Written Answers of 5 July 1989

DEFENCE

  Marconi
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Marconi or associate company defence contracts are the subject of inquiries by Ministry of Defence police or the special fraud office where charges have not yet been brought;

  (2) what inquiries are being undertaken into supply of sonar equipment, radar, J-Tids and the management of Marconi by his Department, including Ministry of Defence police.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Inquiries are being made into a number of allegations and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage; the work of the serious fraud office is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which contracts between his Department and Marconi or its associate companies moneys have been repaid following upon past costing or inquiries by civil servants.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Information relating to the Ministry's dealings with individual companies on post-costing activity or related inquiries is subject to commercial confidentiality.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the United Kingdom annual defence procurement budget was spent with Marconi and its associate companies in each year since 1986.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Payments made to the Marconi Co. Ltd. in respect of headquarters contracts in each of the three years since 1986 represent the following proportions of the United Kingdom annual defence procurement budget:

  Year

  Per cent.

  1986–87

  7·0

  1987–88

  7·1

  1988–89

  5·5

  F111 Aircraft
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the safety records of the F111E and the F111A aircraft based at RAF Upper Heyford.

  Mr. Neubert
  The current safety records of the F111E and the EF111A, to which I assume my hon. Friend refers, are comparable to those of any combat aircraft in the 158
  United States air force inventory. There have been no accidents involving EF111A from RAF Upper Heyford and only one accident involving an F111E from RAF Upper Heyford in the 1980s. That was in 1984 when an aircraft suffered a bird strike while on a training flight in Scotland. Both crew members ejected safely.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Fair Trading (Report)
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he intends to publish the report by the Director General of Fair Trading for the year 1988.

  Mr. Forth
  The 15th annual report by the Director General of Fair Trading has been published today. It covers the period from 1 January 1988 to 31 December 1988. Copies of the report have been laid before Parliament.

  Coats Viyella
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what public financial assistance has been paid to Coats Viyella in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Information on payments of Government financial assistance to individual companies is commercially confidential except to the extent that it has been published in British Business under standing arrangements. The following information has been published in British Business on financial assistance to Coats Viyella since it was incorporated in April 1986:

  £

  Payments of RDG I

  Nil

  Payments of RDG II

  Nil

  Offers of RSA

  1500,000

  Offers of Section 8 assistance

  Nil

  1 Published in 1987.

  This information relates to Coats Viyella plc: information on assistance paid or offered to its subsidiary companies could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Consumer Credit
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make a statement on changes to the regime for regulating consumer credit.

  Mr. Maude
  I have today signed new regulations relating to consumer credit advertisements and quotations and I have also signed a commencement order under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 relating to the licensing of consumer credit businesses.

  The new Consumer Credit (Advertisements) Regulations will come into force on 1 February 1990. The regulations have been substantially simplified. This should be a major benefit to both traders and enforcement bodies. At the same time, additional safeguards for consumers have been provided, including a warning about the risk of loss of the borrower's home in the event of default on a secured loan and about the risks of foreign currency

  159
  mortgages. The new regulations relating to consumer credit quotations will bring them into line with the advertisement regulations.

  Consumer credit trade associations, consumer bodies and enforcement authorities were consulted at every stage of the revision.

  The commencement order under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 will bring the licensing provisions of the Act into force for individuals, partnerships and other unincorporated businesses which have, until now, been exempt from the Act if they dealt exclusively in loans of £30 or less. From 31 July, it will be an offence to carry on such a business without having applied to the Director General of Fair Trading for a consumer credit licence.

  The exemption from licensing was originally intended to reduce the burden on very small firms, but is of little practical benefit to legitimate businesses because there are few businesses which make loans only for amounts of less than £30 and which are not covered by one of the other exemptions from licensing requirement. However, the £30 exemption has proved a significant obstacle to enforcement bodies such as local authority trading standards officers. Not only do they have to prove that the trader has been engaged in moneylending, but that at least some of his agreements have been for sums of more than £30.

  Traders who apply to the Director General of Fair Trading for a licence by 31 July will be able to continue to carry on this category of business as they will be deemed to be licensed until the licence application has been finally determined.

  Credit brokerage businesses that are carried on by an individual, partnership or unincorporated body and that introduce customers to a source of credit exclusively for sums not exceeding £30 are still exempt from licensing.

  Diesel Fuels
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to introduce quality specifications for diesel fuels on the lines of those operated in the United States of America.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I have been asked to reply. None. On behalf of the European Commission, the European Central Standards Organisation (CEN) is now working on a quality specification for diesel fuels within the Community.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  VAT
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the rates of value added tax charged in each European country for (i) food in shops, (ii) food in restaurants, (iii) books, (iv) magazines, (v) newspapers, (vi) household fuel, (vii) rents, (viii) house purchase, (ix) children's clothing and (x) parish hall or community centres.

  Mr. Lilley
  The information available for each EC member state is set out in the following tables:
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  1. Food in shops1

  Country

  Rate per cent.

  Belgium

  6·0

  Denmark

  22·0

  France

  25·5

  Germany

  7·0

  Greece

  6·0

  Ireland

  30·0

  Italy

  44·0,9·0

  Luxembourg

  53·0,6·0

  Netherlands

  6·0

  Portugal

  60·0,8·0, (6·0)

  Spain

  6·0

  United Kingdom

  70·0

  1 Excluding luxury foods.

  2 With certain exceptions, e.g. sweets, ice-cream, margarine which are standard rated at 18·6 per cent.

  3 Alcohol and soft drinks other than fruit juices are liable at 25 per cent, in all circumstances, as is all food and drink supplied through a vending machine.

  4 The lower rate applies to essential foodstuffs such as bread, pasta and fish.

  5 The lower rate applies to meat, meat products, bread and butter.

  6 The rate shown in brackets applies to the autonomous regions of the Madeira and Azores archipelagos. The zero rate applies to unprepared foodstuffs.

  7 With certain exceptions including ice-cream, chocolates and similar confectionery, alcoholic and soft drinks, potato crisps and similar products and pet foods.

  2. Food in restaurants

  Country

  Rate per cent.

  Belgium

  17·0

  Denmark

  22·0

  France

  18·6

  Germany

  14·0

  Greece

  1—

  Ireland

  10·0

  Italy

  29·0

  Luxembourg

  6·0

  Netherlands

  6·0

  Portugal

  38·0 (6·0)

  Spain

  46·0, 12·0

  United Kingdom

  15·0

  1 Greece has set its VAT rates at 6 per cent., 18 per cent., and 36 per cent., but full details about the applicability of the rates are not yet available.

  2 Excluding the supply of food in luxury premises including luxury hotels.

  3 Lower rates apply in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira archipelagos.

  4 The higher rate applies to services supplied in luxury hotels.

  3. Books

  Country

  Rate per cent.

  Belgium

  6·0

  Denmark

  22·0

  France

  2·1

  Germany

  7·0

  Greece

  1—

  Ireland

  0·0

  Italy

  0·0

  Luxembourg

  6·0

  Netherlands

  6·0

  Portugal

  0·0

  Spain

  6·0

  United Kingdom

  0·0

  1 Information not available.

  161

  4. Newspapers

  Country

  Rate per cent.

  Belgium

  0·0

  Denmark

  0·0

  France

  2·1

  Germany

  7·0

  Greece

  1—

  Ireland

  10·0

  Italy

  0·0

  Luxembourg

  6·0

  Netherlands

  6·0

  Portugal

  0·0

  Spain

  6·0

  United Kingdom

  0·0

  1 Information not available.

  5. Magazines

  Country

  Rate per cent.

  Belgium

  6·0

  Denmark

  22·0

  France

  2·1

  Germany

  7·0

  Greece

  1—

  Ireland

  25·0

  Italy

  0·0

  Luxembourg

  6·0

  Netherlands

  6·0

  Portugal

  0·0

  Spain

  6·0

  United Kingdom

  0·0

  1 Information not available.

  6. Household fuel

  Country

  Coal/peat/wood per cent.

  Oil per cent.

  Gas per cent.

  Electricity per cent.

  Belgium

  6·0

  17·0

  17·0

  17·0

  Denmark

  22·0

  22·0

  22·0

  22·0

  France

  18·6

  18·6

  5·5

  5·5

  Germany

  214·0

  14·0

  14·0

  14·0

  Greece1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Ireland

  10·0

  10·0

  10·0

  5·0

  Italy

  9·0

  9·0

  9·0

  9·0

  Luxembourg

  6·0

  6·0

  6·0

  6·0

  Netherlands

  18·5

  18·5

  18·5

  18·5

  Portugal

  8·0 (6·0)

  8·0 (6·0)

  8·0 (6·0)

  38·0 (6·0)

  Spain

  12·0

  12·0

  12·0

  12·0

  United Kingdom

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  1 Information not available.

  2 Wood is taxed at the reduced rate of 7 per cent.

  3 Lower rates apply in autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira archipelagos.

  Rent

  The letting of immovable property is exempt from VAT in every member state, although some member states operate an option to tax in certain circumstances.

  8. House purchase

  Country

  Rate on new buildings per cent.

  Rate on secondhand buildings per cent.

  Belgium

  17·0

  Exempt

  Denmark

  22·0

  Exempt

  France

  18·6

  Exempt

  Germany

  Exempt

  Exempt

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  Country

  Rate on new buildings per cent.

  Rate on secondhand buildings per cent.

  Greece1

  —

  —

  Ireland

  10·0

  2 Exempt

  Italy

  34·0, 19·0

  34·0, 19·0

  Luxembourg

  Exempt

  Exempt

  Netherlands

  18·5

  Exempt

  Portugal

  Exempt

  Exempt

  Spain

  412·0

  Exempt

  United Kingdom

  0·0

  Exempt

  1 Information not available.

  2 Or 10 per cent, if developed since 31 October 1972 and input tax credit was claimed.

  3 Certain "low-priced" housing 4 per cent., others 19 per cent.

  4 Or 6 per cent, if the first supply by a constructor of a residential dwelling.

  9. Children's Clothing

  Country

  Rate per cent.

  Belgium

  19·0

  Denmark

  22·0

  France

  18·6

  Germany

  14·0

  Greece

  16·0

  Ireland

  10·0

  Italy

  19·0

  Luxembourg

  12·0

  Netherlands

  18·5

  Portugal

  117·0, 12·0

  Spain

  12·0

  United Kingdom

  0·0

  1 Lower rate applies in the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira archipelagoes.

  10. Parish Hall or Community Centres
  Leasing of such buildings is exempt in all member states. For purchase (including construction), in other member states the rates in table 8 above generally apply. In the United Kingdom, the construction of new village halls and similar charitable community buildings will remain zero-rated, following clarification by the EC Commission of last year's judgment of the European Court of justice. The leasing of buildings is exempt unless the charities opt to tax the rents or unless the supply includes the admission to sports to other recreational facilities.

  Departmental Relocation
  Mr. Robert Sheldon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he is receiving for the relocation of activities in Government Departments.

  Mr. Lawson
  [holding answer 4 July 1989]: My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General informed the House on 9 February 1989, columns 751–52, that Departments' reports to the Treasury on their relocation reviews during the 1988 public expenditure survey had indicated over 34,000 Civil Service posts under review. Departments are reporting on the progress of their review programmes in the current survey, and my right hon. Friend will be making a further announcement after its conclusion.

  Ministers assess the relocation proposals of their own Departments, following Treasury guidelines, and announce their decisions accordingly.

  European Monetary System
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the consequences for economic policy of joining the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system at the current exchange rates.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 29 July 1989]: Maintenance of the exchange rate within the agreed limits would become a proximate objective of policy.

  British Pensioners (Canada)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider compensating British pensioners in Canada when a high differential between exchange rates exists.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. There are no provisions in the Social Security Acts which allow adjustments to be made when variations occur in exchange rates as between the United Kingdom and other countries. United Kingdom benefit rates are set at levels appropriate to beneficiaries who are in the United Kingdom and it would neither be practicable nor fair to expect the national insurance fund and the Department to meet the costs and administrative difficulties involved in making adjustments to meet the specific situation of pensioners who are living abroad, in some 170 countries, generally as a matter of choice.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Belfast/Dublin Euroroute
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to speed up the dualling of the main Belfast—Dublin Euroroute from the MI motorway as far as the land frontier with the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Approximately two thirds of the road between the M1 motorway and the border with the Republic of Ireland is already dual carriageway. It is planned to complete the dualling of the last remaining stretch of single carriageway between the M1 and Loughbrickland by May 1992. The Newry bypass, which is being constructed to single carriageway standard, should be completed by August 1994. The remaining stretches of single carriageway will be dualled as and where traffic flows warrant it.

  Roads Investment
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he proposes to take to improve investment in roads infrastructure in the Province along the lines of the proposals by the Secretary of State for Transport for England and Wales.

  Mr Needham
  In keeping with the Government's objective to maintain a sound roads infrastructure in Northern Ireland, I am allocating an additional £28 million for structural maintenance of the existing network over a three-year period. Appropriate priority is being given to the maintenance needs of the main inter-urban routes. We continue to develop the main road system through an annual programme of new construction schemes. In addition, major investment is planned in a new 164
  cross-harbour road link to improve traffic conditions in and around central Belfast. Funds have already been made available to enable land and property acquisition to proceed.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  St Helena (Ferry)
  Mr Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the circumstances surrounding the Overseas Development Administration involvement in the St Helena ferry construction, and in the decision to give the contract to A and P Appledore.

  Mr. Eggar
  The aid programme is financing the construction of a new mixed passenger and cargo ship for the Government of St Helena. The contract was placed in December 1987 with Hall Russell Ltd of Aberdeen. This company went into receivership in November 1988, but work on the ship continued. The joint receivers sold Hall Russell's assets in February 1989. A contract to complete the ship was subsequently concluded by the Overseas Development Administration, acting on behalf of the Government of St Helena, with the yard's new owner, A and P Appledore (Aberdeen) Ltd. We are satisfied with both the contract and the good progress that is now being made. The ship is to be launched on 31 October.

  EC Expenditure (Developing Countries)
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the European Community Articles under which the Community may co-finance projects in developing countries and development education projects with United Kingdom non-governmental organisations, and the Community's expenditure under each article on projects co-financed with United Kingdom non-governmental organisations in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Eggar
  European Community co-financing with European non-governmental organisations for projects in developing countries and development education projects is funded from line 941 of the Community budget. In his reply of 16 June, column 546, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development listed the amounts granted to United Kingdom non-governmental organisations under this programme in 1987.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Marconi
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Attorney-General what inquiries are currently being undertaken by the special fraud office into contracts for sonar equipment supplied by Marconi and its associated companies.

  The Attorney-General
  The serious fraud office, in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence police, is investigating a number of allegations concerning the Marconi Company Limited and its subsidiaries. It would not be appropriate for me to provide more specific information.

TRANSPORT

  Coastal Waters (Chemicals)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to introduce a permanent record of all incidents where chemicals contained in drums or containers sink within 100 miles of the British coast.

  Mr. Portillo
  The present arrangement is that records are kept of chemical losses where on scientific advice salvage is attempted, within United Kingdom waters or on the United Kingdom continental shelf. I am satisfied that that is appropriate.

  European Parliament
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a Minister or official from his Department last attended a meeting of the Transport Committee of the European Parliament.

  Mr. Portillo
  The former Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Committee on 23 April 1986. Government officials maintain contacts with Committees of the European Parliament.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if it is his policy to make responses to proposals made by the Transport Committee of the European Parliament which have been endorsed by vote at the European Parliamentary Assembly.

  Mr. Portillo
  Proposals made under the co-operation procedure are formally considered by the Council of Ministers.

  Microlight Plane (Accidents)
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the accidents, including fatalities, involving the microlight plane since its introduction; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Road Tax
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the intensive crackdown on untaxed vehicles following the roadside checks carried out by the London enforcement office assisted by the Metropolitan and City of London police forces for the period following 16 May.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Three thousand eight hundred motorists were reported for not having a current road fund licence on display. These cases are being investigated. Where it is clear that vehicle excise duty has been evaded, those responsible will be prosecuted.

  Coastguard Helicopter (Lee-on-Solent)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the number of operations undertaken by the coastguard helicopter based at Lee-on-Solent during its first year of service.
  166
  Mr. Portillo
  In the first year of operation, which commenced on 15 May 1988, the helicopter attended 146 incidents and assisted 68 persons. Furthermore, during many of those incidents the aircraft participated in rescues in which lifeboats or other craft landed survivors.

  M25
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answers of 24 April,Official Report, column 447, and 15 May, Official Report, column 11, if he will now place a copy of some provisional traffic statistics for M25 main carriageway, entry and exit slip roads collected by or for his Department in the Library in advance of the final statistics to be included in the report of the M25 review.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No. The M25 review report will be published soon.

  Air Traffic Controllers
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss staffing levels of aii traffic controllers.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State frequently meets the chairman of the authority to discuss a whole range of topics of mutual interest.

  Railways (Safety)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to set up an independent inquiry into recent rail accidents and safety conditions on British Rail; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding reply 30 June 1989]: Three separate independent public inquiries have been held into the recent tragic accidents at Clapham junction, Purley and Beligrove. I am awaiting the reports, which will be published. Mr. Anthony Hidden QC, who is conducting the Clapham junction inquiry, is considering whether any broader management lessons need to be learnt and will take into account any relevant evidence from the other two inquiries.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Universities Funding Council
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will give the cash and constant price figures for funds made available to the UFC for current grants, excluding changes in the home student fee levels, compensation for redundancy and early retirement, information technology and new blood programmes deflated by the gross domestic product deflator, the retail prices index and the university pay and prices index, for each of the years 1980–81 to 1988–89;

  (2) if he will give the cash and constant price figures of funds made available to the UFC for recruitment and capital grants, shown separately and each deflated by the appropriate gross domestic product deflator, and the universities retail pay and prices index for each of the years 1980–81 to 1988–89.
  167
  Mr. Jackson
  Capital and recurrent grants made to universities in Great Britain on the advice of the University Grants Committee were as follows:

  £ million

  Financial Years

  Capital

  Recurrent

  Cash

  Real terms

  Cash

  Real terms

  1980–81

  97·9

  144·6

  942·9

  1,393·1

  1981–82

  103·1

  138·8

  968·0

  1,303·2

  1982–83

  106·8

  134·3

  1,176·2

  1,478·8

  1983–84

  103·1

  123·9

  1,222·2

  1,468·5

  1984–85

  106·7

  122·2

  1,253·2

  1,434·9

  1985–86

  118·2

  128·3

  1,282·6

  1,392·3

  1986–87

  130·2

  136·7

  1,320·1

  1,386·4

  1987–88

  128·8

  128·8

  1,464·0

  1,464·0

  '1988–89

  140·1

  130·6

  1,584·9

  1,477·8

  1 Estimate.

  This includes cash provision of £50 million in 1982–83 and £30 million in 1983–84 for redundancy and premature retirement compensation: subtracting this from recurrent grant gives real terms figures for those years of £1,415·9 million and £1,432·5 million. Recurrent grant for 1982–83 included provision of over £100 million in compensation for reduced tuition fee income but was not separately identified in later years. Information is not available to make the other adjustments requested.

  Real terms are at 1987–88 prices as measured by the GDP deflator which the Government regard as the most appropriate measure of the cost to the economy as a whole and to the public purse of expenditure changes. Over the period in question, this moved from a base of 100 to 158·5. The retail prices index, which relates only to general consumers' expenditure, moved from a base of 100 in January 1981 to 157·9 in January 1989. From November 1980 to January 1989, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals' university pay and prices index moved from a base of 100 to 167·6, although this does not fully reflect the efficiency gains which have occurred over the period.

  Ethnic Minority Education
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make available in the Vote Office the recent report produced for the Department on the education of West Indian or Asian children in state schools; if he will summarise in the Official Report the main findings of the report; and what action he intends to take to implement the finding of the report.

  Mr. Butcher
  A copy of "The School Effect: A Study of Multiracial Comprehensives" has been placed in the Library. This report is based on research which followed the progress of 3,000 pupils in 20 urban comprehensives, starting in 1981. The research found striking differences between the schools surveyed in what they did and how they did it. The level of achievement of pupils of similar abilities, regardless of their ethnic or social background, varied markedly according to the school they attended. Differences in examination results between ethnic groups were small and very much smaller than the differences between schools.

  This report reinforces the Government's determination to press ahead with the implementation of the national curriculum and with the arrangements for assessment and testing so that every child can have the best possible start in life.

  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 into better understanding of water quality in United Kingdom rivers;

  (2) whether he will make it his policy to give the Natural Environment Research Council the necessary funds to develop work in the combined geological and biological research needed to investigate the natural effects and the impact of pollution.

  Mr. Jackson
  As stated in my replies to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth on 4 July,Official Report, columns 124–25, 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.

  Research Grants
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money was provided by his Department for research into the links between pollution and human health (i) each year from 1979–89 and (ii) in the current financial year.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 3 July 19891: The Medical Research Council, which receives grant-in-aid from this Department, is the main agency through which the Government support medical research. Since 1979–90, the council has spent the following amounts on research into links between pollution and human health, covering research on chemical and physical hazards, sound and vibration, and radiation.

  Year

  £ million

  1979–80

  4·3

  1980–81

  5·8

  1981–82

  6·1

  1982–83

  5·8

  1983–84

  6·1

  1984–85

  5·5

  1985–86

  5·4

  1986–87

  5·2

  1987–88

  5·3

  Figures for 1988–89 and 1989–90 are not yet available.

  A small element of the research carried out by the Natural Environment Research Council is also relevant to links between pollution and human health. It is estimated that over the last 10 years £0·3 million of money provided by this Department has been spent on such work.

  Additionally, university departments and medical schools support a range of research from block grants from the Universities Funding Council, some of which may be relevant to links between pollution and human health.

PRIME MINISTER

  EC Nuclear Policy
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if, during her meeting with heads of governments of the European Community states in Madrid she, or other participants in
  169
  the meeting, raised the matter of (a) nuclear materials safeguards, (b) a common policy on nuclear fuel reprocessing, (c) the future of the European fast reactor collaborative programme, (d) the role of the Euratom nuclear materials supply agency and (e) recent reports from the European Parliament on nuclear power and radiation protection;

  (2) if, during the recent meeting of heads of governments of European Community states held in Madrid, the issue of the transfrontier transport of radioactive and toxic waste under the changes to be implemented under the Single European Act in 1992 was discussed; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement that I made to the House on 29 June about the meeting of the European Council in Madrid.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister if, during the recent summit of heads of Government of European Community states held in Madrid, the matter of the Western European Union and an independent nuclear weapons force for western Europe was discussed.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister if, during the recent meeting of heads of Governments of the European Community states held in Madrid she raised with the French Prime Minister or Foreign Minister the prospects of France signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will appoint one Minister to have specific responsibility for Hong Kong.

  The Prime Minister
  My noble Friend Lord Glenarthur, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, already has special responsibility for Hong Kong.

  Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd.
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister whether any Government Departments have any current contracts with Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd., 17 Hanover Square, London W1R 0FL, or any of its international branches; and whether she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  No central listing of companies in contract with Government Departments is maintained. A review of the records of the main Government Departments shows no evidence of any current contracts with Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd. or any of its international branches.

  Bristol Channel (Sewage)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to take personal control of the co-ordination work required to stop the dumping of raw sewage into the Bristol channel and to work towards these beaches attaining the standards of the EC bathing water directive 76/160/EEC.
  170
  The Prime Minister
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him yesterday, column 82.

  Welsh Development Agency (Buy-outs)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will institute an external inquiry into the proposed management buy-out proposals by senior executives of the Welsh Development Agency west Wales sector; and if she will make a statement;

  (2) what is the Government's policy on management buyouts in the regional areas of the Welsh Development Agency; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 3 July at column 16 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

ENERGY

  Cold Fusion (Harwell)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress made in research into cold fusion at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I understand that following a comprehensive programme of experiments at Harwell, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has decided to end research into cold fusion as the results have shown no evidence of fusion reactions.

  Fuel and Energy Supply Industries
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the environmental impact of his Department's policies, in terms of fuel and energy supply industries for which he has responsibility.

  Mr. Parkinson
  The utilisation of all energy resources has an impact on the environment. The energy supply and use in this country is determined largely by customer choice and market forces within the current regulatory framework, including environmental regulations administered by the Department of the Environment.

  The law requires that the environmental impacts of proposed major energy projects, like many other large developments, be assessed. With certain limitations, new power stations and pipelines fall within the ambit of the Electricity and Pipe-lines Works (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1989 which my Department administers.

  Dounreay
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if the uranium oxide breeder fuel incorporated in the Dounreay fast reactor core fuel sub-assemblies has been reprocessed with, or separate from, the fuel sub-assembly uranium/plutonium oxide fuel pins.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the UKAEA and I will ask the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Nuclear Power Stations (Plutonium Waste)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn),Official Report, 20 June, columns 92–3,

  171
  the amounts of residual plutonium in wastes at Harwell, Sellafield and Dounreay are notified to his Department for the purposes of nuclear safeguards records.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The industry notified Euratom, through the Department.

  Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Implementation Report
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (I) pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn),Official Report, 19 June, column 13, if the International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Implementation report for 1988 lists any anomalies in regard to United Kingdom facilities;

  (2) how many instances of safeguards goals not being met are listed in the 1988 International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards implementation report, a copy of which has been received by Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I have been asked to reply. The annual safeguards implementation reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency are confidential. A summary will be published in the agency's 1988 annual report, which will be placed in the Library of the House, when it becomes available.

  Gas Emissions
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if the carbon dioxide emissions due to fossil fuels utilised in the mining and enrichment of uranium are taken account of in his Department's calculations of current and likely future greenhouse gas emissions; what the emission rate per gigawatt year of electricity currently is; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Carbon dioxide emissions from the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle are negligible and vary according to the country in which the activity is undertaken. Such emissions in the United Kingdom are included in the industrial emissions category.

  The emission rate of carbon dioxide for the electricity supplied by the CEGB, from all sources, in 1987 was approximately 7 million tonnes of CO2 per gigawatt year.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates his Department has produced for the carbon dioxide emissions which occur due to the fossil fuels utilised in the complete nuclear fuel cycle for a Magnox reactor, advance gas-cooled reactor and a pressurised water reactor of the Hinkley C type.

  Mr Michael Spicer
  My Department has made no detailed estimates of CO2 emissions from the fuel cycle for nuclear power stations, but in general these will be negligible and depend on the sources of energy supply used to run the individual processes involved.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what specific proposals his Department has put forward for consideration and enactment, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane, since the seminar held by the Prime Minister on 26 April.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Current policies and initiatives are intended to limit the emission of CO2 Further measures to cut such emissions will be considered as further scientific evidence is generated.
  172
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many waste landfill sites produce methane gas in the United Kingdom; how much methane gas is estimated to be produced annually in million tonnes of methane and carbon dioxide equivalent; and what estimates he has of additional sources of methane gas;

  (2) what level of methane leaks occurs in natural gas systems in the United Kingdom, in both million tonnes and as a percentage of total gas produced, broken down by (a) that related to natural gas production and pipelines and (b) that related to point of use.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Any site which has taken biodegradeable waste has the potential to produce landfill gas. Records of the types of waste permitted at landfill sites in England and Wales show that there are approximately 3,500 sites which have been licensed to receive waste of the type that can produce landfill gas. In 1988 Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution estimated that some 1,300 of these might require gas management measures. In addition, HMIP is aware of sites producing landfill gas which were licensed to deposit only inert wastes.

  My Department has expended £10 million on research and development into biofuels, including ,£1·1 million on landfill gas up to the end of the financial year 1988–1989. This has resulted in successful demonstrations of landfill gas technology which is leading to increasing commercial exploitation. Recent estimates from the Energy Technology Support Unit suggest that about 0·7 megatonnes of methane are produced annually by landfill sites in the United Kingdom. As molecule for molecule methane is about 25 to 30 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than is carbon dioxide, this represents the equivalent, on a weight for weight basis, of between 50 to 55 megatonnes of CO2.

  We are aware of 14 sites generating electricity from landfill gas with an installed capacity of around 25 MW. We expect the installed capacity to increase to over 40 MW during the next year. The non-fossil fuel obligation in the Electricity Bill should provide an enhanced opportunity for renewable energy, including landfill gas. All economic and practical proposals will be eligible to contribute to the initial obligation to be set towards the end of 1989. Further tranches totalling up to 600 MW reserved exclusively for renewables will be set during the 1990s.

  Other significant non-biological sources of methane gas consist of leakages from the natural gas production, distribution and supply system and from the seepage of the gas during coal production—this represented just over 1 megatonnes in 1988 of which about 10 per cent. is utilised and so does not escape to the atmosphere.

  Natural gas leakage, together with permitted venting in the United Kingdom continental shelf, amounts to about I per cent. of throughput, or about 0.4 megatonnes a year of methane at current levels. The majority of this is attributable to leakage from the distribution system and only a very small proportion relates to the point of use.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Gdansk Shipyard
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the operation in Poland of the Helsinki Final Act of the threat by the managing director
  173
  of the Anglo-Polish company Durainsul to sack any worker at its leased port of the Gdansk shipyard who joins a trade union.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  All CSCE states decided in the 1983 Madrid concluding document to ensure the right of workers freely to establish and join trade unions and other rights as laid down in relevant international instruments. We expect states to comply fully with this and all other CSCE commitments.

  Angola
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Angola and the prospects for the ending of civil war in that country.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We warmly welcome the progress made towards internal reconciliation in Angola, notably the meeting between President dos Santos and Dr. Savimbi on 22 June and the agreement to implement a ceasefire from 24 June. We are urging both sides to respect the ceasefire and to continue to show flexibility in the difficult negotiations that lie ahead.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many official visits abroad he has made during his tenure of office; how many officials on average accompanied him on each trip; and what was the total cost.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since June 1983 the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has made the following number of visits abroad:

  Visits

  1983

  25

  1984

  43

  1985

  49

  1986

  41

  1987

  42

  1988

  40

  1989 to date

  19

  TOTAL

  259

  On average three officials have accompanied him on each trip.

  The total cost was £4,200,000 approximately.

  Pakistan
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Pakistan.

  Mr. Eggar
  Our excellent relations with Pakistan have been reinforced by the restoration of democracy in that country. We look forward to Prime Minister Bhutto's visit here as a guest of the British Government from 5 to 12 July.

  Hydrographers Department
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much he paid the hydrographers department for the last complete period for advice on territorial limits and international maritime advice.
  174
  Mr. Eggar
  The hydrographer's department is part of the Ministry of Defence and is funded by that Ministry. The hydrographer's department does not charge the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for its advice.

  EC (Economic and Monetary Union)
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to attend the European Economic Community Council of Ministers to discuss preparations for the proposed inter-governmental conference on economic and monetary union.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I expect to attend the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 and 18 July. The agenda will include follow-up to the Madrid European Council.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he had had with representatives of the Government of Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visited Hong Kong from 2 to 4 July. During his visit he met the Governor, senior officials and representatives of the community of Hong Kong. Their discussions covered the range of current issues in Hong Kong, including recent developments in China and their implications for Hong Kong.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet with his European Community counterparts to discuss the future of Hong Kong citizens.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has already discussed this matter with his EC colleagues at the recent meeting of the European Council in Madrid. We will continue to urge the international community to join us in doing everything possible to restore the confidence of people in Hong Kong following the recent appalling events in China.

  Atwah Lufti Sumar Hirzallah
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Israeli local authorities about the killing of Atwah Lufti Sumar Hirzallah; and what response he obtained.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None.

  Departmental Interviews
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on recording interviews given by his Department to journalists.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Ministerial interviews are normally recorded.

  China
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the common action being taken by the European Community against the Government of the People's Republic of China.

  Mr. Eggar
  The EC issued a joint statement on 6 June which strongly condemned the violent suppression of the demonstrations in China. On 15 June the presidency carried out a demarche, stressing the Twelve's grave concern at continuing repression and expressing hope that economic and political reform could be put back on course, together with adherence to respect for human rights. On 17 June a further demarche was made, appealing for clemency for the first persons sentenced to death in connection with the demonstrations. On 27 June the European Council agreed a declaration on China which reiterated the Twelve's condemnation and adopted a package of measures to be taken by the Community and its member states.

  Non-Proliferation Treaty
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all the countries that have neither signed nor ratified, acceded or succeeded to the non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The following states are not parties to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty:

  Albania

  Kuwait1

  Algeria

  Mauritania

  Andorra

  Mozambique

  Angola

  Monaco

  Argentina

  Nauru

  Brazil

  Niger

  Burma

  Oman

  Chile

  Pakistan

  China

  St. Christopher and Nevis

  Comoros

  South Africa

  Cuba

  United Arab Emirates

  Djibouti

  United Republic of Tanzania

  France

  Vanuatu

  Guyana

  Zambia

  India

  Zimbabwe

  Israel

  1 Signed the Treaty on 22 August 1968, but has not ratified.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries currently party to the non-proliferation treaty with their dates(a) of signature, (b) of subsequent deposit of instrument of ratification, accession or succession and (c) of safeguards agreement in force with the International Atomic Energy Agency under the non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I am placing in the Library of the House a list of the dates of signature and ratification, accession or succession to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Details of safeguards agreements are contained in the publication "Agreements Registered with the International Atomic Energy Agency", a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House. We understand that the publication is currently being updated by the agency, and a copy of the revised edition will be placed in the Library when it is issued.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries that 176
  at present have signed the non-proliferation treaty but have not ratified, acceded or succeeded to it, with their dates of signature.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Kuwait is the only state in this category—date of signature 22 August 1968.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those occasions since May 1979 when representations concerning the non-proliferation treaty have been made at ministerial level by Her Majesty's Government to those states not party to the non-proliferation treaty at the time of the representation.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Such representations have been made at a variety of levels on numerous occasions. A detailed list could, however, be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  India (Non-Proliferation)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen),Official Report, 14 June, column 475, he will set out in the Official Report the last opportunity deemed suitable when Her Majesty's Government's views on non-proliferation were made clear to the Indian Government.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs most recently raised non-proliferation issues with members of the Indian Government during his visit to India from 28 March to 1 April.

  Poland
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation he has made to the Government of Poland regarding recent progress in that country towards democracy and individual freedom; and if he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Poland.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs recently had the opportunity to discuss developments in Poland, including the elections, with both General Jaruzelski and Professor Geremek of Solidarity. I, too, had the pleasure of meeting Professor Geremek. May I refer my hon. Friend to my recent statements of 6 April and 14 June, on our relations with Poland.

  Hungary
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Hungary regarding recent progress in that country towards democracy and individual freedom; and if he will make a statement on the current state of relations with Hungary.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We welcome Hungary's moves towards a multi-party system and a state based on the rule of law. My right hon. and learned Friend discussed these matters with the Hungarian State Minister, Imre Pozsgay, on 25 April. I am visiting Hungary next week, and will meet a wide range of party, Government and opposition figure.
  177
  Our bilateral relations with Hungary are excellent, with regular contact at all levels, as befits a country in the vanguard of political reform in Eastern Europe.

  Council of Europe
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will list the member countries of the Council of Europe that have now ratified and put in effect (i) the European social charter, (ii) the European convention on social security, (iii) the European code on social security and (iv) the European convention on human rights.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The following is a list of member states of the Council of Europe which have ratified and put into effect:

  (i) The European Social Charter:
  Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom;

  (ii) The European Convention on Social Security:
  Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Turkey;

  (iii) The European Code of Social Security:
  Belgium, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom; and

  (iv) Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights):
  Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Farah Syed
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mrs. Farah Syed, who was born in 1971 and whose reference is IMM/96415, first applied to the post of Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom; and when a decision is going to be taken on her application.

  Mr. Eggar
  In accordance with the recent guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the question to the correspondence unit of migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit in due course.

  Antarctica (French Airstrip)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the purpose of the airstrip being constructed by the French in Antarctica; and what effect this project is having on wildlife in the region.

  Mr. Eggar
  The airstrip is needed to facilitate glaciological research in a key area of the Antarctic interior. The results of this research will be made available to Antarctic treaty parties.

  There have been differing reports from environmentalists and the French authorities on the extent of the effect
  178
  on wildlife in the region. The French Government have promised to produce a paper on the construction of the airstrip which will give further details.

  EEC Budget
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will set out in tabular form the total net payments or total net receipts of each of the member states for the EEC budget since 1979.

  Mr. Brooke
  I have been asked to reply. The information requested concerning the United Kingdom is set out in the table. Comparable figures for other member states are not available.

  Net contribution to European Community budget

  Year

  £ million

  1979

  947

  1980

  706

  1981

  397

  1982

  606

  1983

  647

  1984

  656

  1985

  1,808

  1986

  572

  1987

  1,713

  1988

  1,362

ENVIRONMENT

  Equity Share Schemes
  Mr. Fry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in England and Wales have plans to build houses under equity share schemes.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information for English local authorities is not available centrally. For information about Wales, I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Valuation and Community Charge Tribunals
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what reviews his Department is carrying out in respect of the valuation and community charge tribunals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Independent consultants will shortly undertake a review of valuation and community charge tribunals and make recommendations on the pay, conditions of service and grading of their staff.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will delay the water privatisation flotation until 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  No. We plan to offer the industry for sale to the public in November 1989.

  Redundant Land
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown both by individual local authorities and the latest available year of
  179
  the 54,000 acres of council-owned derelict and redundant land referred to in the 1987–88 report on the inner cities programme.

  Mr. Trippier
  The amount of unused and underused land owned by local authorities and entered on the land register at 30 June 1989 was 49,931 acres. I have arranged for a breakdown of this by individual local authorities to be placed in the Library today.

  Sewage Outfalls (North-West)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the intended frequency of routine storm water discharges from the three short sea outfalls along the Fylde coast is within the guidelines for disposal of sewage to the sea agreed in 1988 between Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the water industry.

  Mr. Howard
  The North West water authority has applied for discharge consents in respect of a proposed long sea outfall and three associated storm water overflows to bring bathing waters along the Fylde coast up to EC standards, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will consider, as part of their assessment, the authority's proposals for dealing with storm water in the light of its published "Guidance on Long Sea Outfalls"—a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contacts his Department has had with the North West water authority over proposals to construct a long sea outfall at Rossall point on the Fylde coast.

  Mr. Howard
  North West Water applied to my Department on 20 December 1988 for consent to discharge sewage effluent into the Lune Deep off Morecambe Bay from a proposed new long sea outfall at Rossall point. The applications are still being considered by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has on the differences between the top and bottom currents at and around the likely areas of impact in the Lune Deep of the proposed long sea outfall discharge at Rossall point on the Fylde coast.

  Mr. Howard
  The North West water authority has supplied information to my Department both on top and bottom currents which were measured at locations related to the proposed Lune Deep outfall site. The water authority has pointed out that the measurements are consistent with the hydrodynamic model of the scheme and with observed sediment transport patterns.

  Air Conditioning
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what standards are laid down for installation of air conditioning in office buildings;

  (2) what standards are laid down for the operation of air conditioning in office buildings.

  Mr. Trippier
  There are no requirements in the Building Regulations 1985 which relate directly to the installation and operation of air conditioning equipment. The code of practice in widespread use is BS 5750: 1979, which covers the design installation and maintenance of such systems.

  River Pollution (North-West)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call for a report on all river pollution incidents in the north-west in the last 12 months; if he will publish(a) details of such incidents and (b) action taken as a result of such incidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Responsibility for the control of river pollution in the north-west rests with the North West water authority. The authority reports incidents in its annual reports, and it is for them to take decisions on the action needed in individual cases. The only exceptions to this would be incidents caused by the authority itself. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution investigates incidents of this kind which are brought to its attention and takes appropriate action. In addition it is, of course, open to anyone to take independent action in any particular case.

  Water Authorities (Debt Write-offs)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the proposed debt write-offs for each water authority prior to privatisation.

  Mr. Howard
  These will be determined nearer to flotation. I refer to the fuller answer that I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mr. Mills) on 18 May.

  Vacant Council Property
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report, the 30 local authorities in England with the largest number of council-owned properties vacant, at the most recent date, with the number in each case.

  Mr. Trippier
  Based on local authorities' housing investment programme returns for April 1988, the list is as follows:

  Number vacant

  (1) Liverpool

  5,416

  (2) Manchester

  5,166

  (3) Sandwell

  3,062

  (4) Sheffield

  2,856

  (5) Hackney

  2,692

  (6) Tower Hamlets

  2,526

  (7) Birmingham

  2,339

  (8) Sunderland

  2,106

  (9) Salford

  1,993

  (10) Newham

  1,961

  (11) Southwark

  1,910

  (12) Wolverhampton

  1,737

  (13) Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,651

  (14) Leeds

  1,486

  (15) Islington

  1,403

  (16) Kirklees

  1,402

  (17) Bradford

  1,262

  (18) Leicester

  1,220

  (19) Lambeth

  1,156

  (20) Oldham

  1,129

  (21) Rochdale

  1,062

  (22) Kingston upon Hull

  1,019

  (23) Nottingham

  1,016

  (24) Wandsworth

  994

  (25) North Tyneside

  991

  (26) Walsall

  986

  (27) Gateshead

  949

  (28) Lewisham

  943

  (29) Dudley

  928

  (30) Greenwich

  911

  Council Property (Squatters)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the 30 local authorities in England with the largest number of council-owned properties occupied by squatters, with the number in each case.

  Mr. Trippier
  Based on local authorities' housing investment programme returns for April 1988, the list is as follows:

  Dwellings in unlicensed occupation

  (1) Southwark

  1,672

  (2) Lambeth

  1,170

  (3) Hackney

  953

  (4) Islington

  449

  (5) Tower Hamlets

  426

  (6) Camden

  340

  (7) Brent

  229

  (8) Haringey

  165

  (9) Lewisham

  163

  (10) Hammersmith and Fulham

  143

  (II) Westminster

  98

  (12) Ealing

  79

  (13) Manchester

  69

  (14) Liverpool

  67

  (15) Wandsworth

  65

  (16) Newham

  52

  (17) Waltham Forest

  48

  (18) Greenwich

  27

  (19) Enfield

  22

  (20) Hounslow

  18

  (21) Merton

  18

  (22) Forest Heath

  15

  (23) Birmingham

  14

  (24) Kingston upon Thames

  8

  (25) Bromley

  7

  (26) Redbridge

  7

  (27) Kensington and Chelsea

  6

  (28) Barking and Dagenham

  6

  (29) Bristol

  6

  (30) Richmond upon Thames

  5

  Water Authorities' Accounts
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the water authorities' unaudited accounts for 1988–89 will be made available.

  Mr. Howard
  The water authorities unaudited accounts for 1988–89 are to be placed on public deposit in accordance with statutory provisions tomorrow morning. I shall arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House. The annual reports and audited accounts will be published later in the summer and laid before Parliament at that time.

  Business Rate (Suffolk and Norfolk)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he makes of the unified business rate in Suffolk and Norfolk.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer, 3 July 1989]: We estimate that if the uniform business rate had taken effect this year it would have been about 35 pence in the pound in England.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to seek to place a duty on local authorities to compensate community charge and business rate payers for service which falls below an agreed minimum standard.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer, 3 July 1989]: No. Simple, clear community charge bills will enable chargepayers to judge the efficiency and value for money with which local authorities provide services. Chargepayers will be able to express in the political and electoral processes any concern that they may feel about standards of service. In future, the business rate poundage will be set nationally, but authorities will have a duty to consult representatives of business in their area about their expenditure proposals and in that way business ratepayers will be able to make their views known.

  Community Charge (Rebate)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to announce details of the rebate of up to 80 per cent. of the community charge to be made available to persons on low incomes; and when information on how to apply for such rebates will be sent to local authorities.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The detailed arrangements for rebating the community charge are set out in the draft Community Charge Benefits (General) Regulations 1989 which were circulated to all authorities at the end of May. Application procedures, within the terms of these regulations, are a matter for local authorities themselves.

WALES

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of all discussions that have taken place between either Mr. Waterstone and Mr. Gwyn Jones of the Welsh Development Agency's office in Cardiff and representatives of merchant banks and large accounting firms concerning management buyouts and other possible ways of privatising the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The chairman and chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency have had no discussions at any stage with merchant banks or large accounting firms about a management buyout of the agency either in whole or in part. The Welsh Development Agency Act 1975 obliges the agency to seek to increase private sector involvement in its operations. To this end, possible means of stimulating such involvement are kept continuously under review and professional advisers of all sorts have been involved in discussions with the agency over a period of several years.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the amount of advance factory building that has taken place by the west Wales region of the Welsh Development Agency for each year from 1983–84 to the present time; what are the future plans; and what percentage each year the figures represent of the total factory building programme throughout Wales by the Welsh Development Agency.
  183
  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Area completed in West Wales1 000' sq ft

  Percentage of total Agency build

  1983–84

  155

  19·9

  1984–85

  70

  22·0

  1985–86

  —

  —

  1986–87

  5

  0·1

  1987–88

  —

  —

  1988–89

  28

  2·8

  1 The year on year figures are not comparable due to change in the agency's regional office structure in July 1988 which removed responsibility for urban areas, including Llanelli, from the west Wales region·

  As regards future plans the agency intends to start work on 62,000 sq ft of factory space in the current financial year.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if there are any proposals in any of the other regional offices of the Welsh Development Agency similar to the management buy-out proposals revealed in west Wales on 29 June; and whether he will provide details.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Neither I nor the board of the Welsh Development Agency are aware of any such proposals.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will instruct(a) the chairman and (b) the chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency to issue public statements concerning the proposed management buy out proposals of senior executives of the west Wales Welsh Development Agency sector; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Welsh Development Agency has already issued a statement, which I fully endorse.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the number of meetings and the dates(a) the senior executives of the Welsh Development Agency, west Wales sector, (b) the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency and (c) the chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency had with interested parties concerning management buyout proposals; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will publish the documents concerning the proposed west Wales Welsh Development Agency management buyout proposals; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the suspension of two of the Welsh Development Agency's west Wales senior officials.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No. This is a matter for the Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his estimate of the assets of the west Wales sector of the Welsh Development Agency involved in the proposed management buyout; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is the value of the Welsh Development Agency property portfolio (a) in west Wales, (b) in each of the subregional sectors of the Welsh Development Agency and (c) in Wales as a whole; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The informaton is as follows:
  184

  Welsh Development Agency property portfolio valuation as at 31 March 1989

  £ million

  West Wales

  5·681

  South Wales Valleys

  75·782

  South Wales East

  63·305

  North East Wales

  50·417

  North West Wales

  6·584

  South Wales West

  47·946

  Wales Total

  249·715

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to sell assets of the Welsh Development Agency in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Welsh Development Agency has set itself a property sales target of £15 million for the current financial year.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans there are to increase factory building by the Welsh Development Agency in the west Wales sector; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Welsh Development Agency intends to start work on 62,000 sq ft of advance factory and workshop space in west Wales in the current financial year. This is more than double the area completed in 1988–89 and compares with an average area of 24,000 sq ft completed in the three years before 1979–80.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which of(a) T. R. Jones Ltd., Ammanford, (b) Dinefwr Enterprise Company, (c) Mainport Group, Pembroke Dock, (d) Pembrokeshire Business Initiative, (e) Morgan Marine, Llandybie, (f) Avon Inflatables, Onfen, (g) Milford Haven Port Authority and (h) Delanair Ltd. have received Welsh Development Agency financial or consultancy assistance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Four of the organisations listed—Dinefwr Enterprise Company, Mainport Group, Pembrokeshire Business Initiative and Morgan Marine—have received financial or consultancy assistance from the Welsh Development Agency.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings he has had with the(a) chairman of the Welsh Development Agency,

  (b) chief executive and (c) west Wales Welsh Development Agency executives in (i) 1988 and (ii) 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I frequently meet the chairman and the chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency. I am not aware of having met the agency's west Wales executives.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has received any report of the meeting of west Wales executives and the chairman and chief executive of the Welsh Development Agency in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I received no such report until earlier this week when the chairman of the WDA informed me that the meeting had taken place.
  185
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what disciplinary measures he has instituted within his Department on the matter of proposed management buy-outs in the west Wales Welsh Development Agency following the suspension of two senior officers in west Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None, as none is needed.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last visited the(a) headquarters and (b) west Wales offices of the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I last visited the Welsh Development Agency's headquarters on 2 May. I have never visited the agency's west Wales offices.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was(a) the number and (b) the value of mortgages (£000s) on completed disposals for (i) full ownership and (ii) shared ownership by each local authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole during (1) 1980–81, (2) 1981–82, (3) 1982–83, (4) 1983–84, (5) 1984–85,

  (6) 1985–86, (7) 1986–87, (8) 1987–88 and (9) 1988–89;

  (2) what was the area of land made available to private developers under licence for building for sale schemes by each local authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole during (a) 1980–81, (b) 1981–82, (c) 1982–83, (d) 1983–84, (e) 1984–85, (f) 1985–86, (g) 1986–87, (h) 1987–88 and (i)1988–89;

  (3) what was the capital sum received from disposals completed during (a) 1980–81, (b) 1981–82, (c) 1982–83, (d) 1983–84, (e) 1984–85, (f) 1985–86, (g) 1986–87, (h) 1987–88 and (i) 1988–89 by each local authority in Wales, and for Wales as a whole, (i) to sitting tenants and (ii) to others for (1) full ownership (2) shared ownership;

  (4) what was the number of admitted shared ownership claims withdrawn from each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole during (a) 1980–81, (b) 1981–82, (c) 1982–83, (d) 1983–84, (e) 1984–85, (f) 1985–86, (g) 1986–87, (h) 1987–88 and (i) 1988–89;

  (5) what was the number of claims to right to shared ownership leases received by each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole during (a) 1980–81, (b) 1981–82, (c) 1982–83, (d) 1983–84, (e) 1984–85, (f) 1985–86, (g) 1986–87, (h) 1987–88 and (i) 1988–89;

  (6) what was the number of disposals of dwellings built and financed by private developers on local authority owned land for (a) full ownership and (b) shared ownership as a whole during (i) 1980–81, (ii) 1981–82, (iii) 1982–83, (iv) 1983–84, (v) 1984–85, (vi) 1985–86, (vii) 1986–87, (viii) 1987–88 and (ix) 1988–89;

  (7) what was the total number of completed disposals of (a) flats and (b) houses for (i) full ownership and (ii) shared ownership by each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole during (1) 1980–81, (2) 1981–82, (3) 1982–83, (4) 1983–84, (5) 1984–85, (6) 1985–86, (7) 1986–87, (8) 1987–88 and (9) 1988–89.

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

  Mid Wales Development
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has discussed privatisation plans with the board of the Development Board for Rural Wales, Mid Wales Development.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No, but I encourage the board to consider any opportunities for increasing the effectiveness of its activities through greater private sector involvement.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he is aware of any management buyout plans at Mid Wales Development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am not aware of any such proposals.

  Welsh Language Teaching
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish his proposals for the teaching of Welsh in the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Secretary of State for Wales has today published his proposals for Welsh in the national curriculum. These proposals are based on the recommendations contained in the final report of the working group set up by the Secretary of State in April 1988 to consider appropriate attainment targets and programmes of study for Welsh. The proposals are being distributed widely for consultation. Copies will be sent to all primary and secondary schools and made available to governing bodies. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.

HEALTH

  Census Statistics
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what, further to the Under-Secretary's reply to he hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury on 26 May, is his policy on the extent to which the presentation of census statistics will be described in terms of postcodes such as to make possible access to individual household data by computer comparison with other registers.

  Mr. Freeman
  The policy of successive Governments has been to take all practicable steps to protect the confidentiality of census information on individual people and households. In its White Paper on the 1991 Census of Population, Cm 430, published in July 1988, the Government confirmed that, in releasing the statistics from census, whether using postcodes or not, all possible steps will be taken to prevent the inadvertent disclosure of information about identifiable individuals. The means of presenting statistical summaries for small areas from the 1991 census are at present under discussion.

  Head Lice
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate a programme of research into the control of head lice infestation in schools.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department is currently carrying out a feasibility study to identify the broad issues of concern in
  187
  the school health services and the problem of head lice infestation is one of the issues that we are looking at. Once this study is complete we shall consider what, if any, action is needed for any or all of these services, including the need for any research or advice on this problem.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he gives to area health authorities concerning the containment of the problem of head lice infestation in schools.

  Mr. Freeman
  Responsibility for the control of head lice infestation among pupils lies with individual health authorities through the school health service. No specific advice is given to health authorities; it is for them to determine the policy for dealing with outbreaks of infestation in the light of local circumstances.

  Every school has a named school nurse to advise and help on this problem. Many have stopped routine head inspections and are now adopting more positive practices through health education programmes and advice to parents on head lice infestation and how to deal with it. By increasing parental awareness, cases of infestation can be dealt with more promptly.

  Abortions (Hemel Hempstead)
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions have been carried out at Hemel Hempstead general hospital in each of the last four calendar years; under which provisions of the Abortion Act they were carried out; and what was(a) the age and marital status of the mother, (b) gestational age of the foetus and (c) the abortion method used.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested cannot be released on the grounds of maintaining confidentiality. The readily available data for usual residents of North-West Hertfordshire district health authority are shown in the tables.

  Table 1

  Legal abortions, usual residents North West Hertfordshire DHA, 1984 to 1987, numbers and age of mother

  Age

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Under 16

  17

  15

  10

  14

  16–19

  179

  186

  150

  146

  20–24

  194

  180

  180

  196

  25–34

  203

  210

  187

  208

  35–44

  95

  108

  94

  92

  45+

  4

  1

  4

  1

  Not stated

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  692

  700

  625

  657

  Table 2

  Legal abortions, usual residents North West Hertfordshire DHA, 1984 to 1987, marital status, previous live and stillborn children1, area of termination (distinguishing regional health authority of usual residents and category of premises).

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Marital Status

  Single

  425

  415

  396

  424

  Married

  195

  196

  166

  154

  Other

  72

  89

  63

  79

  Parity1

  0

  433

  428

  415

  421

  1–3

  232

  250

  193

  208

  4+

  18

  16

  13

  23

  Unknown

  9

  6

  4

  5

  188

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  RHA of termination

  Home NHS

  222

  197

  145

  202

  RHA Non-NHS

  3

  12

  53

  41

  Other NHS

  38

  42

  24

  28

  RHA Non-NHS

  429

  449

  403

  386

  Hospices
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average length of time spent in a hospice by a terminally ill patient.

  Mr. Freeman
  I regret that the information is not available centrally.

  Delta Te Immune Support Therapy
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the sale of Delta Te immune support therapy;

  (2) what action is being taken under the Medicines Act 1968 to prohibit the sale of Delta Te immune support therapy;

  (3) what representations his Department has received about the sale of Delta Te immune support therapy.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Department is pursuing inquiries into the supply of Delta Te promoted for the treatment of AIDS, and the managing director of the company concerned has been interviewed. Representations have been received from journal and television reporters, who are currently assisting our inquiries. The product has not been licensed for supply as a medicine in this country, so any sale as a medicine would be illegal. On the information that we have there is no evidence to support the claims being made for the substance. To prevent the sales of such products we shall not hesitate to take prosecution proceedings where, on legal advice, there is prima facie evidence that the terms of the Medicines Act have been breached.

  South-East Thames RHA
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action the South-East Thames regional health authority will be taking on the basis of the recommendations of the report it commissioned by Touche Ross Management Consultants into the functions of the salaries and wages department in each of the local authorities in its region; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what was the cost to the South-East Thames regional health authority of the report it recently commissioned Touche Ross Management Consultants to undertake into the functions of the salaries and wages department in each of the local health authorities in its region.

  Mr. Mellor
  The report reviewed with district health authorities in the region the paymaster services carried out, covering both payroll and creditor payment functions.

  The cost of the report is a matter for the regional health authority. I understand that action plans are being agreed between the region and the district health authorities and the hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the regional health authority for more information.

  Adverse Drug Reactions
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those European Community directives which relate to the under-reporting of serious adverse drug reactions.

  Mr. Mellor
  We are not aware of any specific reference to the under-reporting of adverse drug reactions in the European Community directives concerned with medicinal products.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 2 March, column 319, what investigative action is taken when there is concern about possible under-reporting of serious adverse reactions.

  Mr. Mellor
  It depends upon the circumstances of the particular case. In general terms, such investigations would include scrutiny of all relevant documentation, obtaining the licence holder's response to salient issues and, where necessary, meetings and interviews with senior representatives of the licence holder.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 2 March, column 319, from what sources his Department has received information which has led to concern about possible under-reporting of serious adverse reactions.

  Mr. Mellor
  From a television programme, the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South himself and professional analysis by the licensing authority of data submitted by the licence holder in connection with other licensing matters.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will conduct an urgent national survey to ascertain the range of charges being made by opticians for eye tests.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Department hopes to survey various aspects of sight tests, probably later this year.

  Immigration
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate where immigrants into the United Kingdom from the New Commonwealth and Pakistan for each year since 1970 have settled within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 28 June 1989]: I regret that data are not available in the form requested. However, estimates of the numbers of people resident in Great Britain in 1986 and 1987 who were born in the New Commonwealth or Pakistan, and who were of West Indian, African, Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic origin are shown in the following tables.

  One table gives these estimated numbers resident in Great Britain who had entered the United Kingdom in each year between 1970 and 1985. The other table gives these estimated numbers by standard region/country and metropolitan county of residence for those who had entered the United Kingdom between 1970 and 1985, inclusive.
  190
  These estimates have been obtained by grossing up the results of the 1986 and 1987 labour force surveys. More detailed analyses would be unreliable because of sampling variability.

  Estimated numbers of people resident in Great Britain in 1986–87 who were born in the New Commonwealth or Pakistan and who were of West Indian, African, Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi ethnic origin

  Year of entry into United Kingdom

  Estimated number (thousands)

  1970

  35

  1971

  32

  1972

  55

  1973

  23

  1974

  27

  1975

  40

  1976

  40

  1977

  22

  1978

  27

  1979

  29

  1980

  23

  1981

  21

  1982

  31

  1983

  29

  1984

  21

  1985

  20

  1970–85

  475

  Year of entry into United Kingdom: 1970–85, inclusive

  Region/country and metropolitan county of residence

  Estimated number (thousands)

  North

  9

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  39

  East Midlands

  35

  East Anglia

  7

  South East

  264

  South West

  3

  West Midlands

  66

  North West

  40

  Wales

  6

  Scotland

  7

  Great Britain

  476

  Tyne and Wear

  5

  South Yorkshire

  4

  West Yorkshire

  33

  Greater London

  204

  West Midlands

  55

  Greater Manchester

  28

  Merseyside

  3

  All metropolitan counties

  333

  (Totals for Great Britain do not agree because of rounding).

  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 diseases related to environmental pollution; and what are the Government's plans to reduce that number.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 4 July 1989]: There is no clear evidence that deaths occur as a result of current levels of pollution of the environment by man with chemical agents. Past exposure to high levels of air pollutants may still have some influence on current death rates, but discharges to the environment are now controlled so as to provide large safety margins or, in the case of substances potentially toxic at very low dose, by ensuring a very small risk.
  191
  There is no scientific basis for estimating the total impact of many substances occurring simultaneously in the environment at trace levels, but it is considered to be small compared with lifestyle factors such as smoking. The Government, on advice from a number of advisory committees, monitor for possible environmental causes of disease and will act to prevent or limit potentially harmful exposures whenever they are identified. In the meanwhile, the Government encourage prudence in the use of chemicals or potentially polluting technologies. In particular the Government are engaged in updating the arrangements for pollution control to ensure that these are integrated, wide-ranging and effective.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Acid Parties
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement of his policy towards the policing of acid parties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to questions from the hon. Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Dr. Glyn) on 29 June, at columns 517–18.

  Risley Remand Centre
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred from Risley remand centre after the recent disturbances and roof top protests; how many of them were from Liverpool; where they were transferred to; and how many complaints have been received from prisoners or their representatives who have been transferred about their treatment.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A total of 255 prisoners were transferred to other prisons:

  60 to Leeds

  58 to Liverpool

  41 to Manchester

  35 to Durham

  22 to Shrewsbury

  20 to Preston

  12 to Birmingham

  7 to Hull

  One of these prisoners has submitted a petition complaining about conditions at Risley and nine others have complained by petition and two by letters to hon. Members about matters related to their transfer. In addition, some transferred prisoners were among those who gave written or oral evidence to the inquiry into the disturbance at Risley.

  To establish how many of the transferred prisoners were from Liverpool and how many made complaints about treatment in evidence to the inquiry would entail disproportionate cost. I am advised that when the disturbance started about 45 per cent. of those held in Risley were from Liverpool.

  Football Matches
  Mr. Eddie Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the figures of football-related arrests(a) for the season 1988–89 for all English clubs and (b) as a percentage of total attendances at football matches during that season.
  192
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand that the Association of Chief Police Officers is collating returns from police forces relating to arrests, ejections and attendances at all Football League matches in England and Wales during the 1988–89 season. These figures are expected to be available soon.

  Immigration
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are any plans afoot to improve the staffing situation at the United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service office, based at the Scottish Office in Glasgow, to alleviate the delays in hearing immigration appeals in Scotland.

  Mr. Renton
  I have nothing to add to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Wray) on 26 June at column 322.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Liverpool Passport Office
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to relocate the Liverpool passport office to an area of the country needing additional jobs.

  Mr. Renton
  I appreciate the concern and irritation felt generally as a result of recent strike action at the Liverpool passport office. There are, however, no current plans to relocate this office. As I indicated on 14 June in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson) at column 462 we shall be reviewing the location and number of the regional passport offices in general later this year.

  West Midlands Police
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to what breaches of discipline have been alleged against Superintendent James Kelly; and what action has been taken.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that in October 1986 Detective Superintendent Kelly was charged with four offences of discreditable conduct and was reprimanded on each charge. He was not a member of the serious crime squad.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to on how many occasions complaints have been received against Detective Sergeant Michael Hornby; and what action has been taken in each case.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that a number of complaints have been recorded against detective sergeant Hornby since 1974. All the complaints have been fully investigated. In only one instance, in 1980, did he face formal disciplinary proceedings. Disciplinary records are destroyed after seven years.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief
  193
  constable of the West Midlands as to during which years Detective Sergeant Brian Morton and Detective Constables Martin Lambert and Graham Stephens were members of the West Midlands serious crime squad.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that detective sergeant Morton was a member of the serious crime squad from March 1973 until February 1976. Detective constables Lambert and Stephen were not members of the serious crime squad.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to how many of the officers involved in investigations into the Paul Dandy case were also involved in questioning those later convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that no officer was involved in the Paul Dandy case and also in questioning of those later convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to how many of the officers involved in investigations into the case of Mr. Ronnie Boldon were involved in questioning those later convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that one officer was involved in the Ronnie Boldon case and also in questioning of those later convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to what action was taken against the police officers responsible for assaulting junior Patrick Williams in connection with attempts to procure a confession.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that three officers were convicted at Birmingham crown court on 1 November 1983 of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Detective sergeant Morton was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment (six months suspended for two years). Detective constables Stephen and Lambert were sentenced to nine months imprisonment (four and a half months suspended for two years). The officers subsequently faced disciplinary proceedings and were dismissed from the force on 4 November 1983.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to how many complaints have been received against officers of the West Midlands serious crime squad for each year since 1979; and what action has been taken in each case.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand form the chief constable of the West Midlands police that this information is not readily available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief 194
  constable of the West Midlands on what action was taken against the officers responsible for obtaining a confession from Mr. Derek Gordon for a murder of which he was subsequently acquitted.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that an investigation into Mr. Gordon's complaint was conducted by a senior officer of the Metropolitan police in 1985 under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority. Two officers were subsequently charged with disciplinary offences and were fined. Other officers were given advice by their supervisory officers in connection with unsatisfactory standards of documentation.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to how many of the officers involved in investigations into the case of Derek Gordon were also involved in questioning those later convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that two officers were involved in the Derek Gordon case and also in the questioning of those later convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of the West Midlands as to how long police cadet Adrian Dart remained in the force after testifying against three of his colleagues convicted of trying to extort confessions by violence.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of the West Midlands police that police constable Dart resigned from the West Midlands police force four months after three officers were convicted in November 1983 of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

  Hospital Patients (Voting)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider making arrangements for those admitted to hospital at short notice, who are registered on the appropriate electoral rolls, but do not have sufficient notice of their admission to vote by post, proxy or in person, to vote; what representations he has received about hospital patients being disfranchised; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 21 June 1989 at column 131. Amendment of the regulations about absent voting so as to cover those unexpectedly admitted to hospital is one of the options that we are considering for easing the application procedures.

  Mr. Salman Rushdie
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to public funds of the security provided to Mr. Salman Rushdie; and when such security started.

  Mr. Douglas Hurd
  On 14 February 1989 the Metropolitan police decided to provide Mr. Rushdie with
  195
  protection. This followed the threat to his life made by the Ayatollah Khomeini. It would not be sensible to disclose information about police protection which would indicate its scale in a particular case.

  Football Grounds (Policing)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made of the cost of policing football grounds in 1990–91.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have made no such estimate. As to earlier years, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr. Evans) on 15 June at column 507.

  Privacy
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is in a position to announce the name of the chairman and the terms of reference of the committee to review privacy and related matters.

  Mr. Hurd
  Mr. David Calcutt QC, Master of Magdalene college, Cambridge has accepted the offer of the chairmanship of the committee to review privacy and related matters. The terms of reference will be:"In the light of recent public concern about intrusions into the private lives of individuals by certain sections of the press, to consider what measures (whether legislative or otherwise) are needed to give further protection to individual privacy from the activities of the press and improve recourse against the press for the individual citizen, taking account of existing remedies, including the law on defamation and breach of confidence; and to make recommendations."

  A further announcement will be made about the membership of the committee. We understand that the chairman will meanwhile be issuing early invitations to submit evidence. We have asked the chairman to complete his report speedily.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of take-up by pensioners of (i) income support and (ii) housing benefit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Sir I. Gilmour) on 8 February at column 713.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of pensioners in(a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom who are in receipt of retirement pension and income support, for each year since 1981.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 26 June 1989]: The number of individuals in receipt of both retirement pension and supplementary benefit for each year since 1981 is as follows:

  Scotland (000s)

  Great Britain (000s)

  December 1981

  141

  1,643

  December 1982

  140

  1,698

  December 1983

  134

  1,565

  December 1984

  140

  1,578

  February 1986

  137

  1,599

  May 1987

  149

  1,620

  196
  Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries 1981–1987.

  Note: Figures for the United Kingdom are not available. The number of persons in receipt of both retirement pension and income support is not yet available.

  Benefit Refusals
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for the Doncaster and Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire all the grounds of refusal of unemployment-related benefits in a manner consistent with the reporting of the chief adjudication officer; and if he will give the number of claims disallowed on each ground for the years 1978, 1983 and 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The grounds of refusal of unemployment-related benefits as listed by the chief adjudication officer in his annual report on adjudication standards are:

  Grounds of refusal

  1. that the day claimed for is a normal idle day for the employment for which the claimant is registered; that the claimant has worked to the full extent that is normal for that week;

  2. that the claimant has left his employment voluntarily;

  3. that the claimant has been dismissed from his employment because of misconduct;

  4. that the claimant has payment in lieu of notice or remuneration;

  5. that the claim to benefit was delayed;

  6. that the claimant may not be regarded as unemployed;

  7. 11

  8. that the claimant is not available for employment;

  9. that the claimant is engaged in employment;

  10. that the claimant is placing unreasonable restrictions on his availability for employment;

  11. that the claimant has refused suitable employment;

  12. that the claimant has terminated a course of training prematurely;

  13. that the claimant is claiming for days of a recognised or customary holiday from his employment;

  14. that the claimant is a seasonal worker;

  15. other categories.

  1 The chief adjudication officer also includes in his list at column 7 "Dependency". This refers to claims made for dependency addition to unemployment benefit and is not a ground for refusal of unemployment benefit.

  Note:

  Information about the number of claims for Supplementary Benefit disallowed on each ground is not held for the years 1978 and 1983. Details of Supplementary Benefit an Income Support claims disallowed in 1988 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Information about the number of disallowed claims for Unemployment Benefit in the Doncaster and Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire is not available. However, the table shows the relevant figures for the Yorkshire and Humberside region, which includes Doncaster and Mexborough.
  197

  Disallowed claims for unemployment benefit in the Yorkshire and Humberside region for the years 1978, 1983 and 1988

  Question

  1978

  1983

  1988

  Normal idle day and full extent normal

  157

  1,989

  3,365

  Leaving voluntary

  45,958

  24,883

  25,673

  Misconduct

  15,674

  9,715

  8,471

  Payment in lieu of notice or remuneration

  10,008

  23,098

  16,041

  Delayed claim

  2,116

  9,612

  12,256

  Whether unemployed

  1,426

  5,323

  5,441

  Dependency benefit

  2,207

  2,333

  533

  Availability

  2,417

  7,948

  8,341

  Engaged in employment

  2,047

  19,463

  5,204

  Restricted availability

  459

  803

  2,212

  Refusal of suitable employment

  478

  158

  264

  Premature termination of training

  38

  84

  537

  Customary holiday

  176

  1,013

  1,169

  Seasonal worker

  308

  363

  591

  Others

  1,597

  5,607

  5,249

  TOTALS

  85,066

  112,392

  95,347

  Family Credit
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of families now in receipt of family credit living in areas covered by his Department's Social Security offices in(a) Doncaster and (b) Mexborough; and what were the figures for 12 months ago.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  At the end of June 1989 the number of families receiving family credit who, at the time their awards were made, were living in the areas covered by the relevant local social security offices was as follows:

  Number

  Doncaster (East)

  858

  Doncaster (West)

  553

  Wath-on-Dearne

  183

  Comparable information for 12 months ago is not available.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Tracey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will announce the social fund allocation for the new office in New Malden and also the revised allocation for Kingston following the closure of Surbiton local office on 29 June.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On 29 June 1989 a new local office in New Malden opened following the closure of Surbiton local office which also affected the boundaries for Kingston. Accordingly the social fund allocation for Kingston has been adjusted. The revised allocations effective from 29 June 1989 are:

  Loans £

  Grants £

  New Malden

  62,213

  29,006

  Kingston

  111,758

  52,118

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the average waiting time for claimants' requests for a loan under the social fund to be processed in each social security benefit office in Greater Manchester.
  198
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 23 June 1989]: The table gives details for budgeting and crisis loans of the average clearance times achieved during May 1989.

  Clearance times for loans—Greater Manchester

  Days

  Office

  1Budget loans Crisis

  loans

  Farnworth

  2·71

  2·68

  Hyde

  2·67

  0·81

  Manchester (Central)

  2·47

  0·56

  Manchester (Cheetham)

  6·55

  1·57

  Manchester (Chorlton)

  15·82

  0·62

  Manchester (Failsworth)

  9·28

  103

  Manchester (Longsight)

  8·20

  0·60

  Manchester (Middleton)

  —0·12

  1·67

  Manchester (Openshaw)

  14·01

  1·29

  Manchester (Rusholme)

  16·84

  1·45

  Manchester (Sale)

  11·12

  0·32

  Manchester (Wythenshawe)

  12·13

  0·59

  Oldham

  5·68

  0·66

  Salford (North)

  5·76

  0·40

  Salford (South)

  18·32

  0·26

  Stockport (North)

  6·77

  0·27

  Stockport (South)

  1·20

  0·46

  1 The clearance times for budget loans are net figures. These are arrived at by deducting 5 days from the gross clearance time.The 5-day adjustment is a national average figure intended to allow for the time taken by applicants to respond to the offer of a loan.

  Hospice Patients
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many questions there are on an income support application form; and how many of them would be relevant to a hospice patient.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Hospice patients will be asked to complete one of two claim forms, depending on their age. These forms contain, on average, some 170 questions. Although every question is relevant to the assessment of entitlement to income support, not all questions will be relevant to individual claimants. Hospice patients or their appointees, like other claimants, will be able to follow the clear signposting throughout the forms which indicate when questions or sections may be missed.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will establish procedures which provide that income support payments for accommodation could be paid directly to hospices when the recipient of the income support is a hospice patient.

  Mr. Scott
  There are already established procedures for the payment of income support direct to a hospice. These apply when a claimant who is liable for an accommodation charge has fallen into debt due to a failure to budget for that charge, and it is in the best interests of the claimant to make the payment direct.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to amend the regulations so that when hospice patients are awarded income support due to the additional costs, those payments are made from the date of entry to the hospice.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) in the last year for which figures are available, how many hospice patients became entitled to and received income support because of the additional cost of
  199
  the hospice; and how many hospice patients continued to receive income support for which they had a previous entitlement;

  (2) in the last year for which figures are available, how much income support was paid to hospice patients to help with their hospice costs;

  (3) what estimates he has of the number of hospice patients who become eligible for income support on entering a hospice but do not receive it because they die before their claim is prepared and processed;

  (4) what information he has on the proportion of hospice costs that are met by income support payments to hospice patients.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that information is not available in the form requested. Income support is paid to terminally ill people according to the type of care they are receiving, and no distinction is made between hospices and nursing homes.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has for speeding up the process of application for income support for hospice patients.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are no plans at present to institute special procedures for people claiming income support from hospices. The process of application for income support is designed to gather the required information to allow for the accurate assessment of benefit entitlement and payment in all cases, wherever the claimant is resident.

  Income Support Forms
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated average time required to complete an income support application form.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No estimates have been made.

  Mrs. S. E. Hart
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to pay Mrs. S. E. Hart of 21 Greenswood road, Brixham, Devon, the benefits, including widowed mother's allowance and child benefit, to which she is entitled, dating from 16 August 1983.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Mrs. Hart did not claim widow's benefit until 1988. That claim was backdated to 28 July 1987, the maximum period allowed under legislation. The position for the period before that is still being investigated and we will write to my hon. Friend as soon as these investigations are completed.

  Mrs. Hart was in receipt of child benefit and one parent benefit from 1983 until her younger child left school.

  Disabled Persons
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out in detail the benefits including telephone, travel, car, rates, etc., from public funds available to a registered disabled person over 90 years of age in receipt of a combined state and private pension totalling £68 per week; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The help available to a registered disabled person will vary according to the individual's needs and 200
  circumstances, and it is not possible to give the information requested. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind, he may wish to write to me so that the relevant details can be provided.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from British citizens, temporarily absent from the United Kingdom but liable to pay income tax in the United Kingdom, that their children should remain entitled to child benefit during their absence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There have been no recent representations.

  People temporarily absent solely because they are in employment outside Great Britain can receive child benefit if at least half their earnings from their employment are liable to United Kingdom income tax.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security to what he ascribes the fact that the staff effort required to process each application to the housing benefit transitional payments unit was three times as great as had been expected.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 3 July at column 40–41.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will instruct the housing benefit transitional payments unit to accept late applications.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Late applications will be considered by the transitional payments unit if there are good reasons for the delay.

  Single Parents
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will introduce measures to enable single mothers to compel financial support from the fathers concerned who are unwilling to make voluntary contributions.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Arrangements for single mothers to obtain maintenance orders for their children are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office. Two measures introduced this year will enable more mothers to obtain maintenance. First, the time limit for starting proceedings has been abolished, and second, DNA testing is available to determine paternity where it is in dispute.

  When a mother claims income support the Department tries to obtain a contribution from the father, and can take proceedings if he refuses to make payments which he can afford. However, the Government are concerned that more fathers should meet their responsibility to support their children. We have therefore introduced revised procedures to make this work more effective.

  Council House Tenants
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has as to the additional level of benefit entitlement(a) single and (b) married

  201
  council tenants would receive if their only source of income was the basic state retirement pension, based on the average council house rent and rates in (a) England (b) Wales.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 26 May 1989]: Information is not available in the exact form requested.

  Table A. Until October 1989

  England and Wales

  Basic RP £

  Income support £

  Rent rebate £

  Rate rebate £

  Single pensioner aged less than 80

  43·60

  2·50

  17·90

  6·32

  Single pensioner aged 80 or over

  43·85

  4·75

  17·90

  6·32

  Pensioner couple, both aged less than 80

  69·80

  2·05

  17·90

  6·32

  Pensioner couple, both aged 80 or over

  70·30

  4·00

  17·90

  6·32

  Table B. From October 1989

  Single pensioner aged less than 75

  43·60

  2·50

  17·90

  6·32

  Single pensioner aged 75 to 79

  43·60

  5·00

  17·90

  6·32

  Single pensioner aged 80 or over

  43·85

  7·25

  17·90

  6·32

  Pensioner couple, both aged less than 75

  69·80

  2·05

  17·90

  6·32

  Pensioner couple, at least one aged 75 to 79

  69·80

  5·55

  17·90

  6·32

  Pensioner couple, both aged 80 or over

  70·30

  7·50

  17·90

  6·32

  Notes:

  1.For the pensioner couples it is assumed that the wife's retirement pension is based on her husband's contributions.

  2. No savings over £3,000: no non-dependants; no ineligible items included in rent and rates.

  3. From October 1989, an additional pensioner premium will be in force in both housing benefit and income support. This will increase IS entitlement by up to £2·50 a week for single pensioners and £3·50 for couples.

  4. All the examples show people entitled to income support. They are, therefore, entitled to maximum housing benefit, which is 100 per cent. of eligible rent and 80 per cent. of eligible rates.

  Loans and Community Care Grants
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East of 25 May,Official Report, column 683, and 12 June, Official Report, columns 282–83, he will list the percentages of (a) budgeting loans and (b) community care grants which were awarded to each of the

  Budgeting loans and community care grants for west Midlands county area percentage by client group 1988–89

  Per cent.

  (00)

  (01)

  (02)

  (03)

  (04)

  (05)

  (06)

  (07)

  (08)

  (09)

  (10)

  (11)

  (12)

  (13)

  (14)

  (15)1

  Birmingham (Bradford St)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·00

  0·52

  0·94

  5·22

  0·52

  3·66

  4·60

  41·00

  1·46

  2·51

  15·46

  18·29

  0·84

  4·28

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  3·43

  4·00

  16·00

  1·14

  6·29

  10·86

  25·14

  1·71

  1·14

  5·14

  12·57

  1·71

  10·29

  0·00

  0·57

  Birmingham (Edgbaston)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·47

  0·66

  0·47

  4·28

  0·33

  2·44

  3·01

  45·04

  0·24

  1·69

  12·60

  24·21

  0·47

  4·04

  0·04

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·19

  4·46

  3·29

  10·66

  0·58

  1·55

  7·17

  23·26

  0·19

  1·94

  4·07

  33·72

  0·97

  6·59

  0·00

  1·36

  Birmingham (Erdington)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·43

  0·28

  0·24

  3·79

  0·09

  2·18

  1·52

  43·34

  0·81

  2·46

  12·46

  27·85

  0·76

  3·79

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·15

  3·90

  3·15

  18·17

  0·45

  2·85

  5·56

  26·43

  0·30

  1·35

  7·66

  21·77

  1·50

  5·41

  0·00

  1·35

  Birmingham (Handsworth)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·21

  0·46

  0·21

  3·42

  0·25

  2·25

  2·71

  46·77

  0·92

  3·50

  8·17

  27·01

  0·50

  3·63

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  3·20

  1·71

  15·14

  0·85

  1·71

  11·51

  21·96

  0·43

  2·13

  5·33

  24·52

  2·56

  8·74

  0·00

  0·21

  Birmingham (Ladywood)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·00

  0·17

  0·34

  5·16

  0·11

  1·76

  4·03

  44·41

  0·79

  2·84

  12·76

  23·60

  0·74

  3·29

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·17

  4·74

  3·38

  15·06

  1·18

  1·52

  7·78

  21·83

  0·68

  0·51

  5·92

  25·89

  1·18

  9·48

  0·00

  1·02

  Birmingham (Northfield)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·45

  0·35

  015

  2·60

  0·15

  3·00

  2·50

  42·54

  0·65

  1·50

  16·72

  26·06

  0·30

  3·05

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  10·22

  2·16

  28·49

  1·01

  1·29

  9·64

  20·29

  0·43

  0·43

  6·19

  12·81

  0·72

  3·74

  0·00

  2·59

  Birmingham (Perry Barr)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·30

  0·00

  0·30

  3·65

  0·30

  2·74

  2·66

  48·02

  1·44

  3·50

  19·98

  14·21

  0·91

  1·98

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·82

  4·89

  4·35

  26·63

  0·27

  3·26

  12·50

  17·39

  0·00

  1·63

  6·52

  11·14

  3·26

  6·52

  0·00

  0·82

  202
  However, taking the average council house rent and rates in England and Wales for people with no dependent children, additional income-related benefit for people whose only income is the basic state retirement pension, is set out in the tables.

  15 client groups defined by his Department for each of the 21 offices serving the West Midlands county area for the financial year 1988–89.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 26 June 1989]: The information requested in set out in the table for 23 offices in the West Midlands county area (excluding Coventry). The relevant information for the Coventry offices is given in my reply to the hon. Member on 15 June at columns 531–32.
  203

  (00)

  (01)

  (02)

  (03)

  (04)

  (05)

  (06)

  (07)

  (08)

  (09)

  (10)

  (11)

  (12)

  (13)

  (14)

  (15)1

  Birmingham (Ravenhurst)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·11

  0·11

  0·34

  5·67

  0·23

  2·95

  5·22

  36·96

  0·91

  3·85

  10·09

  26·98

  1·13

  5·44

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·35

  3·85

  3·50

  12·94

  0·70

  1·40

  8·74

  22·73

  1·05

  0·70

  5·24

  19·58

  3·15

  14·34

  0·00

  1·75

  Birmingham (South Yardley)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·28

  0·68

  0·40

  3·86

  0·40

  2·50

  2·21

  49·72

  0·68

  1·93

  20·77

  13·45

  0·68

  2·44

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·27

  8·75

  4·91

  22·41

  1·72

  3·32

  12·07

  24·01

  0·13

  0·93

  7·16

  7·96

  1 99

  3·45

  0·00

  0·93

  Birmingham (Sparkhill)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·80

  0·32

  0·96

  5·57

  0·16

  2·55

  5·25

  44·43

  0·96

  2·39

  14·01

  16·88

  1·11

  4·62

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·43

  4·27

  5·13

  11·54

  0·85

  3·42

  8·12

  26·92

  0·43

  0·85

  9·83

  1·41

  3·42

  8·97

  0·00

  1·17

  Birmingham (Washwood Heath)

  Budgeting Loans

  0·54

  0·42

  006

  3·27

  0·12

  2·50

  2·26

  48·22

  0·48

  2·62

  18·31

  16·94

  1·07

  3·21

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·21

  6·18

  4·05

  22·60

  0·21

  1·92

  11·51

  19·40

  0·43

  2·35

  8·32

  14·50

  1·71

  5·97

  0·00

  0·64

  Cannock

  Budgeting Loans

  0·99

  0·14

  0·99

  3·67

  0·28

  2·96

  2·68

  39·63

  1·55

  4·51

  26·52

  13·40

  1·41

  1·27

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·56

  0·56

  6·70

  11·17

  0·56

  3·91

  3·91

  30·73

  1·68

  1·68

  17·32

  11·73

  4·47

  4·47

  0·00

  0·56

  Dudley North

  Budgeting Loans

  0·22

  0·22

  0·39

  5·07

  0·33

  2·04

  2·65

  36·55

  1·27

  2·43

  24·37

  19·74

  1·54

  3·20

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  1·85

  2·15

  12·31

  0·00

  1·85

  6·77

  22·15

  0 31

  0·62

  12·62

  30·15

  4·00

  4·31

  0·00

  0·92

  Dudley South

  Budgeting Loans

  0·16

  0·33

  0·00

  0·45

  0·00

  1·15

  1·98

  39·87

  0·99

  3·62

  24·22

  18·45

  0·99

  3·79

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  5·11

  2·84

  22·73

  0·57

  0·00

  2·27

  22·16

  0·00

  1·14

  5·68

  28·41

  2·84

  5·68

  0·00

  0·57

  Lichfield

  Budgeting Loans

  0·00

  0·00

  0·46

  2·87

  0·69

  1·83

  1·83

  45·64

  1·26

  1·95

  25·80

  14·68

  0·46

  2·52

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·39

  3·53

  4·31

  18·04

  1·57

  3·53

  8·63

  23·14

  0·78

  3·53

  14·12

  10·59

  3·53

  3·92

  0·00

  0·39

  Nuneaton

  Budgeting Loans

  0·30

  0·10

  0·81

  3·25

  0·51

  3·05

  2·84

  51·07

  0·61

  1·42

  17·36

  14·62

  0·91

  3·15

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·93

  2·80

  2·80

  14·02

  0·47

  3·27

  11·68

  19 63

  0·93

  2·80

  14·02

  16·36

  3·74

  5·14

  0·00

  1·40

  Redditch

  Budgeting Loans

  0·18

  0·53

  0·53

  5·35

  1·07

  4·63

  1·07

  52·41

  0·71

  3·03

  17·29

  11·59

  0·36

  1 25

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·30

  16·91

  4·75

  46·88

  0·89

  1·78

  5·64

  9·79

  0·89

  0·59

  4·15

  4·45

  0·30

  2·67

  0·00

  0·59

  Smethwick

  Budgeting Loans

  0·57

  0·63

  0·00

  3·54

  0·06

  2·22

  1·71

  47·09

  0·89

  1·96

  18·61

  20·06

  0·32

  2·34

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·54

  7·24

  6·70

  15·55

  0·27

  1·07

  8·04

  24·93

  1·34

  2·14

  5·90

  21·18

  0·54

  3·22

  0·00

  1·34

  Walsall East

  Budgeting Loans

  0·36

  0·44

  0·98

  3·29

  0·18

  3·20

  2·49

  37·24

  0·53

  2·93

  29·96

  14·22

  1·16

  3·02

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  7·22

  5·56

  23·61

  0·56

  5·28

  13·06

  15·56

  0·28

  0·83

  9·17

  8·89

  2·22

  6·39

  0·00

  1·39

  Walsall West

  Budgeting Loans

  0·41

  0·21

  0·96

  5·08

  0·41

  2·54

  3·85

  41·28

  1·37

  2·75

  20·88

  16·07

  0·96

  3·23

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·23

  5·96

  5·05

  12·61

  0·69

  5·28

  8·03

  34·40

  0·69

  1·83

  8·72

  12·16

  1 61

  1·61

  0·00

  1·15

  West Bromwich

  Budgeting Loans

  0·24

  0·00

  0·12

  3·80

  0·24

  1·31

  1·31

  38·52

  1·66

  2·73

  28·43

  18·04

  1·13

  2·49

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  9·70

  8 02

  33·89

  1·03

  4·66

  12·55

  8·67

  0·52

  3·36

  4·53

  6·60

  1·68

  4·01

  0·00

  0·78

  Wolverhampton North

  Budgeting Loans

  0·12

  0·47

  0·39

  2·87

  0·27

  2·37

  1·98

  44·41

  0·78

  3·07

  22·59

  18·01

  0·50

  2·17

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  0·00

  4·78

  3·19

  15·47

  0·64

  2·55

  11·16

  25·84

  0·32

  1·28

  5·58

  21·05

  2·23

  5·74

  0·00

  0·16

  Wolverhampton South

  Budgeting Loans

  0·11

  0·63

  0·63

  5·43

  0·11

  1·95

  1·95

  38·83

  0·84

  3·90

  18·81

  22·76

  0·79

  3·27

  0·00

  n/a

  Community Care Grants

  1·13

  2·48

  2·26

  12·42

  0·23

  3·84

  8·13

  29·57

  0·45

  1·58

  7·90

  16·93

  4·74

  8·35

  0·00

  0·00

  1 Key to client groups

  Code

  Meaning

  00

  unallocated or unidentified

  01

  over 80—with income support higher pensioner premium

  02

  aged 60–79—disabled with higher pensioner premium

  03

  aged 60–79—with ordinary pensioner premium, or over 60 without pensioner premium

  04

  lone parent with income support disability premium

  05

  family with disability premium

  06

  other with disability premium

  07

  lone parent without disability premium

  08

  signs at UBO quarterly with income support family premium

  09

  signs at UBO quarterly without family premium

  10

  signing unemployed or with training allowance with family premium

  11

  signing unemployed or with training allowance without family premium

  204 205

  12

  others with family premium

  13

  others without family premium

  14

  involved in trade dispute

  15

  applicant not in receipt of income support—not applicable for budgeting loans

SOCIAL SECURITY

  War Pensions (Housing Benefit)
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will review his policy in relation to war pensions and housing benefit so that local authorities which disregard war pensions when making their assessment would be recompensed from central funds;

  (2) what is his estimate of the savings to public funds which he makes by not disregarding war pensions when housing benefit is assessed.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 4 July 1989]: When assessing housing benefit local authorities must statutorily disregard £5 of a war widow's pension or a war disablement pension. They receive direct subsidy for the housing benefit arising from this normal calculation.

  Where local authorities operate local schemes by which they disregard further amounts of war pensions, the resulting extra housing benefit does not qualify for housing benefit subsidy. The balance is a charge on local rate or community charge payers.

  It is estimated that the cost of disregarding war pensions in full would increase public expenditure on housing benefit and community charge benefit by some £40 million. However, support is reflected in the rate support grant for the discretionary schemes operated by local authorities. The resulting net cost of about £30 million would be of very little benefit to the poorest war pensioners, but give considerable extra sums to some who are relatively well off.

  Ms. N. Hinchcliffe
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the appeal (CSB1605188) to the Social Security Commissioner on a point of law over the refusal of a single payment for bedding lodged on 21 May 1987 in respect of Ms. N. Hinchcliffe will be heard.

  The Attorney-General
  I have been asked to reply.

  A Commissioner made a determination in this case on 28 June 1989 and copies of that determination were sent to the parties on 30 June 1989. The Commissioner made his determination on the papers, no oral hearing having been requested.

EMPLOYMENT

  Employment Training
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many visits there have been by the Health and Safety Executive to employment training(a) projects and (b) work placements since its inception in September 1988.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Health and Safety Executive records do not separately identify inspection to workplaces where employment training participants are present. For the purposes of health and safety legislation, employment training participants have all the same rights and duties as employees.
  206
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage more private employers to provide employment training work placements.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My Department through its marketing campaigns, and training managers through their local contacts, continue to forge links with employers to make them aware of the advantages of ET and to encourage them to offer training opportunities.

  Repetitive Strain Injury
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Oxford, East on 4 April,Official Report, column 38, when he expects the Health and Safety Executive to conclude its investigation into repetitive strain injury.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The main results of the project investigating repetitive strain injury at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh were published by the institute in January 1989. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library. A small follow-up study of keyboard operators is still in progress and it is hoped that the results will be available in September this year. The project at the university of Birmingham is also expected to report this September.

  VDU Operators
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects to respond to the recommendations of the Health and Safety Executive in respect of the health and safety of visual display unit operators.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive has not made any recent recommendations on this subject.

  Employment Rehabilitation Centres
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 14 June,Official Report, column 436, he will list the factors which have caused the proportion of expenditure on employment rehabilitation centres reimbursed by the European social fund to fall from 42 per cent. in 1985 to 13 per cent in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 3 July 1989]: The main factors underlying this reduction have been a growth in the total volume of claims on the fund by all member states, resulting in the progressive scaling down of the proportion of successful United Kingdom claims, and changes in the eligibility rules.

SCOTLAND

  National Health Service Reform
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the hospitals which have expressed an interest in opting out.
  207
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have not yet asked hospitals to make any formal expressions of interest in becoming self-governing. I shall be doing so shortly at the same time as I issue more detailed information on what is involved.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received supporting the opting out of hospitals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have received a number of representations on this subject. Many support our aims but have raised questions on points of detail. I shall be issuing further guidance shortly.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospitals he expects to show interest in opting out.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The White Paper indicates that we expect at least two hospitals to become self-governing by 1992.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce the first hospital to opt out of health board control.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The White Paper "Working for Patients" and the Scottish working paper 3 on "Self-Governing Hospitals" made it clear that we hope to establish at least two self-governing hospitals by 1992.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what instructions he has given to health boards concerning opt-out hospitals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No instructions have been given to health boards. Scottish working paper 3 "Self-Governing Hospitals" gave information on self-governing status. I shall issue more detailed guidance shortly, inviting those who wish to explore this possibility to express their interest to me.

  COSLA
  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement with regard to the issues which he expects to raise at the next meeting between himself and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I met representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on Monday 3 July, when they let us have their views on the revenue support grant settlement for 1990–91 and other related matters.

  I hope to meet the convention again in the autumn to discuss grant distribution, and such other matters as may by then be appropriate.

  CBI
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I are in frequent touch with the Confederation of British Industry in Scotland on matters affecting the Scottish economy and industry. We look forward to a continuing exchange of views.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the fall in unemployment in Scotland over the last 12 months.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the underlying trend in unemployment in Scotland over the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  In Scotland, the number of unemployed claimants has fallen by 45,000 over the past 12 months and by almost 90,000 in the last two years. Unemployment has now fallen for 25 months in succession and is now at its lowest level for eight years.

  Business Rates
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many responses he has had from the business community in Scotland following his speech on business rates in Glasgow on 8 May.

  Mr. Lang
  Representatives of 13 business organisations have written to my right hon. and learned Friend. All have welcomed his announcement warmly.

  AIDS
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number of prisoners in penal establishments in Scotland who have been diagnosed as suffering from AIDS or are carriers of the disease; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The most recent survey, conducted on 20 April 1989, showed that six inmates in Scottish penal establishments were suffering from AIDS or AIDS-related complex, and 70 were known to be HIV positive. These figures are comparable with those obtained from surveys conducted during 1988, and are monitored on a regular basis.

  Crash Barriers
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in the installation of crash barriers on Scottish dual carriageways.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  By the end of this financial year at least 90 km, 39 per cent., of the trunk road motorway network and 143 km, 33 per cent., of trunk road dual carriageways will be equipped with central reserve safety fences or will not require such provision due to the wide separation of the carriageways.

  High-Rise Flats
  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to provide extra finance for improving high-rise flats.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  For 1989–90 we have made available £474 million for capital investment in local authority houses; this is an increase of £28·8 million or 6·5 per cent. on the resources announced in March last year. It is for individual authorities as landlords to determine their own policies and priorities for their housing stock and to draw up capital programmes for investment, including any plans for work on high-rise flats.

  Drug Abuse
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what special resources he plans to make available to the police and appropriate agencies in order to alleviate the social problems which emanate from drug abuse in the city of Glasgow.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government's strategy to combat drug misuse and the specific measures that are being taken are described in the publication "Tackling Drug Misuse—A Summary of the Government's Strategy" (Third Edition, 1988), copies of which are in the Library.

  The deployment of police resources is a matter for chief constables. Strathclyde police attaches a very high priority to tackling drug misuse. Since 1979 the force's drug squad, which is based at Glasgow, has been increased from 18 to 34 officers. In addition, since 1986 we have authorised increases totalling 31 officers in the strength of the Scottish crime squad to allow the formation of drugs wings, one of which is based at Glasgow.

  As for other agencies, the sum allocated to Greater Glasgow health hoard for the support of drug misuse services in 1989–90 is £466,861. In addition, from 1989–90 we are making available to health boards generally a further £1 million per annum for the development of these services. The provision of such services is, however, primarily the responsibility of health boards and local authorities.

  Electricity Bills
  Mr. Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what authority the South of Scotland electricity board demands repayment of electricity bills which have been estimated due to faulty meters.

  Mr. Lang
  The South of Scotland electricity board, in accordance with the provisions of the Electricity Supply Acts 1882 to 1936 and the schedule to the Electric Lighting (Clauses) Act 1899, or on the basis of contract, is entitled to charge for electricity which it supplies. In addition, the board relies in appropriate circumstances on section 51 of the South of Scotland Electricity Order Confirmation Act 1956, as amended, for recovery of damage caused to meters. Assessed accounts are issued to seek payment for a supply of electricity which is unrecorded because of a faulty or damaged meter, in accordance with the board's conditions for supply of electricity, and the board has confirmed that this approach has found acceptance in the courts. Moreover, the board has a clear responsibility to seek payment in this way since otherwise the cost would be borne by the general body of its consumers.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Buchanan-Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has recently received regarding the impact of the standard community charge in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning the standard community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of such representations.
  210
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many changes have been made to the poll tax register in the Strathclyde region since the beginning of 1989.

  Mr. Lang
  It is the responsibility of community charge registration officers to maintain the community charge registers and the information requested is not held centrally.

  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of those required to register for the community charge in Scotland have done so; and what percentage of those liable to pay the charge have begun to make payments.

  Mr. Lang
  It is estimated that almost 99 per cent. of the adult population has been registered. It will be some while before reliable information becomes available from local authorities on payment levels.

  Tourism
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of the number of tourists from England who visit Scotland; what percentage this is of the total number of visitors to Scotland; and how much they contribute to Scotland's economy.

  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tourists visited Scotland over the last 10 years; and what percentage of the total number originated from England.

  Mr. Lang
  Information for the most recent years for which final figures are available is set out in the following table.

  Year

  Domestic and Overseas Visitors to Scotland (millions)

  Visitors to Scotland from England (millions)

  Visitors from England as percentage of total

  £ million expenditure by Visitors from England

  1978

  13·2

  4·76

  36

  n/a

  1979

  12·5

  4·72

  36

  n/a

  1980

  12·7

  4·19

  33

  n/a

  1981

  13·0

  4·60

  35

  n/a

  1982

  13·4

  4·20

  31

  n/a

  1983

  14·1

  5·90

  47

  n/a

  1984

  14·2

  5·90

  42

  756

  1985

  13·7

  5·80

  42

  709

  1986

  13·2

  5·94

  45

  775

  1987

  14·8

  6·71

  45

  1,000

  Source:

  For domestic visitors, 'British Home Tourism Survey' for period 1978–1983 and 'National Survey of Tourism in Scotland' for the period 1984–1987.

  For overseas visitors, 'International Passenger Survey' 1978–1987.

  Gaelic Television
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met with Comunn na Gaidhlig to discuss Gaelic television.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I met representatives of Comunn na Gaidhlig on 17 April to discuss their views on the future of Gaelic broadcasting. My officials have had a further meeting with the council since then.

  Development Agency
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total expenditure by the Scottish Development Agency since its inception.

  Mr. Lang
  Taking account of provisional expenditure for 1988–89, the Scottish Development Agency had spent at the end of March a total of £1,304 million in the period since it was formed.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of the Scottish Development Agency; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply by my right hon. and learned Friend to the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Mr. McKelvey) earlier today.

  Local Councillors
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received concerning the practice of local councillors holding local authority employment in local authorities in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Thirty-four of those who responded to consultation about the Widdicombe report expressed views on this subject, as did seven of those who commented on the Government's response to that report or on the relevant provisions in the Local Government and Housing Bill. In addition, two individuals have made representations about the way in which they would be affected by those provisions.

  Deep Coal Mining
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact on the Scottish economy of the run down in the deep coal mining industry.

  Mr. Lang
  The Government are continuing to keep the situation in the deep coal mining industry, including the impact of the rundown on the Scottish economy, under close review.

  Forestry
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what impact the recent tax changes relating to the forestry industry have had upon the levels of tree planting.
  212
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to him on 9 May 1989,Official Report, column 332.

  Local Government Services
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further progress local authorities in Scotland are making with regard to contracting out of local government services.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Local authorities remain fully engaged in implementing the competition provisions of the Local Government Act 1988. The first round of work won in competition has to be under way by 1 August this year with further rounds by 1 January and 1 August in subsequent years.

  From the information available it would appear that so far local authorities have themselves been winning contracts in most cases. Where any anti-competitive practice has been alleged my officials are following up the cases with the local authorities concerned.

  New Towns
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of the Scottish new towns.

  Mr. Lang
  The Government have now completed their consideration of the issues affecting the future of the Scottish new towns, and our conclusions and proposals will be set out in a White Paper within the next few weeks.

  General Practitioner
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the increase in the number of general practitioners since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The number of general medical practitioners in Scotland has risen from 2,921 in 1979 to 3,353 (provisional) in 1988. The corresponding figures for general dental practitioners are 1,204 and 1,523 (provisional).

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on the waiting lists for(a) hip, (b) ear, nose and throat, and (c) varicose vein operations in Scottish hospitals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Waiting list figures are not collected centrally for individual types of operation, but the all-Scotland waiting lists in the relevant specialties of orthopaedic, ENT and general surgery fell by 6 per cent., 15 per cent. and 7 per cent. respectively between March and September 1988. In Lanarkshire the reductions were 13 per cent., 27 per cent. and 28 per cent. respectively. Our wide-ranging waiting list initiatives in 1988–89 have made a substantial contribution to these reductions and the allocation of £3 million helped health boards to treat an extra 8,800 inpatients in the year to March 1989. For 1989–90 I have already allocated £6·5 million of the £7 million which I made available and health boards have set themselves a target to see or treat an extra 26,000 outpatients, 17,250 inpatients and 1,800 day cases. This is in addition to the action which boards themselves are continuing to take to increase the number of patients treated. The biggest allocations have been for orthopaedic and general surgery.

  Employment Prospects
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next intends to visit Glasgow, Rutherglen constituency to discuss employment prospects.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans to visit the Glasgow, Rutherglen constituency.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Government's performance regarding the attraction of inward investment to Scotland since 1979.

  Mr. Lang
  Since 1979 Scotland has enjoyed very significant success as a location for inward investment thanks to Government policies which have re-established the United Kingdom as a place in which enterprise is welcome and can flourish, and to the effectiveness of the one-door approach to inward investment operated by Locate in Scotland since it was set up in 1981.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to give immediate aid to the Scottish fishing industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Current difficulties in the fishing industry reflect the inevitable consequences of having to cut quotas to secure future stocks and prosperity. It would not be appropriate to provide any immediate financial aid to the industry which has had several successful years under the common fisheries policy.

  Nirex
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met senior officials from Nirex; and what was discussed.
  214
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend and the Secretary of State for the Environment met officials of the executive on 15 March 1989 to discuss their report to the Government on sites for investigation for the deep disposal of low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes.

  Business Grants
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many companies in receipt of a cash grant from his Department to establish a business in Scotland have discontinued such business within five years of establishment.

  Mr. Lang
  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, eight companies which received RSA towards establishing new businesses in Scotland are known to have discontinued such business. These companies receive some £346,000. Recovery of grant is pursued in appropriate cases. By comparison, there have been 91 projects in total which have received RSA to establish new businesses in Scotland over the same period, with associated grant payments to date of £19·2 million.

  Football Matches (Arrests)
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the figures of football-related arrests for all Scottish clubs(a) for the seasons 1987–88 and 1988–89 and (b) as a percentage of total attendances at football matches during those seasons.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information set out in the table relates to arrests within Scottish league grounds at league and cup matches.

  Season

  Number of arrests

  Percentage of attendance

  1987–88

  845

  0·0163

  1988–89

  806

  0·0169

  Central Legal Office
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he or any of his health board general managers has made any proposals for the services provided by the central legal office to be put out to competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  At the request of the Scottish Home and Health Department, the Common Services Agency, of which the central legal office is part, will shortly put out to tender certain conveyancing and related work.

  Consultancy Fees
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each financial year since 1983–84 the amount spent by each health board on consultancy fees at 1983–84 constant prices.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information available from the annual accounts of health boards relates to the total of
  215
  fees paid by health boards to management consultants, legal firms, other than for legal expenses connected with compensation claims, and to work study consultants. The

  £ at 1983–84 prices

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1 1988–89

  Argyll and Clyde

  2,839

  861

  19,255

  48,086

  16,300

  53,100

  Ayrshire and Arran

  —

  8,159

  30,329

  6,161

  7,475

  24,897

  Borders

  1,537

  748

  12,585

  1,763

  4,546

  12,076

  Dumfries and Galloway

  —

  —

  4,395

  2,447

  31,567

  47,536

  Fife

  16,464

  20,503

  11,195

  22,142

  28,814

  47,964

  Forth Valley

  755

  3,026

  20,690

  22,976

  36,805

  52,487

  Grampian

  6,490

  1,553

  13,880

  81,716

  138,589

  33,039

  Greater Glasgow

  —

  6,293

  3,462

  2 —1,081

  40,725

  199,630

  Highland

  —

  424

  2,626

  16,754

  10,789

  82,311

  Lanarkshire

  —

  3,835

  113

  —

  2,495

  20,618

  Lothian

  2,912

  1,575

  12,573

  72,994

  71,566

  134,089

  Orkney

  460

  —

  1,479

  564

  1,499

  13,579

  Shetland

  72

  1,164

  1,196

  1,260

  1,499

  4,194

  Tayside

  —

  —

  55

  223

  50,293

  11,436

  Western Isles

  2,000

  —

  13

  1,939

  9,238

  22,142

  Totals

  33,529

  48,141

  133,846

  277,944

  452,200

  759,098

  1 Provisional.

  2 Net of credits.

  Elderly People (Long-term Care)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the proposed provision of long-term care for the elderly at Rutherglen hospital by Takare plc was put out to competitive tendering.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Greater Glasgow health board has not made any final decision on the provision of long-term care for the elderly in the south-east of Glasgow.

  Additionality
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 3 May,Official Report, column 163, what were the rules on additionality under (a) regulation No. 724/75, (b) regulation No. 1787/84 and (c) regulation No. 4253/88; and what steps he is taking to ensure genuine additionality at the regional level, in accordance with article 9 of regulation 4253/88.

  Mr. Lang
  Article 9 of regulation 4253/88 calls for the increase in the size of the European Community structural funds to have a genuine additional economic impact in the regions concerned and to result in at least an equivalent increase in the total of public structural aid in the member state concerned. There were no analagous articles in the previous regulations, but they contained provisions about grants supplementing or partially reimbursing national aids.

  The impact of the funds in Scotland is clear. Grants are paid to a wide range of local authorities and other bodies, saving them up to 50 per cent. of the cost of qualifying projects. This will continue to be the case, as it has been in the past.

  Glenochil Prison (Security Equipment)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate the value of security and surveillance equipment supplied to Her Majesty's prison Glenochil and attached establishments in the years 1986 to 1989 to the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  From 1 April 1986 to 31 March 1989 the sum spent on security and surveillance
  216
  amounts for each health board are shown in the table. Expenditure for 1984–85 onwards has been converted to 1983–84 prices using the gross domestic product deflator.

  equipment in Her Majesty's prison Glenochil was £59,416·14. Over the same period the sum of £650,181·20 was spent on such equipment specifically for other establishments run by the Scottish prison service.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the procedures for ordering security and surveillance equipment at Her Majesty's prison Glenochil and attached establishments; what were these procedures in 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Home and Health Department has a central purchasing policy for security and surveillance equipment to be acquired through its prison building division. The procedures involve multiple tendering. These procedures apply to all establishments and were in force in 1986. In exceptional circumstances, single tender action can be implemented provided that it complies with the rules of public accounting.

  Princes Street (Traffic Regulations)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the proposal of Lothian regional council to amend traffic regulations on Princes street, Edinburgh; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under schedule 9, part II of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, my right hon. and learned Friend is considering Lothian regional council's proposals to facilitate the flow of vehicular traffic on Princes street, Edinburgh, by increasing the restricted hours for waiting, loading and unloading to 24 hours of every day and the prohibited hours to 8 am to 6 pm of every day subsequent to the widening of the north footway. The order includes provisions to facilitate orange badge holders' parking in streets adjacent to Princes street following the removal of the present facility to park on Princes street as a result of footway widening and additional waiting restrictions.

  Thirteen representations have been received on this subject. These fall broadly into three categories: (a) objections from disabled people about the exclusion of

  217
  orange badge holders from Princes street; (b) objections from traders in Princes street about loading/unloading difficulties; (c) objections from people anticipating the possible future complete pedestrianisation of Princes street.

  Full consideration is being given to all the representations I have received. I hope to give my decision soon.

  Red List Substances (Salmon Farming)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what resources are being made available to the river purification boards to enable them to fulfil their duty to monitor red list substances including dichlorous in the light of the growth rate of the salmon farming industry.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is for each river purification board to set annual expenditure in line with its duties, including those relating to the proposed red list, and the necessary resources are obtained by requisition on the regional councils whose areas lie wholly or partly in the area of the board.

  British Steel
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairman of British Steel; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend met the chairman of British Steel on 26 October 1988. A number of matters of current interest were discussed.

  Community Charge
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the operation of the standard community charge.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have received a number of such representations.

  Prisons (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has considered the report by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons for Scotland into conditions and arrangements for accommodating persons detained in Scottish prisons under the Immigration Act 1971 and members of ethnic minority groups.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I am today publishing my statement in response to this report. Copies of both are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Torness
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the estimated annual marginal costs to the Scottish electricity boards in 1989–90 of generating the equivalent output of Torness by burning Scottish coal in existing Scottish power stations.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 4 July 1989]: Information on the Scottish electricity boards' estimated generation costs for the current financial year is commercially sensitive and confidential to the boards.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the estimated annual interest charges to the Scottish electricity boards from the construction of Torness nuclear power station.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 4 July 1989]: The Scottish electricity boards' total assets are financed by a combination of internally generated funds, borrowings and current liabilities, none of which attaches to individual assets. It is therefore not possible to attribute specific loans or interest charges to Torness nuclear power station.

  Shipbuilding (Redundancies)
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of redundancies in the shipbuilding and shiprepair industries in Strathclyde during the period 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1988.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 30 June 1989]: Information is not available in the precise form requested. There are no comprehensive statistics on redundancies. The number of redundancies involving 10 or more workers confirmed to the Department of Employment—the Training Agency—as having occurred in Strathclyde region in the shipbuilding and shiprepairing industry between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1988 was 11,303.

  Central Excavations Unit
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been employed by the Scottish Development Department's central excavations unit and its successor body on short-term contracts for periods of more than two years; and why such people have not been offered full-time employment.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 21 June 1989]: In the four years 1985–86 to 1988–89 there have been no contracts of more than two years. No individual contract has been for more than 156 working days, and only five contracts have been for more than 100 working days.

  Information on contracts before 1985 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  COASTGUARD HELICOPTER OPERATIONS
  COASTGUARD HELICOPTER OPERATIONS
  PRIVACY INQUIRY: COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND TERMS OF REFERENCE
  PRIVACY INQUIRY: COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN AND TERMS OF REFERENCE
  CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
  CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
  WATER AUTHORITIES: UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS
  WATER AUTHORITIES: UNAUDITED ACCOUNTS