2 tonnes per day, with a maximum of 4 tonnes per day. It is not possible to estimate the proportion of this which is unsolicited mail, or other unused matter. The waste paper is sent for recycling.

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will arrange for Property Services Agency employees' severance terms to be no less favourable than those granted to workers in ordnance factories and dockyards;

  (2) if he will make a statement on his discussions with the United States forces on the future of the Property Services Agency;

  (3) when he hopes to announce the results of the study of the formalities of the relationship between the United States Air Force and the Property Services Agency when the Property Services Agency has been privatised.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 December 1989]: There have been several discussions with representatives of United States forces about their future relationship with PSA since my right hon. Friend's statement of 25 May 1988. Further discussions of the implications of privatisation are now in progress as part of the study I referred to in the debate on the Property Services Agency and Crown Suppliers Bill on 6 December. This study is being led by the Ministry of Defence with full PS .A involvement. My right hon. Friend will make an announcement about the continuing role of a privatised PSA in providing services to United States forces in the United Kingdom as soon as conclusions have been reached.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has in relation to regulation 7 of the principal Civil Service pensions scheme concerning Property Services Agency employees.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 December 1989]: On pensions, we shall make it clear to purchasers that we expect them to offer terms which are broadly comparable with those of the principal Civil Service pension scheme. The terms that they offer will be subject to analysis by the Government Actuary. If they are assessed as not being as

  435
  good as the Civil Service scheme, some means will be found to ensure that the staff are not disadvantaged in respect of the overall terms and conditions of service.

  On redundancy, the purchaser will be required to provide compensation terms which, as far as possible, are identical to those the staff have at present.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what the Government Actuary has advised about the Property Services Agency pension terms offer.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 13 December 1989]: Advice on an offer has not been sought.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish for each water authority in England the estimated percentage held by(a) individual shareholders and (b) financial institutions as on the first day of trading in the new companies.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: The allocations to applicants in each of the nine English water companies were announced on 11 December. The offer of shares to the general public in each company was oversubscribed to an extent that the clawback arrangements set out in the prospectus were triggered. As a result, 39·25 per cent. of the shares in each company were allocated to institutions and 46·875 per cent. of the shares in each company were allocated to applicants in the retail public offer.

  City of London Heliport
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will call in the planning application submitted to the corporation of the City of London for the construction of a heliport adjacent to the Cannon Street railway bridge; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if there will be a public inquiry on the planning application for the proposed City of London heliport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  This application has been made only recently and my right hon. Friend is considering its implications. The corporation of the City of London, as local planning authority, is responsible for deciding planning applications within its area. In determining applications, the corporation is required to take into account all material planning considerations.

  MINIS 10
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the outcome of the full consultation and discussion on MINIS 10 within Government promised by the then Minister of State in Standing Committee on 4 May.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Copies of MINIS 10 were placed in the Library on 15 November 1989.

  British Rail Land, Nottingham
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will now use his powers to order the sale of the British Rail-owned land between Sainsbury's and Gunn and Moores in Nottingham.
  436
  Mr. David Hunt
  I understand that the British Rail Property Board is today discussing its disposal plans for the land. It would be premature for the Secretary of State to become statutorily involved at this juncture.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to reduce the import and export of toxic waste.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Environmental Protection Bill contains provisions to restrict or prohibit the import or export of any type of waste into or out of the United Kingdom, in order to prevent risk of harm to the environment or human health, or to conserve disposal resources.

  Satellite Television Dishes
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what statutory enactment an individual is obliged to apply to the local planning authority for permission to erect a satellite dish on a private dwelling house.

  Mr. Howard
  Class H of part 1 of schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 grants permission to install a single satellite antenna on or within the curtilage of a dwellinghouse provided the antenna's maximum diameter does not exceed 90 cm and it does not project above the highest part of the house's roof. Otherwise, specific planning permission is necessary under section 23(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971.

  Coventry Council (Ombudsman's Report)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action has been taken in the cast of Coventry city council and Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Quin and Mrs. Havels née Quin since the answer to the hon. Member for Pembroke of 22 February at columns 696–97.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  1 and 2 Bridge Street, London
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who owns Nos. 1 and 2 Bridge street, London, SW1; whether the building is listed; and whether there are any proposals to demolish or improve the building.

  Mr. Chope
  Nos. 1 and 2 Bridge street, which are Crown property, are listed grade II. They form part of the Bridge street site which is being redeveloped to provide additional parliamentary accommodation. Proposals for the second phase, which includes Nos. 1 and 2 Bridge street, were sent to the Services Committee last month.

  Norris Green Estate, Liverpool
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Minister of State, the hon. Member for Wirral West, (Mr. Hunt) will be responding to the letter from the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby of 15 September in respect of the Norris Green housing estate in Liverpool.
  437
  Mr. Howard
  I have written to the hon. Member.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his Department's estimates of the number of families who will present themselves as homeless in(a) London, (b) England in each of the years from 1990 to 2000 inclusive.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department has no such estimates.

  Crown Premises
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment approximately how many complaints Her Majesty's Government have received from private landlords about the poor maintenance and rundown appearance of Crown-occupied premises; and what effect he estimates such complaints have had on the willingness of lessors to have the Property Services Agency as a tenant.

  Mr. Chope
  No information is held centrally about complaints by landlords of poor maintenance. The National Audit Office referred in its report "The Management of the Civil Estate" to the only two cases which came to light following a specific enquiry to PSA regions in 1986 for evidence of cases where landlords had refused to grant leases.

  There is no evidence that those two cases have affected the general willingness of lessors to have PSA as a tenant.

  Control Properties
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the results of his evaluation of the Property Services Agency's selection of control properties experiment, terminated in the autumn of 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  The radical option experiment to which I believe the hon. Member refers has provided valuable lessons for Government Departments and the Agency when they assume their new responsibilities for property management from April 1990.

  Accommodation (Free Assets)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the outcome of his review of free assets, in relation to the value of accommodation, as described in the National Audit Office report on the Property Services Agency, section 4:28.

  Mr. Chope
  For 1990–91 it has been decided that opportunity cost rents will be charged on Departmental Estate properties in the same way as on common user estate properties. Property Holdings will act as agents for the Treasury in assessing rents and collecting them.

  Property Services Agency Estate Surveyors
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the result of his consideration of improvements in the Property Services Agency estate surveyors information system and in the longer-term estate support system.

  Mr. Chope
  Changes to the Property Services Agency estate surveyor information system (ESIS) have been 438
  considered in the context of the reorganisation of PSA from 1 April 1990 as announced in the statement by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State on 25 May 1988. By that date PSA services will require a more flexible and responsive resource cost management system. A weekly diary capture system is now being developed. This will be in place by 1 April 1990 and the ESIS system will then be abandoned.

  Norfolk House, East Kilbride
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why Norfolk house, East Kilbride, was vacated in 1984; when the lease of Norfolk house expires; and what is the annual cost.

  Mr. Chope
  The occupying Department, Inland Revenue, vacated the premises since they were considered to be unsuitable either for adaptation under the computerised office programme or as a training centre. PSA (Scotland) is currently negotiating abandonment of the lease which is scheduled to expire on 24 March 2029. Annual costs vary from year to year but including rental approximate at £200,000.

  Police and Fire Brigade Pay
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision has been made in the standard spending assessment of local authorities for next year in respect of pay awards for the police force and the fire brigade.

  Mr. Chope
  The control totals for each of the standard spending assessment service blocks take account of all the costs of providing a standard level of service. Provisional figures are set out in annex B to the draft distribution report which my right hon. Friend placed in the Library on 6 November.

  Water Meter Trials
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain information from the Yorkshire water authority as to why the local people in the Normanton meter trial area were not given the opportunity to consider the draft code of practice for water leakage before it was submitted to the director general as promised in the letter of 29 August from his Department to the hon. Member for Normanton; and if lie will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  The draft code will apply to all Yorkshire Water's domestic customers who are metered, not just those customers in the trial area. We did, however, ask Yorkshire Water to give the local liaison committee on the south Normanton trial an opportunity to comment on the draft code before it was submitted for approval to the director general. I understand that Yorkshire Water subsequently passed the committee's comments, including those from the hon. Member, to the director general with the draft code.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available to Parliament from the national compulsory water meter trials; and if he will make a statement.
  439
  Mr. Howard
  A copy of the first interim report on the trials, which was published last February, was placed in the Library. A second interim report is expected to be published in the spring.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated cost to public funds for the compulsory water meter trials in the Normanton constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government have agreed to contribute up to half the cost of the south Normanton trial. The budget for the trial has yet to be finalised, but we expect the Government's contribution to be in the region of £240,000.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what mechanism is to be applied to monitor the total income, including the contribution from his Department to the compulsory water meter trials in the Normanton constituency, by the Yorkshire water authority during the trial period; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  The trial tariff has been designed to recover the same amount of income from the trail area as would have been recovered on a rateable value basis. We shall be regularly monitoring the level of income received from customers when charging starts in April 1991. The tariff will be amended if the income recovered from customers is greater than anticipated.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what value will be obtained from the investment of public money on the compulsory water meter trials in the Normanton constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  The south Normanton trial is part of a programme of 12 trials in different areas designed to examine all aspects of metering, including the views of customers. The lessons learnt during the trials will help ensure that those water companies that decide to adopt metering as an alternative means of charging once the use of rateable values is no longer permitted, will do so cost effectively and with the least inconvenience to customers.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of water meters being installed in the Isle of Wight trial scheme which, when examined by the trading standards officer for verification, have fallen outside the tolerance area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I understand that one meter has been tested by the local trading standards officer on the Isle of Wight at the request of a customer. The meter was found to be just outside the error limits prescribed in the Measuring Equipment (Cold-water Meters) Regulations 1988 and was subsequently replaced.

  City Grants
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to review the priority areas for city grants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The Secretary of State has no immediate plans to review the priority areas for city grant.
  440
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the criteria for deciding priority areas for city grant purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Priority for city grant is given to the 57 local authorities invited to submit inner area programmes for support under the urban progamme.

  Urban Grants
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown of(a) urban development grant, (b) urban renewal grant and (c) city grants approvals to the 57 urban programme areas to the end of November, authority by authority, category by category; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Crown Buildings, Cardiff
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for leasing surplus space in the Crown buildings, Cathays park, Cardiff, subsequent to the departure of the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

  Mr. Chope
  Any surplus space in the Crown building. Cathays park, subsequent to the departure of the insurance services group of the Export Credits Guarantee Department, will be reallocated to meet the requirements of another Government Department or Departments.

  Housing Revenue Account Subsidies
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1990–91.

  Mr. Howard
  The housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1990–91 have been made today. Every local housing authority in England has been sent a copy of the determinations together with provisional figures on which its subsidy entitlement will be based. The figures for each individual authority are subject to change in the light of new information supplied by the authority itself. Copies of the determinations and of the provisional figures for all authorities will be placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

  The new housing revenue account subsidy was introduced by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. It replaces the existing main housing subsidy, housing benefit subsidy for rent rebates and the element in rate support grant related to authorities' own housing costs. The total Exchequer subsidy for 1990–91 is estimated to be some £3 billion, a similar sum to the combined figure for the different subsidies this year.

  Each authority's subsidy will be calculated in accordance with the formula which is prescribed in the determinations. For 1990–91, the formula assumes that there will be a national increase of 10 per cent. in gross rent income. That produces an average guideline increase of £2·08 a week compared with £1·95 last year. However, unlike previous years, the determinations this year provide for different guideline rent increases in different authorities. The rent guidelines are set by reference to the

  441
  value of each authority's housing stock, but are subject to a minimum and a maximum guideline increase. We estimate that the maximum guideline increase of £4-50 will apply to 66 authorities, and that 156 authorities will benefit from the minimum guideline increase of 95p which is less than would be required nationally to keep pace with inflation. Over half of all council tenants are on housing benefit and will not have to pay for any increase in rent because this will be fully rebated.

  Overall, the effect is that guideline rent increases are lower in parts of the country where the value of housing is lower, and higher where it is relatively high. Within any area, guideline increases are also lower for authorities with high rents at present than they are for authorities where rents are lower. In this way authorities will be encouraged to move towards a more sensible pattern of rents across the country which reflects the value of the housing being provided.

  For 1990–91, the subsidy formula provides for an 8 per cent. increase in the provision for management and maintenance expenditure which allows for at least 3 per cent. growth. The allowance will in most cases be related to authorities' past actual expenditure. There are two additional safeguards for authorities whose past expenditure has been low. First, if their past spending was lower than their allowance for management and maintenance spending under the existing housing subsidy system, then we will base their allowance for 1990–91 on the previous allowance. Secondly, we have set a minimum allowance per dwelling which will benefit the 10 per cent. of authorities whose allowances would otherwise (after adjustment for regional cost variations) have been the lowest in the country. To provide for the cost of the minimum allowance we have transferred £30 million from the local authority housing capital expenditure programme for 1990–91. In future years we intend that the provision for management and maintenance should be progressively directed towards those authorities with the greatest needs.

  The subsidy formula also takes into account the full cost of loan charges and of rent rebates, subject only to safeguards to prevent double subsidy and to provide an incentive for efficient operation of the rent rebate scheme. The existing system of admissible cost limits for capital works, under which subsidy is paid only on loan charges where the average cost of schemes falls within unit cost limits prescribed by the Government, will be dropped. Rents on leasehold property will also be taken into account in subsidy, but in this case the admissible cost limits will continue to apply for the time being.

  The draft determinations were the subject of consultation with local authorities, their associations, and other professional bodies. A large number of representations have been received, in response to which we have clarified and simplified the determinations wherever possible. We intend to publish a new edition of the "Housing Subsidy Manual", with practical guidance on the operation of the new subsidy system, early in the new year.

  The combined effect of these proposals is to direct the £33 billion of taxpayers' money which will be paid out in HRA subsidy towards the authorities that most need it.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about the new drinking water inspectorate.

  Mr. Howard
  Section 60 of the Water Act 1989 empowers my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales to appoint technical assessors to act on their behalf in relation to the new provisions on drinking water quality and supply. This is the statutory basis for the new drinking water inspectorate which will begin work on 2 January 1990. Their principal task will be to ensure that water undertakers in England and Wales are fulfilling all their statutory requirements for the supply of wholesome drinking water. They will check for failures to comply with the standards set by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 which come fully into force on 1 January 1990. If a failure occurs the inspectorate will ensure that appropriate action is taken.

  Mr. M. G. Healey has been appointed chief inspector. Mr. Healey is head of the drinking water division of the Department of the Environment and is an engineer by training.

  Housing Investment Programmes
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make the allocations to local authorities in England for their housing investment programmes in 1990–91.

  Mr. Howard
  Each housing authority is today being informed of its housing investment programme (HIP) allocation for 1990–91. Copies of the letters to authorities and of the schedule of HIP allocations will be placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

  The local authority associations have been consulted about the distribution of HIP allocations, including the construction of the generalised needs index (GNI), which has been comprehensively reviewed. My right hon. Friend has also consulted the local authority associations, local authorities and others about the determination of housing revenue account subsidy for 1990–91 and has decided that £30 million should be transferred from the total available for housing credit approvals in 1990–91 to increase the resources available for HRA subsidy.

  Local authority credit approvals and specified capital grants will therefore total £1,784 million in 1990–91, not including £112 million for the special homelessness initiative. The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 allows my right hon. Friend to take account of local authorities' capital receipts when making allocations, and the housing element of the receipts taken into account in this way is £270 million. Housing investment programme (HIP) allocations for 1990–91 will therefore total £2,054 million.

  HIP allocations in 1990–91 totalled £1,110 million, and the large increase in the total for allocations in 1990–91 has been made possible by the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. As a result, about two thirds of the total capital resources that local authorities are expected to spend on housing next year can be targeted to reflect differences in local needs, compared with about one third in recent years.

  After considering the views of the local authority associations, my right hon. Friend has concluded that a

  443
  revised GNI should be introduced for 1990–91, and that the distribution of resources should be made on the following basis:

  (i) £164·5 million to be allocated separately as supplementary credit approvals (SCAs), as follows:

  (a) £110 million for the estate action programme, for new and some continuation schemes. (A further £80 million for the remaining estate action continuation schemes is being allocated to authorities on the basis of agreed levels of commitment as part of their main HIP allocations).

  (b) £54·5 million held back for later distribution, of which £10 million is expected to be to cover renewal areas declared during the year, and the remainder primarily to provide against demand under the new renovation grant system for mandatory grants in excess of authorities' available resources.

  (ii) My right hon. Friend's view is that the existing system of weighting the GNI scores of the 57 "Action for Cities" target areas is not only obscure, but also ineffective in ensuring that additional resources reach those inner city authorities most in need of them. He has therefore decided that, for 1990–91, £100 million of the total for HIP allocations should be allocated to the 57 "Action for Cities" target areas as distinct inner city special allocations. These resources have been distributed to the DOE regions in proportion to the GNI scores of the 57 authorities. Each region's total for inner city special allocations has been allocated to the 57 authorities following recommendations by the Department's regional housing controllers.

  (iii) The remaining £1,709 million of the main HIP allocations, made up of the £1,296 million of housing annual capital guidelines (ACGs) and £413 million of resources for specified capital grants, has been distributed in two stages. First, the distribution to DOE regions has been made in proportion to the sum of the GNI scores of the local authorities in each region. Second, each region's total has been allocated to individual local authorities one half in proportion to each authority's GNI score, and one half following recommendations by the Department's regional housing controllers to reflect local needs.

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list schemes covering energy conservation under the urban programme for each year since 1986.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answer 19 December 1989]: I am arranging for copies of the information requested to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Home Insulation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each year since 1978 the number of dwellings insulated under public sector insulation programmes.

  Mr. Howard
  My Department is responsible for the energy conservation programme and homes insulation scheme. Information on activity in 1986, 1987, 1988 and the first quarter of 1989 for energy conversion, and the first half of 1989 for the homes insulation scheme, appears in table 2·21 of "Housing and Construction Statistics Part 2", No. 38. Figures for earlier years appear in table 7·7 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988". Copies of these publications are available in the Library.
  444
  Work under the energy conservation programme is identified only where it is the only work being carried out to a local authority dwelling. Insulation is often installed when other general renovation work is carried out, but these cases cannot be separately identified.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library the internal audit report of 1986 on the homes insulation scheme.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: No. It would be inappropriate to make generally available such reports, which are however sent to the National Audit Office and used by the Comptroller and Auditor General to inform his examination of the Department's work.

EMPLOYMENT

  Social Fund
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much European social fund funding Leeds will lose for training programmes for long-term unemployed adults and unemployed young people in the coming year.

  Mr. Eggar
  Allocations to particular programmes have yet to be made. To date, support under the European social fund is made for one year at a time. Funding in one year carried no guarantee of support for future years.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the parameters now used to determine the allocation of European social fund money.

  Mr. Eggar
  Under the new European social fund arrangements the Commission determines the amount to be allocated to the member states and decides on the applications submitted earlier this year. The regulations on priorities for the schemes were agreed by all member states within the Community. In addition, the Commission has issued guidelines on those elements of the fund to support measures for the long-term unemployed and young people, which they have said they will apply in assessing applications for support. These regulations and guidelines have been widely circulated to all interested parties. This week the Commission published its Community support framework for four of the five objectives of the fund. They set out the priorities that the Commission and member states will adopt in assessing applications for support in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make it his policy that any overflow of European social fund training grants should be reallocated to local authorities that already have well-established European social fund programmes.

  Mr. Eggar
  We expect that all allocations by the European Commission of ESF will be fully taken up by the applicants concerned.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of all the major schemes in order of amount supported by the European social fund.

  Mr. Eggar
  A copy of the latest European social fund decision on the funding of all United Kingdom applicants has been lodged in the House of Commons Library.
  445
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table of the European social fund training grants allocation to Leeds from 1979 to 1989, inclusive.

  Mr. Eggar
  Details of allocations to individual towns and cities can be identified only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish his Department's reply to correspondence from Leeds city council about reduced European social fund allocations to training projects.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is not my Department's policy to publish correspondence with other organisations and individuals.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the new criteria for the European social fund bid allocations to local authorities.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department used the European Commission's own criteria of assistance to the long-term unemployed and to youth to produce percentage figures by region and, within that, by county based on long-term and youth unemployment, to facilitate the compilation of the bids for European social fund support. My Department then advised interested organisations of an overall amount they could bid for taking into account the likely demand from all quarters and the European Commission's requirement that bids should be realistic.

  Peterlee and Seaham
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement concerning the future of jobcentres and unemployment benefit offices in Peterlee and Seaham.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service is working progressively to bring jobcentres and benefit offices together under one roof. This will provide a new and improve one-stop service.

  I will ensure that the hon. Member is informed as soon as decisions about the future of offices in Peterlee and Seaham have been taken.

  Jobcentres
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement regarding the future of jobcentres in the(a) Burnley, (b) Pendle, (c) Hyndburn and (d) Rossendale and Darwen constituencies.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service is working progressively to bring jobcentres and benefit offices together under one roof. This will provide a new and improved one-stop service.

  I will ensure that hon. Members with a constituency interest are informed as soon as decisions about the future of offices in the Burnley, Pendle, Hyndham and Rossendale and Darwen constituencies have been taken.

  Training Schemes
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all training schemes and measures to reduce unemployment, including the enterprise scheme; and if he will give details of(a) the number of people participating at any one time and (b) the separate and overall expenditure in each case.
  446
  Mr. Eggar
  The information is as follows:

  1 Training Agency

  Programme

  Cost(£ million)*

  Numbers in training October 1989

  Employment Training (ET)

  1,251·5

  209,000

  Business Growth Training (BGT)

  42·4

  see below

  Youth Training Scheme (YTS)

  1,039·1

  405,000

  Community Industry (CI)

  28·1

  6,0002

  Work Related Further Education(WRFE)

  101·5

  see 3 below

  TVEI4 & Compacts

  121·2

  see 5 below

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme (EAS)

  138·56

  77,230

  1 The following figures are available for BGT for the period April-October 1989:

  Option 1, kits issued

  3,700

  Option 2, training places

  25,700

  Option 3, contracts signed

  700

  Option 4, contracts signed

  1,200

  Option 5, contracts signed

  25

  2 Employees in Scheme until 1 May 1989, when the contract changed from "Employment Measure" to "Training Provision".

  3 In the field of WRFE the TA operates by negotiating with Local Education Authorities. It is not possible to give participation figures comparable with the rest of table.

  4 Technical & Vocational Education Initiative.

  5In the academic year 1988–89 314,000 students were involved with TVEI. This figure rose to 630,000 in the academic year 1989–90.

  6Provision in TA Vote from July 1989 only.

  There are also other TA initiatives for which the numbers in training are not readily available:

  Programme

  Cost(£ million)

  Employment Rehabilitation

  9·0

  Residual Schemes1

  20·0

  Enterprise Training

  3·8

  Other Adult Training2

  11·5

  Enterprise in Higher Education & Other HE projects

  8·7

  Training & Education Support Programmes

  60·8

  1 Old Job Training Scheme, New Job Training Scheme, Wider Opportunities Training Programme, Community Programme, Residual Training for the Disabled, Voluntary Projects Programme.

  2 National Priority Skills Scheme, Local Grants to Employers, Local Collaborative Projects, Industrial Language Training

  Note:

  Expenditure reflects 1989–90 Estimates provision.

  2 Employment Service

  Programme

  Cost (£ million)1

  Participants

  Jobshare

  0·66

  1187

  Restart Courses

  7·85

  323,662

  Jobstart

  5·90

  33,793

  Jobclub

  28·50

  423,419

  1 As at 30 November 1989.

  2 Number of people beginning a Restart Course in November 1989.

  3 As at 27 October 1989.

  4 As at 24 November 1989.

  In addition, the ES, through its network of offices, helps and encourages unemployed people to take up available jobs and opportunities. In 1988–l89 the ES placed approximately 1·5 million unemployed people into jobs.

  Note:

  Expenditure reflects 1989–90 funds allocated.

  Noise at Work Regulations
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to issue a Health and Safety Commission approved code of practice to accompany the 1989 Noise at Work Regulations; and when is the likely date of publication.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Commission has no plans at present to issue an approved code of practice (ACoP) to accompany these regulations. In its consultation document on proposals to implement directive 86/188/EEC the Commission sought views on whether an ACoP should be produced: the majority of respondents thought that guidance alone would be preferable in this case because it facilitated provision of advice on technical issues in a single series of documents which could readily be amended in the light of technical progress.

  The Health and Safety Executive has prepared general guidance for employers, machine makers and suppliers which was published on 16 November. Further guidance will be produced shortly.

  Careers Services
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the inspection reports on local authority careers services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The reports on local authority careers services produced by the careers service inspectorate will in future be published. Publication will start with those inspections that began after October 1 1989.

  Strikes
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many days work were lost by unofficial strike action in each industry as categorised by his Department in each of the last five years for which official figures are available;

  (2) how many official strikes were settled within (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four weeks and (e) longer than four weeks, of the official action occurring in the last five years for which official figures are available;

  (3) how many unofficial strikes were settled within (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, and (e) five working days of the unofficial action occurring in the last five years for which official figures are available;

  (4) how many unofficial strikes were settled within (a) two weeks, (b) three weeks and (c) four weeks, or took longer than four weeks, of the unofficial action occurring in the last five years for which official figures are available;

  (5) what was the total number of days lost by strike action, official and unofficial, and by each industry as categorised by his Department in each of the last five years for which official figures are available;

  (6) what was the total number of unofficial strikes in each industry categorised by his Department, in each of the last five years for which official figures are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is not available except at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in how many(a) official strikes and (b) unofficial strikes the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has been involved in each of the last five years for which official figures are available.
  448
  Mr. Nicholls
  Information is not available in the form requested. Information on the overall number of disputes in which ACAS has been involved is published in the service's annual reports, copies of which are held in the Library.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many establishments were checked by a visit by wages council inspectors in 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In 1988 a total of 19,573 establishments in Great Britain were checked by visits by wages inspectors.

  Closed Shop
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has received any further representations about the closed shop; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In addition to comments on the proposals contained in chapter 2 of the Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment", my Department continues to receive letters which describe difficulties experienced as a result of the operation of closed shop arrangements. The Government's new Employment Bill will make it unlawful to refuse anyone employment because they are not a union member which, together with the protections provided in the 1988 Employment Act, will make all forms of the closed shop unenforceable.

  Self-Employment
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the various categorisations of self-employment.

  Mr. Eggar
  The borderline between employment and self-employment is not defined in statute, but is a matter determined by the common law. The question whether individuals are employed or self-employed will depend on the terms and conditions under which they are engaged and work. The courts will decide where the status of an individual is in doubt. The Inland Revenue and Department of Social Security have to establish whether an individual is employed or self-employed for purposes of income tax and National Insurance contributions.

  Unemployment Benefit (Quarterly Attenders)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the total number of quarterly attenders reporting to unemployment benefit offices in Great Britain and in each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales;

  (2) whether quarterly attenders aged over 50 years are included in the published monthly unemployment figures.

  Mr. Eggar
  The following table shows the number of quarterly attenders for November 1989 in Great Britain and in each of the standard regions, Scotland and Wales.

  Quarterly Attenders in November 1989

  Number

  Great Britain

  149,572

  South East

  25,985

  East Anglia

  2,756

  449

  Number

  South West

  8,032

  West Midlands

  18,627

  East Midlands

  10,257

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  18,397

  North West

  22,257

  North

  13,770

  Scotland

  21,674

  Wales

  7,547

  The provision of signing quarterly is mainly for those aged 50 and over, who have been unemployed for one year and have no entitlement to unemployment benefit.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  Business Enterprise Allowance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement as to the eligibility of businesses in receipt of business enterprise allowance funding to(a) engage as sub-contractors and (b) engage sub-contractors.

  Mr. Eggar
  The aim of the enterprise allowance scheme is to help unemployed people create new small businesses that would otherwise not exist. Most labour-only sub-contracting arrangements are ruled outside the scope and the spirit of the scheme. However scheme support may be approved where applicants can show they will provide specialist expertise or services to a number of other companies not normally retaining these "in-house". Existing EAS participants are free to engage subcontractors or employ other staff.

  Military Conscription
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department has identified reserved occupations for exemption from military conscription during a war emergency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has not identified reserved occupations for exemption from military conscription during a war emergency.

  Host Nation Support
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department has identified specific categories of skilled workers as part of planning for host nation support within NATO.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has not identified specific categories of skilled workers as part of planning for host nation support within NATO.

  Tourism
  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Gregory) on 12 450
  December, Official Report, column 854, regarding the Minister for tourism for Great Britain, if he will ensure that he answers all questions on tourism relevant to Great Britain as a whole.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Secretary of State for Employment has responsibility for tourism matters in Great Britain as a whole; as such he will continue to answer questions relevant to the whole of Great Britain.

  Sewage Sludge Tanks
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set out the required safety standards set by the Health and Safety Executive for fencing around sewage sludge tanks.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 require an employer to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare of his employees and the health and safety of persons not in his employment who may be affected by his work activity. These duties extend to the risks at sewage and sludge tanks.

  The Health and Safety Executive has not published standards for the fencing of sewage and sludge tanks in the water industry but would expect employers, in complying with their duties under the Act, to provide adequate fencing around the tanks.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to(a) the number and (b) the percentage of workers who leave their job within two years of starting.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This information is not available.

  Sick Pay
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of people who are not paid by their employer if they are off sick far between one and three days.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Employment Training
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is meant by low incomes in relation to people who have joined employment training schemes, for(a) lone parents and (b) couples; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My Department does not use arty definition of low income in relation to people in employment training. Eligibility for employment training does not depend on the level of income and the training allowance paid to trainees is based on their existing entitlement to benefits.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what provision is made for people taking employment training who have child care problems, particularly where no creche facilities exist; and if he will make a statement.
  451
  Mr. Nicholls
  There are a number of ways in which people on employment training (ET) can be helped with childcare. Training providers are encouraged to set up creche facilities at or near the place of training and lone parents can get help towards the cost of this or other appropriate provision. In addition the inbuilt flexibilities of ET mean that training can often be arranged to take account of individual domestic circumstances.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what provision is made to help people taking Government employment training in computer courses to undertake training at home; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Where appropriate trainees may, with the agreement of the training manager, undertake training in computer skills at home. Where computer equipment is needed for people with disabilities, there is help available through the special aids to employment scheme.

  Within employment training there is also provision for higher level information technology skills courses specifically for women returners. In some cases where training is home based, office equipment and computers can be made available on loan.

  European Social Fund
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on allocations to the United Kingdom by the European social fund for measures for the long-term unemployed and young people in Great Britain for the period 1990 to 1992.

  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about allocations to the United Kingdom by the European social fund for measures for the long-term unemployed and young people in Great Britain for the period 1990 to 1992.

  Mr. Eggar
  Having obtained the agreement of the British Government, on 20 December 1989 the Commission of the European Communities made its decision on European social fund allocations to the United Kingdom for training and employment of long-term unemployed people and of young people under objectives 3 and 4 of the Community's structural funds. The decision is contained in the Community support framework, a copy of which will be placed in the Library.

  The priorities of the Community support framework will guide the allocation of 1,025 million ecu (approximately £782 million) made available by the Commission under these objectives of the fund for the three years 1990 to 1992. This is the highest allocation to any member state and represents 24·8 per cent. of the budget which the Commission has distributed.

  The Commission has yet to take decisions on allocations to particular programmes.

  Action for Jobs Campaign
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what was the total expenditure attributed to the Action for Jobs campaign in 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Eggar
  The total expenditure attributed to the Action for Jobs campaign in 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 is as follows:
  452

  1985–86

  £40,000

  1986–87

  £13·9 million

  1987–88

  £8 million

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is his intention to place the responsibility for education capacity in the hands of the local training and enterprise council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: Compacts will come under the training and enterprise councils (TECs) as they come into being, provided always that the educational partners in each compact agree to this. It is of the utmost importance that TECs should take all opportunities to work effectively with all relevant parts of the local education system to raise skill levels and educational achievements in their local community.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Legal Services Committee
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Attorney-General what support he intends to give to the regional north-western legal services committees and proposed similar committees in north-east England and south Wales.

  The Attorney-General
  The legal aid board funds the north west legal services committee.

  It will be considering, in the light of progress on its franchising proposals, future support for regional legal services committees.

  Jeremiah Miller
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Attorney-General what requests the Crown prosecution service has received for documents concerning Jeremiah Miller, a prisoner at Her Majesty's prison Walton; what documents he has released; if he has withheld any information; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The Crown prosecution service has received requests for the disclosure of documents relating to police activity during the course of the investigation of an offence of attempted robbery which occurred at Upton, Wirral on 24 July 1986. Jeremiah Miller was subsequently convicted of offences arising out of that incident.

  Requests have been received both from Jeremiah Miller and from solicitors acting on his behalf; in addition, a request by Jeremiah Miller has been channelled to the CPS through the chief constable of Merseyside.

  I am satisfied that the Crown prosecution service has responded fully and properly to those requests.

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General whether there are any current prosecutions of accountants for the creation of a false market in shares.

  The Attorney-General
  I have taken the hon. Member's question to refer to the statutory offence under section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act 1986, and any other proceedings where the prosecution case amounts to an allegation of market manipulation.
  453
  There are no such cases involving an accountant as defendant currently being prosecuted by the Crown prosecution service or the serious fraud office. For the purposes of this answer I have treated the word "accountant" as referring to persons employed as or acting in that capacity, as distinct from an individual who simply happens to hold a formal accountancy qualification.

  Jaderow Case Ruling
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the implications for United Kingdom law of the Jaderow case ruling delivered by the European Court of Justice on 13 December.

  The Attorney-General
  The judgment in the Jaderow case was given in answer to a request for a preliminary ruling of the Court of Justice under article 177 of the treaty. It is now for the referring court, the High Court of Justice, to decide on the lawfulness of the fish licensing conditions at issue in that case in the light of the ruling of the Court of Justice. The case will be reinstated before the High Court in due course and argument will be heard on the impact of the preliminary ruling. To the end, the judgement is being considered carefully by Her Majesty's Government. Until the High Court delivers its judgment, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.

  Trial Statistics
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Pembroke on 18 December, if he will arrange for statistics concerning the period between offence and trial to be collected in future.

  The Attorney-General
  No. The Crown prosecution service collects statistics for its own management information and performance indicator purposes. It is not necessary for those purposes to collect statistics by reference to the date of offence.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the average period in(a) criminal cases and (b) civil cases between arrest or service of papers and hearing.

  The Attorney-General
  The latest figures recorded in the Home Office statistical bulletin for 29 November show that the average time taken between the date of charge or summons and the date of first hearing is 36 days.

  Statistics relating to the period of time between arrest and hearing, in criminal cases, and service of papers and hearing, in civil cases, are not collected.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the longest period in recent years between arrest and trail; and if he will give details of the case.

  The Attorney-General
  The information which is sought is not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Morledge Case
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any police officers are to be prosecuted for perjury arising from the collapse of the Morledge case.

  The Attorney-General
  It is for the chief constable of the Nottinghamshire constabulary to determine whether there 454
  should be a disciplinary or criminal investigation. If there is a criminal investigation the provisions of part IX of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 will determine whether a report should be submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The question of prosecution cannot arise unless and until such a report is submitted.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Willow Watermark Disease
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest position on the combating of willow watermark disease.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 15 November 1989 at column 336.

  There has been a significant and welcome reduction in the incidence of the disease, largely as a result of control measures carried out under the Watermark Disease (Local Authorities) Order 1986 and its predecessors.

  Shellfish Regulations
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider setting up a body run by his Department to administer and monitor the proposed molluscan shellfish regulations.

  Mr. Gummer
  The regulation of molluscan shellfisheries —including deposit controls, the granting of several orders and the approval of proposed byelaws of the Sea Fisheries Committees—are already matters for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Proposals are expected soon from the European Commission dealing with intra-Community trade in live bivalve molluscs and safeguards to public health. We shall examine the resource needs for administration and monitoring in the light of the proposals made but at present see no need to create a separate, single and new body for this purpose.

  Rationing Schemes
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that guidance on war time rationing schemes for councils, resulting from a recent consultation exercise with local authority associations will contain specific provision for(a) ethnic minorities, (b) people with disabilities, (c) the homeless, (d) the illiterate and (e) those who decide to self-evacuate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Ministry takes its civil defence responsibilities seriously and will ensure that arrangements are as accessible as possible to the whole community. No doubt the hon. Member will encourage his local authority to take a full and constructive part in current consultations with local authority associations.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has considered the possibility of using poll tax registers as a basis for the distribution of ration documents in a war emergency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The community charge legislation contains no provision for local authorities to use information collected for the purposes of the community charge for other purposes.

  Food Stockpiling
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice his Department is offering to the public about the stockpiling of food in the event of a war emergency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  As a result of the defence policy pursued by the Government within our membership of NATO, the likelihood of a war emergency is remote. However, the public would be advised appropriately should such a situation arise.

  Salmon
  Sir Michael Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the United Kingdom salmon catch statistics, distinguishing between the different methods of fishing in Scotland and England, for the most recent convenient years.

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

  Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Maclean
  I met representatives of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds on 30 August, when we discussed a number of issues of mutual concern.

  Investment
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to reduce the cost of borrowing for agricultural investment.

  Mr. Maclean
  I recognise that high interest rates are unwelcome to the agricultural industry; but farming and agricultural investment, in common with other businesses, would be damaged more by a resurgence of inflation than by a period of higher interest rates.

  Horse Sales
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to present the proposed code of conduct for horse sales and markets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  A new statutory order to protect the welfare of horses at markets, sales and fairs and a related code of practice are in the course of preparation. We hope to complete the new legislation and code of practice in the first half of 1990.

  Arts and Design
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what expenditure was made by his Department on(a) the arts and (b) design in the last financial year.

  Mr. Maclean
  During the course of carrying out its publicity activities, my Department does incur expenditure on design but does not contribute to the arts. Creative design is produced as an integral part of any given publicity campaign, consequently information in the form asked for is not readily available.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy for toxicity testing of pesticides to be based on exposures to multiple compounds.

  Mr. Maclean
  It is for the advisory committee on pesticides to determine what tests are required before approving pesticides.

  Herbs and Spices
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is conducting research into methods of sterilising herbs and spices other than irradiation and ethylene oxide; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The industry is conducting research actively into the sterilisation of herbs and spices.

  At present the only effective ways of ensuring that herbs and spices are free from microbiological contamination are treatment with ethylene oxide or irradiation. The problem in developing alternative treatments is the need to ensure that they are suitable for all, rather than just some, herbs and spices. Some promising new methods are currently being investigated, but it is too early to say whether any of these will be successful.

  Salmonella
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell), of 13 December,Official Report, column 689, what evidence he has that the removal of salmonella infected poultry flocks is helping to reduce the level of salmonella infection in humans; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The earlier reply referred to the risk of salmonella infection in humans. This risk is being reduced by the Government's measures, particularly through the compulsory slaughter of laying flocks known to be infected with invasive salmonella. Information collected by the public health laboratory service indicates that the number of salmonella food poisoning outbreaks associated with eggs rose from 23 in the first nine months of 1988 to 30 in the same period in 1989. This was a much lower rate of increase than that recorded in the previous two years.

  Alcohol
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the measures he has taken to reduce alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom diet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  In response to the report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy on "Diet and Cardiovascular Disease" we extended the Community requirement to indicate alcoholic strength on prepacked alcoholic drinks to dispensed drinks such as those sold in bars or restaurants. This is to help those consumers wishing to assess or reduce their alcohol intake to do so. We are also intending to introduce controls over the use of the description "low alcohol" to drinks not exceeding 1·2 per cent. alcohol by volume to ensure that consumers are
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  not misled in this area. Our Food Labelling Regulations already control the use of the terms "alcohol-free", "dealcoholised" and "non-alcoholic". All these are measures to give people the ability to choose. The responsibility for the sensible use of alcohol remains clearly one for every individual.

  Food Additives
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all food additives which currently have approval for use in food, giving in each case, the year of approval; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  All currently approved food additives are listed in the back of our free booklet "Food Additives—The Balanced Approach", available from Food Sense, London SE99 7TT. Since publication of the list, one new sweetener, Lactitol, has been added and as a result of an EC directive four emulsifiers—polyoxyethylene (8) stearate (430), polyoxyethylene (40) stearate (431), lactylated fatty acid esters of glycol and propane-1, 2-diol (478), and dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate (—) have been deleted, and two added tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids (E472(d)), and mixed acetic and tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides of fatty acids (E472(f)).

  I will send the hon. Member a copy of the booklet.

  The dates of current approval are the dates of the relevant regulations, a list of which I will also send to the hon. Member. The information requested on the individual approval dates could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the food additives for which he has withdrawn approval giving in each case the year when the additive was withdrawn; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Cyclamic acid, a sweetener, and its sodium and calcium salts were withdrawn in 1969. The Colouring Matter in Food Regulations 1973 have been amended several times as follows:in 1975 Orange RN was withdrawn; in 1976 Fast Yellow AB, Orchil or Orcein, Solanthrene Blue RS or Anthragen Blue or Indanthrene Blue Black 7984 and Burnt Umber were withdrawn; in 1978 in order to implement an EC directive, Orange G, chocolate brown FB, the channel black form of carbon black were withdrawn; and in 1987 yellow 2G was withdrawn.
  In order to implement an EC directive the following emulsifiers and stablisers were withdrawn in 1989:
  Ployoxyethylene (8) stearate, polyoxyethylene (40) stearate, lactylated fatty acid esters of glycol and propane-1 2-diol, and dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate.
  We have recently announced an intention to prohibit the use of mineral hydrocarbons in food, and potassium bromate as a flour improver. We have also accepted the advice of the Food Advisory Committee that the colours, crocin, santalin, solvent-extracted annatto, canthaxanthin and capsanthin/capsorubin should be removed from the permitted list, although in the case of the last three, Community action will be required.

  Saturated Fat
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the measures he has taken to reduce saturated fat consumption in the United Kingdom diet; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Gummer
  In response to the report by the Committee on Medical aspects of Food Policy in "Diet and Cardiovascular Disease", which recommended reductions in overall fat intake and intake of saturated fat, we made adjustments to the beef and sheep variable premium schemes to exclude the fatter animals from eligibility. In 1987 my Department introduced guidelines on nutrition labelling. These have encouraged manufacturers to give nutrition information on food labels including total fat and saturates declarations, thus enabling consumers to compare products more easily and to help them reduce their fat intake. We are currently pressing for a satisfactory Communitywide system for consumers in negotiations on proposed Community directives on nutrition labelling. As announced in July we shall be introducing regulations to control nutrition claims such as "low fat", "low in saturates" to ensure that consumers are not misled. Together with the Department of Health and the Health Education Authority, my officials are preparing a simple set of dietary guidelines to be published in the new year which will further help to educate consumers about the need for an overall balanced diet.

  Sugar
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the measures he has taken to reduce sugar consumption in the United Kingdom diet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  In 1987 my Department introduced guidelines on nutrition labelling. These have encouraged manufacturers to give nutrition information on food labels, including total sugar declarations, thus enabling consumers to compare products more easily and to help them choose a balanced diet. We are currently pressing for a satisfactory Communitywide system for consumers in negotiations on proposed Community directives on nutrition labelling. As announced in July, we shall be introducing regulations to control nutrition claims such as "reduced sugar", "no added sugars" to ensure that consumers are not misled. We are also actively considering those recommendations which fall to my Department's responsibility in the recently published report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy on "Dietary Sugars and Human Disease".

  Sodium Chloride
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the measures he has taken to reduce the sodium chloride consumption in the United Kingdom diet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Although certain people require low sodium diets for medical reasons, I am not aware of any firm evidence of the need to reduce sodium chloride consumption in the United Kingdom diet. In 1987 my Department introduced guidelines on nutrition labelling. These have encouraged manufacturers to give nutrition information on food labels, including sodium declarations, thus enabling consumers to compare products more easily and to help those who wish to reduce their sodium intake to do so.

  I am currently pressing for a satisfactory Community-wide system for consumers in negotiations on proposed

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  Community directives on nutrition labelling. As announced in July we shall be introducing regulations to control nutrition claims such as "low salt", "low sodium", to ensure that consumers are not misled.

  Commission proposals relating specifically to sodium have not yet been issued, but I am seeking to ensure effective Communitywide regulation on all these matters, although a number of countries have been strongly opposed to those proposals issued so far.

  Fishing Rights
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the extension of inshore sea fishery district and exclusive fishing rights from three to six miles; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  My colleagues and I are currently giving careful consideration to a proposal put to us by the Association of Sea Fisheries Committees for an extension of SFC jurisdiction from three to six miles which would 460
  enable SFCs to propose byelaws for regulating certain stocks in the wider zone. We will make a decision as soon as we can. There would be detailed consultations with the fishing industry and constituent county and metropolitan district councils of SFCs if we decide to proceed.

  Bass Nursery Areas
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with the sea fishery committees about his proposal to introduce bass nursery areas in Langstone harbour, Portsmouth harbour, Southampton Water, Poole harbour and the Fleet at Portland.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Ministry has had a number of discussions with the Association of Sea Fisheries Commmittees and with individual Sea Fisheries Comittees about the introduction of nursery areas in these and other waters to help protect juvenile bass stocks. We hope to be able to make an announcement soon.

  EFFICIENCY SCRUTINIES
  EFFICIENCY SCRUTINIES
  WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT ROUTE
  WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT ROUTE
  LONDON ROAD BUILDING PROJECTS
  LONDON ROAD BUILDING PROJECTS
  NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS AND ELECTRICITY PRIVATISATION
  NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS AND ELECTRICITY PRIVATISATION
  TRAINING AND ENTERPRISE COUNCILS
  TRAINING AND ENTERPRISE COUNCILS
  HOUSING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME ASSOCIATIONS
  HOUSING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME ASSOCIATIONS
  DRINKING WATER INSPECTORATE
  DRINKING WATER INSPECTORATE
  HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT SUBSIDY DETERMINATIONS
  HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT SUBSIDY DETERMINATIONS
  RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANTS: PENSION ABATEMENT
  RETIRED PUBLIC SERVANTS: PENSION ABATEMENT
  ROVER plc: SALE TO BRITISH AEROSPACE
  ROVER plc: SALE TO BRITISH AEROSPACE
  THE RADIO AUTHORITY
  THE RADIO AUTHORITY
  THE INDEPENDENT TELEVISION COMMISSION
  THE INDEPENDENT TELEVISION COMMISSION