Written Answers of 4 July 1989

PRIME MINISTER

  Inner Cities
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received about the Government's inner cities policy.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations, many of them in support of the Government's inner cities policies. Under the comprehensive range of measures, costing £3·5 billion this year which makes up the action for cities initiative, good progress continues to be made in the regeneration of our inner cities. In the 57 inner city target areas, unemployment fell by almost 24 per cent. in the 12 months to May 1989. Recorded crime in the Metropolitan police force areas fell by 6 per cent. in 1988. Involvement of private companies continues to grow£over the last six months the number of companies working with the Government's inner city task forces has increased from 450 to 500.

  USSR
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the United Kingdom's relations with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

  The Prime Minister
  We receive many representations about relations with the Soviet Union from individual members of the public, as well as from interested organisations and their representatives. The Government's desire to strengthen these relations, and our support for Mr. Gorbachev's reforms are widely shared.

  United States of America
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the United Kingdom's relations with the United States of America.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations concerning relations with the United States of America.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Road Safety
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding safety on the roads.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of such representations. There is understandable and widespread concern about the needless suffering and unnecessary economic cost caused by road accidents. Cutting the toll of road casualties is a high priority. Our target, which we set in 1987, is a one third reduction in casualties by the year 2000. We are well on course for achieving that.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the coal industry.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received several recent representations regarding the coal industry.

  Scotland
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to Scotland.

  The Prime Minister
  Probably in September.

  Pollution
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the reduction of pollution.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations regarding the environment. I share the concern that it should be protected and pollution reduced. The Government have undertaken many measures to improve the quality of the environment. We intend to bring forward further legislative proposals on pollution control shortly.

  Crawley
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Crawley.

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

  Army
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the Army.

  The Prime Minister
  I regularly receive representations on a variety of subjects regarding the Army.

  Industry (Revival)
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the revival of British industries.

  The Prime Minister
  A large number of the representations I receive acknowledge the remarkable revival enjoyed by British industry under this Government.

  Pharmaceutical Industry
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the pharmaceutical industry.

  The Prime Minister
  I have not recently received any particular representations regarding the pharmaceutical industry. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health has regular contact with the representatives of the industry.

  Water Privatisation
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received on water privatisation.
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  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received any recent representations about water privatisation.

  The Prime Minister
  Many individuals and organisations have commented on a wide range of water privatisation matters, which are being considered in the context of the Water Bill currently before Parliament.

  Disabled People (Legislation)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Prime Minister what consultations she has had with Sir Roy Griffiths on the relevance of section 7 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Representation and Consultation) Act 1986 as a strategy for community care.

  The Prime Minister
  Sir Roy Griffiths has been involved in the Government's consideration of his report "Community Care Agenda for Action". The Government's considerations are wide ranging and are taking account of existing relevant legislation.

  European Council (Madrid)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will publish a White Paper outlining the conclusions and the matters considered at the Madrid meeting of the European Council; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made on 29 June on the outcome of the European Council in Madrid.

  Poland
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Prime Minister if during the recent visit of General Jaruzelski she made representations to him on the case for totally free elections in Poland within the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  No. I told him that I welcomed the recent elections in Poland, as well as the confirmation that the Polish authorities stood by the election results and would continue on the path of democracy and reform.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the United Kingdom's relations with Cyprus.

  The Prime Minister
  I receive representations on the United Kingdom's relations with Cyprus from time to time from various quarters. I am happy to say that relations are excellent. I have met President Vassiliou three times in the last year and I hope to see him again on 10 July.

  West Germany
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the United Kingdom's relationship with West Germany.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  France
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the United Kingdom's relations with France.
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  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding agricultural policy.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government frequently receive representations about agricultural policy. The United Kingdom agricultural industry is widely respected for its efficiency and competitiveness. It is well placed to benefit from the opportunities for fair competition which completion of the EC's single internal market will bring. And I was pleased yesterday at the royal show to pay tribute to the enormous contribution the agriculture industry and the thousands of individual farmers make to our national life.

  Greenhouse Effect
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn),Official Report, 2 May, column 114, if she will now list by name the participants present at the seminar on environmental policies and the greenhouse effect which she organised on 26 April.

  The Prime Minister
  I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 2 May at column 114.

  Bristol Channel (Sewage)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Prime Minister when she will restrict or refuse local authorities the opportunity of new raw sewage outfalls into the Bristol channel.

  The Prime Minister
  The Secretary of State will consider on their merits any proposals which come before him related to the discharge of sewage into the Bristol channel. Discharge consents for long sea outfall schemes are granted only when they enable bathing waters in the vicinity to meet the requirements of the EC directive standards and where they are designed to take full account of local conditions.

  Bathing Water (Pollution)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to take personal control of the co-ordination work to stop the dumping of raw sewage into the English Channel and to work towards these beaches attaining the standards of the EC bathing water directive 76/160/EEC.

  The Prime Minister
  The discharge of raw sewage through short sea outfalls is an unsatisfactory legacy from the past; and a substantial programme of improving the sewerage systems of coastal towns is under way. Replacement systems of whatever type are designed to bring identified bathing waters up to the standards set in the EC bathing water directive 76/160/EEC. Long sea outfalls, which discharge some 2 km to sea, are a safe and effective means for the disposal of screened sewage. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution grants discharge consents for long sea outfall schemes only when they enable bathing waters in the vicinity to meet the requirements of the EC directive standards and where they are designed to take full account of local conditions. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will continue to seek environmentally sound solutions for each location on the basis of the best available scientific evidence.

  Engagements
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 July.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 July.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 July.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 4 July.

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

ENERGY

  Electricity
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the total consumption of electricity in(a) England, and (b) Wales in a full year recorded over the last five years for which figures are available, and the percentage consumption for domestic, industrial, and commercial sectors;

  (2) what was the average demand for electricity measured in megawatts in England and Wales, shown separately, for the winter period and summer period for each of the last five years for which figures are available;

  (3) what was the maximum demand for electricity measured in megawatts in England and Wales, separately, during 1988–89; and at what time of which day it occurred in each case.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  These are matters for the Electricity Council. I shall ask the chairman of the council to write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total generating capacity of electricity in Wales measured in megawatts; and what is the percentage component in the total generated by(a) nuclear, (b) coal, (c) oil, (d) hydro, (e) pumped storage and (f) other.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I shall ask the chairman of the CEGB to write to the hon. Member.

  Nuclear Power Stations (Emergency Planning Zones)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will make a statement on the nuclear installations inspectorate's plans for reducing emergency planning zones around nuclear power stations;

  (2) what changes are proposed to the size of emergency planning zones around nuclear power stations;

  (3) what is the size of emergency planning zones around nuclear power stations;

  (4) what is the stipulated evacuation area around British nuclear power stations in the event of a radiation emission.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair) on 20 June 1989 at column 93.

WALES

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been reported to him by the Welsh Language board; and what steps he is taking to implement any of its recommendations.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh Language board published its strategy document on 22 June and will in the near future be publishing voluntary guidelines governing the use of Welsh in the public and private sectors. My right hon. Friend will give very careful consideration to all the board's recommendations.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what review he has undertaken of the availability of staff to provide medical and post-medical services in Welsh-speaking areas through the medium of the Welsh language; and whether he has any proposals to extend training courses in Wales to meet these requirements.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on the number of staff employed in the National Health Service in Wales who are bilingual in English and Welsh is not available centrally; the exception to this is information relating to speech therapists concerning which I wrote to the hon. Gentleman on 24 October 1988, placing a copy of my letter in the Library of the House. District health authorities in Wales are currently engaged in the second round of an annual manpower resource planning exercise to determine future manpower requirements in the National Health Service in Wales. Discussions of these plans with individual health authorities will include the demand for and availability of Welsh-speaking staff. Consideration will be given to the question of extending training courses in Wales to meet any such demand in the light of the outcome of that exercise.

  Health Studies Centre
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the establishment of a health studies centre in North Wales; what consideration has been given to this issue; and what conclusions have been reached.

  Mr. Grist
  The Department has been asked by Clwyd health authority to provide financial support for the establishment of a centre for health studies in north Wales, fuller details of which have just been received. Consideration is being given to that request within the context of a recent report on the role of the combined training institute in Cardiff, which has examined the issue of training provision generally from the National Health Service in Wales. Representations in support of the proposal have been received from the Plaid Cyrnru spokesman on health and from the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas).

  Urban Investment Grant
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library details of the criteria which applicants must meet to qualify for the urban investment grant.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Urban investment grants (UIGs) are designed to support projects costing more than £150,000,
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  which are brought forward by private sector developers and which, because likely costs would exceed likely values on completion, would not otherwise proceed. To qualify for UIGs, which are site specific, developments must be located in an urban area in Wales and bring back into use derelict or rundown land and—or buildings. Projects must also produce benefits which contribute to alleviating urban deprivation. Copies of the UIG guidance notes, which set out these criteria, have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report, on a county basis, the value of the urban investment grant for each month since its inception.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Since the introduction of urban investment grants (UIG) on 1 April 1989, five schemes have been approved for support involving £2·033 million grant. The geographical distribution is as follows:

  Scheme

  £ grant

  Gwynedd

  1

  0·066

  Mid Glamorgan

  4

  1·967

  In addition, eight applications are currently being considered, but all applications for UIG are treated in confidence.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to increase funding for research into pollution of the river ecosystem with particular reference to the rivers of Wales before privatisation of the water industry.

  Mr. Grist
  This will be a matter for the National Rivers Authority.

  Hospital Facilities
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his reply dated 20 June,Official Report, column 84, he will list the range of facilities available in each of the hospitals mentioned in the reply.

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

  Health district and community hospital

  Facilities available

  Clwyd

  Chirk

  GP Medical, GP Post-natal, Outpatient, Casualty, Rehabilitation, X-ray, Day hospital

  Colwyn Bay

  GP Medical, Outpatient, Casualty, Rehabilitation, X-ray

  Denbigh

  GP Medical, Outpatient, Casualty, Rehabilitation, Day hospital

  Mold

  GP Medical, Outpatient, Casualty, Rehabilitation, X-ray, Day hospital

  Prestatyn

  GP Medical, Rehabilitation

  Royal Alexandra, Rhyl

  GP Medical, Geriatric, Outpatient, Rehabilitation, X-ray, Day hospital

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  Health district and community hospital

  Facilities available

  Ruthin

  GP Medical, Outpatient, Casualty, Rehabilitation, X-ray, Day hospital

  Gwynedd

  Bryn Beryl, Pwllheli

  GP Medical, Geriatric, Maternity, Casualty, Physiotherapy, Day hospital

  Dolgellau

  GP Medical, Geriatric, Maternity, Outpatient, Casualty, X-ray, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Day hospital

  Tywyn

  GP Medical, Geriatric, Maternity, Outpatient, Casualty, Operating, X-ray, Physiotherapy, Day hospital, Ambulance station

  Meat Inspections
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of European Community directives and regulations on the inspection in Wales of meat and meat products in the run-up to the single European market and on the likely changes in terms of staffing and finance that will be required to meet these requirements.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The arrangements for meat inspection in the single market will depend upon decisions still to be taken by the Council of Ministers and it is not yet possible, therefore, to estimate the effects on staffing and costs. It is clear, however, that we shall need to move towards a unified supervision system in all our meat plants and we shall be discussing with the interests concerned how this should be achieved.

  Slaughterhouses
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of the veterinary presence in export slaughterhouses in Wales on the protection of public health.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Veterinary supervision is required if slaughterhouses are to engage in intra-Community trade or export to third countries. If this requirement were not met our industry would not be able to export meat and meat products. I have never accepted, however, that veterinary supervision is essential to guarantee satisfactory standards of hygiene.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made regarding EC document 8062/88; and whether he has urged the EC to recognise the role of district councils in Wales in the inspection of slaughterhouses and food hygiene duties.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My officials have made it clear in discussions on this proposal that it is premature to consider arrangements for veterinary checks in advance of agreement on more fundamental aspects of the animal health arrangements to apply within the single market. I am not aware of any proposals that would seek to change the existing role of district councils in slaughterhouse inspections or food law enforcement.

  Food Controls
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy that controls over food for human consumption in Wales should continue to come under the care of environmental health officers; and whether he will press the EC to recognise this approach.

  Mr. Grist
  The importance of the role that environmental health officers have in the area of food inspection and control is recognised by the Government. Our EC partners have been regularly pressed to indicate their recognition that environmental health officers will continue to have a role to play in the food hygiene field and discussions on this point are continuing.

  Sewage Treatment Works (Rhymney Valley)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish details of those sewage treatment works in the Rhymney valley which require capital investment to bring the quality of discharges up to that stipulated in their discharge consents.

  Mr. Grist
  The sewage treatment works at Draethen and Rudry are included in the programme of capital investment.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Balance of Payments
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current level of British investment overseas; what was the level in 1979; and what impact it has on the balance of payments.

  Mr. Major
  In the year to 1989, United Kingdom direct investment and portfolio investment in overseas assets were £19·8 billion and £12–9 billion, respectively. Comparable figures for 1979 were £5·9 billion and £0·9 billion. Further details of the figures are available in the United Kingdom balance of payments press release of 15 June 1989.

  The effect of these outflows on the make-up of the balance of payments cannot be measured precisely as, without them, inflows into the United Kingdom of interest, profits and dividends would be lower and, more generally, sterling's exchange rate would be different.

  Economic Growth
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate for economic growth in 1989–90.

  Mr. Major
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor forecast at Budget time that real gross domestic product would grow by 21/4 per cent. in 1989–90.

  Premium Bonds
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of(a) all premium bond purchases and (b) purchases under £100 are made by pensioners.

  Mr. Lilley
  It is estimated that about 21 per cent. of all purchases and about 19 per cent. of purchases under £100 are made by people of pensionable age.

  Investment
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the total investment growth figures for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Major
  The figures for total investment growth in the United Kingdom at 1985 prices, over the last 10 years, are shown in the table.

  United Kingdom total Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation (1985 prices) per cent. change on a year earlier

  Per cent. change

  1978

  3·01

  1979

  2·80

  1980

  -5·37

  1981

  -9·58

  1982

  5·42

  1983

  5·03

  1984

  8·60

  1985

  3·80

  1986

  1·66

  1987

  7·98

  1988

  12·25

  Source: CSO.

  Between 1980 and 1988 the United Kingdom had the fastest growth of total investment of all the EC countries.

  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of investment in United Kingdom industry over the past 10 years can be accounted for by internally generated funds.

  Mr. Major
  Companies' undistributed income is used to finance a variety of expenditure, including investment, but it is not possible to say to what extent investment has been financed by internally or externally generated funds.

  Village Halls (VAT)
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has yet received clarification from the European Commission of the effect on village halls of the European Court of Justice's judgment on value added tax zero rates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  I have now received a letter from Mrs. Christiane Scrivener, the EC Commissioner, which indicates that the Commission believes the European Court's judgment, while prohibiting the zero-rating of supplies of fuel and power to village halls, does not rule out zero-rating for the construction of village halls. I therefore propose to bring forward amendments to the Finance Bill at Report stage to reinstate the zero rate for the construction of new village halls and similar charitable buildings. These will be tabled as soon as possible.

  Non-domestic Rates
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce his decision on possible abatement of the increase in national non-domestic rates by powers given under sub-paragraph 5(3) of schedule 7 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988; what criteria he will take into account when taking that decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Major
  [holding answer 21 June 1989]: The initial NNDR multipliers will be specified in the revenue support

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  grant reports for 1990–91. For succeeding years, the presumption is that the NNDR multiplier will be increased in line with the indexation provisions in the Local Government Finance Act 1988. However, if I did decide to increase the multipliers by less than the RPI, this would be announced before the revenue support grant reports for the year in question had to be approved by Parliament. All relevant considerations would be taken into account: for example, if improved efficiency led to a significant reduction in the amount local authorities needed to spend, some of the efficiency gains should be reflected in the burden which falls on the business community through non-domestic rates.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in the negotiations on the harmonisation of value added tax and excise duties.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 29 June 1989]: At its meeting on 19 June the Economic and Finance Council (Ecofin) agreed to set up an ad hoc group to examine the Commission's revised proposals, described in my answer to my hon. Friend on 23 May 1989 at column 440, and the alternative approaches put forward by a number of member states including the United Kingdom. The group is due to report back to Ecofin in time for its meeting on 9 October.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many registered value added tax payers keep detailed records as described in paragraph 3 (D) of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, excise notice 700, appendix C, in order to avoid payment of scale charges for input value added tax on road fuel.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: I regret that the information requested is not available.

TRANSPORT

  Signposting
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for improving signposting in London.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I am currently consulting the public and interested parties on proposals for a new system of primary route signing for the area within the M25. The proposed system uses compass-based areas to create a consistent and logical set of signs which would be easier for motorists to follow. Copies of the consultation document "Primary Route Signing-Proposals for Change" have been placed in the Library.

  Thamesline
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South of 4 April,Official Report, column 20, what sums (a) have been paid and (b) will be paid in the current financial year to Thamesline; what proportion of income such payments are expected to provide; what conditions he has placed on any such payments in respect of maintenance of the service to all piers for which services were advertised; and if he will make a statement concerning the withdrawal of any such service.
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  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I have given today to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould). Riverbus Limited expects to be seeking the whole of the Government grant of £500,000 during the current financial year. The income forecasts of the business are commercially confidential.

  Submarine Incident
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has concerning an incident involving the fishing vessel Huntress and a Royal Naval submarine Ocelot on 28 June; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  On the afternoon of 28 June off the Isle of Arran a submarine towed the fishing vessel Huntress astern after fouling her nets. No serious damage occurred and there were no reports of injuries. One of the Department's marine surveyors is investigating the incident.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received regarding transport links to the Channel tunnel from the north-west.

  Mr. Portillo
  There have been some representations, mainly about improvements to road and rail networks between the north west and other regions and the tunnel. Our national roads planning takes account of requirements of road traffic to and from the tunnel. British Rail is responsible for rail links to the Tunnel, and following the recent completion of its regional consultations, we are now awaiting the plan which the railways board has to produce by the end of this year under section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act setting out its proposals for international services to the regions.

  Air Ventilation (Passenger Aircraft)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what information his Department has regarding the reduction of air ventilation on passenger aircraft;

  (2) what research his Department has conducted into the effects arising from reduction of air ventilation on passenger aircraft.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  These are technical matters pertinent to the certification standards of British-registered passenger aircraft. As such they are the statutory responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority. I have drawn the hon. Member's interest in this subject to the attention of the chairman of the authority.

  Aircraft Evacuation
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the grounds on which minimum safety standards for emergency evacuation of aircraft are established;

  (2) what consideration is given in setting minimum standards for emergency evacuation of aircraft to the particular needs of travellers with mobility difficulties.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority. I am asking the chairman of the authority to write to my hon. Friend.

  Diesel Pollution
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce pollution from vehicles using diesel fuel; and what regulations will be introduced with the introduction of the 40-tonne lorries.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We shall be consulting shortly on regulations which will apply emission limits on exhaust fumes from diesel-engined vehicles for the first time.

  For cars, the regulations will apply European standards in two stages. The first stage (directive 83/351/EEC) sets standards identical to those that currently apply to petrol-engined vehicles. It will take effect on 1 October 1990. Our current plans are to apply a second stage of more stringent limits (directive 88/76/EEC) by 1 October 1993 to cars with an engine capacity of at least 1·4 litres, whether petrol or diesel.

  A further stage of exhaust fume emission limits for small cars has now been agreed within the European Community. It will affect all new cars under 1·4 litres from 1992. The agreement also gives an outline commitment to tougher standards for larger cars to be implemented at the same time.

  On 1 October 1990 we shall also apply the European particulate limits for diesel-engined cars (directive 88/436/EEC). Special arrangements in line with all the directives will be made for direct-injection diesel-engined cars.

  For all other diesel-engined vehicles we shall apply the recently agreed European standard on emission limits (directive 88/77/EEC) at the earliest date permitted, 1 October 1990.

  Discussions are continuing in the European Community on a tightening of the 88/77/EEC standards and on the introduction of particulate limits for these categories of vehicle. Both the 88/77/EEC standards and any later standards will apply to the heaviest lorries.

  Road Accidents (Deaths)
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from road accidents; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Over 5,000 people are needlessly killed on our roads each year. Two years ago we set a target of reducing the number of casualties by a third by the year 2000. We are on course for doing so. We are now saving over 550 lives a year compared with the position two years ago, even though traffic has increased greatly.

  A total of 75 per cent. of casualties occur on local roads. At a meeting with local authority political leaders today we reviewed our commitment to joint action to reduce casualties. We agreed that casualty reduction targets would in future be set at local and regional level, and we endorsed a package of measures to increase the number of low cost road engineering schemes which are so effective in saving lives.

  This will give a fresh impetus to efforts to reduce the number of people killed and injured.

  Thames Riverbus
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public money has been paid to the Thames riverbus service; under what authority it was paid; what conditions 94
  were imposed; and what has been done to protect the public interest and to ensure that the service to the paying public is continued.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government have not yet received a formal request for the first payment under the agreement governing their grant for the riverbus service. Grant will be paid under section 17 of the Ministry of Transport Act 1919. Payment of grant is limited to its application to the promotion and improvement of the service, and is conditional on payment of a private sector contribution of four times the grant and on the provision of appropriate management reports and accounts. The Government may terminate the grant agreement in the event that a regular service is not maintained to Charing Cross, Festival, Swan Lane and West India piers. The recent inauguration of new services to Greenwich and Greenland piers and suspension of the services to Cherry Garden pier are matters for the operator.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Lebanon
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the Arab League's initiative towards the Lebanon.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We and our European partners fully support the Arab League's efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Lebanon.

  Namibia
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information Her Majesty's Government have from the United Nations regarding the procedures for registration and voting in the election to be held in Namibia in accord with resolution 435; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The administrator general's proclamation on registration of voters, agreed with the United Nation's special representative for Namibia, issued on 30 June.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has from the United Nations on the effect of the implementation of resolution 435 of the former Koevet forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The United Nation's special representative has expressed concern about unacceptable conduct by counter-insurgency elements in SWAPO. We are supporting UN efforts to reach a satisfactory solution to the problem.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has from the United Nations regarding the deployment of the additional 500 United Nations police in Namibia; whether the United Nations now proposes to further increase that number; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The additional group of 500 police monitors has begun to arrive in Namibia. The United
  95
  Nations's Secretary-General, who has responsibility for the strength of the UN force in Namibia, has not requested a further increase in the number of police monitors.

  Cambodia
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policies on the future role of the Khmer Rouge army in the Government of Cambodia; whether Her Majesty's Government will be represented at the Paris peace conference on Cambodia in July; and if Her Majesty's Government's representatives will oppose a solution permitting the return of the Khmer Rouge to Cambodia.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Lady to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 11 April 1989. A central objective of our policy is to prevent the Khmer Rouge returning to power by force. In principle we expect to attend the international conference on Cambodia in Paris.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Wandsworth Prison
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of men on rule 43 in Wandsworth prison on 27 June.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Four hundred and nineteen.

  Inquests
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to make it mandatory for coroners to require all relevant medical records to be supplied to them before an inquest is concluded.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Coroners are independent judicial officers. In accordance with the Coroners Act 1988 they make thorough inquiries into all deaths referred to them, but it is for the coroners to decide how to conduct their inquiries. My right hon. Friend is not persuaded that it would be appropriate to adopt the hon. Member's suggestion.

  Cremation Certificates
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the current fee recommended by the British Medical Association for the completion of a confirmatory cremation certificate; if he is intending to implement the recommendations of the Broderick report to end the requirement for two doctors to sign cremation certificates; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand that the fee currently recommended by the British Medical Association for the confirmatory medical certificate for cremation is £23·50. After carefully considering the results of wide consultation, my right hon. Friend has decided that the confirmatory certificate should be retained, at least for the time being.

  Immigration (Turkey)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigration officers are operating in Turkey; what is the purpose of their presence there; and what are their duties.

  Mr. Renton
  One chief immigration officer and seven immigration officers are working in Istanbul and three immigration officers are working in Ankara. They are serving as entry clearance officers dealing with visa applications at the consulate general and embassy respectively.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of applications made for asylum by persons coming from Turkey in each week since I April to the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  Information is not readily available about asylum applications from persons coming from Turkey. The number of applications made by Turkish nationals on or shortly after arrival in this country from all countries was as follows:

  Week ending

  Number

  8 April

  23

  15 April

  29

  22 April

  83

  29 April

  74

  6 May

  326

  13 May

  198

  20 May

  366

  27 May

  335

  3 June

  345

  10 June

  482

  17 June

  579

  24 June

  883

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been issued to immigration officers(a) operating in Turkey and (b) on boarding planes recently arrived from Turkey before passengers disembark; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  Immigration officers operating in Turkey are working to the same instructions as entry clearance officers in other diplomatic posts abroad. During the period when immigration officers were boarding aircraft on arrival from Turkey their instructions were to ensure first that all British and other European Community nationals were able to disembark immediately. They were then to identify, as far as possible, those remaining passengers who seemed unlikely to require lengthy examination with a view to allowing them to proceed quickly to the main immigration control. Those likely to require lengthy examination were disembarked and dealt with separately, so as to avoid excessive delays and inconvenience to other passengers arriving at the main control.

  Mail Interception
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) under what powers he authorises the interception of mail within the United Kingdom; what agencies he authorises to carry out the interception of mail; to what extent officials of such agencies convey information obtained from interception of mail to third parties; and if he will make a statement;
  97
  (2) under what powers immigration officers intercept letters sent by post within the United Kingdom; from whom immigration officers seek authorisation to intercept such mail; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) under what powers the police intercept letters sent by post within the United Kingdom; from whom police have to obtain authorisation to intercept mail; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Interception of Communications Act 1985 makes provision for the interception of a communication in the course of its transmission by post in accordance with a warrant issued by the Secretary of State and provides for safeguards as to the disclosure of information obtained in this way. Information about the arrangements for interception is included in the annual reports of the commissioner appointed under the Act, which are laid before Parliament.

  Prisons (Food Hygiene)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government have any plans to lift the exemption of the Crown, as regards prisons, to the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no plans at present for the removal of Crown immunity under the Food Hygiene (General) Regulations 1970 from prison establishments. Existing internal arrangements within the prison service are considered to be sufficient to set and monitor standards required by the regulations. The position on Crown immunity is kept under regular review.

  Parole Decisions
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners were informed of their parole decision after their eligibility date(a) in 1988, and (b) the latest available figure for 1989; what was the average delay period for each year; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what percentage of prisoners who received their parole decision after their parole eligibility date were refused parole (a) in 1988, and (b) for the latest date available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Statistics are not readily available in the form requested. However, at present there are unacceptable delays in the parole scheme which are an unnecessary source of anxiety to inmates and their families, and present problems to prison service staff. These delays result from increases in the longer sentenced prison population and a growing workload for the parole unit. Cases needing to be referred to the Parole Board, requiring the most detailed consideration and thus taking longest to complete, are delayed on average by two or three months. About a third of cases not seen by the Parole Board are also subject to delays, averaging about a month.

  A number of steps have been taken to combat the delays. Overtime working and a significant increase in parole unit staffing have been authorised. Our target is for significant reductions in the delays by the end of the year. The Parole Board has helped by increasing the number of panels held and the cases considered at each one; and its membership has also been increased. Parole unit procedures are being streamlined and further consideration is being given to other measures to tackle the problem.

  Radio Station (Coventry)
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider the decision not to allocate a medium wave frequency to the BBC local radio station due to cover Coventry and Warwickshire; what is the difference in area and quality of reception between the allocated VHF frequency and a medium wave frequency for the proposed station; what estimate he has of the population of Coventry who can receive only medium wave, as opposed to VHF, transmissions; whether the option of split frequency transmission to cater for the city's ethnic population was considered when deciding whether or not to award a medium wave frequency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  Paragraph 8·2 of the Broadcasting White Paper (Cm 517, November 1988) confirmed our proposal that radio broadcasting should increasingly take place without unnecessary simulcasting. This will enable more frequencies to be released for additional services, such as community radio stations, thus enhancing listener choice. Recent plans have therefore been made on the basis that both new independent and BBC stations should broadcast on single frequencies. BBC Radio Warwickshire will accordingly broadcast on VHF/FM only.

  Details of its coverage are not yet available, since the technical arrangements for the service have not yet been finalised. In comparison with medium wave, the VHF/FM signal is subject to much less interference, especially during hours of darkness, and provides better quality for stereo and data transmission. The BBC has launched an FM listening campaign to make listeners more aware of the benefits of FM broadcasts.

  Racial Harassment
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis boroughs were chosen to be, or excluded from being, targeted in the campaign on racial harassment launched in February.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Metropolitan police's campaign to tackle racial harassment launched in February 1989 was the third part of an initiative which had started with pilots in Newham, Tower Hamlets and Redbridge in the two preceding years. I understand from the commissioner that in the 1989 campaign, 19 London boroughs were targeted; and that they were chosen on the basis of the perceived need for a campaign in the area.

  Airports (Policing)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the findings of the working party established to review arrangements for the policing of airports.

  Mr. Hurd
  The working party on the policing of airports was established, under Home Office chairmanship, as part of the Government response to the report of the fourth session of the Transport Select Committee.

  The working party comprised representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland), the Aerodrome Owners Association, the Joint Airports Committee of Local Authorities, BAA plc, Heathrow and Manchester airports, the Department of Transport, the Ministry of Defence, the

  99
  Scottish Home and Health Department, and Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. Their task was to examine arrangements for policing airports, including the way costs are met, and to consider whether any changes should be made.

  The Transport Committee's inquiry covered the whole field of airport security, currently governed by the Aviation Security Act 1982. Many of its recommendations dealt with the arrangements for checking passengers and baggage which are not direct police responsibilities at airports, and which were not therefore addressed directly by the working party. Part of the Transport Committee's study necessarily focused on the role of the police at airports, in particular the relationship between the functions performed by the police and the national aviation security programme administered by the Department of Transport. The Committee recommended that means be found to employ the undoubted expertise of the police to the best effect in airport security procedures, and that the present system of designation, under the Aviation Security Act, be abolished and replaced with one which allows flexibility of response without imposing uncontrollable financial costs on airport operators. The working party therefore concentrated on these two issues.

  The main recommendations of the working party are for a better-informed means of assessing the need for, and nature and level of, policing at an airport; the provision of a suitable forum in which policing issues can be effectively discussed at airports; and a central arbitral system to assist in the resolution of any differences which cannot be resolved at the local airport level.

  The working party examined, but rejected, the idea that the first of these matters could be based on mathematical formulae; the nature of, and variation between, airports, as well as the nature of policing itself, make such an approach unworkable. It did, however, conclude that there was some scope for the introduction of more objectivity and consistency in assessing an airport's policing needs. The report contains a list of considerations upon which such assessments should be based and recommends that, using this list as guidance, police and airport managements should jointly draw up an "airport policing profile".

  The working party also proposes a more effective formal means by which policing issues can be fully aired at airports by means of small committees comprising representatives only of police and airport managements. These should not be bound by rigid terms of reference but should be able to discuss any airport policing matters including costs and should be able to meet as frequently as necessary at the instigation of either party.

  The working party recommends that in the event of unresolvable local disputes between airport authorities and police the professional advisers of the two principal Departments concerned—Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary and the Department of Transport's chief aviation security inspector—should provide the airport policing committee with an indication of the advice they would give to the Secretary of State in the event of a request for designation, de-designation or a determination on policing costs. If agreement still proves impossible either side is left with the option of an appeal to the Secretary of State.

  Following the Lockerbie disaster, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport and I invited the working party to reconvene to consider whether, in the
  100
  light of that tragedy, any changes should be made to the proposals or any further recommendations made. After careful discussion, the working party has concluded that the original proposals should stand. The working party was concerned with the relationship between the responsibilities of police and airport managements. It was neither composed nor tasked to assess detailed physical security arrangements, about which the Lockerbie incident raised questions which are being addressed separately by my right hon. Friend.

  The working party's proposals are aimed at practical improvements in co-operation between police and airport authorities. They do not require new legislation. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and I commend them to chief officers of police. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport will similarly commend them to representatives of the aviation industry.

  I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of the working party's report and supplementary note.

  Independent Radio
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on his legislative proposals for the allocation and ownership of independent radio licences, and for combating unlicensed broadcasting.

  Mr. Hurd
  Our proposals for the allocation of independent radio licences were set out in paragraph 8.4 of the White Paper "Broadcasing in the '90s: Competition, Choice and Quality" (Cm. 517, November 1988). For national stations they envisaged allocation by competitive tender, subject to a requirement that each service should provide a diverse programme service calculated to appeal to a variety of tastes and interests and not limited to a single narrow format. We now propose that the form of competitive tender for independent national radio licences should in its main essentials follow that proposed for Channels 3 and 5 in my statement on commercial television on 13 June at columns 710–13.

  Independent national and local radio licences will be awarded for periods up to a maximum of eight years. The presumption is that on the expiry of a licence the service will fall to be readvertised; but we propose that the Radio Authority should have discretion not to readvertise a service where it believes that this would not serve to broaden listener choice.

  Paragraph 8·4 of the White Paper envisaged that no one would be able to control more than one national licence and more than six local licences. These limits will be capable of variation in subordinate legislation. In order to prevent, for instance, one person from gaining control of the six largest local stations we propose that the rules on concentration of radio ownership should be capable of being supplemented, in subordinate legislation, by reference to the coverage or size of stations. We also propose that there should be power for limits to be set in subordinate legislation on degrees of financial interest not amounting to control.

  My noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and I are considering a range of measures to strengthen the legislation on unlicensed broadcasting. Among these, we propose to broaden the offence in section 1(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 of using wireless telegraphy apparatus without a licence, and to make it an

  101
  offence to advertise on, or supply certain goods and services to, an unlicensed broadcasting station. We propose that these offences should be triable either way, and that on indictment the maximum penalties should be two years' imprisonment, or an unlimited fine, or both. We also intend to strengthen present search, seizure and forfeiture powers.

  Night Hours Broadcasting
  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the proposal in the broadcasting White Paper that the night hours of one BBC channel should be assigned to the ITC.

  Mr. Hurd
  We have considered carefully the comments we have received on this proposal. We have decided on balance that it would be better to leave the BBC with both sets of night hours in order to enable a faster start to be made with the development of subscription services. The BBC will, therefore, be permitted to retain both sets, on condition that it makes the fullest possible use of them for raising subscription income, consistent with its public service obligations.

  When we come to consider the level of the licence fee from April 1991 onwards we will review the use which the BBC is making of the night hours. The level at which the licence fee is set will take account of the BBC's capacity to generate subscription revenue from two sets of night hours.

  Liverpool Passport Office
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the industrial dispute at the Liverpool passport office has now been settled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  Following meetings between management and unions, a conditional offer has been made to the unions and has been accepted by them. As part of the settlement the unions have undertaken to co-operate over the transfer of work between offices and in special measures to clear the current backlog of passport applications. For its part, management has agreed to an increase of 45 posts on top of the increase of 158 already agreed in the number of permanent staff. This total of 203 on a complement of 1,000 compares with the 381 requested by the unions and will be found by converting an equivalent number of temporary posts. All the new posts are subject to further scrutiny and examination in a full staffing review to be undertaken later this year by the Home Office staff inspectors supported by work measurement and other experts from the Treasury.

  Those members of the Liverpool passport office who were on strike have now returned to work. The main task now is to clear the very large backlog of unprocessed passport applications that were sent to the Liverpool passport office. Arrangements are being made for some of this work to be transferred to other passport offices, but it will be many weeks before all the applications that have been received are dealt with. In addition, arrangements are being made to provide free two-year extensions to expired passports submitted by post to other passport offices.

  To assist travellers whose applications have been delayed, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has contacted other Governments to see whether, in the special
  102
  circumstances in which we find ourselves, they would accept expired British passports or (where they do not already do so) British visitor's passports (BVPs). The Bahamas, West Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Jamaica, Spain, the United States of America and Yugoslavia, have indicated that they will accept expired standard passports for a period up to 30 September 1989. The Bahamas, Barbados, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Jamaica and the Seychelles will accept BVPs for the same period. Travellers with an urgent need to travel in western Europe or one of the other countries for which a BVP is acceptable can obtain a BVP from any main post office in England, Scotland or Wales. BVPs are now available on Mondays to Fridays and on Saturday mornings. Where a standard passport has been applied for in good time and has not been processed, BVP fees will be refunded on application. For countries where a BVP is not acceptable, travellers who have an urgent requirement should call in person at the most convenient passport office, where every effort will be made to ensure that a suitable travel document is provided.

  The settlement of this damaging dispute paves the way for the necessary long-term measures to improve this service to the public.

  Terrestrial Broadcasting
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the privatisation of the terrestrial broadcasting transmission system in the light of the Price Waterhouse report.

  Mr. Hurd
  In the White Paper on broadcasting we stated that our objective was to move the terrestrial transmission system progressively into the private sector. The Price Waterhouse report analysed the various ways in which this could be achieved. In the light of that report, we confirm that our intention is to privatise the transmission networks owned and operated by the BBC and the IBA as soon as we are in a position to do so. We believe that a move into the private sector will reinforce the pressures for efficiency, and will enable more intensive use to be made of the valuable transmission infrastructure.

  We have considered carefully the different possible options for the structure of a privatised transmission industry. On balance we have decided that the best approach would be to set up two national transmission networks, rather than to restructure the system in the way proposed in the Price Waterhouse report.

  The BBC's transmission responsibilities are rooted in its royal charter which lasts until the end of 1996. It has indicated that it does not wish to have these responsibilities transferred to a private transmission operator. We have therefore decided that the BBC should retain its transmission responsibilities, including for the world service, until the expiry of the charter, unless it wishes to divest itself of those responsibilities earlier. The position will be reviewed at that point with a view to privatisation. In the meantime the BBC will be confined to transmitting its own services, and will not be permitted to compete for the transmission of new broadcasting or telecommunications services. We are concerned that the private transmission market should develop in a fair manner; and, while the BBC's transmission operation remains in the public sector, there would he insuperable

  103
  difficulties in ensuring that the BBC entered this market in a way which would be perceived to be fair to its competitors.

  The IBA has welcomed the proposal that its transmission operation should be privatised, and we will be including the necessary provisions in our legislative proposals on broadcasting. We shall be considering further the time scale for privatisation, bearing in mind the possible implications for the ITV contracts. We have taken note of the wide regional variations in the cost of transmission, and of the possible consequences of these variations for the smaller Channel 3 companies. We propose that there should be a uniform tariff for Channel 3 companies based on their share of the total Channel 3 income, taking account of any subscription and sponsorship revenue as well as net advertising revenue. This arrangement would be reviewed following decisions to be taken on the future of the BBC transmission system after 1996.

  The private transmission company which takes over the IBA's transmission operation will have a powerful market position and the transmission market is likely to be dominated by a small number of major players for the foreseeable future. We therefore consider that economic as well as technical regulation will be necessary. We propose to amend the Telecommunications Act 1984 to enable this regulation to be carried out by the Director General of Telecommunications. This regulatory framework will be designed to ensure that the transmission market operates fairly, and also that the coverage, quality and reliability of transmission systems is maintained.

DEFENCE

  Naval Personnel (Shore Postings)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes have occurred and are planned in the proportion of naval seagoing personnel in shore postings.

  Mr. Neubert
  Since 1980 the proportion of naval seagoing personnel in shore postings has reduced from about 60 per cent. to about 50 per cent. The planned proportion is expected to remain at approximately this level.

  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes in allowances have been made affecting those naval personnel working away from their families both at sea and on shore postings.

  Mr. Neubert
  I take it that my hon. Friend's question is in relation to the changes that have occurred as a result of the joint Ministry of Defence-Treasury review of armed forces allowances which was announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 9 May 1988, column 2, and which took effect from 1 October 1988.

  As a result of the review, the various allowances for which personnel can qualify have been related more closely to the accommodation policies of the services. Because service in a seagoing ship inevitably results in separation from family, the Royal Navy has traditionally operated a policy of flexibility with regard to accompanied service. Personnel could choose whether their families should follow them from place to place on each new appointment or draft, or whether the family should settle in one place while only the husband moved about.
  104
  As a result of the review, the Royal Navy's flexible approach has been formalised to the extent that an individual must explicitly declare his option of "family mobility" or "family stability" on the occasion of each new appointment or draft. This will determine eligibility for a range of appropriate allowances. The man who is separated or at sea will be eligible for the following: the longer service at sea bonus when serving in a seagoing ship; separation allowance, if separated by more than 200 miles ashore; and free travel warrants to return home from his place of duty (15 per year if serving in a seagoing ship, 12 if serving ashore plus any additional warrants earned during former sea service). He also receives the benefit of free accommodation on board ship and when living ashore in barracks or in mess.

  Sailors (Families)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact competitive tendering for repairs has had and is expected to have on sailors' access to their families during periods when ships are undergoing repairs.

  Mr. Neubert
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to repairs undertaken away from the port at which the ship is normally based. We have had only one major experience of this so far with HMS Penelope (base port Portsmouth) being repaired at Southampton. It is thus too early to be definitive. A variety of circumstances could exist, and separation from families could be increased, but the following measures are designed to minimise it:

  (a) If naval married quarters are available in the area where the ship is being repaired families can, if the repairs are expected to take six months or more, take up residence with the husband at the repair location, thus maintaining family unity.

  (b) If the repair is likely to last more than 12 months, personnel would be eligible for assistance to sell or let their existing private property and purchase or rent a new house at the repair location. This, again, would maintain family unity.

  (c) In cases where a family move would not be appropriate, personnel are entitled, subject to certain conditions, to 24 free travel warrants per year. In addition, personnel who serve at sea accrue warrant credits of one free travel warrant for every two months' sea service. These warrants could also be used, in addition to the 24 mentioned above, for journeys home during the repair period. In addition, separation allowance may become payable, dependent on the distance between the man's home and the location of the refit.

  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are being taken to reduce the problems of separation from families in the Royal Navy.

  Mr. Neubert
  Because of its seagoing commitments, some separation is inevitable in the Royal Navy. However, personnel who opt for "family mobility" are provided with a range of measures to assist in keeping the family together. These include:(a) the provision of naval married quarters in all the main port areas; (b) the introduction of a new home owners "mobility package" which provides for the reimbursement of certain expenses on sale and purchase of a private house, or alternatively for certain expenses incurred in letting or repossessing it;

  105
  and (c) the payment of removal expenses and disturbance allowance; and the payment of boarding school allowance to provide continuity of education for children in the face of frequent parental moves.

  Defence Quality Assurance
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether consultations with the trade unions are now complete regarding the proposed move to Teesside of headquarters and laboratories of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance now at Woolwich and Bromley.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Consultations have taken place and I have carefully considered the points made by the trade unions. None of the points was new to me and I can confirm that planning will now proceed with the aim of transferring some 1,500 jobs to Teesside during 1993 to 1995. I am establishing a joint consultative committee which will be a forum for consultations with the trade unions as the work proceeds.

  F111 Aircraft
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much expenditure has been incurred to date on design work at RAF Upper Heyford to assess the cost of deploying different types of F111 aircraft.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No design work has been undertaken to assess the cost of deploying different types of F111 aircraft at RAF Upper Heyford.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his reply of 13 June to the hon. Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry)Official Report, column 689, how much expenditure has been incurred to date on design work at RAF Upper Heyford to assess the cost of deploying additional F111 aircraft.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No design work has been undertaken to assess the cost of deploying additional F111 aircraft at RAF Upper Heyford.

  WE 177 Nuclear Bomb
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his reply of 29 June Official Report, column 531, to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright), whether any agreements have been concluded with (a) the United States Government, (b) Boeing Aerospace, (c) Martin Marietta, (d) British Aerospace and (e) Hunting Engineering regarding the study of procurement options for the possible replacement of the WE177 free-fall nuclear bomb.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright) on 29 June at column 531.

  HMS Southampton
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will make a decision on awarding the contract for the repair and refit of HMS Southampton.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Shortly.

  ROF, Enfield
  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what meetings were held by his Department with subcontractors who worked for the former Royal Ordnance Factory at Enfield, in the 12 months prior to the announcement of its sale to British Aerospace; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 30 June 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him during the Adjournment debate on Friday 23 June at column 676.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the monthly statistics for the latest available four months for employment training for the Training Agency covering the Doncaster area, showing(a) entrants in each monthly period, and the number of cumulative entrants, broken down by sex, (b) the length of time they had been out of work, their ethnic backgrounds and whether or not they had any disabilities, (c) the total number of currently filled places and (d) the number of trainees in each monthly period on project and employer placements.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information for entrants to Employment Training in the latest available four months is provided in Table 1. The other information requested on duration of unemployment prior to joining the programme and the ethnic background of entrants is provided in Table 2. There were 5,436 filled places in the Training Agency area including Doncaster at 23 June 1989, the latest date for which information is available. Information for trainees on project and employer placements on the last Friday of each month is provided in Table 3.

  Table 1

  Employment Training Entrants

  Month

  Men

  Women

  Total

  February

  1,088

  317

  1,405

  March

  791

  282

  1,073

  April

  725

  230

  955

  May

  669

  267

  876

  TOTAL

  3,273

  1,096

  4,309

  Table 2

  Employment Training characteristics of Entrants (February to May) 1 Wakefield/Barnsley/Doncaster area office

  Percentage

  Unemployment duration (months)

  3 to 6

  20

  6 to 12

  34

  13 to 23

  15

  24+

  11

  Ethnic origin

  1. White

  97

  2. Black/African/Caribbean

  2—

  3. Indian/Pakistan/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan

  1

  4. None of these

  1

  5. I prefer not to say

  1

  PWD3

  Yes

  8

  No

  92

  107

  1 All figures are percentages, figures may not total 130 because of rounding.

  2 Less than 0·5 per cent.

  3 PWD—People with disabilities. Those trainees answering whether they had a long-term health problem or disability which affected the type of work they could do. This figure is calculated for December to March.

  Table 3

  Employment Training Estimated numbers of trainees on project and employer placements on the last Friday of each month

  On projects

  With employers

  February

  3,000

  1,500

  March

  3,000

  1,500

  April

  3,100

  1,500

  May

  3,200

  1,600

  Benefits
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to change the full extent normal rule; when these will be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply from my right hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) on 16 December 1988 at columns 752–53. We intend to introduce these measures in the autumn.

  Tourism (North-West)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the top 20 tourist attractions in the north-west in numbers visiting or attending; and if he will indicate the attendances in each instance for the last year which they are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The English Tourist Board's annual survey of visits to tourist attractions gives the following figures for the North West regional tourist board area in 1988:

  Number of Visits

  Blackpool Pleasure Beach

  6,500,000

  Albert Dock, Liverpool

  3,500,000

  Pleasureland, Southport

  1,500,000

  Blackpool Tower

  1,477,500

  Frontierland, Morecambe

  1,000,000

  Stapeley Water Gardens

  1,000,000

  Chester Zoo

  896,822

  Croxteth Country Park

  750,000

  Louis Tussaud's Waxworks, Blackpool

  750,000

  Sandcastle World of Water, Blackpool

  695,000

  Etherow Country Park

  600,000

  Liverpool Museum

  585,222

  Knowsley Safari Park

  509,577

  Tate of the North, Liverpool

  500,000

  Heaton Park, Manchester

  500,000

  Camelot Theme Park

  450,000

  Merseyside Maritime Museum

  409,012

  Blackpool Zoo

  360,480

  Chester Visitor Centre

  346,000

  Lyme Park

  300,000

  Employment Training
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) training managers and (b) training agents have been refused approved status for employment training since its inception in September 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  None. All training agents and training managers are currently working towards full approved status and have until September 1990 to achieve it.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people(a) have refused to participate in employment training and (b) have left employment training before completing the training (i) nationally and (ii) by training agency area.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Tourism
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he will notify the(a) House, (b) British Tourist Authority and (c) national boards of his conclusions after studying the report of the review of tourism he initiated in July 1988.

  Mr. Fowler
  I expect soon to be able to let the House know the outcome of my review of Government support for the tourism industry. I will write to the chairman of the English Tourist Board and the British Tourist Authority as soon as the House has been informed.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  "Nuclear Accidents and the Farmer"
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why his Department's publications office at Alnwick, Northumberland was out of stock of the leaflet entitled "Nuclear Accidents and the Farmer" at the beginning of June; and what is the present position.

  Mr. Ryder
  A heavy initial demand meant that the Department's publications store was temporarily out of stock of the leaflet at the beginning of June. Following a further reprint, supplies have now been replenished.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why his Department's area offices in Yorkshire and Humberside have not yet received any supplies of his Department's leaflet entitled "Nuclear Accidents and the Farmer"; if he will list by region and location what area offices(a) have this leaflet and (b) do not have this leaflet; and when he expects all his offices will have this in stock.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 10 April, column 365. Stocks were originally held by the Ministry's publications unit at Alnwick and at regional and divisional offices. Following a recent reprint, supplies are being distributed to all area offices.

  Potato Stocks
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list by region, the estimated stocks of potatoes for this year's current
  109
  growing season; what were the comparable figures last year; and what assessment he has made as to whether this year's stock will meet demand;

  (2) if he will make a statement as to what reviews and discussions he is having in respect of this year's potato crop in England and Wales due to the lack of rain and a possible consequent potato shortage.

  Mr. Ryder
  It is too early to make an assessment of the 1989 potato crop. I have asked the Potato Marketing Board to send information on stocks to the hon. Member.

  Lead in Food
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he is conducting into lead levels in food produced adjacent to motorways or other main roads.

  Mr. Ryder
  My Department is not conducting research into lead levels in food produced adjacent to motorways or other main roads. My Department did fund research on this between 1980 and 1983 at the university of Nottingham. This showed that only a small proportion of vegetables grown next to the M1 exceeded statutory lead levels before washing. Washing and removal of outer leaves halves deposited lead levels which means that the vegetables in this study have been below the statutory level once treated for human consumption. My officials will be studying the results of the recent research carried out by Dr. Ward at the university of Surrey.

  Torry Research Station
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all the projects at the Torry research station in Aberdeen which will be discontinued as a result of the Barnes review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The projects which are to be discontinued are as follows:Plant design—the development of monitoring and control systems
  The design and development of a multipass freezer
  Energy utilisation in fish processing
  A study of fundamental principles in the design and development of new smoking processes
  Development of a machine to produce uncoated formed fillets
  Processing machinery—separation of meat from shell fish to improve yield
  Microbial spoilage of packaged fish and shell fish with a view to devising and applying methods of extending shelflife
  Innovation of fish and shell fish products and relevant process technology
  Shell fish processing with a view to more efficient utilisation
  Textural modification of recovered flesh
  Improved chilling and handling of sea fish and farmed fish to improve yield and quality
  Innovation and characterisation of added value products from industrial and waste fish resources and development of relevant new pilot plant processes or existing processes
  Improvements in the efficiency of processing fish and smoking
  Investigation of chemical/physical methods of reducing the rate of deterioration of bulk-stored fish at sea
  Assessment of the requirements for the introduction of freezing-at-sea on small fishing vessels
  Study of cultured fish in relation to general quality aspects
  110
  and to their suitability for processing
  The efficient use of recovered fish flesh for human consumption
  Applications of electronics and physical sensors in fish processing

  Detailed information on these was placed in the Library on 20 February 1989 and steps are now being taken to implement the decisions announced in the reply given on 28 June 1989 to my right hon. Friend the Member for Kincardine and Deeside (Mr. Buchanan-Smith), c. 466.

  Food Inspection
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made regarding EC document 8062/88; and whether he has urged the EC to recognise the role of United Kingdom district councils in the inspection of slaughterhouses and food hygiene duties.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  My officials have made it clear in discussion on this proposal that it is premature to consider arrangements for veterinary checks in advance of agreement on more fundamental aspects of the animal health arrangements to apply within the single market.

  I am not aware of any proposals which would seek to change the existing role of district councils in slaughterhouse inspections or food law enforcement.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the findings of the Association of District Councils that there is no evidence to suggest that the veterinary presence in export slaughterhouses has contributed to any significant improvement in the protection of public health.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  We have always maintained that the presence of veterinary surgeons is not essential to guarantee satisfactory standards of hygiene in abattoirs. Veterinary supervision is required if plants are to be approved to export. This is not an additional requirement but a different one. Domestic slaughterhouses rely largely on environmental health officers whose professional status is of the highest order.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is his policy towards placing total reliance on the inspection and certification of meat by veterinarians in other European Community countries as against the practice of inspection of incoming meat consignments by environmental health officers in the United Kingdom;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the health implications of placing total reliance on the inspection and certification of meat by veterinarians in other EC countries and of the current practice of inspection of incoming meat consignments by environmental health officers in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  In accordance with Community rules, enforcement authorities physically inspect only a sample of consignments of meat from other member states. Meat traded between member states must be covered by a certificate signed by an authorised veterinary officer confirming that the Community's strict hygiene rules have been observed. These arrangements work well and in negotiations on the single market I shall seek to ensure that adequate provision for such sample checks is retained.
  111
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of European Community directives and regulations on the inspection of meat and meat products in the run-up to the single European market and on the likely changes in terms of staffing and finance that will be required to meet these requirements;

  (2) What assessment he has had made of the impact of European Community directives and regulations on monitoring for health purposes of meat and meat products in the run-up to the single European market and on the likely changes in terms of staffing and finance that will be required to meet these requirements.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The arrangements for meat inspection in the single market will depend upon decisions still to be taken by the Council of Ministers and it is not yet possible therefore to estimate the effects on staffing and costs. It is clear, however, that we shall need to move towards a well-understood supervision system in all meat plants and we shall be discussing how this should be achieved with the interests concerned.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of the veterinary presence in export slaughterhouses on the protection of public health;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the health implications of the veterinary presence in export slaughterhouses.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Veterinary supervision is required if slaughterhouses are to engage in intra-Community trade or export to third countries. If this requirement was not met our industry would not be able to export meat and meat products. Last year this trade was worth £590 million. I have never accepted, however, that veterinary supervision is essential to guarantee satisfactory standards of hygiene.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what assessment he has made of the consistency of inspections in respect of food and food production in each member state of the European Community; and what steps he will take to ensure that the public of the United Kingdom is protected during the approach to the integrated single European market and after its completion.

  Mr. Ryder
  No detailed assessment has been made of the consistency of inspections of food and food production in each member state. However, we are aware, from the negotiations on the European Community directive on the official control of foodstuffs, of the different types of inspection systems in operation in other member states. The United Kingdom supported the EC directive on official control, adopted on 14 June 1989, which lays down general principles for food inspection across the Community, including the provision that inspections shall be carried out regularly and where non-compliance is suspected and that they shall cover all stages of the manufacturing and distributive cycle. The directive also provides for the Commission to make recommendations for co-ordinated inspection programmes to ensure a consistent approach. It is regarded as a first step towards the building of mutual confidence between member states in this very important area. Together with other measures envisaged, for example on food hygiene, this should ensure 112
  that the public is fully protected. In the meantime, the preamble to the official control directive indicates that there should be no changes to well-tried systems of food inspection; we consider that the United Kingdom system is in that category.

  Price Fixing
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food, further to his reply to the hon. Member for South Shields of 22 June,Official Report, column 251, if he will list the organisations invited to attend meetings to discuss the European Community price proposals in 1988, but which declined to do so; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: Each year a wide range of bodies and individuals submit representations on the Commission's price fixing proposals. These are made not only at meetings, which was the subject of the hon. Member's earlier question, but in writing. Organisations which choose not to attend meetings are on occasions among those who write, but I do not think it would be appropriate to list them.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Business Establishment Grants
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many companies in receipt of a cash grant from his Department to establish business in a particular place have discontinued such business within five years of establishment.

  Mr. Newton
  Information in the form requested is not available. However, it is possible to provide some figures for companies which have received regional selective assistance. Since the introduction of the current guidelines for RSA in November 1984, 24 companies which received RSA towards establishing new businesses in England are known to have discontinued such business. These companies received some £659,000. Recovery of grant is pursued in appropriate cases. By comparison, over 600 projects in total have received RSA to establish businesses in England over the same period with associated grant payments to date of £43·6 million.

  Home Accidents (Deaths)
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from accidents in their homes; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Forth
  The latest available figure for deaths in the United Kingdom is for 1987, in which year there were 4,919 deaths from accidents in the home. There is a comprehensive legal framework which deals with the safety of consumer goods primarily, enforced by local authority trading standards departments, including the general safety requirement in the Consumer Protection Act 1987 which requires consumer goods to be reasonably safe, and specific regulations dealing with particular products or problems. This is complemented by safety awareness campaigns to alert people to the dangers they face every day in their own houses. The Government seek
  113
  to co-operate with non-governmental safety organisations whose aim is to promote safety awareness and safe products.

  Palatine Graphic Arts Company
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all financial assistance, including that from the European Community, approved by his Department for Palatine Graphic Arts Company Limited, Liverpool, over the past five years, giving the name and amount of the grant or assistance, the date of approval and payment, the purpose of each and the terms and conditions imposed; and if he will take steps to ensure those terms have been and are being met in full.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: During the past five years my Department has made the following grants to Palatine Graphic Arts Co. Ltd., Liverpool:

  Regional Development Grant II

  Purpose of grant

  Amount approved

  Date approved

  Amount paid

  Date paid

  £

  £

  Provision of Chemotinex Etching bath, sanding machine moulding press and Chromalin processor and laminator. The creation of eight jobs formed part of this project1

  33,000

  15 December 1986

  21,897

  17 March 1987

  Provision of exposure unit

  1,688

  13 July 1987

  1,688

  5 August 1987

  Provision of stop and repeat machine

  3,255

  14 July 1987

  3,255

  5 August 1987

  Provision of copper, etching bath2

  6,356

  23 March 1988

  6,471

  23 September 1988

  Provision of scitex electronic scanning and page composition system

  75,000

  15 September 1988

  75,000

  24 February 1989

  119,299

  108,311

  1 The offer was based on the proposed creation of 11 jobs at £3,000 each, but in the event, only eight new jobs were created. As the total capital grant for the project, which included £8,250 payable to a leasing company, was the greater of the two, the grant was based on capital expenditure. However, the creation of the eight jobs formed part of the project.

  2 The discrepancy is due to the fact that the application was based on estimated costs and prices had increased at the time the claim was submitted.

  Regional development grant II is made under standard conditions, including the obligation to notify my Department if jobs or assets are disposed of within the condition period and to repay such grant as may be required if the conditions are breached. Projects are subject to inspection.

  Regional Selective Assistance

  £

  30 October 1984

  Amount Offered

  100,000

  24 March 1986

  Amount Paid

  6,461

  The purpose of this grant was to assist with the purchase of new equipment which would provide time savings in artwork and make-up. The difference between the cost of the equipment and the amount of regional selective assistance paid was made up by regional development grant and the balance of RSA was not claimed.

  Total grants paid were £212, 989.
  114

  Regional Development Grant I

  Purpose of grant—towards the provision of approved plant and machinery and building works

  Date paid

  Amount of grant £

  6 November 1984

  2,967

  5 December 1984

  7,697

  11 January 1985

  8,461

  5 July 1985

  227

  19 July 1985

  359

  25 October 1985

  3,572

  15 November 1985

  8,572

  26 January 1986

  22,165

  13 May 1986

  33,254

  87,229

  Regional development grant I was not dependent on the creation of jobs, but disposal of grant-aided assets within the conditions period must be notified and could result in the repayment of grant.

  My Department has not approved the payment of any grants involving EC funding and I am not aware of any EC funds being provided to the company from any other sources.

  The relevant projects at this company have been inspected, most recently in August 1988 and again in June 1989, and I am satisfied that the terms and conditions under which grant assistance has been given are at present being met.

  I understand that six of the eight jobs created under the grant approved on 15 December 1986 are at present vacant but that efforts to refill them are in hand. Under the terms and conditions under which grant is paid, the company is expected to refill such posts within two months—or longer at the Department's discretion—and a proportion of the grant can be reclaimed if this is not done.

  Shipbuilding (Redundancies)
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total number of redundancies in the shipbuilding and shiprepair industries in Plymouth during the period 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1988.
  115
  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 30 June 1989]: The information is not available.

  Waste Paper
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received suggesting he should impose restrictions on the subsidised imports of waste paper from the United States of America and Canada.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: I have received a small number of letters expressing concern at the level of imports of de-inking grades of waste paper from the USA and Canada. I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that the current low levels of imports are having an adverse effect on the United Kingdom waste paper market, but I will continue to ensure that the situation is carefully monitored.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps are being taken to avert the expected shortfall in supply of waste paper, expected to be at its peak in 1993; what response has already been forthcoming from local authorities, paper merchants, newsprint producers and voluntary groups; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: A shortfall in the supply of de-inking grades of waste paper used as a raw material in the manufacture in the United Kingdom of newsprint is expected to build up over the next few years, possibly peaking in 1993, as additional manufacturing capacity comes on stream. Accordingly, my Department has organised a national series of 11 seminars to bring to the attention of local authorities and voluntary organisations the increasing number of opportunities which will become available to them to assist over the next three to four years in the collection of more newsprint grade waste paper. This programme of seminars is still under way. So far the response has been encouraging.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Immigration Appeals
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Attorney-General how many immigration appeals are outstanding in Scotland.

  The Attorney-General
  On 30 June 1989, 33 Scottish immigration appeals were awaiting listing, In a further 183 appeals, the papers have been sent to the parties and responses are awaited from the appellants' representatives.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Attorney-General if he has any proposals to improve the waiting time for immigration appeals in Scotland.

  The Attorney-General
  Responsibility for the administration of the immigration appellate authorities rests with the Lord Chancellor. Immigration appeals that are to be heard in Scotland are processed by the Leeds office of the IAA. As soon as case papers are received at Leeds they are copied to the parties. Thereafter the time taken for cases to come on for hearing depends on the parties, rather than the IAA. Once the parties indicate that they are ready to proceed, cases are listed for hearing within six to eight weeks, which is considered a reasonable time.116
  Nevertheless, the Lord Chancellor's Department and the IAA will continue to monitor the number of Scottish cases sent to the parties or their representatives in the United Kingdom for which hearings have not been requested.

  Visas
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Attorney-General what change there has been in the number of appeals from visitors refused entry clearance since the introduction of visa requirements for nationals of certain Commonwealth countries.

  The Attorney-General
  The numbers of appeals against refusal of entry clearance for temporary purposes, including visitors' and students' entry clearances in the last three years were as follows:

  Numbers

  1986

  1,522

  1987

  2,801

  1988

  6,138

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Community Charge
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will increase the level of students' grants to enable them to pay the poll tax.

  Mr. Jackson
  The rates of student grant for 1989–90 have already been announced. Students' discounted liability for the community charge was one of the factors considered in setting those rates.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has had any meeting during the last six months with representatives of science teachers to discuss the national curriculum.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend and I have met science teachers informally on several occasions and discussed various topics. No ministerial meetings have been arranged with their representatives specifically on the national curriculum.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to publish translations of the national curriculum attainment targets and programmes of study in mathematics, science and English.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to publish translations of the national curriculum attainment targets and programmes of study in mathematics, science and English.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has made available the mathematics and science national curriculum documents in Welsh. There are no plans to publish translations of these or the documents for English into any other languages. A short leaflet for parents on the national curriculum generally will however be published in ethnic minority community languages this autumn.
  117
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress being made in implementing the national curriculum.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Preparations continue to advance. My right hon. Friend has recently published his proposals for design and technology for all four key stages and English for key stages 2 to 4. A statutory order for English key stage I was made on 31 May.

  Teacher Appraisal
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made on agreeing a system of teacher appraisal and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The national steering group overseeing the current pilot projects, on which the local authority and teacher associations are represented, will be submitting recommendations to my right hon. Friend next month for a national framework for teacher appraisal. In the light of these recommendations my right hon. Friend intends to make regulations in the autumn under section 49 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986, requiring LEAs to implement schemes of appraisal covering all their teachers over the next few years.

  Teachers (Resignations)
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of teachers who had submitted their resignations by 31 May.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has about the level of resignations from teachers submitted by 31 May.

  Mr. Butcher
  The latest available data are for the year ending March 1987. A total of 28,960 teachers left full-time service in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector in England. Of these, 1,760 transferred to full-time service elsewhere in the maintained sector in England and Wales and 2,900 to part-time service in the maintained sector. A further 8,500 retired and 450 died.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the cost of introducing top-up loans for students will be over the next 15 years assuming a yearly average inflation rate of 8 per cent.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government do not expect inflation to remain at that level. The table shows the costs and savings associated with the introduction of top-up loans, on the hypothetical basis of 8 per cent. inflation annually from 1990. It is otherwise on the same basis and in the same format as the figures set out in annex E of Cm 520.

  Costs and savings of top-up loans with 8 per cent, inflation

  (£ million, 1990 prices)

  Net change in grant

  Net change in benefits

  Gross loan outlay

  Loan repayments

  PSBR effect

  1990

  0

  -65

  167

  0

  103

  1991

  -53

  -64

  234

  -2

  114

  1992

  -100

  -63

  290

  -9

  117

  118

  Net change in grant

  Net change in benefits

  Gross loan outlay

  Loan repayments

  PSBR effect

  1993

  -142

  -62

  340

  -23

  113

  1994

  -180

  -61

  386

  -45

  100

  1995

  -214

  -60

  428

  -75

  79

  1996

  -248

  -60

  470

  -106

  56

  1997

  -285

  -61

  520

  -136

  38

  1998

  -293

  -63

  535

  -163

  16

  1999

  -300

  -64

  548

  -186

  -3

  2000

  -302

  -65

  552

  -206

  -21

  2001

  -302

  -65

  552

  -231

  -46

  2002

  -302

  -65

  552

  -262

  -77

  2003

  -302

  -65

  552

  -284

  -99

  2004

  -302

  -65

  552

  -296

  -111

  2005

  -302

  -65

  552

  -303

  -118

  2006

  -302

  -65

  552

  -303

  -118

  2007

  -302

  -65

  552

  -297

  -112

  2008

  -302

  -65

  552

  -300

  -115

  2009

  -302

  -65

  552

  -317

  -133

  2010

  -302

  -65

  552

  -339

  -154

  2011

  -302

  -65

  552

  -354

  -169

  2012

  -302

  -65

  552

  -364

  -179

  2013

  -302

  -65

  552

  -376

  -191

  2014

  -302

  -65

  552

  -385

  -200

  2015

  -302

  -65

  552

  -392

  -207

  2016

  -302

  -65

  552

  -397

  -212

  2017

  -302

  -65

  522

  -402

  -217

  2018

  -302

  -65

  522

  -405

  -220

  2019

  -302

  -65

  552

  -406

  -222

  2020

  -302

  -65

  552

  -410

  -225

  2021

  -302

  -65

  552

  -415

  -230

  2022

  -302

  -65

  552

  -420

  -235

  2023

  -302

  -65

  552

  -422

  -237

  2024

  -302

  -65

  552

  -422

  -237

  2025

  -302

  -65

  552

  -422

  -237

  2026

  -302

  -65

  552

  -422

  -237

  2027

  -302

  -65

  552

  -422

  -237

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the costs of the proposed student loan scheme in respect of administration, defaults and interest subsidy.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the costs of the proposed student loan scheme in respect of administration, defaults and interest subsidy.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the costs of the proposed student loan scheme in respect of administration, defaults and interest subsidy.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Members to my answer of 26 June to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) at columns 290–91.

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received further representations on student loans following his statement of 19 June,Official Report, columns 21–33.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) earlier today.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make public the participants in, and detailed proposals of, the arrangements for administering top-up loans for students.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend will announce further details of the arrangements for administering top-up loans in due course.
  119
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the cost of administering in its first year his student loan scheme.

  Mr. Jackson
  The preparatory work mentioned in my right hon. Friend's statement on 19 June,Official Report, columns 21–22 indicates administrative costs, excluding start-up costs, of between £8·5 million and £11·5 million in the first year in which top-up loans are available.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the representations he has received in relation to the effect of the proposed student loans scheme on higher education in Scotland.

  Mr. Jackson
  We have considered carefully the representations we have received, particularly in relation to the longer Scottish courses. We have concluded that a loan facility for each year of a course is the right approach. Many students opt for higher education in Scotland rather than the shorter English degree, and we have no doubt that that will continue to be the case.

  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement regarding the likely effect of top-up loans on access to higher education.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government's education policies are designed to increase educational attainment at all levels, and to increase access to higher education. Top-up loans will offer students an additional source of funds while they are studying, and combined with the effect of the Government's other policies will enable there to be increased participation in higher education in the future.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how the proposed company for the administration of private sector loans to students is to be publicly accountable.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department will have a permanent directorship on the board of the company, and we shall take such other steps as may be appropriate to ensure accountability.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make available a copy of the Price Waterhouse study of his proposed student top-up loans scheme.

  Mr. Jackson
  The document was commissioned by the Committee of London and Scottish Bankers as an initial feasibility study. I hope to place copies of the report in the Library shortly.

  School Discipline
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the implementation of the recommendations of the Elton report on school discipline.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend has announced a range of measures in response to the Elton report. These include two planned education support grant activities, to tackle truancy and to address the problem of difficult 120
  pupils. In each case expenditure of up to £2·5 million will be supported in 1990–91. In addition, we are proposing that the management of pupil behaviour should be a national priority area within the local education authority training grants scheme for 1990–91, with grant to support £1·7 million of expenditure.

  Higher Education (Students)
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase access for students to higher education.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has consistently made clear the Government's commitment to increasing participation in higher education. Our school reforms are designed to equip more pupils with the qualifications and motivation to enter higher education. We also want to widen access for those who do not hold traditional entry qualifications or are currently under-represented in higher education. Our objective, without sacrificing quality, is to promote a more flexible and more accessible system of higher education.

  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students were in higher education at the beginning of the academic years 1978–79 and 1988–89; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The available information is as follows:

  Students in higher education: Great Britain

  Thousands

  1978–79

  766

  1987–88

  968

  Data for 1988–89 are not yet available, but the figure is expected to be in the range 980,000 to 1 million.

  Conductive Education
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for the future of conductive education in this country.

  Mr. Butcher
  Conductive education in Hungary is closely linked to the Hungarian system of education. It is, therefore, important for the approach to be tried out in the context of our education system. For that reason we are funding the evaluation of the experimental conductive education project in Birmingham. In time we would like to see conductive education added to the range of options available to disabled children in this country.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he or officials from his Department last visited the conductive education centres in(a) Birmingham and (b) Budapest, Hungary.

  Mr. Butcher
  Members of Her Majesty's inspectorate, officials from the Department and the Department's senior medical adviser visited the Birmingham institute last November. A member of Her Majesty's inspectorate and an official from the Department will be visiting the institute in September. The Department's senior medical adviser visited the Peto institute in May 1988.

  Teacher Shortages
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to reduce teacher shortages.
  121
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to reduce teacher shortages.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on teacher shortages.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the measures to reduce teacher shortages.

  Mr. Butcher
  Our action programme to combat teacher shortages was launched three years ago at a cost so far of £50 million. The programme includes a £1,300 bursary for trainee teachers in maths, physics, CDT and, from this September, in chemistry; an energetic teacher recruitment publicity campaign spearheaded by the teaching as a career unit; in-service training for under-qualified teachers and new courses of initial teacher training. From next April, under the education support grant programme, we shall be supporting expenditure of up to £2 million on local measures to boost the recruitment of former teachers and mature entrants to teaching.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to reduce teacher shortages in London and the south-east.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to reduce teacher shortages in London and the south-east.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Our action programme to combat teacher shortages has cost some £50 million over the last three years. Many of the measures have been targeted specifically at tackling the problems in London and the south-east. That action programme is continuing and will be reinforced as necessary. We have recently announced that the education support grant programme for 1990–91 will include support for up to £2 million on measures to boost the recruitment of mature entrants and teachers returning to the profession. I would expect many of the local authorities in London and the south-east to bid for inclusion within this programme.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the latest figures for the number of schools requesting grant-maintained status.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement indicating the number of schools which have opted for grant-maintained status and the number of schools which are considering seeking grant-maintained status.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  To date, parents of pupils at 47 schools have voted to apply for grant-maintained status, and my right hon. Friend has approved 20 formal applications. I expect a good many more to follow.

  Teachers (Local Pay Agreements)
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he next intends to meet the teaching unions to discuss the introduction of localised pay agreements.
  122
  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North (Mr. Howells) and for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).

  Commission for Racial Equality
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met with representatives of the Commission for Racial Equality; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Butcher
  My hon. Friend the Minister of State last met representatives of the Commission for Racial Equality on 14 June 1988. They discussed aspects of the Education Reform Bill and the commission's proposals for a code of practice for the elimination of racial discrimination in education.

  School Activities (Charges)
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the implementation of the legislation regarding charging for activities by schools.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the implementation of the legislation regarding charging for activities by schools.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has received from local authorities about difficulties arising from the new provisions relating to charging for school expeditions.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the working of regulations relating to charges for school trips.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about the implementation of the legislation regarding charging for activities by schools.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on the subject of charging for school activities. He has invited the local authorities and others to assist in monitoring the impact of the new arrangements. The legislation was drafted following consultation with the education service, and reflects the concern of respondents to confirm the principle of free education. We believe that it provides a sound framework for the continuation of a wide range of school activities, provided these are valued by parents as a worthwhile part of their children's education.

  Institute of Horticultural Research
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he next proposes to visit the Institute of Horticultural Research, Wellesbourne, at East Malling, Kent.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to do so.

  School Libraries
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will introduce an educational support grant for both primary and secondary school libraries.
  123
  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend's proposed education support grant programme for 1990–91 which was announced in May does not include a specific activity related to school libraries. He will, however, consider the inclusion of such an activity in a future programme.

  Postgraduate Research
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the subsistence allowance paid by research councils to postgraduate research students.

  Mr. Jackson
  The principal rates of postgraduate maintenance grant paid by the research councils in the academic year 1988–89 and to be paid in 1989–90 are as follows:

  1988–89

  1989–90

  £

  £

  a. Students living away from home and attending an establishment in London

  3,630

  3,970

  b. Students living away from home and attending an establishment outside London

  2,975

  3,125

  c. Students living in the parental home

  2,160

  2,270

  The Medical Research Council and the Agricultural and Food Research Council have decided to supplement maintenance grants to postgraduate students supported by them by an average of £500 per student with effect from 1989–90. Research students working on MRC's programme of AIDS research will receive a further supplement of £500.

  All research councils make additional payments to disabled and older students and to those with dependants. They also pay approved fees and expenses for daily and end-of-term travel, fieldwork and conference attendance.

  London Nautical School
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to ensure that the London nautical school in the London borough of Southwark continues to be available as a choice to parents throughout London for their children's education.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend on 30 June approved the application for grant-maintained status from the London nautical school, to take effect from 1 April 1990.

  Nursery Schools
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the funding for local education authority run nursery school places.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Our plans for the current financial year allow for a continuation of the steady expansion of provision for the under-fives which has marked the last decade. Provision for local education authorities' spending on education in 1990–91 is still to be determined.

  Biological Sciences (Research Assistants)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the proportion of post-doctoral research assistants in 124
  biological sciences in the United Kingdom who are not British Nationals, and the availability of post-doctoral staff likely to remain in research careers in Britain.

  Mr. Jackson
  This information is not held centrally.

  Primary Curriculum
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has received from the National Curriculum Council about the primary curriculum.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has received from the National Curriculum Council about mixed ability classes in primary schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  At my right hon. Friend's request, the National Curriculum Council has been considering the framework for the primary curriculum. The council published non-statutory guidance on 30 June and copies have been sent to all maintained schools, local education authorities and others. The organisation of classes is a matter for local discretion. The council's guidance explains that there is a variety of ways in which pupils may be grouped, depending on the circumstances in each case.

  Brain Drain
  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of the brain drain on the quality of research in British universities.

  Mr. Jackson
  My reply of 17 February to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) at column 417, showed that, over the last eight years, there has been a net inflow of academic staff to British universities. The Government recognise that concern has been expressed about the academic quality of those leaving the United Kingdom, but believe that it is for the universities themselves to be more rigorous in monitoring the flows, and to use the more flexible arrangements for academic pay now in place to help forestall and counteract them as necessary.

  Universities (Research Contracts)
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of university income now comes from research contracts; and what was the comparable figure 10 years ago.

  Mr. Jackson
  Comparable information is not available over the period requested. However, between the academic years 1981–82 and 1987–88, the proportion of universities' total recurrent income derived from research grants and contracts rose from 12—9 to 19—6 per cent.

  Secondary Education
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will detail the advantages which a genuine choice in secondary education brings.

  Mr. Butcher
  Greater parental choice encourages competition between schools and allows parents to influence decisions which determine the quality of
  125
  education. I believe that parents have a legitimate interest which they should be trusted to express and that competition encourages good schools to do even better and poorer schools to raise their sights.

  Teachers (Southend)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress is being made in securing the teachers required for secondary and junior schools in the Southend-on-Sea area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  Responsibility for securing teachers for maintained schools rests with the local education authority which needs to take appropriate recruitment measures. Our action programme to combat teacher shortages, which has cost £50 million over the last three years, is designed to help authorities to that end.

  LEAs (Training Grants)
  Mr. Radice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the financial support available to local education authorities through the local education authority training grants scheme.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the financial support available to local education authorities through the local education authority training grants scheme.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Glanford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) earlier today.

  Gateshead CTC
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the target number of pupils for the proposed Gateshead city technology college.

  Mr. Butcher
  The proposed Gateshead city technology college is planning for an eventual enrolment of 900 pupils.

  Teachers (European Community)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department is taking any steps to recruit teachers from other EC member states.

  Mr. Butcher
  On 21 December 1988 the Council of Ministers of the European Communities adopted a directive that will enable a range of professionals, including teachers, to have their professional qualifications recognised for the purposes of practice in member states other than their own. The directive must be implemented by 1991. My right hon. Friend proposes to make regulations according the benefits of the directive to members of the teaching profession qualified in other member states from September this year. This should assist LEAs in their recruitment of teachers from other member states.

  The Department is also supporting a project at the university of York which is recruiting and training teachers from France and Germany.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on progress to date in respect of city technology colleges.

  Mr. Butcher
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 6 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs) at column 10.

  London Docklands
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to improve the provision of primary school places arising out of developments in the London docklands.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Developments in the London docklands are increasing the demand for primary school places. The provision of those places is a matter for the London borough of Newham, the Inner London education authority and, from 1 April 1990, the boroughs of Southwark and Tower Hamlets. My right hon. Friend, in determining annual capital guidelines, will continue to give a high priority to plans for additional school places from these and other local education authorities.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to increase funding for research into pollution of the river ecosystem before privatisation of the water industry.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend will as usual consider expenditure on all areas of scientific research sponsored by this Department later this year, after studying advice from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils. I understand that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment is discussing, with the water industry and the National Rivers Authority advisory committee, future research arrangements in the water sector.

  Natural Environment Research Council
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether he will make it his policy to give the Natural Environment Research Council the necessary funds to develop work on environmental microbiology;

  (2) whether he will make it his policy to give the Natural Environment Research Council the necessary funds to develop work into the risks and opportunities of modifying natural micro-organisms.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend will as usual consider expenditure on all areas of scientific research sponsored by this Department later this year, after studying advice from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether, in transferring funds for scientific research from universities to research councils, he will make it his policy to give the Natural Environment Research Council the necessary funds to develop work in the interactions of the land and atmosphere;
  127
  (2) whether, in transferring funds for scientific research to research counils, he will make it his policy to give the Natural Environment Research Council the necessary funds to develop work in atmospheric sciences.

  Mr. Jackson
  The planned transfer of funds from the Universities Funding Council to the research councils, recently announced by my right hon. Friend, corresponds to a change in the balance of funding responsibilities for university research projects sponsored by research councils. It is not intended that this will lead to any change in the total funding provided for university research through the two sides of the dual support system, nor to any change in the research council's scientific priorities.

  Licensed Teachers
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what limit he is placing on the percentage of licensed teachers to be allowed on the staff of any one school.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has not set any predetermined limits. This will in each case be a matter for the school and the LEA concerned.

  Local Management of Schools
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the implications of the local management scheme on staffing levels of the education departments in local authorities.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  As more decision-making is delegated to schools there should certainly be scope for economies in LEAs' central administration costs, but authorities will have a continuing strategic role under local management and will be able to hold back resources for key central services. Each authority will determine its own staffing needs for these.

ENVIRONMENT

  Football Membership Scheme
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation took place with the football clubs, the Football League, the Football Association and the Football Supporters Association over the structure, membership and powers of the Football Membership Authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The role of the Football Membership Authority was considered by the working party which I chaired last summer on the national membership scheme and which included representatives of the Football Association and the Football League. I have had discussions with the football authorities about their wish to form the FMA. I have also had discussions about the FMA with the Football Supporters Association and the National Federation of Football Supporters Clubs.

  Water
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment with reference to his announcement of charges to be introduced through a new clause in the Water Bill, how the figure of £800 per dwelling for new 128
  water and sewerage infrastructure and services was calculated; how soon he will be able to make more accurate figures available; and how these charges will vary across the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Howard
  The figure was an estimate of the average cost per new connection of investment in additional water supply and sewerage capacity, excluding infrastructure which could be requisitioned under clause 40 or clause 70 of the Water Bill (as amended by the House of Lords). Individual limits for water authorities will be included in their instruments of appointment published in August, and it is intended to give provisional figures for statutory water companies at the same stage with firm limits following in the autumn.

  Waste Disposal
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make available in the Library the responses so far to the Green Paper on the role and functions of waste disposal authorities.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We will shortly deposit in the Library copies of all responses so far received, where the authors have given permission so to do. I will write to the hon. Member at that time.

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those nature reserves assisted by grant from the Nature Conservancy Council, where it has been made a condition of grant that the shooting of birds or other creatures will continue.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information is not available in the form requested and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. In considering land purchase proposals whether for themselves or by grant aid to NGO's the Nature Conservancy Council will normally expect the new owners to allow the traditional rights or uses of the land to continue and to alter the level or practice of these activities only when they are in conflict with the interests of conservation.

  Reconnection Costs
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to amend section 33 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 in order that local authorities can recover costs of reconnection of supplies of gas and electricity incurred in paying arrears from landlords who then sell the house to evade debts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Yes. I refer the hon. Member to amendment No. 158, passed at Report stage of the Local Government and Housing Bill on 14 June at column 1090.

  Housing in Multiple Occupancy
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department plans to simplify the powers and procedures referred to in the consultation paper on housing in multiple occupancy published last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  We shall be introducing amendments on a number of matters referred to in the consultation paper.
  129
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the proposed housing in multiple occupancy fitness standard referred to in Standing Committee on the Local Government and Housing Bill will include comprehensive fire safety provision such as means of detection and warning systems; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  We propose that the fitness standard should include means of escape from fire and fire prevention measures.

  Baton Twirling
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received seeking the classification of baton twirling as a sport.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have received no such representations. The recognition of a sport is a matter for the Sports Council to consider.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what appointments have recently been made to the Nature Conservancy Council; what relevant experience these people have that qualifies them for membership; whether he has received any representations concerning the appointments from pressure groups or other interested bodies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Five new members of the Nature Conservancy Council were appointed with effect from 1 April 1989—the Earl of Dalkeith, Dr. Bill Mutch, Earl Peel, Mr. Lindsay Waddell and Mr. William Wilder. They have a range of relevant qualifications and experience. More details are given in the press release issued by my noble Friend, the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside on 29 March 1989, a copy of which I have sent to the hon. Member.

  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has received a small number of letters commenting on the recent appointments. Members are appointed for the personal contribution that they can bring to the work of the council.

  Countryside (Access)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those individual and organisations who have been lobbying him and other Ministers in his Department about common land footpaths, and access to the countryside during the last two months.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A large number of representations have been received during the last two months, covering a wide range of views on access issues. They have arisen primarily from the Ramblers' Association's footpaths appeal, the Countryside Commission's "Enjoying the Countryside" initiative, the Government's proposals for privatising the water industry and for legislation in the Rubinstein case, and the question of future access to upland commons. Also, on 7 June, 1 met the hon. Member for a useful discussion of current concerns on these matters.

  Pollution (North Sea)
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies the North sea task force is undertaking to evaluate the impact of pollutants on marine mammals and seabirds; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The role of the North sea task force is principally to co-ordinate and assess the marine environmental research and monitoring carried out by member states and to identify gaps in knowledge. It is for member states to give effect to task force priorities and objectives and in the United Kingdom, this falls to the research programmes of relevant Departments, and other agencies such as the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) and universities. In the case of marine mammals, studies are currently under way sponsored by the Department of the Environment, with assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, on the impact of contaminants on seals. Similar work on cetaceans is under consideration and studies of contaminant effects on sea birds are carried out by NERC and sponsored by NCC.

  Rhinoceros and Ivory Products
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many licences have been issued under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna for the importation of rhinoceros products for each of the last five years for which records are available;

  (2) how many licences have been issued under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna for the importation of ivory or ivory products for each of the last five years for which records are available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Drinking Water
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of which standards set in the European Community drinking water directive are regularly exceeded by water suppliers in England which have not been granted derogations.

  Mr. Howard
  The standard for nitrates in the EC drinking water directive is regularly exceeded in some water supplies in England. Remedial programmes are in hand to ensure compliance as quickly as possible taking account of practicalities.

  The pesticides standard in the EC directive is also exceeded in some water supplies. Current medical advice is that pesticide levels detected do not constitute a risk to health.

  Rose Theatre
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sums in archaeological fees have been received by the museum of London for work done at the site of the Rose theatre.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 30 June 1989]: The fees paid to the Museum of London for work on the Rose theatre are a matter for English Heritage and Imry Merchant Developers plc.

  British Steel, Redcar
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on dust emissions from British Steel, Redcar.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: Control of emissions to atmosphere from British Steel, Redcar including dust are the responsibility of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. Standards are set and are currently being met. There have been a number of complaints about dust arising from stockpiles particularly in high wind conditions. Work is in hand to minimise such occurrences.

  Sewage Discharges (North-West)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the precise locations of each application made for derogation of sewage discharges in the north-west; if he will list also any other derogation currently in force in the north-west; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will state for each sewage derogation site currently approved or under consideration by his Department in the north-west (a) what improvement programmes for effluent at each location has been submitted, (b) what are the commencement and finishing dates for such improvement programmes and (c) what are the target levels for achievement of the improvement of effluent at the point of discharge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 30 June 1989]: I announced on 7 December 1988 at column 199, an accelerated capital investment programme of about £1 billion to bring sub-standard sewage treatment works into compliance with their discharge consents. Water authorities may apply for time-limited discharge consents to regularise the present discharge whilst these improvements are carried out.

  A list of the applications made for time-limited consents where improvements are planned has been placed in the Library. Details of these applications are on the register maintained by each water authority and are available for public inspection. The applications have also been advertised by the authorities concerned.

  In some cases improvements have already commenced and in others will commence shortly. In general, I expect the improvements to be completed, by March 1992, but in some cases because of the scale of design and construction work which is necessary, works will be completed as soon as practically possible thereafter.

  The time-limited consents will not permit deterioration in the current performance of these works and consent conditions no less stringent than those which currently apply will be reintroduced once the work is complete. The programme is expected to produce significant improvements in river quality both in the north-west and more generally.

  Details of all discharge consents, including any derogations currently in force, are available on the authority's public register.

  Property Revaluation
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 26 June,Official Report, column 347, he will state (a) whether draft
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  valuation lists deposited with charging authorities will be open to public inspection, and (b) what steps he will take to advise non-domestic ratepayers to ascertain the proposed new rateable values of their property; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  The draft rating lists which the valuation office is to deposit with charging authorities will be open to public inspection. Non-domestic ratepayers might be well advised to check their proposed rateable values, though they should of course bear in mind that their 1990–91 rate bill will also be affected by the introduction of a uniform poundage and, in many cases, by the transitional arrangements for phasing in the new system.

  Community Charge
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the estimated community charge, assuming the grant regime and expenditure current at the time, payable in each of the Somerset districts for the financial years 1988–89 and 1989–90; and what estimate he has for 1990–91 assuming no changes in grant regime or spending plans.

  Mr. Gummer
  Illustrative 1988–89 community charges were placed in the Library on 23 June 1988. These assumed that the total grant available was the same as with rates. Illustrative 1989–90 figures will be published in due course. The 1988–89 community charges, disregarding the effects of the transitional safety nets, are as follows:

  £

  Mendip

  209

  Sedgemoor

  222

  Taunton Deane

  211

  West Somerset

  214

  South Somerset

  214

NORTHERN IRELAND

  NW (Privatisation)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to appoint consultants to advise on the privatisation of the Northern Ireland Electricity.

  Mr. Viggers
  Steps are being taken at present to recruit a financial adviser. Consultants in other disciplines will be appointed as they are required.

  Payments for Debt
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing the total deductions made from(a) invalidity benefit, (b) child benefit, (c) widow's benefit, (d) supplementary benefit, (e) unemployment benefit, (f) sickness benefit and (g) retirement pensions in each year from 1979 to 1989 under the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 20 June 1989]: The information requested for the year 1989–90 is estimated as follows:

  Financial year 1989–90

  £'s

  Income support

  245,280·97

  Child benefit

  6,773·19

  Unemployment benefit

  6,553·67

  133

  Financial year 1989–90

  £'s

  Sickness benefit

  991·33

  Invalidity benefit

  46,862·64

  Retirement benefit

  29,805·48

  Widow's benefit

  14,660·93

  Severe disablement allowance (effective from April 1988)

  94·47

  For earlier years I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 October 1988 at column 137.

  The figures are not however directly comparable with the earlier figures because the effect from April 1988 the
  134
  major proportion of deductions from benefits against arrears of rent, rates, electricity and gas charges are made under the provisions of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (NI) 1987. The figures relate only to deductions, which have been made in 1988–89 under the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) 1971. The interim information given for 1988–89 in the answer on 25 October 1988 was compiled on the basis used in the years up to and including 1987–88 as the data had not at that stage been refined.

SCOTLAND

  Timber
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he can give details of the total value of Scottish timber sold in the last five years; and what was the value of timber products sold to English-based customers.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The total value, delivered at mill, of the timber harvested from Scottish forests during the five years to 31 March 1988 is estimated to be over £300 million at current prices. Some of this will have been delivered to English mills.

  It is estimated that over the same period Scottish manufacturers sold timber products worth about £7,000 million at current prices, made from both home-grown and imported timber. It is not known how much of this was sold to English-based customers.

  £ million

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1988–89

  Board

  Indicative level

  Payments

  Indicative level

  Payments

  Indicative level

  Payments

  Indicative level

  Payments (provisional)

  Argyll and Clyde

  0·273

  0·004

  0·284

  0·058

  0·295

  0·035

  0·308

  0·085

  Ayrshire and Arran

  0·227

  0·025

  0·237

  0·047

  0·246

  0·142

  0·257

  0·315

  Borders

  0·154

  0·273

  0·190

  0·097

  0·153

  0·103

  0·149

  0·085

  Dumfries and Galloway

  0·531

  0·469

  0·354

  0·283

  0·214

  0·112

  0·180

  0·168

  Fife

  0·540

  0·379

  0·331

  0·218

  0·301

  0·410

  0·285

  0·534

  Forth Valley

  0·404

  0·192

  0·473

  0·347

  0·421

  0·251

  0·221

  0·259

  Grampian

  0·507

  0·271

  0·522

  0·408

  0·621

  0·601

  0·511

  0·652

  Greater Glasgow

  0·795

  0·010

  0·832

  0·473

  0·873

  0·431

  0·897

  1·224

  Highland

  1·094

  0·626

  1·341

  1·222

  0·626

  0·517

  0·510

  0·379

  Lanarkshire

  0·437

  0·126

  0·440

  0·117

  0·424

  0·145

  0·402

  0·120

  Lothian

  0·533

  0·108

  0·481

  0·539

  0·486

  0·707

  0·509

  0·651

  Orkney

  0·015

  0·025

  0·015

  0·015

  0·015

  0·011

  0·015

  0·019

  Shetland

  0·015

  —

  0·016

  0·016

  0·017

  0·016

  0·017

  0·017

  Tayside

  0·313

  0·154

  0·396

  0·235

  0·368

  0·114

  0·361

  0·337

  Western Isles

  0·176

  0·192

  0·183

  0·150

  0·148

  0·140

  0·103

  0·075

  TOTAL

  6·014

  2·854

  6·095

  4·225

  5·208

  3·735

  4·725

  4·920

  General Practitioners (Disciplinary Measures)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the details of Scottish general practitioners who, in the last 10 years, have been in breach of their services and conditions and who have been subjected to disciplinary measures; and if he will list where they were in practice at the time and where they are in practice today.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 19 June 1989]: Complaints about practitioners who are in contract with health boards to provide general medical or dental services are dealt with through the service committee procedures set out in the National Health Service (Service Committee and Tribunal) (Scotland) Regulations 1974. Service committee procedures are not disciplinary measures as such, but provide for the investigation of complaints that practitioners may have breached the terms of service of their contract. These complaints cover a wide variety of

  EDRP Inquiry
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will make a statement on the outcome of the European demonstration reprocessing plant inquiry.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend is still considering the report of the public local inquiry into the proposed development and he is not yet in a position to predict a date for the announcement of his decision.

  Health Boards
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much money the Scottish Home and Health Department indicated it expected each health board to commit to support finance purposes in each year since 1985–86;

  (2) how much was spent by each Scottish health board for support finance purposes in each year since 1985–86.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is given in the table:

  cases, ranging from breaches which are of a minor or vicarious nature to significant failures by practitioners to comply with their terms of service.

  Since 1 January 1979, 98 general medical practitioners and 65 general dental practitioners in Scotland have been found to be in breach of their terms of service under the service committee procedures.

  It is not the normal practice to publish information about individual cases.

  Public Transport Accidents
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the number of notified accidents in each mode of public transport for each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 June 1989]: The available information on notified accidents is given in the following table. Casualty figures are also provided. The definitions of notified accidents differ by mode of transport, and footnotes describe the coverage.
  137

  Bus/coach

  Taxi

  Rail

  Glasgow Underground

  Ferry services

  Air

  (a) Number of accidents

  1984

  1,565

  627

  59

  n/a

  37

  7

  1985

  1,667

  614

  72

  n/a

  43

  4

  1986

  1,508

  711

  53

  49

  33

  7

  1987

  1,506

  674

  76

  55

  42

  6

  1988

  1,624

  670

  104

  52

  24

  3

  (b) Number of casualties

  1984

  2,047

  833

  111

  n/a

  37

  1

  1985

  2,274

  797

  69

  n/a

  43

  0

  1986

  2,065

  922

  54

  49

  33

  64

  1987

  2,047

  858

  40

  55

  42

  0

  1988

  2,119

  930

  23

  52

  24

  270

  Notes:

  Casualties: Include all fatal, serious and slight injury casualties.

  Bus and Taxi: Only injury accidents are notified centrally. Casualty numbers include casualties in other vehicles and pedestrians.

  Rail: Includes both passenger and normal freight services and covers all notified accidents, including non-injury accidents. 1984 includes the Polmont disaster.

  Glasgow Underground: Includes all accidents on the premises as well as trains.

  Air: All notified accidents over Scottish airspace and includes operations to gas and oil installations. 1986 includes the Chinook helicopter disaster and 1988 the Lockerbie air disaster.

  Contracts (Tendering)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how the costs of preparing an in-house bid for multi-service contracts either wholly or individually, within the health boards in Scotland, are assessed; and what advantage these in-house tenders have over that of a private contractor bidding for the same contract.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: No assessment of the cost of preparing an in-house bid is made for the purposes of comparing tenders which, whether in or out-house, are treated on an equal footing.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions an in-house tender has been awarded by health boards in Scotland for catering contracts where a private contractor submitted a lower tender, if he approved this action; if he will call upon the appropriate health board to reconsider its decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: Boards have reported two cases of a catering contract being awarded to an in-house team where a private contractor has submitted a lower bid. Boards report the circumstances of such an award, but there is no requirement for boards to seek the approval of the Secretary of State for such an action and no health board has been asked to reconsider its decison.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to draw the attention of health boards to Government policy on competitive tendering.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: Boards are already well aware of the Government's policy on competitive tendering and I do not propose to issue any additional advice at this time.

  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from private contractors regarding the award of multi-service contracts, either as a whole, or in part, within the National Health Service in Scotland; and what was his response.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: None.
  138
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what system operates in his Department to monitor in-house contracts which have been awarded within the National Health boards in Scotland, to ensure that the operations carried out are up to the prescribed conditions in the tender documents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: It is for health boards to monitor standards of performance in respect of contracts whether in or out-house.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure on community care grants for pensioners in the year 1988–89; and what was the average amount received by way of community care grant by each pensioner in receipt of income support.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Total community care grant expenditure on pensioners in 1988–89 was provisonally £7·217 million. The average size of award was £212.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure on single payments for pensioners in the year 1987–88; and what was the average amount received by way of single payments by each pensioner in receipt of supplementary benefit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Total single payment expenditure on pensioners in 1987–88 was £26 million. The average size of award was £62.

  Income Support
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis the personal allowance and premium rates in the income support applicable amounts are calculated.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  As a first step in setting the benefit levels, illustrative rates were constructed which delivered roughly the same amounts of money to various types of
  139
  claimants as they had been receiving under supplementary benefit. These were then adjusted up or down and the effects on claimants were studied using a computer model. The outcome of this process was the illustrative rates given in the technical annex to the 1985 White Paper. The personal allowance and premium rates for income support, on its introduction in April 1988, were obtained by a similar process using the latest statistics on numbers of beneficiaries and with adjustments to provide help towards the requirement to make a minimum contribution to domestic rates. Further adjustments have been made as part of this year's uprating.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he added a phrase to the Department of Social Security notification of award form which states that the applicable amount is the total amount that the law says you need to live on.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The current wording on the notice of assessment (form A 14N), which advises claimants how their income support is calculated, dates from the introduction of income support in April 1988.

  Widow's Benefit
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will investigate the case of Mrs. Christine Noden, JP, of 9 Wood crescent, Walton Stone, Staffordshire, and her entitlement to widow's benefit and request the relevant office in his Department to send forthwith a substantive reply following their last letter to her of 13 March.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Arrears of widow's benefit from 10 May 1988 and an explanatory letter were sent to Mrs. Noden on 30 June 1989.

  Severe Disablement Allowance
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the Doncaster and Mexborough area of South Yorkshire receive severe disablement allowance; and what are the comparable figures for(a) five years ago and (b) 10 years ago.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information is not available in the precise form requested. Severe disablement allowance was introduced in November 1984 and figures for five and 10 years ago are not held.

  The table shows, at the latest date available, the numbers of severe disablement allowance claimants at the Department's local social security offices at Doncaster, East, Doncaster, West and Mexborough which serve the Don Valley constituency, although their boundaries are not conterminous.

  Date

  Doncaster East

  Doncaster West

  Mexborough

  31 May 1989

  721

  909

  233

  Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action. The figures quoted may include a small number of cases not actually in receipt of benefit. Data are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Community Care Grants
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing how much expenditure was allocated for community care grants in 140
  each local office in (a) 1988–89 and (b) 1989–90; and how much each local office over or underspent its budget for community care grants in 1988–89.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is available in the Library.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will introduce regulations to give immediate entitlement to the severe disability premium to people claiming income support whose doctor certifies that they have a medical condition which is terminal or which will last at least six months and which gives rise to substantial identifiable extra costs; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will introduce regulations to give immediate entitlement to the disability premium to people claiming income support whose doctor certifies that they have a medical condition which is terminal or which will last at least six months and which gives rise to significant identifiable extra costs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We are considering what action we might take to provide help for terminally ill people through an amendment of the rules governing the award of attendance allowance.

  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how he proposes to seek the views of disabled people in his forthcoming review of their benefits; when he expects to decide the terms of reference for that review; and whether he intends to appoint independent experts.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 3 July at column 7.

  Occupational Pensions
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will bring forward legislation to ensure that a spouse remaining at home can continue to have a share of the occupational pension of someone admitted to permanent residential or nursing home care who is in receipt of income support.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. An individual who enters permanent residential or nursing home care remains entitled to an occupational pension. Whether part of a member's pension may be commuted to provide pension for a spouse is a matter for determination in accordance with the rules of the scheme.

  Private Nursing Care (Claimants)
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, in view of the concern regarding the handling of residents' moneys by proprietors or staff in private residential or nursing homes, he will review his policy of not making income support payments direct to claimants' bank accounts.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The facility to have benefit paid directly into a bank account is restricted to beneficiaries paid by computer because a transfer of magnetic tapes is required to effect the payment to the bank. Income support is paid clerically in local social security offices and the direct payment facility cannot be made available at present.
  141
  However, it is anticipated that payment of income support will be computerised by the early 1990s and direct payment to bank accounts will then be offered as an option.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice his Department offers to income support claimants who are admitted temporarily to private residential or nursing care in meeting their liability for rates and other charges on their own homes when their personal expenses allowance is used up on meeting their residential costs.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Income support is available to help temporary and permanent residents of residential care and nursing homes meet the fees. People in homes temporarily can continue to receive housing benefit in respect of their own homes or can claim help with certain other housing costs such as mortgage interest, ground rent and service charges.

  Mr. David Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy regarding the handling of claims for income support from residents of private residential or nursing care where they are required to contribute non-returnable deposits, payments of one month's fees in advance or payments in advance of funeral costs.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Income support is available to help people in independent residential care homes and nursing homes meet the fees they have to pay on a weekly basis. However, the terms on which people enter homes are a matter between themselves and the home's proprietors.

  Benefit is not paid until the claimant is resident in the home but claims for help with fees can be made up to one month in advance. Income support is not available to meet deposits or funeral costs.

  Social fund funeral payments are available subject to a capital limit, to people who are responsible, for the cost of a funeral and who are receiving income support, family credit, housing benefit or community charge rebate at the time of claim. They cannot be paid in advance.

  Mr. David Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy regarding the realisation of the sale of the former home of an applicant for income support in private residential care where such a sale would render the resident's previous carer homeless.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Owners of property should be able to receive the full benefit of the capital invested in their former homes before looking to public funds for their support. However, claimants for income support are not required to realise that property when it is occupied by a partner, or by a relative who is aged 60 or over or is incapacitated. Carers who occupy the claimant's former home in any of these circumstances will gain from these concessions. We are continuing to monitor the effects of this policy.

  Mr. David Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether the nearest relatives of income support claimants in private residential or nursing care can refuse requests to top up the claimants' fees for care where the claimants' total income does not meet the full costs of care provided;

  (2) which agency is responsible for meeting the difference between the fees for private residential and
  142
  nursing care and the total income of an income support claimant when their resources fall short of the costs of residence.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Income support is available to help people in independent homes meet the fees. The level of fees charged in private homes and the way fees are paid are matters wholly between proprietors and residents, or people acting on residents' behalf. Local authorities can meet a shortfall where people under pension age are in residential care homes, and local and health authorities can meet the full cost of care in certain circumstances.

  Personal Pensions
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people had taken out a personal pension up to 5 April; and how many have done so subsequently.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Almost 3·4 million people took out a personal pension before the end of 1988–89 tax year, and about 17,000 have done so subsequently.

  National Insurance
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the most recent estimate of the cost to the national insurance fund of the 2 per cent. inducement under sections 1 and 7, respectively, of the Social Security Act 1986 in 1989–90; and how much of the cost relates to contributions in respect of 1987–88 and 1988–89, respectively.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Precise information is not yet available on the number of persons who will be eligible for incentive payments in 1989–90. The latest estimate is that incentive payments paid in 1989–90 will be £920 million, of which £370 million relates to 1987–88 and £550 million to 1988–89.

  Source: Government Actuary's Department.

  Agency Status
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish details of the surveys carried out prior to the publication of the report which proposed agency status for much of his Department.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There were no surveys carried out specifically in relation to the production of the agency study report. The study team which produced the report did, however, draw on existing survey material and numerous other sources. The methodology of the team is listed in annex B of the report which is available in the Library.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to introduce the over-18 rate of housing benefit for under-18s; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On 10 July 1989.

  Benefits
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish in the Official Report a revised version of the table in leaflet AB11 of net incomes

  143
  qualifying for help with National Health Service costs, including examples of persons receiving attendance allowance, mobility allowance, or invalidity benefit; and whether he will insert a correction slip in leaflet AB11 giving similar examples.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 12 June 1989]: A revised version of the table would be as follows:

  Single people without children

  If receiving attendance allowance, mobility allowance or invalidity benefit

  £

  £

  Under 18

  20·80

  34·50

  18 to 24

  27·40

  41·10

  25 and over

  34·90

  48·60

  60 to 79

  46·10

  48·60

  80 and over

  48·60

  48·60

  Couples without children

  If one of the couple is receiving one of the above benefits

  £

  £

  Both under 18

  41·60

  61·10

  At least one of the couple 18 or over

  54·80

  74·30

  At least one of the couple aged 60 to 79

  71·85

  74·30

  At least one over age 80

  74·30

  74·30

  Lone parents

  If the parent is receiving one of the above benefits

  £

  £

  Under 18

  31·20

  41·00

  18 and over

  45·30

  55·10

  Couples with children

  If one of the couple is receiving one of the above benefits

  £

  £

  Both under 18

  48·10

  67·60

  At least one of the couple 18 or over

  61·30

  80·80

  Breakdown of Contributory Benefit Expenditure

  Breakdown of net contributions3 (per week)

  £ billion

  Percentage share

  Pre·October 1989

  Post·October 1989

  £

  £

  Retirement pensions1

  20,766

  73·2

  16·00

  14·13

  Widow's Benefits

  930

  3·3

  0·72

  0·64

  Unemployment, incapacity and other benefits

  5,160

  18·2

  3·98

  3·51

  Other2

  566

  2·0

  0·44

  0·39

  Administration

  960

  3·4

  0·74

  0·66

  TOTAL

  28,382

  100

  21·87

  19·33

  1 Including Christmas bonus and earnings-related benefits.

  2 Including Industrial Injuries benefits and Maternity Allowance.

  3 A man on average male earnings in assumed to earn £275·10 a week in 1989–90. On the basis of the current NIC system in force until October 1989 he will pay £24·76 a week if he is not contracted-out of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme(SERPS). £2·89 of the £24·76 is allocated

  144

  Children

  £

  To the amount shown above that applies to you, add one of the following amounts for each additional child in your family:

  Under 11

  11·75

  11 to 15

  17·35

  16 to 17, doing a full-time further education course not above A-level or equivalent standard

  20·80

  18 and over, doing a full-time further education course not above A-level or equivalent standard

  27·40

  Add a further £6·50 for any child who is getting attendance allowance or mobility allowance.

  Such a table would still not cover people who qualify for a disability premium on other grounds, nor reflect that some people receiving attendance allowance may qualify for the severe disability premium. The Department is considering, with the Department of Health, how best to clarify the position for all those who may be affected, in the light of the effect on the existing table of forthcoming changes in the income support pensioner premiums.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what benefits are covered by the payment of national insurance contributions; what percentage of the total sum is each one, assuming the person is on average weekly wage; and what percentage of each benefit is covered by taxation.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 13 June 1989]: National insurance contributions, less the allocation to the National Health Service, are paid into the national insurance fund, which pays for all contributory benefits. These include: retirement pension including the Christmas bonus and the earnings-related additional component, widow's benefits and industrial injuries benefits. National insurance contribution rates are fixed each year to balance very broadly contributions into and benefit expenditure out of the fund; they are not fixed by adding up components relevant to the cost of each benefit. Assuming the abolition of the Treasury supplement from April 1989 the fund will receive no income from taxation. Entitlement to the state earnings-related part of the retirement pension is fixed by reference to the movement of earnings since the year in which the relevant contributions were made.

  In 1989–90 the share of breakdown of contributory benefit expenditure, and the remaining information is expected to be as follows:
  145

  to the National Health Service, giving a net contribution to the National Insurance Fund of £21·87 a week. Under the system that will operate from October 1989 the not contracted out contribution will be £21·75 of which £2·44 will be allocated to the NHS leaving a net contribution of £19·31 to the Fund. These net figures are further broken down by reference to the percentage shares quoted in the table. (Components do not add to the totals because of rounding).

  Disability
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report a table equivalent to table 2·15 of the second report of the surveys of disability in Great Britain by the Office of

  Working status of adults under pension age by sex and region: Disabled adults and general population

  Percentage

  Proportion of adults under pension age who are working

  Disabled adults

  General population

  Men

  Women

  All

  Men

  Women

  All

  North

  20

  21

  21

  68

  52

  60

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  29

  25

  28

  76

  57

  66

  North West

  28

  32

  30

  72

  53

  62

  East Midlands

  44

  31

  38

  81

  63

  72

  West Midlands

  28

  28

  28

  73

  54

  64

  East Anglia

  52

  29

  42

  86

  64

  75

  Greater London

  42

  38

  40

  82

  63

  73

  South East1

  46

  38

  42

  87

  63

  75

  South West

  38

  27

  34

  86

  59

  73

  Wales

  24

  17

  21

  75

  57

  66

  Scotland

  25

  20

  23

  77

  59

  68

  1 Except Greater London.

  Source: Disabled adults-OPCS Survey of Disability (data collected in 1985).

  General Population-1985 Family Expenditure Survey.

  Notes:

  1. The data are obtained from sample surveys and are subject to sampling error. Sampling errors on results broken down by regions are considerably larger than those in the original, national table. (Table 2.15 in the second report of the OPCS surveys of disability: "The financial circumstances of disabled adults living in private households").

  2. Further breakdown of the data shown in the table is not possible: sample numbers are too smal for the figures to be statistically reliable.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report a table equivalent to table 5.4 of the second report of the surveys of disability in Great Britain by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, indicating the average

  Average equivalent resources of disabled adults compared with average equivalent income of the general population, by region (£ per week)

  Disabled Adults

  General Population

  Non pensioner family units

  Pensioner family units

  All family units

  Non pensioner family units

  Pensioner family units

  All family units

  (Average Equivalent Resources)

  (Average Equivalent Income)

  North

  97·40

  79·00

  87·30

  118·10

  88 00

  110·70

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  87·30

  77·60

  81·50

  121·10

  95·30

  113·70

  North West

  84·50

  80·20

  81·80

  122·40

  83·20

  113·40

  East Midlands

  91·00

  77·60

  82·90

  130·60

  94·00

  121·30

  West Midlands

  83·60

  88·20

  86·30

  124·20

  83·30

  114·50

  East Anglia

  89·60

  78·20

  82·00

  144·90

  92·10

  131·50

  Greater London

  100·00

  88·80

  92·60

  165·80

  96·40

  149·20

  South East1

  99·50

  85·20

  90·10

  152·10

  107·60

  141·70

  South West

  102·20

  90·0

  94·60

  140·20

  87·80

  126·50

  Wales

  88·60

  83·40

  85·50

  136·70

  107·00

  128·30

  Scotland

  84·70

  83·40

  84·00

  134·50

  90·60

  124·00

  1 Except Greater London

  Sources:

  Disabled adults — OPCS Survey of Disability (data collected in 1985).

  General population — 1985 Family Expenditure Survey.

  Notes:

  1. The data are obtained from sample surveys and are subject to sampling error. Sampling errors on results broken down by regions are considerably larger than those in the original, national table. (Table 5.4 in the second report of the OPCS surveys of disability: "The financial circumstances of disabled adults living in private households").

  2. Further breakdown of the data shown in the table is not possible: sample numbers are too small for the figures to be statistically reliable.
  146
  Population Censuses and Surveys indicating the working status of disabled adults under pension age in each English region, Scotland and Wales.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 14 June 19891: The information requested is as follows:

  equivalent resources of disabled adults compared with the average equivalent income of the general population in each English region, Scotland and Wales.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 14 June 1989]: The information requested is as follows:

HEALTH

  Medical Staff (Pay)
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the percentage increase in average earnings since May 1979, to the latest date for which figures are available of(a) doctors, (b) nurses, and (c) medical scientific officers.

  Mr. Mellor
  The following is the information:

  Average earnings

  Medical Practitioners

  Nurses and Midwives

  Percentage increase

  April 1980—April 1988

  211·2

  195·0

  Notes:

  Source: New Earnings Survey 1988.

  2. Directly comparable data is not available for National Health Service scientific officers.

  3. Earnings are for employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was not affected by absence.

  4. The figures do not include increases paid from 1 April 1988.

  5. Medical practitioners include hospital medical staff, consultants and community physicians as well as general practitioners.

  6. Nurses and midwives figure is based on earnings of female staff (currently 90 per cent. of nurses).

  Wheelchairs
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy that in the event of a successful pilot study he will make additional money available to the Disablement Services Authority for the provision of battery powered indoor-outdoor wheelchairs.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Disablement Services Authority is financing the present pilot study from within its present resources. If the authority concludes that additional resources are needed it will no doubt justify such a request to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State which will be considered in the public expenditure survey process.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he is giving to alternative uses of available resources to fund care for frail, elderly people.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have already published our proposals for the organisation of health services in the White Paper "Working for Patients". The pattern of care for frail elderly people will evolve over the next few years as these proposals are implemented. We will announce our proposals for future policies on community care, following Sir Roy Griffiths' report "Community Care—An Agenda for Action" before the recess.

  Live Births (Hemel Hempstead)
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of live births in St. Paul's hospital, Hemel Hempstead, in each of the last four calendar years.

  Mr. Freeman
  The available information is given in the table. 1986 is the latest year for which information is available centrally.
  148
  Live births occurring at St. Pauls Wing, Hemel Hempstead General Hospital, 1983–86.

  Year

  Live births

  1983

  1 145

  1984

  1,080

  1985

  1,096

  1986

  1,136

  Family Practitioner Committees
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his reply of 14 June,Official Report, column 424, what is the rationale of replacing chairmen of family practitioner committees who have long service on that committee with chairmen who have no service on that committee.

  Mr. Mellor
  It has been our policy to recruit a proportion of new chairmen for family practitioner committees at each biennial appointments round. A total of 25 new chairmen were appointed as part of the 1989 round and a further 29 existing chairmen were re-appointed. The two vacancies referred to in my earlier reply have since been filled by Mr. D. Kleeman (Enfield and Haringey) and Mr. L. G. Knox (Redbridge and Waltham Forest) who are lay persons new to service in FPCs. The 36 other chairmanships had previously been made for a period—in most cases of four years—ending on 31 March 1991. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on a decision relating to a particular chairmanship.

  Death Statistics
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from infectious diseases; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provisional figure for the number of people who died from infectious diseases in 1988 is 2,733.

  The Government are pursuing a number of measures to reduce this rate of mortality and, in particular, are taking action to ensure that immunisation uptake rates increase.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from food poisoning; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provisional estimate for the number of deaths in 1988 associated with food poisoning is 62. The Government's commitment to a comprehensive range of measures on food safety was made again in the Opposition day debate on 21 June at columns 342–90.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from sexually related diseases; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provisional estimate of the number of people who died from sexually related diseases (excluding AIDS) in 1988 is 32.

  To improve the treatment and prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases the Government have made available extra resources for the upgrading of genito-urinary clinics.
  149
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from smoking-related diseases; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Mellor
  It is estimated that at least 110,000 people died from smoking-related diseases in Great Britain in 1987. The Government's health education programme is designed to inform people about the risks of smoking and to encourage them to give up the habit. The system of voluntary agreements with the tobacco industry provides controls over the advertising and promotion of cigarettes and has resulted in a reduction of average cigarette tar yields from 21mg in 1972 to 13mg now. In January of this year the Prime Minister announced a major new teenage smoking campaign, aimed specifically at teenagers, which will cost over £2 million per year for the next three years.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from alcohol-related diseases; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provisional figure for deaths where the underlying cause was alcohol dependence, non-dependent abuse of alcohol, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis and toxic effect of alcohol for 1988 in England, Wales and Scotland is 3,933.

  Government action to tackle health and social alcohol-related harm is co-ordinated by the ministerial group on alcohol misuse. Action taken by the group is set out in its first annual report, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from heart diseases; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  The latest provisional figure for 1988 for the number of people who died from heart disease in Great Britain is 202,000.

  The risk of heart disease can be lessened by changes in lifestyle. Together with the Health Education Authority, the Department is supporting and developing the "Look After Your Heart" campaign as an ongoing initiative to combat the high level of heart disease in England. "Look After Your Heart" has two main aims—to increase awareness about the risk of heart disease and to encourage people to avoid it; and to provide practical help with regard to a healthy diet, stopping smoking, taking more exercise and making other changes to the way they live.

  Much other work is going on, particularly to discourage smoking—which is a key factor in causing heart disease—and excessive consumption of alcohol. Under changes to general practitioners' terms of service, they will be required to offer patients regular check-ups and personal advice on health issues, including those directly related to heart disease.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from drugs and from drug-related diseases; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provisional figure for deaths where the underlying cause was drug dependence and 150
  non-dependent abuse of drugs is 221 for 1988 in England, Wales and Scotland. The Government are actively pursuing a wide-ranging strategy to reduce the supply of and the demand for drugs.

  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of British people who die each year from cancer; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  Cancer was registered as the primary cause of death of 160,661 people in the United Kingdom in 1987. The incidence of cancer increases with age, and the death rate tends to reflect the increasing age of the population. The goal of the Europe Against Cancer programme, which the Government are supporting, is to reduce the number of cancer deaths in the Community projected for the year 2000 by 15 per cent. This is being taken forward through programmes of public and professional information on prevention and detection, the evaluation and implementation of screening techniques, and through the co-ordination of research into the causes and treatment of cancer. It is also important to acknowledge the progress made by the Health Service and voluntary organisations in lengthening the survival and improving the care and support of people who eventually die from cancer. The Government will continue to encourage them to achieve the highest possible standards in this field.

  Private Nursing Homes
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any proposals to enable district health authorities or local authorities to top up the financial contributions that residents in private residential or nursing care pay towards the costs of their care where the residents concerned have entered private care because the authorities cannot provide such care.

  Mr. Mellor
  In his report on community care, Sir Roy Griffiths made recommendations for the future funding of patients in private nursing and residential care homes. We are considering these and will bring forward our proposals before the summer recess.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce provisions for a right to stay in private residential or nursing home care for residents whose financial resources are no longer sufficient to meet their residential fees.

  Mr. Mellor
  No. The arrangements for people living in a private residential care or nursing home are for the proprietor and the individual concerned. Statutory services remain as an alternative source of care.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take action to deal with the practice of private residential and nursing homes charging for extras over and above their quoted fees and imposing such charges after people have been in residence for a considerable time;

  (2) what is his policy on allowing private residential and nursing homes to obtain medical requisites from the National Health Service and selling them to residents at a profit.

  Mr. Freeman
  The level of fees in private nursing or residential care homes is a matter for the proprietor and
  151
  the patient and not something on which we would wish to intervene. However we would expect the fees to cover all necessary services, including medical requisites. It makes sense for proprietors to buy requisites at the best possible price and for the patient to share in any consequent savings.

  Mr. David Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he is taking to ensure that the full hospital discharge procedure, outlined in his Department's draft circular issued during early 1988, is followed when hospitals are discharging patients into private residential or nursing homes;

  (2) what guidance his Department offers to authorities in relation to patients discharged from hospitals whose only option on discharge is to enter private residential or nursing care which they cannot afford;

  (3) what rights an individual patient who is being discharged from hospital care has to dispute his allocation to private residential or nursing care;

  (4) who is responsible for arranging the care of a patient whom a hospital consultant states must be discharged but needs continuing 24-hour care.

  Mr. Freeman
  Circular HC(89)5 which was issued to health authorities in February 1989, together with a booklet "Discharge of Patients from Hospital" emphasised that proper arrangements should be made for any necessary continuing care before patients are discharged from hospital. Arrangements, including care in a private residential or nursing home, should be made in good time and be acceptable to the patient and his/her relatives or carers. No NHS patient should be placed in a private nursing or residential care home against his/her wishes if it means that she or he will be personally responsible for the home's charges. Future responsibility for care will be a matter for local arrangement.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information he has on the percentage fall in the number of people having eye tests since charges for tests were introduced in April;

  (2) what is the average amount that opticians now charge for eye tests; and what information he has on the number of optometrists who absorb the cost in their charges for treatment.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not yet have information either on the number of people having sight tests or on the current level of charges. We expect to have some information later in the year when the market is more stable.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to date of advertisements to encourage people to have eye tests; whether he has any plans to redirect future advertising costs to the reduction in cost to patients of eye tests; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We agreed early last year to participate with the optical profession in an eye care awareness campaign and we contributed £0·25 million. There is no provision for any funds for further advertising and therefore no re-directing of funds can be considered.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the difference in cost between a patient being seen in hospital as an outpatient, and being seen by an optometrist, for eye tests.
  152
  Mr. Mellor
  A fee of £10·40 is paid to ophthalmic opticians and £8·69 to ophthalmic medical practitioners for an NHS sight test. We do not collect figures centrally for sight tests undertaken as part of treatment in NHS hospitals.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what savings have resulted from the introduction of eye test charges;

  (2) whether the introduction of eye tests has resulted in a saving to public funds.

  Mr. Mellor
  We estimate that the introduction of sight test charges will result in a saving of some £70 million this financial year.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there has been an increase in the number of patients referred to hospital ophthalmology departments for eye tests since the introduction of charges for eye tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not yet have this information centrally.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the consistency of health checks in respect of food and food products in each member state of the European Community; and what steps he will take to ensure that the public of the United Kingdom is protected during the approach to the integrated single European market and after its completion.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government are wholly supportive of the need for a European-wide food safety policy. We have been a party to the agreement on five "framework" directives on food labelling, additives, food for particular nutritional use, materials and articles in contact with food and official inspection. This last is very relevant because it will require food for export to another member state to be inspected in the same way as food intended for consumption within the member state. More importantly, it will be backed by a proposed directive on food hygiene with the aim of harmonising standards. Even with completion of the single market, the United Kingdom will be able to take action on the ground of public health either under article 36 of the treaty of Rome or guarantees provided under the relevant directive.

  Aside from legislation, the Government participate in a number of Europe-wide committees and working groups established to deal with specific food safety issues.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make it his policy that controls over food for human consumption should continue to come under the care of environmental health officers; and whether he will press the European Community to recognise this approach.

  Mr. Freeman
  Environmental health officers, trading standards officers, veterinary officers and meat inspectors all enforce controls over food for human consumption. Within the European Community the British Government are continuing to make representation when appropriate.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will press for the incorporation into European
  153
  Community directives and regulations of recognition that the work of environmental health officers in the United Kingdon is geared towards food safety and food hygiene.

  Mr. Freeman
  Apart from veterinary directives, community legislation to date has not specified the professionals required to enforce EC directives.

  Embryo Experimentation
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the Bill on embryo experimentation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  It remains our intention to introduce legislation on human fertilisation and embryology during this Parliament. There will be a free vote on alternative draft clauses on human embryo research, one banning such research completely, the other permitting it under strict controls.

  Project 2000
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to change the grants system for student nurses under Project 2000 into a top-up loans scheme, should the latter proceed for students in higher education.

  Mr. Mellor
  Bursary levels for Project 2000 students will he kept under review in the light of recruitment and retention trends and future changes in student income support arrangements, including loans.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in relation to the grants system for student nurses under Project 2000, he will list the projected numbers of students, and costs of the grants, with administrative costs itemised separately for each of the first 10 years of operation of the scheme.

  Mr. Mellor
  This information is not available. Thirteen demonstration districts have received approval from the Department to run Project 2000 training from the autumn of 1989. The number of students at any one time, the cost of the grants, and administrative costs will depend on a number of factors including the rate of implementation of Project 2000 in England. No decisions have yet been taken on this.

  Health Authority Staff
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each regional health authority, special health authority and district health authority in England for 1987, the numbers of staff in the following groups(a) medical and dental, (b) nursing and midwifery, (c) administrative and clerical, (d) ancillary, (e) other employees and (f) total employees, expressed in terms of (i) the actual number of employees and (ii) wholetime equivalents.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 28 April 1989]: The information requested has now been placed in the Library.

  Pharmaceutical Prices
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, in view of the publication by the European Bureau of Consumer Unions of comparative drug costs in European Community states, he has anything to add to his answer of 26 January,Official Report, column 712.
  154
  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 29 June 1989]: I have nothing of substance to add to my response to the earlier question to which my hon. Friend refers. The latest analysis of prices by the European Bureau of Consumer Unions, which I understand updates the material in an earlier study by the same organisation, is the most recent in a series of such studies by various organisations produced over several years which have generally indicated a similar pattern of overall price differentials for pharmaceutical products in the different member states of the European Community.

  Ostomists
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients" will result in any disincentive for doctors to have ostomists on their lists; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: The scheme will be structured to take full account of the fact that some patients, such as ostomists, may need potentially high cost treatment. Indicative prescribing budgets will fully reflect these costs and there will be no disincentive to GPs to accept such patients on their lists.

  Ostomy Appliances
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients" will result in any restriction on the provision of ostomy appliances; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: No. Decisions about the provision of appliances for ostomy patients will remain a matter for the clinical and professional judgment of the medical and nursing staff working with the patient.

  Nurses
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district appeals against the clinical regrading of nurses had been heard by 30 April; how many were still waiting to be heard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: We do not hold this information centrally.

  Birmingham Family Practitioner Committee
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he will list in the Official Report the parliamentary constituencies used by the Birmingham family practitioner committee for the purpose of assessing whether there are enough general practitioners in a particular area;

  (2) which areas in the city of Birmingham are currently classified as restricted by the medical practices committee.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: The practice area classifications used by the Birmingham family practitioner committee are based on the 1974 parliamentary divisions for the city of Birmingham. These are: Edgbaston, Erdington, Hall Green, Handsworth, Ladywood, Northfield, Perry Barr, Selly Oak, Small Heath, Sparkbrook, Stechford, Sutton Coldfield and Yardley. Of these, Erdington, Small Heath and Yardley are classified as restricted.

  Overseas Residents (Medical Records)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the medical records of persons intending to reside overseas for up to a year(a) can be transferred to their doctor in the country they are living in temporarily and (b) can be made available to the persons concerned for them to pass to their doctor on arrival; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: When people go abroad for more than three months the medical records held by their family doctor are returned to their local family practitioner committee. Most doctors are willing to provide a summary of a patient's relevant medical history for the patient to take to the new doctor overseas. However, they are not required to do this and they may make a charge.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Staff
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many right hon. and hon. Members regularly pay staff via the Fees Office; how many staff employees of Members are paid via the Fees Office; and how many contracts of employment of Members' staff have been lodged with the Fees Office.

  Mr. Wakeham
  As at 30 June 1989, the figures were 612, 1,287 and 709 respectively.

  Members' Cafeteria
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make the Members' Cafeteria a non-smoking area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No. Smoking restrictions have already been introduced in Refreshment Department outlets 156
  where they are practicable. It is intended to make further significant improvements in respect of non-smoking areas once the additional facilities in phase I of the new parliamentary buildings are in operation. Until that time the Catering Sub-Committee considers that it would be inappropriate to impose a complete ban on smoking in the Members' Cafeteria and impossible to introduce any non-smoking section within it.

  Re-cycled Paper
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he has any plans to seek to ensure that all paper used in the House, including stationery available for hon. Members, is made from re-cycled paper.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Many of the stationery items supplied to the House are already made from re-cycled material. The Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee is fully aware of the need to increase the use of re-cycled paper at every suitable opportunity and has instructed the authorities of the House and HMSO to keep it informed of any significant developments, particularly any that might enable the first-class stationery used by right hon. and hon. Members to be made from re-cycled material.

  Clergy (Ordination) Measure
  Mr. Alison
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will authorise the placing in the Vote Office of supporting documents relevant to the Clergy (Ordination) Measure.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Vote Office already has copies of those parliamentary documents relevant to this measure and will issue them on demand.

  The Library will accept, for reference purposes, other supporting documents which might be considered to be appropriate.

  GLOBAL WARMING: AFRC RESEARCH
  GLOBAL WARMING: AFRC RESEARCH
  SSSI SYSTEM: EFFECTIVENESS
  SSSI SYSTEM: EFFECTIVENESS
  HOUSING ACTION TRUSTS
  HOUSING ACTION TRUSTS
  AIRPORT POLICING
  AIRPORT POLICING
  BBC TELEVISION: NIGHT HOURS
  BBC TELEVISION: NIGHT HOURS
  TERRESTRIAL BROADCASTING TRANSMISSION: PRIVATISATION
  TERRESTRIAL BROADCASTING TRANSMISSION: PRIVATISATION
  INDEPENDENT RADIO: LICENCE ALLOCATION
  INDEPENDENT RADIO: LICENCE ALLOCATION