Written Answers of 2 February 1989

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Veterinary Medicine (Graduates)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list in the Official

  Women graduates in veterinary medicine in institutions in the United Kingdom

  1986

  1987

  Total

  Women

  Women as a percentage of total

  Total

  Women

  Women as a percentage of total

  Bristol

  46

  21

  45·7

  40

  24

  60·0

  Cambridge

  53

  29

  54·7

  56

  23

  41·1

  Liverpool

  47

  14

  29·8

  47

  12

  24·5

  London

  57

  26

  45·6

  65

  29

  44·6

  Edinburgh

  51

  29

  56·9

  51

  23

  45·1

  Glasgow

  58

  29

  50·0

  52

  27

  51·9

  Belfast

  1

  1

  100·0

  2

  1

  50·0

  Total

  313

  149

  47·6

  313

  139

  44·4

  Mr. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the total number of British-domiciled graduates in

  Destinations of first degree graduates in veterinary medicine (United Kingdom1)

  Home employment

  Overseas employment

  Total employment

  Total graduates

  1982–83

  222

  6

  228

  321

  1983–84

  207

  4

  211

  319

  1984–85

  210

  5

  215

  334

  1985–86

  229

  7

  236

  313

  1986–87

  227

  4

  231

  313

  1 Includes a small number of students at university in Northern Ireland and a small number of non-United Kingdom domiciled students.

  Children (Medical Conditions)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the statutory provision made for children of normal ability whose academic progress is impeded by irregular school attendance caused by the crises of chronic medical conditions such as a sickle cell anaemia or asthma.

  Mr. Butcher
  It is the responsibility of local education authorities to make suitable education available for all children in their area. Such provision can be made either in schools or "otherwise than in schools"—for example, home tuition or hospital education. It is for each authority to determine what provision is appropriate for each child, after having taken account of individual circumstances, such as any particular medical condition.

  Teachers' Superannuation Scheme
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to introduce 332
  Report the total number of women graduates in veterinary medicine in each British college in each of the past five years, showing this figure also as a percentage of the total number of graduates;

  (2) if he will list in the Official Report the total number of graduates in veterinary medicine at each veterinary college in Britain in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Jackson
  The available information is shown in the following table. Information prior to 1986 is not readily available.

  veterinary medicine who (a) found employment in Britain and (b) found employment outwith Britain in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Jackson
  The available information is as follows:

  additional facilities for additional voluntary contributions within the teachers' superannuation scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The prudential pension fund services have been appointed to provide a new additional voluntary contributions (AVC) scheme for teachers who are members of the teachers' superannuation scheme for England and Wales. They have also been appointed to provide these facilities for members of the teachers' scheme in Scotland.

  The AVC scheme will offer a flexible, money-purchase alternative to the existing provision for buying-in added years. Members will be able to choose to invest their contributions in a with-profits or a unit-linked fund, or on cash deposit at building society rates of interest, or to apply them to the purchase of additional life insurance cover, or in any combination of these investments. Members will also be free to vary their contributions, and their allocation between investments, at any time.

  We intend to lay regulations before Parliament shortly to give effect to the new scheme, and to seek approval for

  333
  it under section 592 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 so that teachers' contributions are allowable as a deduction from income before assessment to tax. Subject to these requirements, the scheme will come into operation on 1 April 1989, enabling members to secure tax relief on single premium payments in the 1988–89 tax year.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Southern Africa Development Co-ordination Conference
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives he will propose at the coming meeting of the Southern Africa Development co-ordination conference in Angola.

  Mrs. Chalker
  [pursuant to her answer, 1 February 1989]: My hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has today told the annual donors meeting of the Southern African development co-ordination conference (SADCC) that commitments of British aid for SADCC projects now stand at £60 million. This follows his approval of a £15 million project to finance the second phase of the rehabilitation of the Limpopo railway linking Zimbabwe to Maputo. He has announced that Britain will contribute £500,000 to the programme co-ordinated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to repatriate Namibian refugees from Angola and Zambia; and that we are ready when appropriate to provide technical assistance to help reopen the Benguela railway in Angola. He has also announced an additional £250,000 to help finance UNHCR's programme for Mozambican refugees in Malawi, bringing total British aid for this purpose to £3·328 million.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the most recently available index figure for output in manufacturing industry; and what was the figure for the same month in 1973, 1979, 1983 and 1986.

  Mr. Atkins
  The figures are as follows:

  Manufacturing Output (1985 = 100)

  November 1973

  111·2

  November 1979

  106·6

  November 1983

  94·9

  November 1986

  104·1

  November 1988

  116·4

  Credit
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to what efforts are being made by the credit card companies and associated banks to assist those borrowers with problems of excessive personal indebtedness.
  334
  Mr. Maude
  The clearing banks through the banking information service provide information on credit and debt, through educational visits, videos and literature. Some 20 financial organisations, of which seven are banks, are providing £750,000 over a period of three years for money advice.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to the average merchant service charge paid by retailers accepting(a) Visa, (b) Access, (c) American Express and (d) Diners Club for each year since 1984.

  Mr. Maude
  Merchant service charges paid by retailers accepting credit cards are a matter for commercial negotiation between the retailer and card company, and information about these charges is not held by my Department.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to what range of interest rates are available to personal borrowers in the following categories:(a) bank credit cards, (b) store credit cards, (c) mortgages, (d) bank loans and (e) other forms of credit.

  Mr. Maude
  Detailed information on ranges of interest rates available to personal borrowers is not centrally available. The Consumer Credit (Total Charge for Credit) Regulations 1980 (SI 1980/51) prescribe the items to be included in and the method of calculating the annual percentage rate of charge (APR) so that consumers can compare the various rates on offer.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to what proportion of credit card applicants have been rejected by the credit card companies in each of the past 10 years.

  Mr. Maude
  The information requested is not available. Whether to accept or reject a credit card application is a commercial decision for the card company concerned. However, a major credit card company recently announced that it rejects about one in three applications.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what information he has as to what proportion of borrowers in each of the following categories pay interest at the full annual percentage rate; and what is the average percentage paid in each category(a) bank credit cards, (b) store credit cards, (c) bank loans and (d) other forms of credit;

  (2) what information he has as to the annual increases in borrowing on which interest is paid for (a) bank credit cards, (b) unsecured personal loans, (c) secured personal loans and (d) loans from retailers for each year since 1984.

  Mr. Maude
  Credit business statistics published by the Department (there is no earlier comparable data) show that the amounts outstanding to lenders from borrowers were:
  335

  £ million

  Bank credit cards

  Retailers

  Bank loans(on personal accounts)

  Finance houses etc.

  1986

  838

  95

  1,452

  1987

  889

  357

  1,711

  2,619

  11988

  449

  70

  940

  1,500

  1 First half.

  However, the statistics do not distinguish the proportion of borrowers who pay interest on the credit available from those who only borrow for a free credit period.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to what weighting is given, when calculating annual percentage rates, of the effect of the free credit period which holders of bank credit cards receive from the day of their purchase to their statement date.

  Mr. Maude
  Items to be included in the annual percentage rate of charge and the way it is calculated are set out in the Consumer Credit (Total Charge for Credit)

  £000's

  Scheme

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Total

  Energy audit scheme

  20

  13

  0

  0

  0

  33

  Industrial energy thrift scheme

  2

  3

  0

  6

  —

  11

  Renewable energy source scheme

  24

  11

  0

  2

  0

  37

  Energy conservation demonstration scheme

  338

  194

  134

  16

  0

  682

  Industrial heat recovery consultancy scheme

  291

  594

  878

  173

  7

  1,943

  Total

  675

  815

  1,012

  197

  7

  2,706

  The responsibility of the then Department of Industry for improving energy efficiency in United Kingdom industry was passed to the Department of Energy in 1982 on the recommendation of a Rayner review. The payments shown in the table (excepting those for the industrial heat recovery scheme) arose from contracts entered into prior to the review. The industrial heat recovery scheme closed to new applicants in 1986. The activities of the regional energy efficiency officers located in the Department's regional offices are paid for by the Department of Energy under an agency agreement. Payments made under other DTI industrial support schemes contain conservation-related components but these are not separately identifiable.

  Funds devoted by the Department to savings on the costs of its own energy consumption are likely to be some £208,000 in 1988–89.

EMPLOYMENT

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if in the light of the training and experience required of workers in the Channel tunnel, he will take steps to bring this and similar activities under supervision of Her Majesty's inspectors of mines and within the Mines and Quarries Regulations.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The decision on which inspectorate supervises a particular activity is an internal management 336
  Regulations 1980 (SI 1980/51). Any period of interest-free credit is not taken into account in the calculation of the annual percentage rate of charge.

  Energy Saving Schemes
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last five years on the development and encouragement of energy saving schemes in the public and private sector.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 26 January 1989]: Payments made over the past six years by my Department to the private sector under schemes explicitly designed to encourage and develop energy savings are itemised in the table.

  matter for the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, and it is for them to decide on that allocation. The Channel tunnel project is a work of engineering construction and is regulated by the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974 and the construction regulations, which are enforced by HM factory inspectorate.

  Docks (Deaths and Injuries)
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the number of deaths, serious injuries and minor injuries sustained in the docks industry(a) in dock labour scheme ports and (b) in non-scheme ports, for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The figures are not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  YTS
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, on 30 January, he will give such information as he has as to the level of compensation or damages received by the families concerned following fatalities on YTS schemes from:(a) departmental or Training Agency payments and (b) insurance cover of YTS managing agents and training managers.

  Mr. John Cope
  The Department or Training Agency does not offer compensational damages to families of
  337
  trainees fatally injured on YTS. However YTS managing agents and training managers are contractually obliged to obtain insurance to cover any claims to compensation or damages. Compensational damages paid by either insurance companies or YTS managing agents and training managers are a private matter between them and the trainees' families. The Training Agency is not informed of these settlements.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Extradition
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions since 1979 his Department has made extradition applications for terrorist offences; and how often, by whom, and for what reasons such requests have been rejected.

  The Attorney-General
  With respect to extradition requests to the Republic of Ireland I refer the hon. Member to answers given on 8 and 13 December 1988 by my hon. Friends the Minister of State for the Home Office, the Scottish Office and the Northern Ireland Office and to the answers I gave on 19 December 1988 to my hon. Friends the Members for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow and for Orpington (Mr. Stanbrook).

  Applications for extradition from other countries are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Home Department, for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

  Land Registry Offices
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the average time taken by each of the land registry offices from receipt to completion of property transfers for each of the years 1984 to 1988.

  Permanent Staff

  Staff in Post

  Authorised complement 1 January 1989

  1 January 1988

  1 January 1987

  1 January 1986

  1 January 1985

  1 January 1984

  Croydon

  550

  458

  495

  472

  484

  477

  Harrow

  585

  520

  520

  535

  526

  537

  Tunbridge Wells

  725

  631

  633

  638

  612

  596

  Lytham

  670

  573

  535

  533

  520

  526

  Nottingham

  890

  712

  686

  641

  644

  639

  Gloucester

  770

  687

  697

  662

  650

  651

  Stevenage

  695

  612

  622

  614

  548

  527

  Durham

  770

  526

  463

  466

  475

  476

  Plymouth

  665

  568

  497

  457

  450

  468

  Swansea

  640

  466

  377

  366

  331

  323

  Birkenhead

  560

  406

  376

  359

  359

  357

  Weymouth

  620

  499

  445

  431

  375

  319

  Peterborough

  680

  547

  432

  411

  375

  338

  Telford

  400

  153

  44

  —

  —

  —

  Coventry

  350

  163

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hull

  340

  112

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Leicester

  130

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Headquarters (including Computer Services Division based at Plymouth)

  388

  348

  329

  320

  294

  273

  Land Charges Department

  172

  158

  151

  152

  153

  146

  Total

  10,600

  8,139

  7,302

  7,057

  6,796

  6,653

  338
  The Attorney-General
  The average completion times in weeks at each office for all categories of substantive applications at the end of December for the year indicated are shown in the table.

  Office

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Croydon

  5

  7

  13

  18

  22

  Harrow

  10

  10

  17

  21

  19

  Tunbridge Wells

  9

  10

  18

  15

  15

  Lytham

  8

  7

  14

  24

  18

  Nottingham

  8

  8

  16

  22

  27

  Gloucester

  7

  8

  17

  25

  28

  Stevenage

  8

  8

  14

  19

  19

  Durham

  8

  6

  14

  21

  22

  Plymouth

  7

  8

  14

  24

  24

  Swansea

  5

  7

  14

  19

  22

  Birkenhead

  9

  9

  11

  19

  15

  Weymouth

  5

  7

  1

  1

  17

  Peterborough

  6

  6

  11

  23

  26

  Telford

  —

  —

  —

  —

  19

  Coventry

  —

  —

  —

  —

  25

  Hull

  —

  —

  —

  —

  19

  The last three offices were opened as district land registries in 1988.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the current complement of staff at each of the land registry offices and what were the levels of staff for each of the years 1984 to 1988.

  The Attorney-General
  [holding answer 20 January 1989]: The authorised complement at each of the land registry's offices at 1 January 1989 and the total numbers of permanent staff in post on the same day in the years 1984 to 1988 are set out in the table.

PRIME MINISTER

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to improve co-ordination between Government Departments to promote the protection of the environment.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to improve co-ordination between Government Departments to promote the protection of the environment.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to improve co-ordination between Government Departments to promote the protection of the environment.

  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Prime Minister what plans she has to improve co-ordination between Government Departments to promote the protection of the environment.

  The Prime Minister
  I am satisfied that the present arrangements effectively promote environmental protection.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to create a department of environmental protection; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to create a department of environmental protection; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to create a department of environmental protection; and if she will make a statement.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to create a department of environmental protection; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We already have a Department of the Environment whose duties include environmental protection matters.

  Scottish Development Agency
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister whether, following to the recently published White Paper, "Scottish Enterprise", it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to retain the name of the Scottish Development Agency.

  The Prime Minister
  It seems sensible to have a new name for a new body, but we shall consider carefully all the comments received on the White Paper.

  Global Environment
  Mr Fearn
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to convene an international conference on global environmental issues.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to convene an international conference on global environmental issues.
  340
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to convene an international conference on global environmental issues.

  The Prime Minister
  In March my right hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and I are convening an international conference in London to address the major global issue of saving the ozone layer. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will attend a dinner for heads of delegations hosted by my right hon. Friend. President Moi of Kenya will give the keynote speech at the opening ceremony.

  Hormone Ban
  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Hyndburn to discuss the threat to steak pie and ox tongue production posed by the EEC hormone ban.

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

  Zeus and Securipol
  Mr. M. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list all Government contracts with(a) Zeus and (b) Securipol Ltd. since 1979; and if she will give the purpose of each contract.

  The Prime Minister
  Details of contracts placed by other Government Departments are not held centrally. Records for my office are readily available only from April 1984. No contracts have been placed with, or payment made to, Zeus or Securipol Ltd. by on behalf of my office during that period.

  Monitoring (Contracts)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government has contracted out to any private company the monitoring of individuals or organisations who are concerned about or object to the sub-sea disposal of nuclear waste; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  The recent consultation exercise undertaken by UK Nirex Ltd. on the options for a deep disposal facility for radioactive waste has enabled individuals or organisations to make their views known. I know of no monitoring of those concerned about or objecting to the sub-sea disposal option.

  Engagements
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.
  341
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 2 February.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Brussels Treaty
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to present to the House the amendment to the treaty of Brussels of 1948, providing for the accession of Spain and Portugal to the Western European Union; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The accession of Spain and Portugal to the Western European Union does not require an amendment to the treaty of Brussels which was modified in 1954. However, the protocol of accession of Spain and Portugal to the organisation will be laid before the House shortly.

HEALTH

  Listeria
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what foods have been found to be contaminated with listeria following diagnosis of a medical condition which has resulted from the consumption of such foods.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Two cases of listeriosis in the United Kingdom have been associated with the consumption of soft cheese, one with cooked chicken and one with vegetable rennet.

  Resources
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate for each English regional health authority the percentage resource difference from its resource allocation working party target in 1989–90 on the basis of the resource allocations presently outlined.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The allocations for 1989–90 which I announced on 21 December 1988 allow every regional health authority to benefit from the additional resources available. These allocations were even handed and not based on the old RAWP method. As the White Paper published on 31 January makes clear, the Government now intend to move on from RAWP to a simpler and fairer system. Distances from target on the old basis are therefore no longer relevant and will no longer be produced by my Department.

  Haemoglobinopathy Services
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many replies are still outstanding to his Department's questionnaire on haemoglobinopathy services from the district health authorities canvassed.

  Mr. Freeman
  Four replies to the questionnaire on screening and counselling for sickle cell and thalassaemic diseases are still outstanding.

  Hepatitis B
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caerphilly, 16 January,Official Report, columns 36–37, what is (a) the number of batches of the blood product factor 8 which have been discarded due to viral hepatitis B infection, (b) the dates on which such batches were discarded and (c) the percentage of overall production which the discarded batches represent.

  Mr. Freeman
  I am advised that since 1982 when the Central Blood Laboratories Authority was established, batches of factor 8 were discarded for this reason in 1983, 1984 and 1988. A total of 10 batches representing approximately 1 per cent. of batches produced were involved.

  Listeriosis (Plymouth)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients with listeriosis were treated in Plymouth hospitals during 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We do not hold this information centrally. However, the information we have obtained from South Western regional health authority is as follows:

  Number of patients with listeriosis treated in Plymouth hospitals

  Financial Year

  1986–87

  information not available

  1987–88

  none

  1988–89

  not yet available

  Cook-chill Meals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield,Official Report, 23 January, column 411, he will indicate the sources of the evidence presented to his Department's expert group which suggested that the cook-chill meals produced would be safe and microbiologically sound.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 30 January 1989]: The expert group which recently reviewed the existing guidelines considered published and unpublished papers on the microbiological safety of the system, including papers on low temperature pathogens.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield,Official Report, 23 January, column 411, there was any evaluation of cook-chill catering in relation to possible dangers from listeria and other psychrotrophs undertaken by the Department of Health and Social Security between 1970 and 1980.
  343
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 30 January 1989]: The expert group which produced the cook-chill catering guidelines between 1977 and 1980 did not evaluate possible dangers from listeria and other psychrotrophs. At that time there was, and there remains, no evidence to indicate that the recommendations in the guidelines would lead to problems from listeria monocytogenes or other pathogenic psychrotrophs.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has prepared draft regulations to cover cook-chill food at retailing outlets; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 31 January 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) and my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 23 January 1989 at columns 410–11 and 27 January at column 801.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Nursing Staff
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many nursing staff at all levels are employed in the Mourne hospital, Kilkeel; how many of these staff have been advised of their new grades under the clinical grading review; and how many appeals have been received.

  Mr. Needham
  There are 37 nursing staff employed in the Mourne hospital, Kilkeel all of whom have been advised of their new grades. Twenty-six asked to have their grading reviewed under the informal review procedure and eight nursing staff who remained dissatisfied have invoked the formal grievance procedure.

  Empty Properties
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the most recent figure for empty local authority housing; how many of these properties have been vacant for periods over six, 12 and 24 months, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  Provision of public sector housing in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am informed by its chief executive that at 31 December 1988 the information requested is:

  Number

  Total number of vacant properties

  2,525

  Vacant 6–12 months

  335

  Vacant over 12 months

  1,072

  Vacant over 24 months

  n/a

  Type

  Eastern per cent·

  Northern per cent·

  Southern per cent·

  Western per cent·

  NI average

  Statutory1

  55·6

  70·5

  73·9

  74·5

  64·1

  Voluntary

  28·9

  11·1

  16·0

  24·0

  22·4

  Private

  15·5

  18·4

  10·2

  1·5

  13·6

  1 In Northern Ireland local authorities have no responsibility for statutory residential homes: these are provided by the four health and social services boards·

  344
  The figures include properties which are not available for letting—properties awaiting demolition, those used for decanting purposes and those awaiting improvement or repairs.

  Alcohol-related Illness
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in the Greater Belfast area are estimated to be suffering from alcohol-related illnesses; and what has been the trend during the past ten years.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is not available.

  Bathing Water
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all those beaches in Northern Ireland which failed to meet the European directive on bathing water quality standards in the last year for which data is available; when it is planned for each of these beaches to meet these standards; and what is the estimated cost in each case.

  Mr. Needham
  ; Information on the quality of Northern Ireland's bathing water during the 1988 bathing season is at present being collated. I expect the results to be announced before the start of this year's bathing season. We have recently improved the sewage treatment facilities at Ballycastle, Co Antrim, at a cost of almost £1 million and are currently providing sewage treatment facilities at Newcastle, Co Down, at an estimated cost of £5 million. Further improvements will be considered if the 1988 results show that they are necessary.

  Elderly People (Residential Care)
  Mr. leuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of continuing care residential places are provided for the elderly(a) by local authorities, (b) by voluntary organisations and (c) by the private sector in each health board for (i) the year 1981 and (ii) the year 1988.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is not held centrally in exactly the form requested. At 31 December 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, the percentage of all available places for the elderly (including a small number of places designated for rehabilitation or respite care) in each of the health and social services board was as follows:

  Milk Quotas
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to allocate milk quotas to those producers who had temporarily entered into Community schemes for the cessation of milk production at the time when the original milk quotas were established; and if he will make a statement.
  346
  Mr. Viggers
  [holding answer 1 February 1989]: The Council of Agriculture Ministers has agreed measures to comply with the ruling of the European Court in the Mulder case. When the necessary Community legislation has been published, steps will be taken to implement the arrangements in the United Kingdom.

WALES

  Hospitals (Locum Services)
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much each health authority spent in 1988 on the fees paid to medical employment agencies for providing locum services for their hospitals; and what was the highest, lowest and average hourly rate paid by each health authority.

  Mr. Grist
  Details of the hourly rates paid by Welsh health authorities for locum services are not collected centrally. The health authorities' annual accounts do not disaggregate expenditure on locum services within hospitals from overall expenditure on such services. During 1987–88 the total expenditure on medical locum services by each District Health Authority in Wales was as follows:

  £000

  Clwyd

  198·8

  East Dyfed

  221·4

  Gwent

  0·7

  Gwynedd

  348·5

  Mid Glamorgan

  569·3

  Pembrokeshire

  392·7

  Powys

  4·5

  South Glamorgan

  1·9

  West Glamorgan

  221·6

  Wales

  1,959·4

  Source: Health Authorities Annual Account.

  Percentage of total residential places in homes for the elderly1

  Local authority homes

  Voluntary homes

  Private homes

  1987

  1988

  1987

  1988

  1987

  1988

  Clwyd

  27·5

  26·0

  4·6

  4·2

  67·9

  69·8

  Dyfed

  67·1

  63·6

  2·6

  2·5

  30·3

  33·9

  Gwent

  74·5

  67·3

  —

  —

  25·5

  32·7

  Gwynedd

  49·3

  44·1

  4·3

  5·4

  46·4

  50·5

  Mid Glamorgan

  76·5

  69·1

  5·5

  5·0

  18·0

  25·9

  Powys

  65·5

  64·5

  10·7

  10·6

  23·8

  24·9

  South Glamorgan

  40·0

  36·5

  14·2

  13·6

  45·8

  49·9

  West Glamorgan

  73·0

  69·0

  6·5

  7·1

  20·4

  23·9

  1 As at 31 March·

  Welsh Language Board
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to make a statement on the work of the Welsh Language Board.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend will respond to the Welsh Language Board's findings as they emerge.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent to which Mr. Edward Rea's membership of the Welsh Language Board is compatible with his current membership of and recent position as council member of the Economic League; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  None.

  Sewage Treatment Works
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for the Welsh Water Authority the

  Building (Ceredigion)
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he can make an estimate of the acreage of land available with planning consent for building homes in Ceredigion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action is being taken in the current year to build nursery factories in Ceredigion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Development Board for Rural Wales' factory construction programme for 1988–89 includes plans for the construction of four 1,500 sq. ft. units in Cardigan and six 750 sq. ft. units in Aberystwyth. The board has offered grant assistance to Ceredigion district council to provide a workshop of 1,500 sq. ft. in Cardigan.

  Elderly People (Residential Care)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of continuing care residential places are provided for the elderly(a) by local authorities, (b) by voluntary organisations and (c) by the private sector in each health authority for (i) the year 1987 and (ii) the year 1988.

  Mr. Grist
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letters to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied.

  Mr. Grist
  The Authority has not advised any intention to seek consent variations in respect of works of this size.

THE ARTS

  Museum and Gallery Attendances
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Minister for the Arts, pursuant to his written answer to the hon. Member for Warley, East on 24 January,Official Report, column 486, which figures of museum and gallery attendances during 1988 in his answer were actual and which were estimated.
  349
  Mr. Luce
  The term "estimated" allows for a margin of error at those institutions where the number of visitors is counted manually. In such cases figures are usually regarded as being accurate to within 5 per cent.

  Libraries
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts why his Department failed to include the Library Association in the organisations consulted about the European Community's proposed programme on "A European Space for the Book" which includes specific recommendations relating to libraries.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 31 January 1989]: No European Community proposals for "A European Space for the Book" have yet been put forward for discussion, although some preliminary ideas are in circulation, including those of the current Presidency of the Community. The Library Association will be among those organisations consulted if proposals are put forward with a library component.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Inflation
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his estimates of future rates of inflation for(a) the next five and (b) the next 10 years; and what assumptions were made in their calculation.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Treasury does not publish such forecasts.

  Personal Borrowing
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to what levels of personal borrowing are attributable to(a) bank credit cards, (b) store credit cards, (c) mortgages, (d) bank loans and (e) other forms of credit.

  Mr. Lilley
  The table is adapted from figures in table 9.3 of the January edition of Financial Statistics.

  Outstanding Stock of Personal Sector Borrowing, September 1988

  £ billion

  Percentage of total

  Total of which:

  286

  100

  Bank credit cards

  6

  2

  Non-bank credit, including store credit cards

  7

  3

  Mortgages

  215

  75

  Other bank loans1

  57

  20

  Other credit (with insurance companies)

  1

  —

  1 Includes some borrowing by unincorporated businesses.

  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to what percentage of bank credit card holders on average repay in full each month, for each year since 1984.

  Mr. Lilley
  Data are not collected centrally in the form requested.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his practice when answering questions by 350
  reference to previous written answers which have been published in the Official Report to attach the answer so referred to.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  No; to copy extracts from the Official Report for hon. Members would be an inappropriate use of resources.

  Community Charge Tribunals
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with whom he consulted before imposing a pay settlement, without negotiations, on staff of the new community charge tribunals.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have been asked to reply. The Department has not imposed a settlement. An offer increasing the pay of local valuation panel staff has been tabled, which the Society of Clerks and NALGO are considering.

ENVIRONMENT

  Whitehall Car Services
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure continued security of the Whitehall parcel delivery and self-drive car service subsequent on its contracting out.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will take whatever steps are necessary.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to implement his Department's proposals to enable the site licensing authority to take into account the previous performance of an applicant for a waste disposal site licence.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time permits.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a full list of the waste disposal authorities in England, indicating those that have not yet completed their waste disposal plans and deposited them with his Department.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Following is a list of waste disposal authorities in England grouped according to the current status of their disposal plans:

  England

  January 1989

  1. Completed plans

  Bedfordshire

  Buckinghamshire

  Cambridgeshire

  Cheshire

  Cleveland

  Derbyshire

  Devon

  Dorset

  Durham

  Gloucestershire

  Hereford and Worcester

  Hertfordshire1

  Humberside

  351

  Kent

  Norfolk1

  Northamptonshire

  Northumberland

  Somerset

  Staffordshire

  Surrey

  West Sussex

  Wiltshire

  Warwickshire

  Total plans: 23

  Total authorities: 23

  2. Plans prepared in draft and copied to the Department

  Avon

  Cumbria

  East Sussex

  Isle of Wight

  Lancashire1

  Merseyside WDA

  North Yorkshire

  Suffolk1

  Tyne and Wear WDJC2

  (Gateshead MDC

  Newcastle upon Tyne MDC

  North Tyneside MDC

  South Tyneside MDC

  Sunderland MDC)

  Total plans: 9

  Total authorities: 13

  3. Uncompleted plans

  a. County Councils

  Berkshire

  Cornwall

  Essex

  Hampshire

  Leicestershire

  Lincolnshire

  Nottinghamshire

  Oxfordshire

  Shropshire

  b. London Authorities

  East London WA

  North London WA

  West London WA

  Western Riverside WA

  City of London

  City of Westminster

  LB of Tower Hamlets

  South East London WDJC2

  (LB of Greenwich

  LB of Lewisham

  LB of Southwark)

  LB of Bexley

  South London WDJC2

  (LB of Bromley

  LB of Croydon

  LB of Kingston upon Thames

  LB of Merton

  LB of Sutton)

  c. Other Authorities

  Greater Manchester WDA

  Wigan MDC

  West Yorkshire WMJC2

  (Bradford MDC

  Calderdale MDC

  Kirklees MDC

  Leeds MDC

  Wakefield MDC)

  Barnsley MDC

  Doncaster MDC

  Rotherham MDC

  Sheffield MDC

  352
  West Midlands JC2

  (Birmingham MDC

  Coventry MDC

  Dudley MDC

  Sandwell MDC

  Solihull MDC

  Walsall MDC

  Wolverhampton MDC)

  Total Plans: 27

  Total Authorities: 43

  ABBREVIATIONS

  LB London Borough

  RB Royal Borough (London Borough)

  MDC Metropolitan District Councils

  WA Waste Authority

  WDJC Waste Disposal Joint Committee

  1 Submitted to the Department for determination under section 2(5) of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

  2 In these metropolitan areas the joint committee is required to produce a plan covering its constituent authorities (these are shown in parentheses).

  Disclosure of Information
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidance he issues on the circumstances in which information used for the maintenance of the community charge registers may be disclosed to(a) other Departments of Government, (b) the police and (c) public utilities;

  (2) what guidance he issues on the use of the personal data collected by the community charge officer for community charge purposes as a general information resource for the charging authority to use for other purposes; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  We have made no provision for personal data to be disclosed for the purposes or to the organisations mentioned by the hon. Member. Guidance has been issued to registration officers on the disclosure of information in practice notes entitled "The Community Charges Register" and "Data Protection and the Community Charge". Copies of both practice notes are available in the Library.

  Housing Defects
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department is able to offer to tenants of precast reinforced concrete houses designated under the Housing Defects Act 1984 whose local authorities are unable to afford to repair, or who are unable to secure a mortgage to cover buying or selling; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Tenants of properties designated under the housing defects legislation have the right to buy their homes. They will be eligible for discount in the normal way and have a right to a mortgage from their local authority. If the property is unrepaired we advise tenants to get a survey, to establish the structural condition of the property including how soon works might be needed; and to satisfy themselves that the valuation properly reflects this. If tenants are unhappy with the authority's valuation they can seek an independent one from the district valuer.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to exempt from the 1988
  353
  Budget changes on tax relief for home improvement those living in precast reinforced concrete houses designated under the Housing Defects Act 1984.

  Mr. Trippier
  Changes to the tax system are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number of houses seriously defective, or defective, as defined by statute, in each local housing authority and standard region.

  Mr. Trippier
  Information on the numbers and distribution, by local authority and region, of properties designated under the housing defects legislation is available in the House Library. This is based on survey material obtained in 1983 and updated in 1986 and again in 1988.

  Housing Repossessions
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 25 January to the hon. Member for Leeds, West, he will give the number of properties repossessed by mortgagors for each six month period from January 1982 to June 1988.

  Mr. Trippier
  This information is published in table 17 of the BSA bulletin Nos. 49 and 56 copies of which are in the Library.

  Improvement Grants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to make a statement on any changes to the home improvement grant entitlement regime.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Local Government and Housing Bill, published today, contains provisions introducing a new system of home improvement grants to replace those in part XV of the Housing Act 1985. Entitlement for grant will depend on an applicant's financial resources.

  Improvement Grants
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the number of home improvement grants made in each year from 1983 to 1988; and what is his estimate for 1988–89(a) nationally, (b) for each local housing authority and (c) by standard region;

  (2) what was the expenditure in current and standard prices on home improvement grants in each year since 1983 and estimated for 1988–89 (a) nationally, (b) for each local housing authority and (c) by standard region.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information requested has been laid in the House of Commons Library. The figures, including the advance estimates for 1988–89, are those provided by local authorities on their HIP2 returns.

  Warrington and Runcorn Development Corporation
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will hold a public inquiry on section 7(1) submissions from Warrington and Runcorn development corporation affecting Appleton Cross and Graffenhall Hays.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have yet to receive these submissions. Local inquiries into submissions under section 7(1) of the New Towns Act 1987 are exceptional, but are held when necessary.

  Land (Hounslow)
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Housing Corporation will purchase the freehold of the land in Hounslow on which the Beaver estate is situated and of which the United Kingdom Housing Trust is the leaseholder.

  Mr. Trippier
  This is a matter for the Housing Corporation, but I understand that it is not its intention to purchase the freehold.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the policy of his Department concerning the ability of established housing associations to manage property for temporary letting to homeless people; and whether the Government will facilitate the transfer of council housing to such associations;

  (2) if he will explain the policy of his Department concerning cheaper alternatives to bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless households in housing association property.

  Mr. Trippier
  Housing associations can help provide temporary accommodation for homeless people through lettings both of their own stock and of short life property leased from local authorities. These leasing arrangements work well and I am not aware that any special action is required to facilitate associations' access to council housing.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the reasons for the delay of 347 days before his Department replied to the request of 27 November 1987 by the London borough of Ealing to enter into agreements with Shepherd's Bush housing association and others to manage properties for temporary letting to homeless people, under section 10 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986; and if he will give a date for a reply to this request.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department has written to, or telephoned, officers of the London borough of Ealing on eight occasions since the council's application was received in November 1987. We hope that, when they have replied to the latest letter of 29 December 1988, it will be possible to make a final decision.

  Superannuation Fund (Norfolk)
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to grant the Norfolk local authorities' superannuation fund a sanction under section 19(1) of the Local Government Act 1982 in the even that the legality of the adjustment of contributions, as proposed at the superannuation committee of 26 July 1988, were challenged.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No.

  Water Industry
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make it his policy that the Director General of Water Services designate will play a role in fixing the cost of water to the consumer;

  (2) whom he will be meeting to discuss the value of K, prior to flotation of the water industry.
  355
  Mr. Howard
  The setting of the initial charges limit applying to water undertakings on their appointment is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. In order to promote consistency of procedures on matters such as consultation with those that the director general is likely to follow in subsequent reviews of the charges limit, he will hold discussions with the director general designate when his/her appointment has been made.

  Water Authorities (Sewage Treatment Works)
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list for the Southern water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (2) if he will list for Wessex water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (3) if he will list for the Severn-Trent water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (4) if he will list for the Northumbria water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (5) if he will list for the Anglian water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (6) if he will list for the South West water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (7) if he will list for the North West water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (8) if he will list for the Thames water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied;

  (9) if he will list for the Yorkshire water authority the number of sewage treatment works serving populations of less than 1,000 which are eligible to apply for consent variation, following his letter to the chairman of 21 November 1988, and the number which have applied.

  Mr. Howard
  The information is not held centrally. No applications from water authorities for variations in the consent conditions for small works serving populations of less than 1,000 have yet been received by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Yorkshire Water Authority
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the locations of the 63 sewage treatment works in the Yorkshire water authority area which exceeded their discharge consents in 1987.

  Mr. Howard
  Seventy-four sewage treatment works in the Yorkshire water authority area exceeded their discharge consents in 1987. Copies of the returns submitted by Yorkshire water authority were placed in the Libraries of both Houses in June last year. The works are identified by name.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further developments have taken place since his announcement in December 1988 of the proposed maximum rate limits for rate capped authorities in 1989–90.

  Mr. Ridley
  Of the seven rate-capped authorities, Tower Hamlets has accepted the proposed rate limit within the statutory period.

  The remaining six authorities have not accepted the proposed limits. I have carefully considered all the representations made by these authorities, including their proposals to agree a different limit with me, and all other relevant information and representations.

  In the case of Camden, I am now seeking from the council further information in relation to certain factual matters it has raised during its representations.

  For the remaining five authorities I am now proposing:

  (a) in the case of three of these authorities—Greenwich, Lewisham and Thamesdown—no increase in the proposed rate limit;

  (b) in the case of Hackney and Southwark a higher limit, on which I am seeking agreement as follows:

  Hackney 113p (10.83p above the proposed limit)

  Southwark 97p (3o55p above the proposed limit)

  Where I am unable to reach agreement with an authority on a different limit from the one I proposed in December, I am required under the Rates Act to prescribe the maximum by order.

  Local Authority Business (Conduct)
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government have reviewed the proposals on the conduct of local authority business set out in the White Paper Cm 433.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have considered very carefully the many views that have been expressed since the publication of Cm 433. On a number of points they are convinced that the legislation should be adapted to take account of these points. The Local Government and Housing Bill, presented yesterday, is accordingly drafted to give effect to these changes.

  The points where the Bill differs from the proposals in the White Paper are as follows:
  a. The White Paper proposed that restrictions on public political activity should apply to chief executives of local authorities, chief officers and their deputies, and to the holders of posts which each local authority would be under a duty to designate on the basis of statutory criteria.
  The Government have decided that the restrictions on public political activity should also apply, in the first instance, to all local authority staff to whom the Widdicombe committee recommended that they should apply, that is, staff in the grade of principal officer and above.

  357
  Such staff would, however, be able to apply to an independent adjudicator for exemption from the restrictions, which would be given if their posts were, in the adjudicator's opinion, ones which could properly be so exempted. The adjudicator would be appointed by the Secretary of State after consultations with representatives of local government.
  b. The White Paper proposed that local authorities should be required to designate an officer with duties to advise on the management of the authority's service, and an officer to advise on questions of legality and propriety—the "monitoring officer". It was to be left to the authority whether the chief executive, if there was one, should hold either or both of these posts, except that the chief finance officer could not also be the monitoring officer.
  The Government are now persuaded that each local authority should be required to designate one officer as head of their paid service, and that that officer should have the duties to advise on management questions. It would still be left to each authority whether those duties should be combined with those of the monitoring officer or the chief finance officer; the combination of the two latter offices would still not be permitted.
  c. The White Paper proposed that there should be a ban on the appointment of advisers to political groups on councils. The Government have decided, in the light of the representations that they have received, that local authorities should be permitted to appoint a very limited number of assitants to political groups, to help councillors in those groups with their duties as councillors. A council will not be required to make such appointments, but where they decide to do so, each of the three largest political groups will be able to make one such appointment, provided that the group contains at least one tenth of the membership of the council. The terms of such appointment will broadly parallel the terms of appointment of special advisers in central Government: they will not be able to discharge functions on behalf of the council; they will not be permitted to manage other council staff: they will not be permitted to be paid at a rate of more than £13,500 a year; and they will be subject to the main restrictions on public political activity. Political groups will decide on their own choices, and will be expressly permitted to take the political views of candidates into account.
  d. As an additional safeguard on the appointment of senior local authority officers, the Government have decided that the monitoring officer should be required to report to the authority, in every case in which an appointment is made by the full council, a committee or a subcommittee, either that, in his opinion, the appointment can be made consistently with enactments and standing orders and without taking into account any matter which could not properly be taken into account, or the reasons why he cannot so certify.

  Local Authority Capital Finance
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he received to his consultation paper on local authority capital finance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The consultation paper "Capital Expenditure and Finance" was published on 7 July 1988. Four hundred and fifty two responses were received by my right hon. Friend and a further 17 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales. My right hon. Friends are grateful to all those who set out their views.

  The consultation paper proposed, in light of the accountability that will be brought about by the community charge, a switch from controlling capital expenditure as such to controlling the use of credit to pay for it. That proposal appears to have generally been welcomed and the majority of the responses related to individual features of the new system as outlined in the consultation paper, and in particular the method of equal instalments of principal by which it was proposed that provision should be made from revenue accounts to meet existing and future credit liabilities.
  358
  Part IV of the Local Government and Housing Bill provides for a new local authority capital finance system broadly on the lines set out in the consultation paper. But, in light of the comments made by respondents, the Bill specifies that revenue account provision for credit liabilities should normally be made by the reducing balance method, though it will be possible for other methods to be specified in regulations.

  Under the Bill, local authorities would be able to finance capital expenditure:

  a. by credit up to the level specified in credit approvals to be issued by Government departments;

  b. without restriction from the usable balance of their capital receipts after part has been set aside to reduce their indebtedness; and

  c. without restriction from revenue contributions.

  To assist them with their planning, a letter setting out details of part IV is being sent to the local authorities to which it will apply. I am placing a copy of this letter in the Library of the House.

  "Local Authorities' Interests in Companies"
  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions he has reached as a result of the consultative paper "Local Authorities' Interests in Companies" issued in June 1988.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Secretary of State for Wales have considered the responses received to the consultation paper and have decided to make a number of amendments to the proposals which are set out in the document which I have today placed in the Library of the House.

  The amendments are:

  (i) the addition of mutual companies, combined heat and power companies and waste disposal companies to the categories of companies in which local authorities are permitted to have a minority interest;

  (ii) the exemption of bodies funded by grants under section 56(9)) of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 which are deducted from the aggregate amount available for block grant; other exemptions will be considered case by case where companies are, in effect, dependent on central Government grant, since their activities can then be monitored in other ways.

  (iii) the relaxation of the proposed rule that companies controlled by local authorities at arm's length should not have any local authority members or officers on the board of the company.

  (iv) the spouses of officers of a local authority will no longer be a category of persons whose involvement in a company would establish a link with a local authority.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what a typical ward sister would pay(a) in rates, (b) in community charge and (c) in a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in the proportions of 80:20, respectively, if she lived in a typical one-bedroom flat in Walthamstow.

  Mr. Gummer
  A ward sister earning £15,000, living in a flat in Walthamstow worth £55,000 with a rateable value of £300, would pay a rates bill of £634, a community charge of £269, disregarding the transitional safety net, and £665 under a system of capital value rates plus local income tax.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer to the hon.
  359
  Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle), Official Report, 12 January 1989, column 742, updating table F5 of the Green Paper, "Paying for Local Government" (Cmnd. 9714), he will publish a table (a) showing for each band of equivalent net income what percentage of all households fall into that band, and what percentage of adults live in households falling in that band, (b) on the same basis as Table F5 in the Green Paper, but with the bands of equivalent net income adjusted so that 10 percentage of households fall into each band, and showing what

  Distribution of household income and community charges in 1988–89

  £ per week

  Under 75

  75–100

  100–150

  150–200

  200–250

  250–300

  300–350

  350–400

  400–500

  500+

  Table A

  Net Income Range

  Pecentage of households in each range

  17

  11

  18

  16

  13

  9

  6

  4

  4

  3

  Percentage of adults in each range

  10

  9

  16

  16

  15

  11

  8

  5

  6

  4

  Percentage of households with higher net community charge than net rates falling into each range

  10

  10

  18

  19

  15

  10

  7

  4

  4

  2

  Table B

  Equivalent Net Income Range

  Percentage of households in each range

  7

  19

  29

  18

  12

  7

  4

  2

  2

  1

  Percentage of adults in each range

  6

  17

  29

  20

  13

  7

  4

  2

  2

  1

  Percentage of households with higher net community charge than net rates falling into each range

  8

  17

  32

  21

  12

  5

  3

  1

  1

  0

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish a table showing the number of gainers and losers and the amount of gain or loss, broken down by family type and net equivalent income hands, from the introduction of the community charge;

  (2) if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) couples with children and (b) one-parent families who gain or lose from the introduction of the community charge and how much they gain or lose, broken down into net equivalent income bands.

  Impact of the full community charge with no safety nets (England: 1988–89 prices) Thousands of gainers and losers and average gain-loss by household type and range of actual net income

  Actual net income range (£pw)

  Household types

  Under 75

  75–100

  150–250

  250+

  All

  Single pensioner

  Number of gainers (000's)

  1,740

  590

  110

  1—

  2,485

  Average gain (£pw)

  1·01

  3·87

  6·88

  1—

  2·10

  Number of losers (000's)

  385

  100

  1—

  1—

  490

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·42

  1·37

  1—

  1—

  0·63

  Other single adult

  Number of gainers (000's)

  585

  1,020

  570

  170

  2,350

  Average gain (£pw)

  0·95

  2·71

  4·55

  6·09

  2·96

  Number of losers (000's)

  275

  365

  130

  1—

  795

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·87

  1·86

  2·03

  1—

  1·58

  Two adults

  Number of gainers (000's)

  70

  1,565

  1,885

  2,180

  5,700

  360
  proportion of those households whose net community charge is projected to be higher than their net rates, fall into each income band.

  Mr. Gummer
  [pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1989]: Table A shows the percentage of households, the percentage of adults, and the percentage of households whose illustrative net community charge for 1988–89 would have been higher than net rates, in each band of net household income. Table B shows the same information in bands of equivalent net household income. Figures on a decile basis are not available.

  Mr. Gummer
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 January 1989]: The information requested for household and tax unit types is given in the tables below in ranges of equivalent net income and actual net income. The figures have been calculated in the same manner as those I placed in the Library on 15 December exemplifying the distributional impact of the community charge.

  The figures show that 83 per cent. of single pensioner households and 75 per cent. of other single adult households would gain from the introduction of the community charge. Similarly 79 per cent. of lone parent families and 57 per cent. of couples with children would gain.
  361

  Actual net income range (£pw)

  Household types

  Under 75

  75–100

  150–250

  250+

  All

  Average gain (£pw)

  1·19

  1·62

  2·67

  5·00

  3·26

  Number of losers (000's)

  165

  1,730

  2,090

  865

  4,855

  Average loss (£pw)

  1·03

  1·65

  2·85

  3·02

  2·39

  Three or more adults

  Number of gainers (000's)

  —

  100

  150

  365

  615

  Average gain (£pw)

  —

  2·11

  1·97

  4·43

  3·45

  Number of losers (000's)

  —

  55

  540

  1,235

  1,825

  Average loss (£pw)

  —

  1·94

  3·89

  6·39

  5·52

  Impact of the full community charge with no safety nets (England: 1988–89 prices) Thousands of gainers and losers and average gain/loss by household type and range of equivalent net income

  Household types

  Equivalent net income range (£pw)

  All

  Under 75

  75–150

  150–250

  250+

  Single pensioner

  Number of gainers (000's)

  205

  1,880

  265

  140

  2,485

  Average gain (£pw)

  0·85

  1·41

  5·01

  7·70

  2·10

  Number of losers (000's)

  80

  360

  1—

  1—

  490

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·29

  0·56

  1—

  1—

  0·63

  Other single adult

  Number of gainers (000's)

  185

  970

  620

  575

  2,350

  Average gain (£pw)

  0·83

  1·70

  3·83

  4·82

  2·96

  Number of losers (000's)

  85

  305

  265

  135

  795

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·61

  1·03

  2·22

  2·18

  1·58

  Two adults

  Number of gainers (000's)

  225

  2,220

  1,930

  1,320

  5,700

  Average gain (£pw)

  1·49

  1·89

  3·47

  5·54

  3·26

  Number of losers (000's)

  415

  2,440

  1,505

  495

  4,855

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·84

  2·10

  3·04

  3·16

  2·39

  Three or more adults

  Number of gainers (000's)

  65

  220

  205

  125

  615

  Average gain (£pw)

  2·18

  2·13

  3·55

  6·31

  3·45

  Number of losers (000's)

  1—

  775

  845

  165

  1,825

  Average loss (£pw)

  1—

  4·68

  6·28

  6·43

  5·52

  Impact of the full community charge with no safety nets (England: 1988–89 prices) Thousands of gainers and losers and average gain/loss for families with children in ranges of actual net income

  Actual net income range (£pw)

  Tax unit type

  Under 75

  75–150

  150–250

  250+

  All

  (a) Couples with children

  Number of gainers (000's)

  1—

  430

  1,115

  1,310

  2,855

  Average gain (£pw)

  1—

  1·62

  2·63

  5·22

  3·67

  Number of losers (000's)

  1—

  620

  1,160

  380

  2,175

  Average loss (£pw)

  1—

  1·58

  2·83

  2·86

  2·47

  (b) One parent families

  Number of gainers (000's)

  85

  435

  105

  1—

  655

  Average gain (£pw)

  1·97

  1·81

  4·97

  1—

  2·61

  Number of losers (000's)

  80

  75

  1—

  1—

  170

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·78

  1·57

  1—

  1—

  1·35

  Impact of the full community charge with no safety nets (England: 1988–89 prices)

  Thousands of gainers and losers and average gain-loss for families with children in ranges of equivalent net income.

  Equivalent net income range (£pw)

  Tax unit type

  Under 75

  75–150

  150–250

  250+

  All

  (a) Couples with children

  Number of gainers (000's)

  110

  1,070

  1,190

  490

  2,855

  Average gain (£pw)

  1·44

  2·24

  3·90

  6·70

  3·67

  Numbers of losers (000's)

  255

  1,235

  600

  85

  2,175

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·76

  2·57

  2·91

  3·12

  2·47

  (b) One parent families

  Number of gainers (000's)

  85

  460

  85

  1—

  655

  Average gain (£pw)

  1·59

  2·04

  5·16

  1—

  2·61

  Number of losers (000's)

  60

  90

  1—

  1—

  170

  Average loss (£pw)

  0·56

  1·28

  1—

  1—

  1·35

  1 No reliable estimates available.

  Oil Spillages
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to prevent future oil spillages in the English channel to protect the south coast from pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have been asked to reply.

  Under the international convention for the prevention of pollution from ships 1973, and its protocol, no oil or oily mixtures may be discarded within prescribed distances from land; and ships are required to be so designed, equipped and operated that when a discharge is permitted the oil content has to be kept to the minimum specified. We have taken a number of positive measures to enforce the convention. Ships in the United Kingdom port are inspected to check that their pollution prevention equipment and operational practices are satisfactory. Reception facilities are made available to receive oil residues retained on board. At sea, as from April last year surveillance aircraft have been employed by the United Kingdom to undertake regular patrols over the shipping lanes around the United Kingdom to detect and deter ships discharging oil in contravention of the convention.

TRANSPORT

  Vehicles (Accidents)
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will advise how many pedestrians were involved in accidents caused by reversing vehicles during 1988, 1987, 1986, 1985, 1984 and 1983; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department does not collect causes of accidents. These are often disputed, or unclear, at the time of the accident.

  The following table shows the total number of pedestrians injured, and the numbers injured by a vehicle reversing, for the years 1983 to 1987.

  Pedestrian casualties, and those injured by reversing vehicles: Great Britain 1983–1987

  Year

  Total pedestrian casualties

  Total involving reversing vehicle

  1983

  61,674

  1,928

  1984

  63,474

  1,937

  1985

  61,390

  2,005

  1986

  60,875

  2,100

  1987

  57,453

  2,152

  The full figures for 1988 are not yet available. However, among the accidents reported to date, there were 41,905 pedestrian casualties, of which 1,616 occurred while a vehicle was reversing.

  Because of the obvious risks, the highway code contains clear advice to drivers to be especially careful when reversing, and not to reverse vehicles for longer than is necessary.

  Fishing Vessels
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to remove from the United Kingdom register fishing vessels that do not comply with part II of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988.
  364
  Mr. Portillo
  The Merchant Shipping (Registration of Fishing Vessels) regulations which came into force on 1 December 1988 set a four-month transitional period before closure of the old fishing vessel registers. In order for their vessels to be accepted for the new register owners are required to confirm ownership particulars and submit a signed declaration of British character. These are then checked against the criteria in section 14 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 before new certificates of registry are issued.

  Vehicle Licence Holders
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many heavy goods vehicle and public service vehicle licence holders in the United Kingdom have had their licences revoked or have had a non-renewal on health grounds for each of the years from 1985–1988;

  (2) what is the total number of heavy goods vehicle and public service vehicle licence holders operating within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The figures for Great Britain are as follows:

  April to March

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  PSV licences revoked on medical grounds

  502

  734

  865

  880

  HGV licences revoked on medical and other grounds

  2,281

  2,772

  3,066

  3.249

  No separate figures are available for revocations of HGV licences on medical grounds.

  The figures for Northern Ireland are as follows:

  January—December

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  PSV licences revoked on medical grounds

  50

  56

  65

  73

  80

  April—March

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  HGV licences revoked on medical grounds

  4

  6

  10

  15

  Figures are not held for the number of vocational licence holders operating within the United Kingdom. The number of heavy goods vehicle and public service vehicle drivers' licences issued annually are as follows:

  April—March

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Great Britain

  HGV licence issues Provisional licences

  57,041

  60,632

  69,401

  75,931

  First full licences

  25,036

  27,426

  28,823

  33,209

  Renewals

  258,735

  263,043

  261,918

  271,882

  PSV licences

  12,360

  13,612

  57,218

  65,883

  365

  April—March

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Northern Ireland

  HGV licence issues Provisional licences

  2,139

  1,917

  2,053

  2,463

  First full licences and renewals

  6,769

  8,084

  8,358

  7,352

  January—December

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  PSV licences

  2,010

  3,513

  1,665

  1,055

  2,381

  Foreign Aircraft (Compensation)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number and geographical location of cases where United Kingdom citizens who have been killed in the United Kingdom by foreign aircraft have failed to obtain any compensation from the foreign owner, operator or pilot in the past five years.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  This information is not collected by the Department.

  Road Accidents (Derbyshire)
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents have taken place in the county of Derbyshire in every year since 1979; and what are the figures for the number of(a) fatal and (b) serious injuries for each year.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The figures requested are shown below. They show personal injury accidents and the casualties resulting from those accidents.

  Accidents and casualties in Derbyshire: 1979 to 1987

  Accidents

  Casualties

  Fatal

  Serious

  1979

  4,079

  111

  1,423

  1980

  4,152

  92

  1,397

  1981

  4,075

  115

  1,362

  1982

  4,138

  119

  1,278

  1983

  3,743

  113

  1,092

  1984

  3,453

  109

  1,025

  1985

  3,306

  78

  817

  1986

  3,334

  97

  902

  1987

  3,331

  82

  846

  Vehicle Speeds (Motorways)
  Sir Bernard Braine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the proportion of cars exceeding the 70 mph speed limit on motorways continues to fall as it did between 1983 and 1987.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It is not yet possible to determine whether car speeds on motorways have fallen since the last of the periodic national speed surveys in 1987. The 1983 and 1987 surveys were conducted using video technology at 54 sites on two days in the months of July and August. In future, vehicle speeds will be collected continuously at about 200 sites using automatic vehicle detectors. At present, data are available from ten of these sites. As only one is on a motorway, proper comparisons cannot be made with the earlier surveys.

  Automatic Weighbridges
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 24 January,Official Report, column 465, which are the main ferry ports to be equipped with automatic weighbridges; when each will come into use; and whether their use will be compulsory for all commercial vehicles entering the United Kingdom through these ports.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  During the next three months we intend to install automatic weighing equipment on a trial basis in the ports of Dover, Newhaven, Ramsgate, Poole and Felixstowe. Subject to the outcome of the trial, we will consider further installations in other ports. Under existing legislation there is no provision to make the use of the equipment compulsory but it will be capable of weighing all commercial vehicles using the ports.

  Road Haulage
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to deregulate road haulage throughout the European Community.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The EC Council agreed in June last year to abolish all quantitative controls on road haulage within the Community from the end of 1992. The conditions under which non resident operators may carry out road haulage wholly within another member state are under discussion. We are also still discussing the qualitative criteria for access to the profession of road haulage.

  Domestic haulage in the United Kingdom itself was effectively deregulated in 1968.

  Road and Footpath Surfaces
  Dr. Glyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to implement the recommendations of the Horne Report relating to the reinstatement of road and footpath surfaces following works done by statutory undertakings.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Yes. I refer my hon. Friend to the fuller answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) on 19 January, column 292.

  Dial-a-Ride
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trips were provided by London dial-a-ride in 1988; what proportion of registered disabled used this service each week; how many new buses were provided; how many drivers are currently employed; and what constraints were placed upon the service.

  Mr. Portillo
  London dial-a-ride services are run by local voluntary management committees and funded by grant which is allocated by London Regional Transport. Membership, staffing, use of other resources, and operating procedures are matters for them and LRT. Government grant for dial-a-ride services in 1987–88 totals £6·27 million which is a 50 per cent. increase on the 1985–86 figure.

  Manchester Airport (Accident)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects to publish the report on the Manchester airport disaster; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We expect the report to be published on 13 March.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he proposes to initiate any hearings in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and other locations in South Wales on the proposals to raise Severn bridge tolls; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The inquiry will be held at Thornbury, near Bristol. If the inspector is satisfied that there are objectors who cannot get to Thornbury, and providing a suitable venue can be found, the hearing may continue in south Wales for a limited period.

  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the value of the opening tolls on the Severn bridge in current prices.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In 1966 the tolls charged for all types of vehicle crossing the Severn bridge was 2/6d (12½p). The equivalent, at current prices, is 90p.

  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what levels the debt at the Severn bridge will reach if(a) there is no increase in tolls or (b) the current proposal to increase tolls to £1 for cars and £2 for lorries is implemented.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  If tolls are not increased, our forecasts show that debt would rise indefinitely, so that at the end of the toll period in 2006 it would have reached almost £400 million.

  If the proposed tolls are introduced debt will reach a peak of £127 million in 1991, declining thereafter so that tolls would cease by 2006.

  The latest figure for the Severn bridge debt is £85·5 million.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will place in the Library copies of his Department's statement of case for increasing the tolls on the Severn bridge.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I am placing copies in the Library today.

  Coastguard
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the total amount of overtime worked at each Scottish coastguard rescue centre in 1988, indicating the total cost of such payment.

  Mr. Portillo
  [pursuant to his reply, 30 January 1989]: The total number of overtime hours worked at each Scottish coastguard rescue station in 1988 was:

  Station

  Hours

  Aberdeen

  3,776

  Forth

  4,871

  Shetland

  4,267

  368

  Station

  Hours

  Pentland

  5,127

  Moray

  6,600

  Clyde

  6,626

  Oban

  5,435

  Stornoway

  4,966

  Overtime costs are not recorded by individual station and consequently are not readily available.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefits and Allowances
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North, 16 December 1988,Official Report, column 751, what is the assumption on expected caseload for each of the social security benefits.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to table 15·6. page 7, of Cm 615 "The Government Expenditure Plans 1988–90 to 1991–92".

  Single Payments (Tooting)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what amount has been paid out in single payments through his Department's office covering Tooting, in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The amounts paid in single payments by the Department's local offices covering Tooting are shown in the table.

  Amounts of single payments made by DSS local offices in the Tooting area during the period 1985–88

  Year1

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–882

  Office3

  £

  £

  £

  Balham

  779,197

  904,068

  551,139

  Wandsworth

  350,332

  428,375

  201,331

  1 The periods are from April to April each year.

  2 The figures for 1987–88 are provisional and subject to amendment.

  3 Tooting is covered partially by the two local offices shown.

  National Insurance Credits
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people had national insurance credits withdrawn in 1987–88 in the United Kingdom, the North West region and Warrington area, respectively; and for how long these credits were withdrawn on average.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The available information is as follows:

  Unemployment benefit: Decisions of adjudication officers on contribution credits

  Number of fresh or renewable claims disallowed 1987–881

  Number

  Great Britain

  42,274

  North West Region

  4,399

  1 Year ending 30 June 1988.

  Information shows the number of persons disallowed contribution credits because they were disallowed

  369
  unemployment benefit. Statistics on disallowance of sickness benefit credits are not available. No statistics are available for Warrington, nor for the average length of time the credits were withdrawn.

  Invalidity Pensions
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people had their entitlement to invalidity pensions withdrawn during 1988; how many of these have lodged appeals; and, of those, how many have been(a) successful, (b) unsuccessful and (c) how many are still awaiting determination.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information requested on the number of cases where entitlement has been withdrawn is not readily available. The latest administrative statistics on social security appeal tribunals relate to appeals heard in the quarter ending 31 March 1988 and they are given in the table provided.

  Social Security Appeal Statistics—quarter ending 31 March 1988 Invalidity Benefit.

  Number

  Number of appeals lodged

  1,527

  Total number heard and decided

  1,241

  Number heard in claimant's favour

  529

  Number outstanding at end of quarter

  12,365

  1 Includes appeals outstanding from previous quarter.

  Social security expenditure in real terms1 1983–84 to 1991–92—Great Britain

  £ million

  1983–84 outturn

  1984–85 outturn

  1985–86 outturn

  1986–87 outturn

  1987–88 outturn

  1988–89 outturn2

  1989–90 Plans1

  1990–91 plans1

  1991–92 plans1

  Contributory benefits3

  Pension benefits

  Retirement pension basic element

  18,580

  18,561

  18,971

  19,588

  19,503

  18,904

  19,198

  19,800

  19,900

  additional pension

  77

  106

  163

  244

  311

  377

  474

  600

  700

  Christmas bonus

  131

  128

  121

  119

  114

  109

  105

  100

  100

  Widows' benefits, etc.

  basic element

  965

  928

  885

  876

  838

  838

  802

  800

  800

  additional pension

  19

  32

  38

  45

  53

  70

  84

  100

  100

  Unemployment, incapacity and other benefits

  Unemployment benefit

  1,911

  1,929

  1,833

  1,935

  1,560

  1,143

  920

  900

  1,000

  Sickness benefit

  338

  341

  318

  200

  205

  205

  196

  200

  200

  Invalidity benefit basic element

  2,304

  2,497

  2,564

  2,768

  2,876

  3,057

  3,347

  3,600

  3,800

  additional pension

  86

  122

  147

  215

  278

  353

  451

  600

  700

  Death grant

  22

  21

  21

  20

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Industrial injuries benefit

  Industrial disablement benefit

  471

  466

  470

  491

  482

  455

  450

  500

  500

  Industrial death benefit

  69

  67

  67

  68

  60

  57

  57

  100

  100

  Other industrial injuries benefits

  6

  6

  6

  4

  4

  4

  4

  —

  —

  Family benefits

  Maternity alowance

  180

  197

  189

  187

  54

  27

  28

  —

  —

  Guardian's allowance and child's special allowance

  3

  2

  1

  2

  2

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Total contributory benefit expenditure

  25,162

  25,403

  25,793

  26,765

  26,343

  25,600

  26,116

  27,300

  27,900

  Non-contributory benefits4

  Pension benefits

  Non-contributory retirement pension

  52

  48

  47

  50

  39

  36

  36

  —

  —

  Christmas bonus

  8

  7

  8

  9

  9

  7

  8

  —

  —

  War pension

  669

  665

  670

  657

  636

  603

  592

  600

  600

  Disability benefits

  Attendance allowance

  632

  704

  791

  869

  953

  1,042

  1,140

  1,200

  1,300

  Invalid care allowance

  13

  13

  15

  116

  195

  160

  180

  200

  200

  National Insurance Contributions
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of married women whose contributions to the national insurance fund would have entitled them to a pension less than the Category B married woman's pension in each of the last five years; and for each year what was the total amount paid in national insurance contributions by this group.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that these figures are not available.

  Hostel Charges
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has reached any conclusions on the "Help with Hostel Charges" proposals published in 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We expect to announce final decisions shortly.

  Expenditure Plans
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if will publish table 15·1 of Cm. 615 in constant 1988–89 prices.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is in the table.
  371

  1983–84 outturn

  1984–85 outturn

  1985–86 outturn

  1986–87 outturn

  1987–88 outturn

  1988–89 outturn2

  1989–90 plans1

  1990–91 plans1

  1991–92 plans1

  Non-contributory invalidity pension/ severe disablement allowance

  232

  289

  307

  318

  314

  308

  308

  300

  300

  Mobility allowance

  388

  435

  487

  574

  633

  665

  730

  800

  900

  RPI adjustments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  100

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Supplementary benefit/income support

  Supplementary pension

  906

  1,088

  1,164

  1,315

  1,404

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Supplementary allowance

  6,232

  6,824

  7,427

  7,576

  7,050

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Income support

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7,650

  7,400

  7,900

  8,500

  Social fund

  —

  —

  —

  —

  31

  164

  139

  100

  100

  Family benefits

  Child benefit

  5,091

  5,228

  5,155

  5,036

  4,885

  4,522

  4,319

  4,400

  4,500

  One parent benefit

  137

  147

  155

  165

  173

  174

  183

  200

  200

  Family income supplement/family credit

  157

  154

  150

  180

  191

  422

  481

  500

  500

  Maternity grant

  22

  22

  20

  16

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Housing benefit

  Rent rebate

  2,528

  2,623

  2,647

  2,702

  2,707

  2,726

  2,834

  3,000

  3,100

  Rent allowance

  684

  841

  963

  1,057

  1,103

  1,092

  1,562

  1,600

  1,700

  Total non-contributory benefit expenditure

  17,748

  19,089

  20,006

  20,641

  20,424

  19,573

  19,907

  21,000

  22,000

  Total benefit expenditure

  42,911

  44,492

  45,798

  47,406

  46,766

  45,173

  46,023

  48,200

  49,900

  Administration and miscellaneous services

  National Insurance Fund administration (collection of contributions and payment of contributory benefits)

  886

  988

  920

  811

  848

  857

  914

  930

  920

  Non-contributory benefit administration (payment of non-contributory benefits)

  956

  950

  959

  1,157

  1,307

  1,312

  1,416

  1,470

  1,430

  Housing benefit

  Local authority administration

  135

  170

  179

  194

  237

  246

  204

  200

  200

  Total administration

  1,978

  2,108

  2,057

  2,162

  2,391

  2,415

  2,534

  2,610

  2,550

  Total—Social Security

  44,888

  46,600

  47,856

  49,568

  49,157

  47,588

  48,557

  50,800

  52,400

  1 Using the GDP deflator at market prices.

  2 Estimated.

  3 ie those paid from the National Insurance Fund.

  4 ie those net from voted expenditure or paid by local authorities etc.

  Family Incomes
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the total net income, including benefits, after tax and national insurance where appropriate, for a single mother aged 30 years with one child aged five years, living in privately rented accommodation at a cost of £56·62 per week rent plus

  Lone parent with one child aged 5

  Income support

  Earnings

  Rent

  Rates

  Housing benefit

  CHB

  FSM1

  Net income before housing costs

  (a) Not working

  41·85

  —

  56·62

  10·23

  64·80

  12·15

  2·55

  121·35

  —

  (b) Working under 24 hours—earnings £15

  41·85

  15

  56·62

  10·23

  64·80

  12·15

  2·55

  136·35

  —

  (c) Working under 24 hours—earning £301

  41·85

  30

  56·62

  10·23

  64·80

  12·15

  2·55

  136·35

  —

  1 Free school meals.

  Earnings

  Tax

  National Insurance

  Family credit

  Rent

  Rates

  Rent rebate

  Rate rebate

  CHB

  Net income before housing costs

  (d) Working over 24 hours—earning £50

  50

  0·00

  2·50

  38·15

  56·62

  10·23

  41·09

  3·40

  12·15

  142·29

  372
  £10·23 per week rates plus £2·31 per week water rates, with no capital and the following levels of earnings (a) Nil, (b) £15 per week, (c) £30 per week, (d) £50 per week, (e) £75 per week, (f) £100 per week, (g) £125 per week, (h) £150 per week and (i) £175 per week.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is set out in the tables.
  373

  Earnings

  Tax

  National Insurance

  Family credit

  Rent

  Rates

  Rent rebate

  Rate rebate

  CHB

  Net income before housing costs

  (e) Working over 24 hours—earning £75

  75

  0·00

  5·25

  25·34

  56·62

  10·23

  34·95

  1·52

  12·15

  143·71

  (f) Working over 24 hours—earning £100

  100

  5·31

  7·00

  12·78

  56·62

  10·23

  31·45

  0·00

  12·15

  144·07

  (g) Working over 24 hours—earning £125

  125

  11·56

  11·25

  2·63

  56·62

  10·23

  28·62

  0·00

  12·15

  145·59

  (h) Working over 24 hours—earning £150

  150

  17·81

  13·50

  0·00

  56·62

  10·23

  19·61

  0·00

  12·15

  150·45

  (i) Working over 24 hours—earning £175

  175

  24·06

  15·75

  0·00

  56·62

  10·23

  8·89

  0·00

  12·15

  156·23

  Note: Under Income Support water rates are treated like any other ordinary item of domestic expenditure and are paid by the claimant out of available income. There is no water rate rebate within Housing Benefit for claimants who are not on income support.

  (i). Income support would be reduced by the amount that the earnings exceed the £15 disregard.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total annual revenue received from employees' national insurance contributions paid by employees earning(a) less than £70 per week, (b) less than £105 per week and (c) less than £155 per week.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows

  Total annual revenue received from employees' national insurance contributions 1988–89

  Earnings of employees

  £ billion

  Less than £70 a week

  0·25

  Less than £105 a week

  0·85

  Less than £155 a week

  3·00

  All figures are net of contracted out rebate, and exclude the reduced rate contributions paid by some married women and widows.

  Single Homeless
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether his Department has received a copy of the report of the Nottingham university single homeless monitoring project and from agencies serving the homeless in the Nottingham area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Department can trace no record of having received this report.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people live in hostels for the homeless in Nottinghamshire.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have been asked to reply.

  The only figures collected centrally are the latest estimates of households placed in hostels by English local authorities. They are given in table 7 of the publication "Local Authorities' Action under the Homelessness Provisions of the 1985 Housing Act; England. Results for Third Quarter 1988, Supplementary Tables" which are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Local authorities provide quarterly estimates of the numbers of people accepted as homeless under the terms of the homeless provisions of the Housing Act 1985.

  An extract from table 7 of the Supplementary Tables Third Quarter 1988 reads as follows:
  374

  Number of households in temporary accommodation at the end of quarter

  Bed and breakfast

  Hostels1

  Others2

  Ashfield

  —

  4

  —

  Bassetlaw

  —

  —

  3245

  Broxtowe

  2

  1

  19

  Gedling

  —

  10

  —

  Mansfield

  —

  8

  16

  Newark and Sherwood

  —

  48

  —

  Nottingham

  1

  60

  21

  Rushcliffe

  1

  8

  9

  1 Including women's refuge.

  2 Including short-life dwellings.

  3 Bassetlaw often let temporary accommodation to homeless families and then rehouse them later.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Active Citizenship
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further initiatives he is taking to promote active citizenship.

  Mr. Hurd
  We are committed to encouraging active and responsible citizenship in people of all ages and from all sections of society. Much can be and is already being done through involvement in charitable work and voluntary groups—for example, through neighbourhood watch and victim support schemes. The Ministerial Group on the Voluntary Sector meets regularly to discuss promotion of volunteering. The Home Office's VSU—voluntary services unit—makes grants of £10 million to support voluntary organisations, many of which exist to promote voluntary activity and to support volunteers.

  The Government as a whole spend some £2 billion in helping to fund the voluntary sector.

  There is a need for even closer partnership between the public, private and voluntary sectors. I have been having and will continue to have discussions with representatives of all three sectors in order to identify and publicise ways in which people can turn concern into effective voluntary action.

  Violent Crime
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further action his Department is taking to combat violent crime.
  375
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to combat violent crime.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Government have already strengthened the police, increased maximum sentences and cracked down on the possession of knives and other offensive weapons. New measures this year will include a further addition to police manpower of 1,100 more officers. From yesterday, there exists a new right of appeal for the prosecution against an over-lenient sentence, in addition the private ownership of lethal firearms, like the Kalashnikov rifle, is banned. The Prevention of Terrorism Bill, now before Parliament, will give the police and the courts the special powers which they need to counter the violent terrorist threat.

  Chief Constables (Wales)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last had a meeting with the chief constables of police forces in Wales; and how frequently he holds such joint meetings.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  In exercising his responsibilities for the police service in England and Wales my right hon. Friend frequently has meetings with chief constables. My right hon. Friend has not found it necessary to hold meetings with chief officers of police forces in Wales as a separate group.

  Airports (Security)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of police forces for security purposes at airports.

  Mr. Hurd
  Police are employed on work requiring police skills. Airport staff conduct other procedures such as screening of passengers and baggage. A working party has been examining those recommendations of the Transport Select Committee particularly directed to the police, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I have now asked the working party to consider whether they wish to make any further recommendations in the light of the Lockerbie disaster.

  Infant Life Preservation Act 1929
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the case for amending the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929.

  Mr. Ken Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the case for amending the Infant Life Preservation Act.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  During the past year our records show one leter received in favour of amending the Act.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when was the last prosecution for child destruction under the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The last prosecution for which information is available centrally was 1987.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to set up a working party to look into the working of the Infant Life Preservation Act 1929.
  376
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No.

  West Mercia Police
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in securing greater efficiency and value for money from the West Mercia police force.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend is advised by Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary about the efficiency of provincial police forces. The West Mercia police have improved the value for money they obtain from their resources by means such as the streamlining of administrative procedures and the introduction of operational support units; and the use of information technology for crime pattern analysis and fingerprint identification.

  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of progress in securing greater efficiency and value for money from the West Mercia police force in considering applications for increases in its establishment.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend announced on 30 January his decision to approve an increase of 28 police posts for West Mercia constabulary with effect from 1 April 1989. Full account was taken of the force's commitment to a programme of civilianisation over recent years.

  Television (Scotland)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on his proposals for the future of television broadcasting from viewers in the Grampian, Scottish and Border television areas.

  Mr. Renton
  We have received a number of representations from viewers in Scotland, including a preliminary submission from Comunn Na Gaidhlig. We would welcome any further comments during the consultation period which ends on 28 February.

  Random Breath Tests
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in favour of random breath testing in the past 12 months.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the introduction of random breath testing.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received representations both for and against random breath testing from a number of organisations, from hon. Members and from individual members of the public. On 1 February, my right hon. Friend announced a period of public consultation on possible changes to police powers to require breath tests.

  Crime (Rural Areas)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had about the incidence of public disorder and crime in rural areas.
  377
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have had discussions within Government and with representatives of the police, the courts, and the licensed trade about the problems of hooliganism and alcohol-related disorder. Non-metropolitan disorder was considered by a working group comprising Home Office officials and representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the results of which my right hon. Friend announced in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Mr. Hunter) on 21 December.

  Radio
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking in advance of any future Broadcasting Bill to increase the choice available to radio listeners.

  Mrs. Gillian Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he is doing in advance of any future Broadcasting Bill, to increase the choice available to radio listeners.

  Mr. Renton
  As I stated in my reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Field) on 26 January, at column 671, we have endorsed IBA proposals to award 20 contracts for community radio and a further contract for a station covering Heathrow and Gatwick. In addition, we have authorised BBC and independent local radio stations to provide separate programmes if they wish on each of their current frequencies.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to widen choice for radio listeners.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 26 January to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Field), at column 671.

  Prison Kitchens
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will request prison governors to liaise with local authority environmental health officers to ensure that the prison service inspections of prison kitchens are of the same standard as those of local authority environmental health officers in other establishments.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The existing internal arrangements in the prison service are considered to be sufficient to set and monitor standards equivalent to those that would be required by local authority environmental health officers.

  In addition, guidance has recently been issued which encourages governors, together with prison medical officers, to liaise with local authority environmental health officers. The liaison may include informal visits by these officers to prison in an advisory capacity.

  Police Cells
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were being held in police cells in England and Wales on 31 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On Tuesday 31 January, 349 prisoners were held in police cells in England and Wales.
  378
  Every effort is being made to reduce that number as quickly as possible in the face of the renewed growth of the inmate population.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the most recent figure for the number of prisoners housed in police cells.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  At unlocking on Wednesday 1 February, 322 prisoners were held in police cells in England and Wales.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has had recent discussions with the Metropolitan police concerning conditions for remand prisoners in custody in police station cells in the Greater London area.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Problems arising from the accommodation of remand prisoners in police cells are often discussed at the meetings which my right hon. Friend holds regularly with the commissioner of the Metropolitan police. I am well aware that conditions for remand prisoners in police cells are often far from satisfactory although the police do all they can in difficult circumstances.

  Hooliganism
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had with chief constables concerning the problems of hooliganism inside and outside football grounds.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Home Office is in regular contact with the Association of Chief Police Officers about these problems. The association was represented on the Minister for Sport's working party and will continue to be involved in discussions on the implementation of the Football Spectators Bill.

  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to deal with unruly behaviour outside football grounds.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Much has already been achieved by alcohol restrictions, the powers for the police and the courts under the Public Order Act 1986 and the advice which my right hon. Friend recently gave to the courts on the need for swift justice following incidents of hooliganism.

  The proposed football membership scheme, although designed primarily to prevent those intent on unruly behaviour from gaining admission to football grounds, is also intended to remove the football match as the central focus for the activities of hooligans. Those who know they are not going to be admitted to a match are unlikely to travel long distances to stand outside.

  I believe that the scheme will curb football-related hooliganism, both inside and away from grounds.

  Abortion
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to change the criteria used to decide whether it is in the public interest to order an inquest on babies born alive following abortions.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No.
  379
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received about his decision not to order an inquest on the baby of 21 weeks gestation aborted at the Carlisle city general hospital in July 1987.

  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many further representations he has received following his decision that it was not in the public interest to order an inquest on the baby of 21 weeks gestational age, aborted at the Carlisle city general hospital in July 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None. I would refer to my reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 15 December, column 711. We have received no further representations since then.

  Carriers Liability Act
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the receipts to date under the Carriers Liability Act; and what are the arrears.

  Mr. Renton
  Charges totalling £7·366 million had been incurred by carriers under the Act up to 31 December 1988. Of this sum, £3·539 million had been paid, leaving £3·827 million outstanding.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in response to his request for views on the reform of Sunday shopping.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in response to his request for views on the reform of Sunday shopping.

  Mr. Mudd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received from interested parties on ways to amend the Shops Act 1950.

  Mr. Renton
  I would refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave earlier to the question from the hon. Member for Normanton ( Mr. O'Brien).

  Sir Bernard Braine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from churches and other religious bodies concerning proposals to update the law on Sunday trading.

  Mr. Renton
  Since November 1986 we have received 66 written representations on behalf of a church or other religious body. Among the correspondents have been the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal Hume, the Chief Rabbi and the Moderator of the Free Church Federal Council. I have also met the Bishop of Gloucester, chairman of the General Synod's Board for Social Responsibility, on three occasions, and the Bishop of London.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the administration of the magistrates courts.
  380
  Mr. John Patten
  It is because I see scope for improvements in the efficient management of the magistrates courts system that I have decided to set in hand a scrutiny as explained in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) on 17 January, column 140.

  Broadcasting Standards Council
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Council; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Council as often as circumstances dictate in order to discuss the work of the council and other matters.

  Police Training
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new initiatives he is planning to improve police and police cadet training.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Police training is kept under constant review and a number of developments are in hand. A new modular training course for recruits is to be introduced later this year, a centrally developed training package for newly promoted sergeants has recently come into use and a new course for inspectors on promotion is in the final stages of development. Cadet training is carried out in the seven police forces which run cadet schemes.

  We have no plans to issue new guidance on this subject.

  Crime (North Yorkshire)
  Mr Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress his Department is making towards reducing the level of crime in north Yorkshire.

  Mr. John Patten
  The total number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in north Yorkshire from January to September 1988 fell by 5 per cent. when compared with the same period in 1987. The national decrease was 3·7 per cent. In particular, burglaries in north Yorkshire decreased by 14·2 per cent. This coincides with an increase of over 250 good neighbour schemes in the area, bringing the total number of schemes there to 1,331, covering almost 32,000 households.

  British Nationality
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it now takes to process applications for British nationality.

  Mr. Renton
  The average time taken to complete applications for naturalisation and registration in December 1988 was 21 months and 14 months respectively.

  Guardian Angels
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to the need to regulate the activities of guardian angels operating on London local authority housing estates; and if he will make a statement.
  381
  Mr. John Patten
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is aware of any so-called guardian angels operating on local authority housing estates in London. Members of the public who wish to support the police can most usefully do so through the special constabulary or active participation in neighbourhood watch schemes.

  Metropolitan Police (Precept)
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations were made by London local authority associations on 17 January regarding the rise in the Metropolitan police precept for 1989–90; and what replies he gave them.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The representations of the London local authority associations were mainly concerned with the size of the proposed Metropolitan police precept for 1989–90, which they regarded as excessive. My right hon. Friend was able, with the assistance of my right hon. Friend and Minister of State for Local Government, to explain the reasons for the proposed increases and to describe the steps which are being taken to strengthen the force's arrangements for securing greater efficiency and value for money in the deployment of its resources.

  Tagging
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received on the Green Paper proposals for the use of electronic tags to monitor offenders; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have received a number of representations, some commenting on the suggestion that electronic monitoring might be used to enforce a curfew as part of the new court order proposed in the Green Paper. We shall consider the future use of electronic monitoring in the light of these comments and the pilot studies—monitoring defendants remanded on bail—which will begin later this year.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the technology for the tracking tag, as opposed to the curfew tag, to be demonstrably effective; and if he will then introduce it into pilot schemes on tagging throughout England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  I understand that some companies are working on monitoring devices which allow the wearer to be tracked. This technology is still at the development stage and I do not expect its effectiveness to be reliably demonstrated in time for the forthcoming pilot studies.

  Political Asylum
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the past 12 months police officers have been used to arrest persons seeking political asylum in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Renton
  Under the Immigration Act 1971 a constable or immigration officer may arrest or detain certain persons in breach of the Act. Information about the number of occasions when police officers have exercised those powers is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. An application for political asylum is a separate issue which is considered entirely on its merits.

  Police Surgeons
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many doctors are retained by police on a part-time basis to act as police surgeons attending to victims of crime and scenes of crime; and what was the position three and five years ago.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Police surgeons are appointed by police authorities and no central record is maintained.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on present arrangements for the work of police surgeons.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to alter the arrangements under which general practitioners work as part-time police surgeons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Police surgeons are appointed by police authorities. The joint negotiating committee for the fees of doctors assisting local authorities issues national guidance about their conditions of service. But the onus rests with individual police authorities to ensure that suitable arrangements are made to secure the necessary coverage by police surgeons within the force area.

  Firearms Licences
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans there are to prohibit the granting of a firearms licence to those under a certain age.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Under section 22(2) of the Firearms Act 1968 it is an offence for a person under the age of 14 to have in his possession any firearm or ammunition to which section 1 of the Act applies, except in the limited circumstances specified where a firearm certificate is not required anyway. These include target practice at an approved club and shooting at a miniature rifle range. Accordingly, firearm certificates are issued only to those over 14 years of age. We have no proposals to change the law in this respect.

  With regard to shotgun certificates, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller).

  Mr. Roberto Fiore
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made with the further consideraton of the case of Mr. Roberto Fiore; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply by my right hon. Friend to a question from the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 15 December, column 721. No further request has been received from the Italian Government—the possibility of deportation is being considered. Representations against such action have been lodged.

  Mr. Viraj Mendis
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from citizens of Manchester in respect of the extradition of Viraj Mendis; and if he will make a statement.
  383
  Mr. Renton
  Up to 23 January 1989, 115 letters had been received from the Manchester area about the case of Mr. Mendis, of which 40 were in support of him. About 150 campaign postcards from the Manchester area and a number of petitions, some of which were signed by residents of Manchester, had also been received.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the case of Viraj Mendis.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further consideration he has given to the case of Viraj Mendis.

  Mr. Renton
  I would refer the hon. Members to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Falkirk, West (Mr. Canavan) on 26 January, column 672.

  Franchise
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to produce proposals to widen the franchise for Britons living abroad.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We attach considerable importance to extension of the franchise for British citizens living overseas and intend to bring forward legislation in this Parliament.

  Prisoners (Escapes)
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners escaped from custody in 1988; and what crimes were they originally convicted of.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Information held centrally shows that, during 1988, 267 inmates escaped from within closed prison service establishments in England and Wales or from outside escorts. This figure includes both convicted and unconvicted inmates. The offences of which they had been convicted, or with which they had been charged, are categorised in the table. Multiple offences or charges are categorised according to the most serious offence.

  Offence categories (including attempts)

  Number

  Murder or Manslaughter

  6

  Sexual offences

  3

  Other offences against the person

  24

  Burglary

  120

  Robbery

  29

  Theft, forgery and related offences

  37

  Others

  48

  West Midlands Police
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of progress in securing greater efficiency and value for money from the West Midlands police force in considering applications for increases in its establishment.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend announced on 30 January his decision to approve an increase of 62 police posts for west midlands police with effect from 1 April 1989. Full account was taken of the progress which the force has made in recent times in obtaining police officers in considerable numbers through civilianisation.

  Chief Charity Commissioners
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chief charity commissioner, Mr. Robin Guthrie; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. Friend will be meeting the chief charity commissioner shortly to discuss the proposals the Government will be putting forward in the forthcoming White Paper on charities. My right hon. and noble friend has met the chief charity commissioner on seven occasions in the past year to discuss a wide range of matters concerning charities and the work of the commission.

  Vietnamese Refugees
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of Vietnamese refugees accepted to settle in the United Kingdom to date; and whether provision for Vietnamese refugees will be increased.

  Mr. Renton
  Between 1979 and the end of the third quarter of 1988 some 20,400 Vietnamese refugees were admitted for settlement in the United Kingdom. For the future, I refer to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Mr. Eggar) on 22 December, columns 588 and 589.

  Tackling Crime (European Co-operation)
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department is doing to promote greater European co-operation against crime.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department is doing to promote greater European co-operation against crime.

  Mr. John Patten
  We attach great importance to closer European co-operation to tackle crime and have actively sought to strengthen bilateral links; my right hon. Friend recently signed an agreement with Italy to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime. Further action is in hand to improve bilateral and multilateral co-operation in a number of areas including mutual legal assistance and extradition arrangements, the exchange of drugs intelligence and the confiscation of drug traffickers' assets.

  Broadcasting
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made towards a Council of Europe convention on broadcasting.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from him on 23 January, column 393.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to meet the chairman of the Independent Broadcasting Authority to discuss the White Paper on the future of broadcasting.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend met Mr. Russell on 10 January and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met him on 17 January to discuss our recent White Paper
  385
  on broadcasting. My right hon. Friend keeps in regular touch with the chairmen of the BBC and IBA on a wide range of broadcasting matters.

  Football Matches (Policing)
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether steps are being taken to reduce the cost of policing football matches.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The aim of the national football membership scheme envisaged in part I of the Football Spectators Bill[Lords] is to break the link between football and hooliganism by disqualifying troublemakers from attendance at all League grounds. In the longer term, the scheme should reduce considerably the heavy police commitment required to maintain order at football matches.

  Burglaries
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the latest figures for burglary in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  Burglary fell by 8 per cent. in the 12 months to September 1988 compared with the previous 12 months. This information is published in table 4 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 36/88, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Right of Silence
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his conclusions concerning the right of silence.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend is awaiting the report of the working group which was set up last year to consider what changes in the law are necessary. We expect to receive its report around Easter.

  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received relating to the possible abolition of the right of silence.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of letters from right hon. and hon. Members, including one from the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, West (Mr. Randall) on behalf of the Opposition, and from members of the public. I understand that the working group on the right of silence which my right hon. Friend set up to consider this issue has received responses to its consultation document from a wide range of interested bodies.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to promote greater efficiency in the Metropolitan police.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in securing greater value for money from the Metropolitan police.

  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in securing greater value for money from the Metropolitan police.
  386
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Measures have been introduced on a number of fronts to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and economic use of Metropolitan police resources and to ensure value for money of Metropolitan police expenditure. Changes were made last year to the systems of estimating, monitoring and controlling expenditure and to the composition of the cash limit in order to strengthen the controls on running costs and other current expenditure. An estimate screening process has been introduced to concentrate attention on the relative priorities of competing demands, increasing value for money in the use of resources and identifying policies or projects which require more detailed examination. Work is being done on the improvement of financial management information and pilot schemes to assess the effectiveness of divisional budgets. There is a programme of civilianisation to release police officers for operational duties and to ensure that functions are carried out in the most economic way. Independent inspections by Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary will augment the internal system of inspections in measuring the efficiency of the force.

  Other initiatives aimed at improving greater Efficiency and value for money include a continuing programme of scrutinies and reviews, contracting out of services, and the wider use of output measures and performance indicators.

  Some recent achievements include: 218 headquarters posts abolished through reorganisation in the last three years; 1,300 posts devolved from headquarters to areas in the last three years; 322 posts civilianised since March 1986; 500 cleaning posts contracted out; hours spent on street duty in 1988 up by some 7·5 per cent. over the previous year; a reduction of 10 per cent. in real terms in the overtime budget; a 7 per cent. improvement in arrest rates; and a 6 per cent. improvement in clear-up rates.

  Police Forensic Service
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to establish a full-time police forensic service.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Home Office forensic science service provides forensic science facilities to police forces outside London through its six regional laboratories. The Metropolitan police and the City of London police are served by the Metropolitan police forensic science laboratory.

  It would not be economical, or effective, for each provincial police force to establish its own laboratory.

  Prison Sentences (Remission)
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent remission of prison sentences is based on the severity of the crime.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Remission may be earned on all prison sentences of more than five days. Those not exceeding a total term of 12 months may be reduced by up to half; longer sentences may be reduced by a third. The maximum amount of remission will, thus, reflect the length of sentence or sentences imposed on a prisoner, which is determined by a number of other factors in addition to the severity of the offence.

  Drugs
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in securing greater international co-operation against the illegal drug trade.

  Mr. Hurd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier this afternoon to a similar Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey).

  Prisoners
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison at the most recent count.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On Friday 27 January 48,867 prisoners were held in prison service establishments in England and Wales. A further 298 prisoners were held in police cells.

  Police Efficiency
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to implement the recommendations of the Audit Commission on police efficiency.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Audit Commission recommendations contain valuable guidelines for improved value for money in the use of police resources. The Home Office and Her Majesty's inspectors of constabulary will fully support and encourage chief officers of police and police authorities in implementing the recommendations.

  Italy (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about his recent visit to Italy.

  Mr. Hurd
  I visited Italy from 11 to 14 January at the invitation of Signor Antonio Gava, the Italian Minister of the Interior. During the visit I had talks with Signor Gava and his officials about matters of common interest, and I signed a joint arrangement for co-operation between our two Governments on developing measures against terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking. Copies of this arrangement have been placed in the Library.

  I called on a number of parliamentarians in Rome, and visited Turin and Milan where I met local officials and members of the business community, and visited a drug rehabilitation project.

  Prisons (HIV Testing)
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to introduce compulsory HIV testing in all prisons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. Practice in prisons follows Government policy for the general community. A test is carried out only with informed consent.

  South Yorkshire Police
  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he proposes to increase the current manning levels in the South Yorkshire police.
  388
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend announced on 30 January, column 6, that he had approved an increase of 16 police posts for South Yorkshire and that he was prepared to approve a further 11 posts for stage II probationer training if the police authority made formal application for them.

  Shops Act 1950
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken to seek the views of the local government authorities on ways of amending the Shops Act 1950; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  I have met with the Association of District Councils on 14 July, 21 September and 13 December 1988 to exchange views on Sunday trading and have received the proposals which it published on 30 December.

  Intoxicating Liquor
  Mr. John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to introduce legislation to amend the present definition of intoxicating liquor in the Licensing Act 1964; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are considering, in consultation with other Departments, whether it would be desirable to amend the definition of intoxicating liquor in the 1964 Act to relax restrictions on the sale of low alcohol products now becoming available. In particular, we are concerned to assess any possible effect on children and young persons of unrestricted access to low alcohol drinks.

  Reparation and Mediation Schemes
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results of his Department's research into the experimental reparation and mediation schemes will be published.

  Mr. John Patten
  In the spring.

  Neighbourhood Watch Schemes
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is provided to police authorities on the provision of neighbourhood watch signs.

  Mr. John Patten
  There is no central guidance on the provision of neighbourhood watch signs. The permission of the highway authority—usually the county council or the London borough council—is needed when a sign is to be erected on highway land, and some authorities use this as a means of achieving standardisation of signs.

  Child Abductions
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many United Kingdom children have been abducted overseas in defiance of orders from British courts over the most recent period for which figures are available.

  Mr. John Patten
  I regret that the information requested is not collected centrally.

  Football League Matches
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 January,Official Report, column 492, regarding events at Football League matches for the first part of the 1988–89 season, if he will give a further breakdown of the figure of 543 arrests at fourth division matches up to 31 October 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Following my reply of 10 January, ACPO was informed of a substantial error in the return from one police force and the provisional total for division 4 has now been amended to 248.

  At the end of each football season the Association of Chief Police Officers carefully reviews the returns from 43 individual forces relating to the number of arrests made at matches of the 92 Football League clubs. One part of a season is not comparable with another and where interim figures have been collected they have not been subjected to the same scrutiny. Since the provisional totals to 31 October 1988 have not been given a full end of season check, it would be inappropriate to publish a detailed breakdown, club by club, across the Football League or any division as a whole.

  Prisoners (AIDS)
  Mr. Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy for the reception of an inmate into prison who is known or thought to be suffering from AIDS; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  All prisoners are questioned about their medical history and are medically examined on reception. Where AIDS is diagnosed the prison medical officer will devise a clinical management plan appropriate to the individual case. Facilities for the care and support of prisoners with AIDS, AIDS-related illness and other infectious conditions are being developed on a contingency basis.

  Mr. Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women known to be suffering from AIDS were in prisons in England and Wales on 1 January.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There was no reported case of AIDS. Fifty male prisoners and seven females were known to be HIV antibody-positive.

  Prison (Woolwich)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will be responsible for the naming of the new prison at Woolwich; when a final decision will be announced; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Responsibility for the naming of new prisons rests with the Secretary of State. In accordance with usual practice the local authority—the London borough of Greenwich—has been invited to suggest a name for the new prison at Woolwich. A decision will be taken as soon as possible after its response is received.

  Buckingham Palace Security
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on Buckingham Palace security; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  Arrangements for security at Buckingham Palace are regularly tested and kept under constant review.

  A routine exercise, restricted in scope and using limited resources, was conducted by the royalty and diplomatic protection department of the Metropolitan police to test the security systems at Buckingham Palace on the evening of 17 January. The exercise met its objectives, and I understand that the commissioner is satisfied with the results.

  Kerb Crawlers (Electronic Tagging)
  Mrs. Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the use of electronic tagging in relation to kerb crawlers.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have no plans as yet to introduce the use of electronic monitoring for convicted offenders. We shall review the use of electronic monitoring in the light of the forthcoming pilot studies monitoring defendants on bail.

  English Folk Dance and Song Society
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Charity Commission as to why it refused to look into allegations of ballot rigging in the affairs of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

  Mr. John Patten
  No. The propriety of the Society's recent election is a matter for the society itself and ultimately for the courts.

  Association of Chief Police Officers
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received a report from the Association of Chief Police Officers regarding its recent emergency exercises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  A report on COMTEST '89 is being prepared by the Association of Chief Police Officers. Any conclusions on operational matters will be for chief constables to consider, but we are following developments closely.

SCOTLAND

  Manufacturing Investment
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest figures for levels of manufacturing investment in Scotland, both in cash and real terms; and what are the annual figures for each of the previous 10 years.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The latest available figures relate to 1986. The volume estimates have been estimated using the United Kingdom deflator for manufacturing investment.
  391

  Manufacturing investment in Scotland Gross domestic fixed capital formation

  £ million at current prices

  £ million at 1985 prices

  £ per employee at 1985 prices

  1977

  491

  950

  1,540

  1978

  523

  908

  1,515

  1979

  561

  873

  1,513

  1980

  644

  871

  1,634

  1981

  585

  723

  1,517

  1982

  541

  627

  1,400

  1983

  470

  515

  1,227

  1984

  596

  631

  1,589

  1985

  861

  861

  2,195

  1986

  788

  757

  1,984

  Bathing Water
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all those beaches in Scotland which failed to meet the European Community directive on bathing water quality standards in the last year for which data is available, when it is planned for each of these beaches to meet these standards; and what is the estimated cost in each case.

  Unemployed claimants in Scottish parliamentary constituencies

  Constituency

  December 1986

  As percentage of December 1985

  December 1987

  As percentage of December 1986

  December 1988

  As percentage of December 1987

  Aberdeen North

  4,691

  130·3

  4,169

  88·9

  3,276

  78·6

  Aberdeen South

  4,280

  141·2

  3,521

  82·3

  2,700

  76·7

  Angus East

  4,509

  117·8

  3,839

  85·1

  2,905

  75·7

  Argyll and Bute

  4,302

  106·6

  3,777

  87·8

  3,156

  83·6

  Ayr

  5,223

  103·4

  4,504

  86·2

  3,507

  77·9

  Banff and Buchan

  3,968

  125·6

  3,340

  84·2

  2,634

  78·9

  Caithness and Sutherland

  2,575

  103·1

  2,435

  94·6

  2,181

  89·6

  Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley

  6,751

  102·2

  6,138

  90·9

  4,956

  80·7

  Central Fife

  5,656

  99·4

  5,229

  92·5

  4,085

  78·1

  Clackmannan

  4,742

  102·5

  4,212

  88·8

  3,363

  79·8

  Clydebank and Milngavie

  4,703

  102·9

  4,417

  93·9

  3,537

  80·1

  Clydesdale

  5,179

  103·8

  4,423

  85·4

  3,409

  77·1

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  4,793

  103·0

  4,017

  83·8

  3,148

  78·4

  Cunninghame North

  5,649

  102·8

  5,032

  89·1

  3,777

  75·1

  Cunninghame South

  6,213

  98·6

  5,546

  89·3

  4,200

  75·7

  Dumbarton

  5,605

  94·9

  5,388

  96·1

  4,422

  82·1

  Dumfries

  4,055

  101·6

  3,442

  84·9

  2,742

  79·7

  Dundee East

  7,748

  94·0

  7,004

  90·4

  5,630

  80·4

  Dundee West

  6,363

  95·6

  5,655

  88·9

  4,712

  83·3

  Dunfermline East

  5,021

  102·7

  4,489

  89·4

  3,642

  81·1

  Dunfermline West

  3,796

  106·1

  3,388

  89·3

  2,788

  82·3

  East Kilbride

  5,108

  101·3

  4,239

  83·0

  3,391

  80·0

  East Lothian

  4,156

  109·9

  3,878

  93·3

  3,211

  82·8

  Eastwood

  3,397

  103·1

  3,013

  88·7

  2,358

  78·3

  Edinburgh Central

  5,584

  111·9

  5,136

  92·0

  4,148

  80·8

  Edinburgh East

  4,590

  99·3

  4,341

  94·6

  3,323

  76·5

  Edinburgh Leith

  6,974

  106·9

  6,469

  92·8

  5,044

  78·0

  Edinburgh Pentlands

  3,535

  95·8

  3,237

  91·6

  2,524

  78·0

  Edinburgh South

  4,323

  106·1

  4,096

  94·7

  3,129

  76·4

  Edinburgh West

  2,611

  108·1

  2,196

  84·1

  1,709

  77·8

  Falkirk East

  5,316

  97·5

  4,675

  87·9

  3,444

  73·7

  Falkirk West

  4,650

  98·4

  3,811

  82·0

  2,895

  76·0

  Galloway and Upper Nithsdale

  4,231

  104·9

  3,569

  84·4

  3,360

  94·1

  Glasgow Cathcart

  4,451

  100·6

  3,911

  87·9

  3,264

  83·5

  Glasgow Central

  7,567

  103·6

  7,255

  95·9

  6,096

  84·0

  Glasgow Garscadden

  6,214

  98·0

  5,485

  88·3

  4,904

  89·4

  Glasgow Govan

  6,065

  98·2

  5,634

  92·9

  4,975

  88·3

  Glasgow Hillhead

  5,829

  106·9

  5,370

  92·1

  4,660

  86·8

  Glasgow Maryhill

  7,994

  101·8

  7,494

  93·7

  6,483

  86·5

  Glasgow Pollok

  7,480

  96·9

  6,856

  91·7

  5,789

  84·4

  Glasgow Provan

  8,706

  95·4

  7,539

  86·6

  6,671

  88·5

  Glasgow Rutherglen

  6,887

  98·9

  5,955

  86·5

  5,079

  85·3

  Glasgow Shettleston

  6,732

  104·6

  6,086

  90·4

  5,429

  89·2

  Glasgow Springburn

  8,616

  99·1

  7,825

  90·8

  6,820

  87·2

  392
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on results for 1987, the latest year available, was given in my answers on 5 May at column 536, and 29 June 1988 at column 247, to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir Ff. Monro). A copy of the report "Bathing Waters in Scotland, Results of Monitoring: 1986 and 1987" is available in the Library.

  The information on the quality of Scottish bathing waters during the 1988 bathing season is being collated a t present. I expect to announce the results before the start of the 1989 bathing season. Discussions are currently taking place with the authorities concerned about plans and programmes of improvement for those bathing waters which did not meet the directive's standards in 1987.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the unemployment figures for each constituency in Scotland for each of the last three years; and if he will express the figures as a percentage of the previous year.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is set out in the table.
  393

  Constituency

  December 1986

  As percentage of December 1985

  December 1987

  As percentage of December 1986

  December 1988

  As percentage of December 1987

  Gordon

  3,365

  160·2

  2,595

  77·1

  1,795

  69·2

  Greenock and Port Glasgow

  8,612

  98·2

  7,835

  910

  6,427

  820

  Hamilton

  6,566

  104·4

  5,680

  86·5

  4,298

  75·7

  Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber

  6,967

  106·9

  6,026

  86·5

  4,998

  82·9

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  5,579

  98·5

  5,032

  90·2

  4,191

  83·3

  Kincardine and Deeside

  3,143

  1685

  2,483

  790

  1,825

  73·5

  Kirkcaldy

  5,074

  103·5

  4,628

  91·2

  3,882

  82·8

  Linlithgow

  5,716

  973

  4,580

  801

  3,443

  75·2

  Livingston

  5,236

  99·4

  4,412

  84·3

  3,255

  73·8

  Midlothian

  4,495

  1021

  4,146

  92·2

  3,364

  811

  Monklands East

  6,283

  105 5

  5,450

  86·7

  4,320

  79·3

  Monklands West

  5,050

  103·3

  4,519

  89·5

  3,495

  77·3

  Moray

  4,258

  1071

  3,663

  860

  3,159

  86·2

  Motherwell North

  6,597

  103·6

  5,545

  841

  4,373

  78·9

  Motherwell South

  5,432

  100 1

  4,571

  841

  3,853

  84·3

  North East Fife

  2,707

  1025

  2,450

  90·5

  1,914

  78·1

  North Tayside

  3,305

  110 1

  2,796

  84·6

  2,098

  750

  Orkney and Shetland

  1,849

  1163

  1,583

  85·6

  1,355

  85·6

  Paisley North

  5,424

  97·8

  5,095

  93·9

  4,097

  80·4

  Paisley South

  5,451

  97·7

  4,787

  87·8

  3,944

  82·4

  Perth and Kinross

  4,246

  1100

  3,507

  826

  2,724

  77·7

  Renfrew West and Inverclyde

  3,764

  100·5

  3,407

  90·5

  2,563

  75·2

  Ross, Cromarty and Skye

  5,275

  104·3

  4,994

  94·7

  3,948

  791

  Roxburgh and Berwickshire

  2,038

  105·8

  1,799

  88·3

  1,350

  750

  Stirling

  4,073

  96·8

  3,614

  88·7

  2,875

  79·6

  Strathkelvin and Bearsden

  3,661

  98·7

  3,183

  86·9

  2,492

  78·3

  Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale

  1859

  1071

  1,499

  80·6

  1,268

  84·6

  Western Isles

  2,354

  127·8

  2,093

  88·9

  2,157

  1031

  Due to changes which have taken place in the compilation of the statistics during the period these figures are not directly comparable.

  Crofters' Commission
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he has drawn following his review of the Crofters' Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has accepted the main recommendation that the commission should remain in being as consituted. Most of the other recommendations were addressed to the commission which is now considering them. Consideration is also being given to those concerning the relationship between the commission and the Scottish Office and their respective responsibilities.

  Turnhouse Airport (Transport Interchange)
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study his Department has made of the proposal put forward by Bridgehead 2000 for a central Scotland transport interchange to be located at Turnhouse airport, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ritkind
  The proposals by Bridgehead 2000 raise in the first instance matters for consideration by BAA plc, as owners of the airport, and the British Rail board.

  Drug Offences
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Scottish Law Commission last examined the law as it relates to drug offences.
  394
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Law Commission has never examined the law in relation to drug offences.

  Population
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the population of Scotland at present; and what projections there are for how this will change over the next 10 years.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The registrar general's latest estimate of the population of Scotland, which relates to 30 June 1987, is 5,112,129. Projected populations based on this figure are given in the table.

  Year

  Projected population COOOs)

  1988

  5,104

  1989

  5,097

  1990

  5,091

  1991

  5,085

  1992

  5,081

  1993

  5,077

  1994

  5,073

  1995

  5,069

  1996

  5,064

  1997

  5,059

  1998

  5,053

  1999

  5,046

  Source: Government Actuary's Department.

  Pupils
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils there are in Scotland at present in both primary and secondary sectors; and how these figures are expected to change over the next decade.
  395
  Mr. Rifkind
  The provisional numbers of pupils in education authority primary and secondary schools at September 1988 were 432,500 and 311,900 respectively. The most recent projections of pupil numbers are based on actual pupil numbers at September 1987 and are set out in the table.

  Primary

  Secondary

  1989

  436,700

  296,800

  1990

  439,000

  289,800

  1991

  438,500

  289,200

  1992

  439,400

  291,900

  1993

  443,400

  296,700

  1994

  451,100

  299,600

  1995

  459,900

  300,300

  1996

  468,700

  299,400

  1997

  476,500

  298,300

  1998

  483,900

  298,200

  Students
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many full-time and part-time students there are in both further and higher education in Scotland; and what projections there are for changes in these figures over the next decade.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The latest available student numbers and projections for Scotland are given in the table.

  Higher education

  Vocational non-advanced further education

  Session

  Full-time and sandwich

  Part-time

  Full-time and sandwich

  Part-time

  Actual:

  1986–87

  81,600

  45,900

  30,200

  154,700

  Projections:

  1987–88

  83,400

  49,800

  n/a

  1988–89

  84,400

  52,800

  n/a

  1989–90

  84,800

  55,900

  n/a

  1990–91

  84,700

  58,600

  n/a

  1991–92

  83,400

  61,000

  n/a

  1992–93

  81,900

  63,100

  n/a

  1993–94

  81,000

  65,000

  n/a

  1994–95

  80,000

  66,700

  n/a

  1995–96

  78,600

  68,000

  n/a

  1996–97

  78,100

  69,100

  n/a

  Notes

  1. The higher education projections have been taken from the high variant published in statistical bulletin No. 7/JI /1988 "Higher Education Projects for Scotland" which is available in the House.

  2. Vocational non-advanced further education comprises various types of student, such as school leavers continuing education, adults returning to education, persons on government employment schemes, and employees undertaking training on a part-time basis. Projections of student numbers for the whole group of students are not available.

  3. Over the period shown the base population of 17-year-olds is projected to fall by 25 per cent.

  Percentage of residential places in homes for the elderly at 31 March 1987

  Region

  Total number of places

  Local authority

  Voluntary

  Private

  Borders

  566

  62

  23

  15

  Central

  743

  63

  25

  12

  Dumfries and Galloway

  534

  61

  23

  16

  Fife

  1,120

  62

  19

  19

  Grampian

  1,830

  54

  36

  10

  Highland

  734

  62

  24

  14

  Lothian

  2,538

  56

  34

  10

  Strathclyde

  6,012

  65

  24

  11

  Prisoners
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners there are in Scottish prisons; and what is the average number for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The number of persons held in Scottish penal establishments at lock-up on Friday 20 January 1989 was 4,997. The average daily penal population in 1987 and 1988 is provisionally estimated as 5,446 and 5,229 respectively. For earlier years, corresponding figures are given in appendix 2 of the annual report "Prisons in Scotland Report for 1986" (Cm. 223) copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners in Scotland are on remand; and what this is as a proportion of the total number of prisoners at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The number of persons held on remand in penal establishments at lock-up on Friday 20 January 1989 was 782–16 per cent. of the penal population at that time.

  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of Scotland's prisoners have been imprisoned for non-payment of fines; and what is the average amount of fine involved at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Rifkind
  During December 1988 a total of 4 per cent. of the average daily prison population in Scotland had been imprisoned for non-payment of fines. Information is not available on the average amount of fine involved.

  Competitive Tendering
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has given to health boards concerning the procedures to be followed before issuing a press release on competitive tendering.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Health boards copy press releases to the Scottish Home and Health Department as part of their routine progress reports on competitive tendering.

  Elderly People (Residential Care)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of continuing care residential places are provided for the elderly(a) by local authorities, (b) by voluntary organisations and (c) by the private sector in each health board for (i) the year 1987 and (ii) the year 1988.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The latest information by local authority area is set out in the table.
  397

  Region

  Total number of places

  Local authority

  Voluntary

  Private

  Tayside

  2,295

  46

  29

  25

  Orkney

  82

  85

  0

  15

  Shetland

  86

  81

  19

  0

  Western Isles

  200

  98

  0

  2

  Scotland

  16,740

  60

  27

  14

  Note: Because of roundings, the national totals exceed 100 per cent.

  New Towns
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the survey undertaken by East Kilbride district council on the attitudes of the residents of East Kilbride district to the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum", a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. Lang
  I welcome the findings of the survey as a constructive contribution to the consultation process and recognise the professional manner in which the survey was conducted.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the method by which he will consult tenants within the Scottish new towns on the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum".

  Mr. Lang
  I expect shortly to consider proposals from my officials regarding the conduct of a survey in the Scottish new towns. I intend that the results of that survey will be published to inform the debate on the future of the Scottish new towns.

  Mr. Ingram
  : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the timetable of the consultation process that he proposes to undertake involving new town tenants in relation to the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum".

  Mr. Lang
  I expect that the fieldwork element of the Government commissioned survey will be completed in April and that a full report on the findings should be published in the early summer.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to commission a survey into the attitudes of new town residents to the issues raised within the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum".

  Mr. Lang
  Yes.

  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations which have responded to the consultation document, "The Scottish New Towns, Maintaining the Momentum", identifying district councils as potential landlords on the wind-up of the new towns.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to his previous question of yesterday's date. It has not yet been possible to analyse the detailed contents of the responses received to date. I shall write to the hon. Member once these details are available.

  NHS (Reorganisation)
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will visit East Kilbride to explain to the residents the Government's proposed reorganisation of the National Health Service.
  398
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I do not have any plans to visit East Kilbride for this purpose. We have given wide publicity to the Government's proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" and the Lanarkshire health board is making information available locally.

  Fisheries
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultations his Department is having with the Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen to discuss stock conservation, licensing and fisheries management; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland is in regular contact with the Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen and its constituent bodies on matters of mutual concern, including conservation, licensing and fisheries management.

  City Technology Colleges Trust
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any meetings have taken place with the City Technology Colleges Trust involving Ministers or civil servants.

  Mr. Micheal Forsyth
  Yes.

  Locate in Scotland
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the total number of inward investment projects attributed to Scotland by Locate in Scotland in each of the years 1981–82 to 1987–88, including the number of jobs involved, and the volume of expenditure.

  Mr. Lang
  : The following table shows the number of decisions to locate inward investment projects in Scotland as announced in the years 1981–82 to 1987–88.

  Number of projects

  Planned jobs

  Planned investment £ million

  1987–88

  88

  11,852

  337

  1986–87

  50

  5,084

  427

  1985–86

  58

  8,217

  562

  1984–85

  69

  9,443

  689

  1983–84

  54

  6,900

  166

  1982–83

  46

  5,400

  186

  1981–82

  32

  7,000

  234

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions have taken place with the Scottish Development Agency about the future of Locate in Scotland.
  399
  Mr. Lang
  There have been no discussions with the Scottish Development Agency regarding the future of Locate in Scotland. We recognise the substantial benefits which flow to Scotland from its activities and no changes are foreseen to its present method of operation.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if any meetings have taken place with the Grant Maintained Trust involving Ministers or civil servants.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Yes.

  Chernobyl
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will commission a special study of areas near Kinloch, Rannoch and Carstairs in Scotland of the exposure experience to radioactivity from fall-out from the Chernobyl accident.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Studies already commissioned by the Department of the Environment and by the Scottish Office to evaluate exposures in Scotland resulting from the Chernobyl accident have been in progress for some time. The areas covered include Kinloch, Rannoch and Carstairs.

  Teachers (Incentive Allowances)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what incentive allowances exist for teachers in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 30 January 1989]Teachers in Scotland do not receive incentive allowances; these are paid to certain teachers in schools in England and Wales. The average salary of teachers in Scotland is higher than that of England and Wales—£14,250 against £13,600 based on current pay scales.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Potatoes
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of United Kingdom potato production was treated with tecnazene in 1988 and in any of the previous five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Ryder
  No figures are available for the 1988 crop. Figures available from the 1986 crop in Scotland indicate that some 20 per cent. of stored ware potatoes were treated with tecnazene. This proportion is likely to be similar in the rest of the United Kingdom. New potatoes and main crop potatoes which are sold to consumers without being stored will not have been treated with tecnazene.

  In 1982 the latest year to which figures are available for England and Wales, they indicate that some 5 per cent. of potatoes stored on farms were treated with tecnazene but no data is available for off-farm stores. A further survey of the current use of tecnazene is planned for the 1988 crop.

  Meat Products
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks are made on the meat content of meat products; and what is the number of cases of inaccurate labelling of meat content in each of the last two years.
  400
  Mr. Ryder
  Where there is a statutory requirement regarding the meat content of a meat product or where such information is declared on the label, the enforcement of the relevant food law is undertaken by local authorities who are food and drugs authorities. Information on infringements of these laws is not held centrally.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what standards exist to specify and require the contents of meat products including beefburgers, sausages, salami, saveloys, haslet, and white pudding; what measures are taken to enforce those standards; and what information he has as to standards for meat products in other countries of the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Meat Products and Spreadable Fish, Products Regulations 1984 require most meat products to bear a declaration of their minimum meat content on the label. In addition, they contain minimum meat content requirements for a number of products, including burgers and sausages. White pudding is not regarded as a meal: product for the purposes of the regulations but, in common with all foodstuffs, is subject to the general provisions of the Food Labelling Regulations 1984 and the Food Act 1984. Enforcement of this food law is carried out by those local authorities which are food and drugs authorities.

  My Department does not keep detailed information on standards for meat products in other member states of the European Community.

  Nitrates
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he proposes to implement, following the European Community directive on nitrates in drinking, ground and sea water, to minimise the leeching of nitrates from agricultural land.

  Mr. Ryder
  The document referred to is only a proposal at this stage and will have to be examined in detail and agreed by the Council of Ministers before any question of implementation arises.

  Farmers
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those subsidies, grants, tax-allowance and schemes currently available to British farmers.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 26 January 1989] : Market support measures, provided under the CAP, vary according to commodity but generally include some or all of the following: intervention purchase, private storage aid, production aid, livestock premia, import levies and export refunds, and minimum prices.

  In addition, national schemes have been introduced under EC and United Kingdom legislation. These include capital and non-capital grant schemes, the farm diversification grant scheme, hill livestock compensatory allowances, environmentally sensitive areas, set-aside and the farm woodland scheme.

  Questions concerning tax allowances are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Materials
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether there is any connection between the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations and the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  There is no connection between the Central Electricity Generating Board's nuclear power stations and the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what system nuclear materials have been deemed to be civil or military after the co-processing of safeguarded and unsafeguarded spent Magnox nuclear fuel at BNFL Sellafield since May 1979.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 11 March 1988 at column 362.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's cash limits or running costs limit for 1988–89.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made. The cash limit for Class VI, Vote 2 will be increased by £58,223,000 from £277,922,000 to £336,145,000. This is to cover restructuring costs relating to the fast reactor programme and outstanding liabilities of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to British Nuclear Fuel plc for decommissioning and radioactive waste management operations. This increase is partly offset by savings of £5,077,000 on this Vote. The net increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  The cash limit for Class VI, Vote 3 is increased by £1,275,000 from £26,788,000 to £28,063,000. This is the net effect of higher than forecast costs arising from the Piper Alpha technical investigation and public inquiry and on departmental staff and supporting services, plus provision for an extra Minister and the transfer of £3,000 to Class XX, Vote 1 as a contribution towards the costs of the direct entry grade 7 competition 1988. Savings of £291,000 have also been taken into account. The net increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Department of Energy's running cost limit will be increased by £827,000 from £28,249,000 to £29,076,000.

  Electricity Supply Industry Employees
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the rights of those electricity supply industry employees and former employees currently enjoying concessionary electricity tariffs will be protected after privatisation.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I am pleased to be able to confirm that we have received an assurance from the electricity supply industry that benefits such as this will not be affected by the changes resulting from privatisation.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has anything to add to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, (Dr. Thomas)Official Report, column 157, 17 January, concerning the total export figure for plutonium.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In compiling figures for the earlier answer, officials made a simple clerical error in combining sub-totals. The underlying data were not affected.

DEFENCE

  Infantry Soldiers (Ulster)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional pay rate or leave entitlement is granted to an infantry soldier serving in Ulster to that granted to one in the British Army of the Rhine.

  Mr. Neubert
  : In the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, soldiers of the rank of corporal and below are entitled to 30 days leave. (All leave includes weekend days). In order to reflect the special circumstances of service in Northern Ireland soldiers serving in the Province:

  (a) Receive Northern Ireland pay at a current rate of £2.75 a day (taxable) to compensate them for the abnormally long and unsocial hours which they are required to work there.

  (b) Are exempted from paying food and accommodation charges if living in single accommodation, or receive the equivalent financial compensation if living in married accommodation.

  (c) Have an additional leave entitlement of seven four-day long weekends, which must be taken outside Northern Ireland.

  (d) Receive a total of seven leave warrants annually, if single or six if married and accompanied; married and accompanied soldiers are able to use their warrants to enable their families to travel with them to Great Britain three times per year.

  A soldiers basic pay does not vary from one theatre to another. In the British Army of the Rhine a soldier is entitled to local overseas allowance (not taxable) to compensate for the higher costs of living in Germany and is entitled to 42 days leave per year. He is entitled to three leave warrants annually. When battalions are sent from BAOR to Northern Ireland on four-month unaccompanied tours, married soldiers are entitled to retain 75 per cent. of their local overseas allowance, and single soldiers to retain 40 per cent. This is to compensate them for continuing commitments which they may have in Germany.

  RAF Upper Heyford
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next expects to visit RAF Upper Heyford.

  Mr. Neubert
  I expect to visit RAF Upper Heyford when the full study into the costs and implications of realigning the runway at the base has been completed.

  Low-flying Exercises (Accidents)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of accidents in the United Kingdom and abroad during low flying exercises in 1987
  403
  and 1988, for each of the three services; and what is the cost of damage to, or loss of, aircraft of each of those services, at 1989 prices.

  Mr. Neubert
  It would not be possible, without disproportionate cost and effort, to provide this information for all accidents—many of them extremely minor—affecting aircraft of the three services. Since 1980 it has been the practice of this Government to publish in the statement on the Defence Estimates a complete list of all major accidents to aircraft of the three services. The information sought for 1987 was set out in considerable detail by my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman), in his two leters to the hon. Member dated 23 March and 16 August 1988.

  The information for 1988 is as follows:

  Number

  Royal Navy

  1

  Army

  1

  Royal Air Force

  4

  As for the publication of information on unit costs of equipment, I refer the hon. Member to column 811 of the Official Report for 14 December 1987.

  Procurement Executive (Unfilled Posts)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many posts in the Procurement Executive remained unfilled in each grade at the most recent convenient date; what steps he is taking to fill vacancies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The latest figures available as at 1 September 1988 show that a total of around 1,100 posts for scientists or engineers, and around 400 posts for administrative/clerical staff, were unfilled in the procurement executive, there were negligible numbers of vacant posts in the service grades and industrial grades. These unfilled posts are out of a total of some 35,000 posts, which include the research establishments, quality assurance, project management and procurement executive headquarters.

  A wide range of initiatives is in hand to make good these manpower shortfalls such as new pay arrangements and special pay additions to assist with recruitment and retention, national recruitment campaigns, changes in work patterns to introduce more flexibility, job sharing and short service contracts. Looking further ahead, relocation of major parts of the procurement executive away from the south-east is being considered, which should assist in recruitment and retention.

  Pilots (Voluntary Retirement)
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained fast-jet pilots took premature voluntary retirement in(a) 1979, (b) 1980, (c) 1981, (d) 1982, (e) 1983, (f) 1984, (g) 1985, (h) 1986 and (i)

  Groupings of Trades

  Armaments

  Mechanical

  Electrical

  Electronic

  1988

  Total trained outflow

  170

  1,005

  310

  808

  Numbers who failed to complete engagement

  107

  517

  164

  436

  404
  Mr. Neubert
  The numbers of trained fast-jet pilots who took premature voluntary release are recorded within financial years; since 1979–80 the numbers are as follows :

  Number

  1979–80

  20

  1980–81

  21

  1981–82

  21

  1982–83

  15

  1983–84

  12

  1984–85

  28

  1985–86

  32

  1986–87

  24

  1987–88

  33

  11988–89

  31

  1 To January 1989.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained fast-jet pilots requested premature voluntary retirement in(a) 1979, (b) 1980, (c) 1981, (d) 1982, (e) 1983, (f) 1984, (g) 1985, (h) 1986 and (i)

  Mr. Neubert
  The information requested was not separately maintained prior to 1 April 1985. Since that date the number of trained fast-jet pilots who have requested premature voluntary release have been recorded within financial years, as follows.

  Number

  1985–86

  56

  1987–87

  51

  1987–88

  39

  11988–89

  33

  1 To 1 January 1989.

  Airmen (Engineering)
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Royal Air Force airmen currently serve in each of the following categories(a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering;

  (2) how many Royal Air Force airmen became qualified in 1988 to serve in the following branches (a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering;

  (3) how many Royal Air Force airmen left the Royal Air Force in 1988 in each of the following categories (a) armament engineering, (b) mechanical engineering, (c) electrical engineering and (d) electronic engineering; and how many of these failed to complete their engagement.

  Mr. Neubert
  The numbers of ground airmen (including airwomen) in each category in each of the specified' groupings of trades are as follows:
  405

  Armaments

  Mechanical

  Electrical

  Electronic

  Numbers who entered trained strength in year

  275

  572

  246

  381

  Total trained numbers serving at 1 January 1989

  3,390

  15,447

  4,372

  11,127

  Radioactivity (Holy Loch)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes),Official Report, 23 January, column 407, he will set out the methods used to monitor the Holy Loch for radioactivity since 1960; on how many occasions annually such monitoring has been done; and where the results have been published.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had carried out monitoring of radio-activity in environmental materials and gamma dose rates in air at. Holy Loch since 1961. The results have been published annually since 1975 in aquatic environment monitoring reports, which also explain the frequency and methods used. Copies of these reports are available in the Library of the House.

  The Ministry of Defence has carried out its own monitoring of Holy Loch since 1965, which has comprised gamma dose rate measurements and analysis of sediment and biological samples. The frequency of monitoring has varied: at present, dose rate measurements are taken monthly and combined with quarterly sample analyses.

  The results of the MOD's own monitoring are not published; they are, however, consistent with those produced by MAFF.

  Contour Mapping Programme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has access to data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sea beam seafloor contour mapping programme.

  Mr. Neubert
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the hydrographic surveying and charting of the United States exclusive economic zone which the NOAA is currently conducting. My Department has not had reason to seek to acquire data from this exercise.

  Royal Naval Shipyards (Radioactivity)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost, in each year at 1989 prices, since the commencement of the Military Atomic Energy programme began, of cleaning up radioactive contamination from accidents, leaks or routine operation at(a) AWE Aldermaston, (b) AERE Harwell, (c) AWE Burghfield, (d) AWE Caerwent, (e) Royal Naval shipyard, Chatham, (f) Royal Naval shipyard Rosyth, (g) Royal Naval shipyard Coulport, (h) Royal Naval shipyard Devonport, and (i) Royal Naval shipyard Portsmouth; and if he will make a statement on present progress in the environmental clean-up programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There has never been an accident or leak at a United Kingdom naval or AWE establishment which has required a major remedial radioactive decontamination programme or has resulted in any need to decontaminate the public environment.
  406
  AERE Harwell is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy.

  United States (Nuclear Production Facilities)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to offer technical assistance to the United States Department of Energy in the remedial clean-up programme of its military nuclear production facilities.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Any decontamination of United States military nuclear production facilities would be a matter for the United States Government.

  Falkland Islands (Argentine Yacht)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Argentine yacht which breached the Falkland Islands security cordon on 29 or 30 January obtained clearance to do so from the British security forces;

  (2) whether he will order an investigation into the alleged breaching of the Falkland Islands exclusion zone by an Argentine yacht on 29 or 30 January.

  Mr. Neubert
  An Argentine yacht entered Port Stanley harbour on 27 January with a damaged rudder. Following repairs, it was escorted out and sent on its way the next day. It did not obtain the permission of the British Government to be in the area. Security measures in the Falklands are kept under review, and this episode will be taken into account in that process.

  Low Hying
  Mr. Rogers
  : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the average decibel level created at ground level by (a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Buccaneer aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Jaguar aircraft, (e) Phantom aircraft and (f) Hawk aircraft when flying at 450 mph and at a height of 250 ft;

  (2) what is the average decibel level created at ground level by (a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Buccaneer aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Jaguar aircraft, (e) Phantom aircraft and (f) Hawk aircraft when flying at 450 mph and at a height of 100 ft.

  Mr. Neubert
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of low-flying training carried out by the Royal Air Force was undertaken in the United States of America and Canada in each year from 1974 to 1988.

  Mr. Neubert
  My Department does not keep records of the proportion of the Royal Air Force's training at low level conducted in the countries listed, and it would require disproportionate effort to cull this information from available statistics.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level sorties were flown by United States Air Force aircraft in the United Kingdom in each year since 1980.
  407
  Mr. Neubert
  Records of low-level sorties by the United States Air Force in the United Kingdom were not kept prior to 1985. They flew 25,157 sorties in 1985, 25,217 in 1986 and 21,869 in 1987. The total statistics for 1988 are not yet available.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level sorties were flown by British military aircraft in the United Kingdom in 1988.

  Mr. Neubert
  Statistics for 1988 are not yet available.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the rate of major accidents for Royal Air Force aircraft which occurred during low-level operations in 1988.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) on 22 December 1988 at col.371 –72.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many major accidents have occurred to:(a) Tornado aircraft, (b) Buccaneer aircraft, (c) Harrier aircraft, (d) Jaguar aircraft, (e) Phantom aircraft and (f) Hawk aircraft during the low-flying operations in each year since 1980.

  Mr Neubert
  Since 16 August 1988, the following aircraft suffered major damage during low flying operations:

  Date

  Gazelle

  19 October 1988

  Jaguar

  7 September 1988

  Information on previous such accidents is contained in a letter dated 16 August 1988 from my predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman), to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Wray), a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Cash Limits
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he proposes to make any changes to the defence cash limits and running costs limit for 1988–89.

  Mr. Younger
  Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary spring Supplementary Estimates the following changes are being made:

  Defence Cash Limits

  Class and Vote

  Current Cash Limit

  Increase/Decrease

  £'000s

  Revised Cash Limit

  I, 1

  7,775,660

  +72,434

  72,447 transferred from I, 3, I, 4 and I, 5, less 13 transferred to XX, 1

  7,848,094

  I, 3

  1,101,516

  -12,447

  Transferred to I, 1

  1,089,069

  I, 4

  1,581,212

  -30,000

  Transferred to I, 1

  1,551,212

  I, 5

  471,789

  -30,000

  Transferred to I, 1

  441,789

  These changes allow for transfers within the Ministry of Defence's block cash limit to reflect the pattern of expenditure now expected, and a decrease of £13,000 to offset a corresponding increase in the limit of the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (class XX, vote 1) for the transfer of costs for recruitment under the direct entry grade 7 competition 1988. These changes will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure. Running Costs Limit

  This limit is being increased by a net £3,221,000 to £5,411,054,000. It reflects an increase of £8,033,000 in respect of the running costs element of the restructuring costs of the PSA as it moves towards untying in 1990; and a decrease of £4,799,000 to compensate for an overspend in 1987–88. This follows the normal practice of reducing the limit for one financial year by the amount of the previous year's overspend. In addition, a decrease of £13,000 is required to offset the transfer to class XX, vote I mentioned above.

  HELSINKI FINAL ACT IMPLEMENTATION: REPORT
  HELSINKI FINAL ACT IMPLEMENTATION: REPORT
  PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES: DRIVING TESTS
  PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES: DRIVING TESTS
  PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES: ISSUE OF DRIVING LICENCES
  PUBLIC SERVICE VEHICLES: ISSUE OF DRIVING LICENCES
  CHANNEL TUNNEL WORKS: COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS
  CHANNEL TUNNEL WORKS: COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS
  HEATHROW: SECURITY
  HEATHROW: SECURITY
  FOOTBALL MATCH ARRESTS: REVISED STATISTICS
  FOOTBALL MATCH ARRESTS: REVISED STATISTICS