Written Answers of 25 July 1989

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Misleading Advertisements
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints he has received concerning misleading advertisements; and if he has any plans to amend the Control of Misleading Advertisement Regulations 1988.

  Mr. Forth
  My Department does not keep records of such complaints. Anyone complaining to the Department about an advertisement whether in respect of misleadingness or otherwise is referred to the appropriate advertising control authority: usually the Advertising Standards Authority or local trading standards department. Complaints about misleading advertisements which cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the authorities may be referred to the Director General of Fair Trading under the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988. I will ask the director general to write to the hon. Member about the number of complaints he has received.

  I have no plans to amend the regulations.

  Vehicle Mileage
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has had discussions concerning clocking and the possibility of requiring notification of a car's mileage to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre when relicensing, acquiring, or disposing of a car.

  Mr. Forth
  I have seen the recommendations to which the hon. Member refers, which were made by the working group led by the Director General of Fair Trading. As my hon. Friend the Minister for Roads and Traffic told the House on 16 March, the Government do not believe that the expensive system proposed for collecting and storing data in order to deter clocking would be sufficiently reliable to warrant the cost and bureaucracy involved. There are already mileage verification services available from private sector companies, and we believe that motor manufacturers could do much to solve the problem by developing tamper-resistant odometers.

  Second-hand Cars
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints he has received concerning the failure of garages to carry out pre-sales inspections of second-hand cars; and what discussions he has had concerning the improvement of consumer protection in this area.

  Mr. Forth
  I am not aware of any complaints from consumers received by my Department specifically about the failure of garages to carry out pre-sales inspections of second-hand cars. I receive representations from time to 582
  time about various aspects of consumer protection in relation to used cars, but I have had no discussions specifically about pre-sales inspections.

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received any recent representations about pilot or permanent workplace creches and similar incentives further to encourage the return to employment of women in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  The Department of Trade and Industry uses the joint management and union arrangements which exist within the Whitley machinery to discuss workplace child care. The Department has received no recent representations outside this forum.

  The DTI is keen both to retain female staff and to encourage women to return to its employ. With other Departments, the DTI has contributed funds to a play scheme in London for employees' children aged five to 12 years. We have also initiated a programme of action to promote part-time working, and have increased flexible working hours. We are shortly to announce details of a career break scheme.

  NESL
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter written to him by the European Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan on 12 July regarding NESL.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  It is not usual practice to publish correspondence of this kind between the European Commission and the Government of a member country. In the particular circumstances of this case, however, a copy of Sir Leon Brittan's letter of 12 July has, with his agreement, been placed in the Library appended to a note by the Department on exchanges between the Government and the Commission concerning NESL.

  Summer Time
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what assessment has been made of the impact on quality of service for letter deliveries by the Post Office if there is an extra hour of winter morning darkness due to the implementation of single/double summer time;

  (2) what information he has as to what extra costs the Post Office forecasts it will incur if there is an extra hour of winter morning darkness due to the implementation of single/double summer time.

  Mr. Forth
  Quality of service is a matter for the Post Office Board. I understand the change would increase lighting and heating costs and require some changes in staffing arrangements at post offices.

  Astra Satellite
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster at what power levels the Astra satellite is authorised by international regulatory agreements to broadcast signals to the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Atkins
  The power level for which the ASTRA. (Transmitting space station GDL-6) satellite has been
  583
  co-ordinated with the United Kingdom under the procedures of the ITU/IFRB (International Frequency Registration Board of the International Telecommunication Union) is 53 dBW eirp (Effective isotropic radiated power).

  Eutelsat
  Dr. Woodcock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what payments from public funds have been made in each of the last five years to British Telecom International in respect of its involvement in the Eutelsat organisation and for what purpose.

  Mr. Atkins
  No such payments have been made to British Telecom International (BTI). The following payments have, however, been made to EUTELSAT by the British National Space Centre in respect of United Kingdom membership of EUTELSAT:

  £

  1984

  513,523

  1985

  1,389,568

  1986

  1,843,321

  1987

  903,063

  1988

  3,342,463

  These payments are a contribution towards the subscription payable to EUTELSAT by BTI, as United Kingdom signatory, in recognition of the costs associated with demonstrating the commercial applications of the ECS series of experimental telecommunications satellites. The payments will cease by the end of 1994.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is now in a position to give his Department's considered response to recommendations Nos. 24–26 of the Select Committee on Trade and Industry's report on information technology concerning the zero rating of value added tax on donations of information technology equipment made to educational institutions for research purposes.

  Mr. Forth
  The issues governing the zero rating of value added tax and taxation matters generally are complex and range beyond my Department. I can, however, state that I have taken note of the Select Committee's recommendation and can confirm that my Department remains committed to maintaining and improving the climate for investment for research and technology within the existing legislative framework. It is within this context that my officials have been liaising with the Treasury, but the policy regarding all fiscal matters is determined by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mortgage Arrears
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) how many actions for repossession as a result of mortgage arrears were begun in the Coventry county court in each year since 1979;

  (2) how many county court actions for mortgage repossession occurred in the Coventry county court; how
  584
  many of these actions resulted in an order for possession of the property; how many of these orders for possession were suspended; and how many warrants for eviction were issued, in each year since 1979.

  The Attorney-General
  The number of mortgage actions for possession entered and orders made for possession in Coventry county court in each year since 1983 (the first year for which figures are available) are as follows. No information is collected on how many of these orders were suspended nor how many resulted in evictions.

  Year

  Number of mortgage possession actions entered

  Number of mortgage possession orders made

  1983

  550

  476

  1984

  545

  446

  1985

  471

  404

  1986

  505

  497

  1987

  560

  385

  1988

  454

  536

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Adult Illiteracy
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish his current estimate of the number of adult persons in the United Kingdom unable to read or write.

  Mr. Jackson
  Few adults are totally unable to write, but a substantial number have some problems with reading, writing and spelling. Research sponsored by the adult literacy and basic skills unit (ALBSU) and the Training Agency suggests that of the cohort of 23-year-olds who were interviewed in 1981 as part of the national child development study survey, 13 per cent. said that they had some problems with reading, writing or numeracy, and 3 per cent. said that their problems caused difficulty in everyday life. If this were typical of all adults in England and Wales, an estimated 5·5 million people could have some difficulties with literacy and numeracy, of whom about 300,000 might experience serious difficulties with reading and writing.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters were received from, and sent to. hon. Members by his Department in(a) January and (b) the whole of this Session up to 1 July.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  This information is not readily available in the form requested. Between 1 December 1988 and 30 June 1989 the Department received 9,985 letters designated for ministerial reply, and 9,385 replies were issued. During January 1989, 1,352 letters for ministerial reply were received, and 1,041 replies issued. Approximately two thirds of this correspondence was from hon. Members.

  Personal and Social Education
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many hours the subjects of personal and social education will occupy in the national curriculum; and what will be the format for teaching these studies;
  585
  (2) how many hours the subject of alcohol education is to occupy in the national curriculum.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Under section 4(3) of the Education Reform Act, national curriculum orders may not prescribe the time to he allocated to teaching any subject or topic. How the different programmes of study are taught will be a matter for each school to determine.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what recommendations he intends to make on alcohol education in the draft orders to be laid before Parliament on that subject;

  (2) when the draft orders on the study and attainment targets for alcohol education to be contained in the national curriculum will be laid before Parliament.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The order for science education within the national curriculum was laid before Parliament in March 1989. This includes attainment targets and programmes of study concerning the effects of alcohol on the way in which the human body functions.

  "Fun Eating at School Today"
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the response in the Doncaster area to the Fun Eating at School Today campaign.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The FEAST campaign is run by individual local education authorities. Information on its results in particular areas is not collected by the Department.

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to encourage education authorities and school governing bodies to establish work place or shared facility creches and similar incentives further to encourage the return of mothers to teaching.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Under the education support grant programme for 1990–91, support is available for up to £2 million to boost the local recruitment of former teachers and mature entrants. Provision of creche and other child care facilities will be relevant expenditure for this activity.

  Higher Education (Funding)
  Sir Peter Emery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will ensure in the future that universities and polytechnics receive the same level of funding.

  Mr. Jackson
  Decisions on the public funding of the universities and the polytechnics will continue to reflect differences in their circumstances, of which universities' research role is part.

  Ethnically Based Statistics
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about ethnically based statistics on school pupils.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department is today issuing a circular to local education authorities and others,586
  instituting from September 1990 a national scheme for the collection of ethnically based statistics on school pupils. I shall be placing copies of the circular in the Library.

  The scheme's objective is to assist schools, parents, LEAs, the Department and others in ensuring that education meets the needs of all pupils, thereby helping to secure equality of opportunity. The great majority of those who commented on an earlier consultative circular welcomed the principle of collection of ethnically based data. The national scheme has been designed in the light of experience of pilot schemes in four LEAs.

  LEA maintained and grant-maintained schools will be expected to collect ethnically based information on pupils entering either the primary or secondary phase of schooling in September 1990, and thereafter. Parents will be asked to provide, on a voluntary basis, information on their children's ethnic origin, religion and the language spoken in their home. The circular emphasises the need for care and sensitivity in the collection and handling of this information. Information supplied to the DES will be aggregated and will not permit the identification of individual pupils.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about ethnically based statistics on students in further and higher education.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department and the Welsh Office issued a consultation document raising the issues and options involved in the collection of ethnically based statistics for students in further and higher education last March. Comments were received from 100 bodies. There was general support for the proposal that the national data collection on ethnicity for each and every student/enrolment should be obtained via the incorporation of a question in the further education statistical record. Accordingly, we have agreed that a question to elicit this information using the agreed OPCS classification of ethnic groups will be included in the November 1990 FESR return.

  With regard to the collection of data on applications for higher education, both the University Central Council on Admissions and the Polytechnic Central Admissions Systems have agreed to include an ethnicity question in their admission material for full-time first degree courses relating to the academic year 1990–91 and subsequently. UCCA data will then be transferred to the university statistical record in respect of those students enrolled at university.

  The collection of these data will provide a valuable measure to inform forward planning and provision and alert decision-makers to issues and areas requiring further investigation.

  Motor Neurone Disease
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the projects on motor neurone disease funded by his Department.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 14 July]: The Medical Research Council, which receives a grant in aid from this Department, is currently supporting the following projects on motor neurone disease:
  587

  Investigator

  Department

  Project title

  Dr. C. R. Slater

  Neurology, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  Structure and function of motor innervation in mice with an inherited disease of the motor neurones

  Dr. P. J. Harrison

  Physiology, University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London

  The segmental and functional connectivity of group 1B muscle afferents

  Dr. F. S. Walsh

  Neurochemistry, Institute of Neurology, London

  Molecular recognition events in nerve-muscle co-cultures

  Prof. M. F. Scanlon

  College of Medicine, University of Wales, Cardiff

  Investigation of the serum factor(s) in motor neurone disease which increase TRH production by rat brain stem cells

  Dr. K. R. Mills

  Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford

  Mechanisms of muscle weakness in central nervous system disease: a study using magnetic brain stimulation

  Prof. T. A. Sears

  Sobell Department of Neurophysiology, Institute of Neurology, London

  Tropic regulation of protein synthesis in motorneurones

  Dr. R. Navarrette

  Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College, London

  The role of nerve-muscle interaction in motorneurone functional development

  Prof. G. Vrobova

  Anatomy and Embryology, University College, London

  Restoration of muscle function by regenerated embryonic motorneurones

  The Medical Research Council also supports a range of basic research which may be of relevance to motor neurone disease. In addition, university departments and medical schools support research from block grants from the Universities Funding Council, some of which may also be of relevance.

WALES

  Anthrax
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all the measures that he has taken since April, together with dates of implementation, to protect people from infection from anthrax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Restrictions made under the Anthrax Order 1938 prohibiting the movement of animals and carcases to and from the premises, and of other potentially infected materials from the premises, were imposed by the local authority.

  The community health physician, Wrexham, was notified on 19 April 1989. Where pigs had been licensed to be moved they had been inspected by a veterinary officer prior to leaving the farm; by a veterinary officer at the point of slaughter; and again by a qualified meat inspector after slaughter. Animals dying from anthrax were cremated and their surroundings cleansed and disinfected. Clwyd county council made appropriate arrangements to disinfect and dispose of the slurry.

  Opera (Llandudno)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when officers of his Department last met representatives of local authorities in Gwynedd concerning the establishment of an opera venue at Llandudno; and what is the latest position with regard to this project.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Welsh Office officials met representatives of Aberconwy borough council and Gwynedd county council on 21 June. An application for
  588
  the scheme to be considered as a project of regional or national importance has since been received from Aberconwy borough council and is being considered.

  Local Authority Finance
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the figures by which an individual would be protected by the safety net against the full effects of the poll tax in each local authority area in Wales, showing against each the equivalent figure based on his written answer on 12 June,Official Report, columns 304–6;

  (2) whether, further to his written answer on 12 June, Official Report, columns 304–6, he will list the community charge he estimates will apply to each local authority area in Wales (a) without safety net and (b) with safety net.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No. The review of standard spending assessments has yet to be completed and the precise details of the safety net have yet to be settled. I agree with the Welsh local authority associations that it would be misleading to produce illustrative figures until consultation on these matters has been concluded.

  Cardiff Bay
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether his Department has submitted to the European Commission any plan, project or programme in respect of aid from the European regional development fund for any project within the Cardiff bay development corporation area;

  (2) whether his Department has conducted any negotiations with the European Commission or others on any plan, project or programme in respect of aid from the European regional development fund for any project within the Cardiff bay development corporation area.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Projects in the Cardiff bay area have been submitted individually for ERDF assistance in the past. Developments in the Cardiff bay area are included in a proposal for an integrated development operation for industrial south Wales submitted to the European Commission in May last year. A linked reconversion plan for industrial south Wales, submitted to the European
  589
  Commission earlier this year also referred to developments in Cardiff bay. Discussions are currently under way between officials of my Department and of the European Commission.

  Welsh Development Agency
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the properties and facilities and their cash values of the Welsh Development Agency and facilities that have been sold in each of the years since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 5 July 1989]: Details of industrial property sales in 1987–88 and 1988–89 are shown in the tables. Similar information for other years since 1979 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Location

  Unit Reference

  Consideration

  £ thousand

  Year 1987–88

  Amlwch

  Amlwch No. 1

  187

  Maesteg

  Revlon factory

  360

  Pyle

  Northgate factory

  145

  Blackmill

  G Q Parachutes factory

  105

  Maesteg

  British Vita factory

  140

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Ex-Hoover factory

  3,000

  Bridgend

  Unit B15 Bridgend IE

  60

  Barry

  Unit 1Ty Verlon

  300

  Tenby

  A/F 16 and 17 Salterns IE

  40

  Burry Port

  Units 4, 5, 6, and 7 Pembrey IE

  115

  Aberdare

  A/F 1 Robertstown

  206

  Hirwaun

  A/F 10 Hirwaun

  350

  Newport

  Maesglas IE (26 factory units)

  2,225

  Swansea

  Ex-Northgate premises

  111

  Kenfig

  A/F 4 Kenfig IE

  295

  Pontardawe

  A/F 1 Pontardawe IE

  75

  Cwmgors

  A/F 1 Cwmgors IE

  55

  Ynyshir

  A/F 7 and 8 Ynyshir IE

  73

  Porth

  Remploy factory

  98

  Llwynypia

  Glampak factory

  85

  Llwynypia

  Unit A B 11 Llwynypia

  45

  Treforest

  Commercial Unit, Treforest IE

  13

  Wrexham

  Unit A, Redwither Road, Wrexham IE

  205

  Wrexham

  Ex-Dunlop factory

  725

  Year 1988–89

  Cwmbran

  Units B1 and B3 Ty Coch IE

  228

  Cwmbran

  Units 1, 2 and 3 Caldicot Way, Avondale IE

  465

  Blaenavon

  Andrew Russell factory

  98

  Penyfan

  A/F 5 Penyfan IE

  278

  Tafarnaubach

  Unit 4, Tafarnaubach IE

  555

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Unit 1, Goat Mill road, Dowlais

  238

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Unit 2, Goat Mill road, Dowlais

  200

  Treorchy

  Polikoff Universal factory

  100

  Cwmtillery

  Unit 1, Cwmtillery IE

  260

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Ex-Triang factory

  41

  Maesteg

  A/F 3 Forge IE

  235

  Treforest

  Units A16 and A17 Treforest IE

  527

  Hirwaun

  Unit L2 Hirwaun IE

  11

  Cwmfelinfach

  A/F 1 Nine Mile Point IE

  364

  Hirwaun

  Unit L21, Hirwaun IE

  65

  Hirwaun

  Unit B55, Hirwaun IE

  20

  Kenfig

  A/F 3 Kenfig IE

  465

  Kenfig

  A/F 4 Kenfig IE

  295

  Dafen

  A/F 10 Dafen industrial park

  275

  Dafen

  Unit 1, Dafen industrial park

  350

  Llanelli

  A/F 1 North Dock

  69

  Morriston

  A/F 3 St. Davids IE

  225

  Bridgend

  James Walker factory

  22

  Ammanford

  Unit 2, Park street

  125

  Llandeilo

  Units B, C and D Beechwood IE

  95

  Milford Haven

  Unit 5, Gt. Honeyborough IE

  65

  590

  Location

  Unit Reference

  Consideration

  £ thousand

  Pembroke Dock

  Units 2 and 3 Ferry lane

  375

  Milford Haven

  A/F 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 Great Honeyborough IE

  210

TRANSPORT

  DRIVE Project
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British organisations are involved in the European Community DRIVE project.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  British organisations are playing a major part in the DRIVE initiative and are involved in more than two thirds of the contracts let so far.

  Up to now, some 60 DRIVE contracts have been awarded: 27 British organisations are involved in 42 of them and are taking the lead in 19. Bearing in mind the EC has had 189 DRIVE proposals, this is an impressive hit rate and illustrates the depth of technology available in Britain.

  The Government's transport and road research laboratory has been awarded 12 contracts and is lead contractor in one. The local value of these contracts is £12·7 million, of which the TRRL share is £870,000. Work on most of these projects has started and will take two or three years.

  With a budget of 50 million ecu (£32 million), DRIVE aims to create an integrated pan-European road transport environment, mainly using electronic systems to convey information to drivers and for controlling traffic.

  Motor Cyclists
  Mr. David Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for transport what are the latest statistics he has available on the death rate of motor cyclists in relation to the overall population in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) the United States of America, (iii) France, (iv) the Federal Republic of Germany and (v) Japan; and what were the comparable figures 10 Years ago.

  Mr. peter Bottomley
  the information is as follows:

  Motor cyclist deaths per million head of population

  1977

  1987

  United Kingdom

  21·6

  13·0

  USA

  19·3

  18·6

  France

  53·0

  29·1

  FRG

  35·0

  17·8

  Japan

  16·7

  25·5

  The figures are published in the transport statistics report entitled "International comparisons of transport statistics; Part 2". They do not give an indication of the size of the motor cycle population in each country. The trend in the United Kingdom towards reduced casualties among motor cyclists is a heartening one.

  Driver Testing and Training
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the driver testing and training business plan for 1989–90.
  591
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Copies of the driver testing and training division's 1989–90 business plan have been placed in the Library.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will report on progress in implementing the recommendations of the interdepartmental review on road safety; and if he will indicate his future priorities for work on reducing road casualties.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Good progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the road safety review. I have placed a full progress report in the Library of the House. This includes a summary of the areas of work on which we shall be concentrating for the next 18 months. Casualty figures suggest that we are making reasonable progress towards the target of reducing casualties by one third by the year 2000. It is also clear that there is no room for complacency and that we shall have to step up our efforts even more in the future.

  Drink-driving
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers involved in accidents were found to have been drinking over the limit in 1988; how this number has changed over the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Drivers involved in accidents who are not seriously injured may be breath-tested following the accident. In 1988, it is estimated that 75,000 drivers were so tested, of whom nearly 14 per cent., or just over 10,000, failed. In addition, coroners' reports on drivers who die in road accidents show that about 20 per cent. in 1988, or about 400, had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit.

  The following tables show (a) the numbers tested following injury accidents each year since 1979 and the numbers failing; and (b) the percentages of drivers killed in accidents who had a high blood alcohol content.

  Table A

  Drivers and riders in accidents

  Numbers breath tested, and failing

  Numbers tested

  Numbers failing

  1979

  41,000

  14,100

  1980

  41,600

  13,400

  1981

  41,000

  12,300

  1982

  43,300

  13,500

  1983

  42,300

  12,400

  1984

  43,500

  12,600

  1985

  44,700

  12,600

  1986

  61,200

  11,900

  1987

  65,000

  11,000

  1 1988

  75,000

  10,200

  Table B

  Percentage of drivers or riders killed in road accidents, whose blood alcohol level is above the legal limit

  Killed

  Per cent. over limit

  1979

  2,700

  32

  1980

  2,500

  31

  1981

  2,500

  30

  1982

  2,500

  33

  1983

  2,200

  28

  592

  Killed

  Per cent. over limit

  1984

  2,200

  26

  1985

  2,100

  26

  1986

  2,200

  24

  1987

  2,100

  23

  1 1988

  2,100

  21

  1 Provisional.

  As the figures show, both the numbers of drivers failing the breath test, and the proportion killed who have a high blood alcohol content have been falling. This indicates a real fall in the amount of drinking and driving that occurs, although the levels are still too high.

  We must continue our efforts to change public attitudes so as to accelerate this fall in drink-drive levels, and so reduce the number of accidents on our roads.

  Passenger Aircraft
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of passenger aircraft, in service with United Kingdom operators, which exceed 75 per cent. of their economic design life objectives according to model type and as defined by (a) total number of flights, (b) total number of flying hours and (c) age; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list in the Official Report the numbers of passenger aircraft in service with United Kingdom operators, by airplane model type, showing how many of each model type have exceeded their economic design life objectives in terms of (a) total number of flights or (b) total number of flying hours or (c) age; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  These data are not held by the Department though some may be available to the Civil Aviation Authority, which has the statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of civil aviation.

  I shall ask the chairman of the authority to respond direct to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many licences for passenger aircraft were issued to United Kingdom operators by his Department under arrangements known as wet leasing; if he will list, according to each model type, the numbers of such aircraft which have(a) exceeded their economical design life objectives in terms of either (i) total number of flights, (ii) total number of flying hours and (iii) age, or (b) reached 75 per cent. or more of their economic design life objectives in terms of either (i) total number of flights, (ii) total number of flying hours and (iii) age; if he is satisfied with the safety standards of aircraft which are wet leased; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In 1988, the Department approved 19 wet leases of foreign registered passenger aircraft by United Kingdom airlines. A breakdown of the types of aircraft is as follows:-

  Type

  Number

  BAC 1–11 (500)

  1

  B727–100

  1

  B727–200

  4

  B737–200

  5

  B737–300

  4

  Convair CV-580

  3

  593

  Type

  Number

  DC10

  1

  Total

  19

  The other statistics requested in relation to these aircraft are not kept.

  Dartford Crossing
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects construction of the third Dartford crossing to be completed.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Good progress continues to be made on the new bridge. It is expected to be open early in 1991.

  Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the names, number of fatalities and port of registration of United Kingdom-registered cargo vessels and passenger ferries lost in each of the past five years; if each loss was the subject of an inquiry; how many masters of such vessels were held responsible; what was the range of sanctions imposed upon them; and to which regulations do these penalties refer.

  Mr. Portillo
  The names and port of registry of cargo vessels and passenger ferries registered in the United Kingdom lost in the five years 1984–88 are listed, with the number of fatalities. Inquiries were carried out by the Department of Transport in all cases. The remaining information requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate expense.

  Cargo Vessels and Passenger Ferries Lost 1984–88

  Ship

  Port of Registry

  Deaths

  1984

  Camilla Weston

  London

  —

  Fylrix

  Hull

  —

  1985

  Johanna V

  London

  —

  Bridgeness (Tanker)

  London

  —

  Xanthence

  Colchester

  —

  David F

  Liverpool

  —

  Gwyn

  Cardiff

  —

  1986

  Southern Quest

  Grangemouth

  —

  Eilean Rosin Dubh

  Stornoway

  —

  1987

  Herald of Free Enterprise

  Dover

  189

  Besthorpe

  Hull

  1

  Maral R

  London

  —

  1988

  Grit

  London

  —

  BC Mercurius

  London

  —

  Deepdale H

  Liverpool

  —

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 11 July,Official Report, columns 458–59 he will indicate in how many of the subsequent inquiries into such losses the master was
  594
  held responsible for the loss of his vessel; what were the penalties imposed upon those deemed to be offenders; and under which regulations those sanctions were imposed.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be compiled at disproportionate expense.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 11 July,Official Report, columns 458–59, he will indicate how many of these losses of fishing vessels were subjects of inquiry; how many were lost as a direct result of collisions with submarines; and, of those which foundered following such collisions, how many were fishing at the time with (a) demersal gear and (b) pelagic gear.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department of Transport made inquiries into the large majority of the losses, including, all where fatalities occurred. None of the vessels was lost so far as is known as a direct result of collision with a submarine.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 11 July,Official Report, columns 458–59, he will indicate the number of inquiries where no judgment or assessment was made concerning the reason or reasons for the loss of a fishing vessel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  In all cases where an inquiry is carried out, an attempt is made to assess the possible causes of the accident. A full list of all cases with information as to the extent to which cause remains uncertain could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Manchester Airport (Far East Flights)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many additional international flights to and from the far east and Manchester airport have been approved this year; which airlines and destinations are involved; and if he will list all similar applications still to be considered.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  So far this year, arrangements have been made allowing new scheduled services from Manchester to be operated to Malaysia and to Hong Kong, and for additional services to Singapore. United Kingdom airlines can seek licences for these routes from the CAA (at present, only British Airways has one, from Manchester to Hong Kong). Airlines at present designated by the authorities at the other ends of the routes are MAS, Cathay Pacific, Air Hong Kong and SIA. It is for each of these airlines to decide whether or not to take advantage of the opportunities. Apart from a licence application by Virgin Atlantic for services between Manchester and Singapore under consideration by the CAA, there are no outstanding requests for services between Manchester and the far east.

  Airtours and Orion
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he intends taking about the time-keeping and maintenance performance recently of the Airtours company and Orion airlines.
  595
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It is the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that is responsible for ensuring that all United States carriers, including Orion Air, operate their aircraft in accordance with safety and airworthiness standards set by the FAA pursuant to their obligations under the Chicago convention. Our Civil Aviation Authority has already drawn the FAA's attention to the recurring maintenance difficulties experienced on Orion Air's services to and from Manchester.

  Fuel Efficiency
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there are any plans to introduce legislation to require vehicle manufacturers to achieve fuel efficiency targets for cars and light vans.

  A2/M2 road maintenance programme (£ million)

  Scheme

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  A2

  Swanscombe-Pepper Hill

  0·2

  2·9

  —

  —

  —

  Barham-Westcourt Road

  1·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Tollgate-Marling Cross

  —

  0·1

  1·4

  —

  —

  Lydden-Whitfield

  —

  —

  2·0

  —

  —

  Tollgate-Thanglane

  —

  —

  2·1

  0·6

  —

  Coldred-Whitfield

  —

  —

  0·4

  1·3

  —

  Thanglane-M2

  —

  —

  —

  2·6

  —

  GLC Boundary-M25

  —

  —

  —

  0·05

  —

  Brewers Gate

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·2

  West Court-Lydden

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·2

  Whitfield Eastwards

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·2

  County Boundary-M25

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·4

  Singlewell-Hog Lane

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·05

  M2

  Junctions 3 and 4–5

  4·8

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Junctions 5–7 Joints Ph1

  —

  0·5

  —

  —

  —

  Junctions 5–7 Joints Ph2

  —

  —

  0·5

  —

  —

  Junctions 5–6 Concrete repairs

  —

  —

  4·1

  0·4

  —

  Junction 4

  —

  —

  0·2

  2·7

  —

  Junctions 5–7 overlay

  —

  —

  —

  5·5

  Junction 5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3·9

  Junctions 5–7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3·2

  Junctions 6–7

  —

  —

  1·1

  —

  —

  A2 Improvement schemes (£ million)

  Schemes

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Barham Crossroads

  —

  1·9

  0·6

  0·04

  Swanscombe-B262

  1·3

  —

  —

  —

  Tollgate-Marling Cross

  —

  0·78

  —

  —

  Cobham-3 Crutches

  —

  —

  0·94

  —

  London Boundary-M25

  0·07

  —

  —

  2·35

  Singlewell-Hogg Lane

  —

  —

  —

  0·01

  A2/M2 Brenley Corner Roundabout

  —

  0·02

  —

  —

  Radioactive Material
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys were made in 1988 of(a) uranium and (b) other nuclear or radioactive material, which were transported through the Doncaster metropolitan borough council area by (i) rail and (ii) road to Sellafield or other destinations; and what reviews are being carried out on the frequency of these cargo shipments.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department does not collect data of the kind requested.

  The movement of all radioactive materials must be made in compliance with national and international
  596
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: Following the June Environment Council, the European Commission is committed to looking for ways of reducing the emissions from vehicles of carbon dioxide, the principal "greenhouse" gas. These emissions are directly related to fuel efficiency. It is unclear how the Commission intends to fulfil this commitment. We expect it will consult member states at an early stage to explore what might be technically, economically and legally feasible.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent in respect of each A2-M2 road maintenance programme or improvement programme in each of the last 10 years; and if he will list the amounts by programme.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: The information readily available is:

  regulations which require safety for both normal and accident conditions to be built in to the container used for transport.

  Safety does not depend on the choice of route used, which is a matter for the carrier.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters were received from, and sent to, hon. Members by his Department in(a) January and (b) the whole of this Session up to 1 July.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  This question could be answered only at disproportionate cost.

  Civil Service Dispersal
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made in his Department's review, in line with Treasury guidelines, of the potential for the further relocation of Civil Service posts outside London and the south-east; and when he expects the review to be completed.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Eighty per cent. of DTp staff are located outside London and the Department is reviewing the possibilities for further relocation.

  A decision to relocate the headquarters of the driver testing and training division to Nottingham in mid-1990 was announced earlier this year; a review of TRRL at Crowthorne concluded against relocation; a review of marine HQ posts is nearing completion; and a review of parts of the highways command has recently started.

  A1
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the decision was made to undertake the new road works south of Wetherby on the A1.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The carriageway repair work on the A1 at Bramham to the south of Wetherby was planned in February. The works are 0·5 miles long and are expected to be completed by 8 August.

  We are conscious of the need to plan and phase road works and try to keep those on the A1 to a minimum.

  To aid traffic flow, the lane restrictions which were in force on the A1 at Dishforth have been suspended until early September.

  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of the A1 north of Doncaster to Dishforth are presently under repair.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  One half of one mile.

  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to the nearest 1,000, how many cones are presently deployed on the A1 between Doncaster and Dishforth.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are approximately 6,000 cones currently in use on the A1(M) Doncaster bypass. Between Doncaster and Dishforth, there are approximately 750 cones deployed for day-time lane closures. A further 750 cones are used for work which is being carried out at night to minimise traffic delays.

  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the distances between highways works signs on the Al between the M18 junction and the A19 both north and south.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The works on the A1(M) Doncaster bypass and those at Bramham to the south of Wetherby are 25 miles apart. The works at Bramham are 22 miles from those at Dishforth.

  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any departmental Ministers have travelled on the A1/M1 in Yorkshire during the past six months.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Yes. I drove up and down twice last month.

  Motorway HGV Checks
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of counties in which major checks have been carried out on the motorways in 598
  the last 12 months, to discover how many heavy goods vehicles were unfit for use; and whether he will hold talks with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the effectiveness and frequency of exercises such as that carried out by Staffordshire county constabulary.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In the 12 months to the end of June 1989, major vehicle checks were carried out in 23 counties; 470 goods vehicles were prohibited from further movement for offences including overloading, mechanical defects and breach of the drivers hours rules.

  The Department regularly holds liaison meetings with the Home Office and representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers at which enforcement procedures and other matters are discussed. The vehicle checks carried out by Staffordshire police are effective both in enforcing the law and increasing inter-agency co-operation. The Department's enforcement staff will continue to assist the police in Staffordshire and elsewhere in holding checks on motorways.

  Driving Test
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will include a test of literacy in the driving test procedure before a person is licensed to drive a motor vehicle.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are no plans to do so. There is no known correlation between literacy and road safety.

  It is not difficult to envisage someone functionally illiterate driving better than a doctor of philosophy (and vice versa).

  Mersey Rail
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide additional resources to improve services on the Mersey Rail northern line; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  No additional resources are required. I understand that once recent traincrew recruits have been trained the problem of cancellations should be much reduced.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Overseas Aid (Annual Review)
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much it cost to publish the "Annual Review of British Overseas Aid" in 1987.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Five thousand copies of "British Overseas Aid 1986" were produced in 1987 at a unit cost of £7·87.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to the replies to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn), 19 June,Official Report, columns 32–33, he will

  599
  seek from the Governments of the People's Republic of China, Argentina, Republic of South Africa and India the terms on which each is prepared to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. The non-proliferation treaty is open for signature to all states, and we take every suitable opportunity to encourage non-parties to join.

  Civil Service (Relocation)
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made in his Department's review, in line with Treasury guidelines, of the potential for the further relocation of Civil Service posts outside London and the south-east; and when he expects the review to be completed.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As a result of the FCO review, about 250 diplomatic wing jobs have been identified for possible relocation to the FCO estate at Hanslope Park near Milton Keynes, subject to planning permission and financial provision for the necessary development of that estate.

  The aid wing has carried out two major relocation exercises in recent years and when the current move to Chatham is complete nearly 60 per cent. of ODA staff will be located outside London. Opportunities for further relocation are kept continuously under review.

  Armament Sales (Israel)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total value of armament sales to Israel from Britain between 1980 and 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to give details of arms sales to particular countries.

  Human Rights (Israel)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made representations to the Israeli Government concerning human rights in Israel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have not taken up the question of human rights in Israel proper but have made repeated representations to the Israelis about human rights in the occupied territories.

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received any recent representations about pilot or permanent workplace creches and similar incentives further to encourage the return to employment of women in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  A survey to assess likely demand for a diplomatic and aid wing child care facility was recently carried out prior to a feasibility study completed in May this year. The results of this feasibility study are now being considered.

  Both the diplomatic and aid wings also contributed to the setting up fund for a 1989 Westminster holiday play
  600
  scheme, and children of school age of employees in both wings registered to take part. Separate play schemes are being planned at outer London aid wing locations.

  A number of measures have been introduced in both the diplomatic and aid wings in recent years, designed to further the FCO equal opportunities policy—for instance, the introduction of flexible working hours, and the extension of special unpaid leave arrangements (for up to a total of five years) to enable an officer to meet domestic responsibilities.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had, and what action is being taken, in secondary education in Hong Kong to lay the foundations for informed participation of youth in a democratic elective system in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are consulting the Government of Hong Kong. I will give the hon. Member a full reply as soon as possible.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when Mr. Irfan Abdul Alikazi, whose date of birth is 13 October 1969, first applied to the post in Bombay to enter the United Kingdom; on what dates he has been interviewed at the post; and when a decision is to be taken on his application;

  (2) when Mr. Mohd Yasin, who was born in 1962 and whose reference is SN 81140, first applied to the post in Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom; and when a decision is going to be taken on his application.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  [pursuant to the reply, 14 July 1989, c. 673]: In accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, the questions have been referred to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit in due course.

PRIME MINISTER

  Prevention of Terrorism Act
  Mr. Nelson
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she has received any recent representations requesting the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

  The Prime Minister
  No. The Prevention of Terrorism Act is one expression of our resolve to defeat the evil of terrorism, and there is no question of a repeal.

  Italy
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the United Kingdom's relations with Italy.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Fire Service
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the fire service.
  601
  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations about fire service matters. We all owe a considerable debt to individual firefighters for their courageous service to the community. As with other public services, the Government have a responsibility to ensure that the fire service is run in the most efficient way possible and that it gives the best value for money to the public.

  Pakistan (Prime Minister)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement following her recent meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

  The Prime Minister
  I had a very friendly and useful discussion with Prime Minister Bhutto on 7 July about a number of subjects, including Britain's relations with Pakistan, which are excellent, the situation in Afghanistan and other regional issues. I also welcomed the prospect of Pakistan's return to the Commonwealth.

  Securities and Investments Board
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the performance of the Securities and Investments Board.

  The Prime Minister
  While I receive from time to time representations about various aspects of the financial services regulatory system, only one received in recent months would fall into the category referred to by my hon. Friend.

  Maritime Affairs
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to rationalise the administration of maritime affairs into one Ministry.

  The Prime Minister
  No. There is a maritime aspect to the work of several Government Departments which could not sensibly he separated from their other responsibilities.

  Environmental Pollution
  Mr. Richard Page
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding environmental pollution.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations. The Government are committed to the protection of the environment. Government and industry are already investing £2 billion to reduce air pollution, £1·3 billion in the water industry, and £100 million a year on schemes to improve the quality of coastal bathing waters. This investment will improve the quality of the environment for generations to come. We also intend to bring forward legislation to strengthen the powers available to control pollution at source.

  Methodist Conference
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Prime Minister what reply she has sent to the letter of 1 July from the President of the Methodist Conference.

  The Prime Minister
  It is not my usual practice to publish exchanges of this kind.

  EEC
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the EEC.

  The Prime Minister
  Yes, I receive regular representations on EC matters.

  National Health Service
  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has had on the proposed reforms for the National Health Service.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the National Health Service.

  The Prime Minister
  I understand that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health has received some 8,500 representations on the White Paper; many correspondents give strong support for its objectives and endorse its proposals.

  Structural Fund Policy
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding structural fund policy in the European Economic Community.

  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friends have received representations from local authorities and others about the management of the funds under the revised arrangements.

  Transport Policy
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding transport policy.

  The Prime Minister
  I regularly receive representations on a wide range of issues concerning transport policy. The programme of investment in railways is now running at the highest level since the transfer from steam to diesel 30 years ago. There is already a major programme of road building which the Government are committed to increasing still further.

  Crime
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the level of crime.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of such representations. The recent fall in the overall level of crime which is disclosed in the statistics for recorded offences in the year ending 31 March 1989 is encouraging.

  Maesglas, Newport
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit the Maesglas area of Newport, Gwent.

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

  British Rail
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding British Rail.

  The Prime Minister
  Yes, especially recently when a number of people have written to me about the great
  603
  inconvenience caused to the travelling public by the rail strikes. Passengers and freight business will suffer unless the railways give a reliable service.

  Commonwealth
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations relating to the Commonwealth.

  The Prime Minister
  I regularly receive representations relating to the Commonwealth from hon. Members as well as from members of the public. I am greatly looking forward to attending this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, an event which is always of great importance to this Government.

  NATO
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding NATO.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations relating to NATO, most of them strongly supportive of the continuing, vitally important role of NATO in sustaining peace and security.

  Agriculture Policy
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding agricultural policy.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government frequently received representations about agricultural policy.

  At the Royal Show earlier this month I was pleased to pay tribute to the enormous contribution the agriculture industry and the thousands of individual farmers make to our national life.

  Our policy is to provide a framework within which this industry can thrive. We shall continue to negotiate for a more market-orientated common agricultural policy, building on the major reforms agreed at the February 1988 European Council. Our agricultural industry is well placed to benefit from the opportunities for fair competition that the EC's single internal market will bring.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on progress made in rationalising the steel industry since 1979.

  The Prime Minister
  During the period since 1979 the Government promoted the Phoenix joint ventures involving private sector steel companies and the (then nationalised) British Steel Corporation and also a private sector steel scheme. These initiatives have now ceased but they reduced product overlap between the private and public sectors and contributed towards rationalisation within the industry as a whole. British Steel itself was then returned to the private sector in December 1988 and recently announced record profits of £593 million compared with substantial losses while nationalised. Productivity in the United Kingdom steel industry rose by 151 per cent. between 1979 and 1988.

  Mr. Graham Gaskin
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill, of 17 July,Official Report, column 22, whether she will now take steps to set up an independent procedure to consider whether Mr. Graham Gaskin's files should be released to him; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  As my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Health said in his written answer to the hon. Member on 18 July, a careful look is being taken in the light of the court's judgment in this case at the present general arrangements for social services clients to have access to their files to see whether any changes to those arrangements are needed.

  The court awarded Mr. Gaskin £5,000 compensation and that sum, along with the court's award for legal fees and expenses, is being paid to him.

  Engagements
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 25 July.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 25 July.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 25 July.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 25 July.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had a number of meetings including one with General Yazov, the Soviet Defence Minister, on his first visit to the United Kingdom. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today and will be attending a special garden party to celebrate 150 years of public education. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Greenhouse Gases
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, further to his answer of 27 June,Official Report, column 441, he will give the greenhouse gas equivalents for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have been asked to reply.

  Molecule for molecule, the greenhouse warming effect of methane is approximately 27 times that of carbon dioxide and 165 times that of nitrous oxide. Taking account of concentrations in the atmosphere, their current contribution to the greenhouse effect is estimated to be 55 per cent. (carbon dioxide), 14 per cent. (methane) and 8 per cent. (nitrous oxide). The remaining fraction is primarily due to chlorofluorocarbons.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Transfers
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those prisoners who were refused transfers to prisons in Northern Ireland in each of the past seven years indicating the grounds for the refusals.
  605
  Mr. Hurd
  The records available indicate that the numbers of requests from inmates in England and Wales for permanent transfer to Northern Ireland which were refused were as follows:

  1982–1; 1983–1; 1984–5; 1985–28; 1986–11; 1987–3; 1988–4.

  Information on the grounds for refusal in individual cases is not available, but all decisions were taken in accordance with the publicly stated policy on transfers which was in force at the relevant time. It would not be right to give the names of the inmates involved, many of whom will by now have been released.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement indicating the various grounds on which prisoners were transferred to Northern Ireland in each of the past seven years.

  Mr. Hurd
  Prisoners may be transferred from England and Wales to Northern Ireland if they are required to face trial there, if their presence there is necessary in the interests of justice, or if they apply for temporary or permanent transfer. Applications for permanent transfer have been granted where the inmate meets the criteria for transfer, as agreed between the Home Office and the Northern Ireland Office, in force at the relevant time, or where there are exceptional compassionate circumstances. The criteria for transfer now in force were announced in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) on 23 June at column 263.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a list of the names of all prisoners transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland in each of the past seven years, indicating the offences for which they were convicted, the prisons from which they were transferred, their sentences and the time served prior to transfer.

  Mr. Hurd
  It would not be right to give the names of the inmates concerned, many of whom will now have been released. Information on the periods served by the inmates before transfer is not readily available. The remaining information, which relates only to inmates transferred from England and Wales to Northern Ireland to serve the remainder of their sentences, is as follows:

  1982

  No transfers.

  1983

  1. Robbery; HMP Liverpool; five years.

  2. Robbery; HMP Liverpool; five years.

  3. Robbery; HMP Lancaster; 14½ years.

  1984

  1. Theft, grievous bodily harm; HMP Durham three years.

  1985

  1. Robbery; HMP Hull; six years.

  2. Sending explosive substances, causing explosions; HMP Blunderston; life.

  3. Manslaughter; HMP Wakefield; life.

  4. Importing controlled drugs; HMP Wandsworth; three years.

  1986

  1. Robbery; HMP Wandsworth; six years.

  2. Theft, robbery; HMP Long Lartin; eight years.

  1987

  1. Robbery; HMP Long Lartin; 10 years.

  2. Importing controlled drugs; HMP Albany; 14 years.

  3. Murder; HMP Wormwood Scrubs; life.

  606
  1988

  1. Assault with intent to rob, unlawful handling, possessing imitation firearm, deception; HMP Frankland; five years.

  2. Wounding; HMP Channings Wood; four years.

  3. Robbery; HMP Haverigg; seven years.

  4. Attempted robbery; HMP Frankland; four and a half years.

  5. Robbery; HMP Durham; three years.

  Fire Services
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many fire appliances were in operation(a).throughout the United Kingdom and (b) in Wales as at 1 January 1980 and for each succeeding year;

  (2) how many full-time firemen were employed (a) throughout the United Kingdom and (b) in Wales as at 1January 1980 and for each succeeding year;

  (3) how many fully manned fire stations were in operation as at 1 January 1980 and for each succeeding year (a) throughout the United Kingdom and (b) in Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  I will write to the hon. Member regarding the available information in respect of England and Wales.

  Questions relating to the fire service in other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Immigration
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the question from the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, 26 June, column 323, why he decided not to exercise his discretion in favour of the application for settlement of Mr. Abbas Karbassian.

  Mr. Renton
  As explained in the reply of 5 November 1987, at column 833, to the question from the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser), a case in which continuous residence exceeds 10 years will be considered on its merits for the grant of indefinite leave to remain. Mr.Karbassian came to the United Kingdom on 30 April 1979 and was subsequently granted permission to remain until August 1987—in the first instance as a student and later on the basis of his marriage to a British citizen. An application for settlement (on the grounds of marriage) was refused on 1 August 1988 because the couple had separated. Mr. Karbassian lodged an appeal against this decision on 10 August 1988.

  Mr. Karbassian is permitted, under section 14(1) of the Immigration Act 1971, to remain here pending the outcome of his appeal against the decision of 1 August 1988. However, time spent in the United Kingdom while an appeal is outstanding is not considered acceptable residence for the purpose of the discretionary grant of indefinite leave to remain under the long residence concession unless that appeal is subsequently successful.

  Forensic Pathology
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish the report of the working party on forensic pathology; and if he will make a statement.
  607
  Mr. Hurd
  The report of the working party on forensic pathology is published today; a copy is in the Library. Copies have been sent to the Association of Chief Police Officers, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Pathologists, the local authority associations and others concerned with an invitation to let my Department have their views on it by the end of October. My intention is to consider the report and any representations received as soon as practicable thereafter.

  Risley Remand Centre
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received the report of the inquiry into the disturbance at Risley remand centre from 30 April to 3 May; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  I have now received the report of the inquiry conducted by Mr. Dunbar, the director of the south west region of the prison department. A summary of the report, including the list of recommendations resulting from the inquiry, has been placed in the Library. I informed the House on 4 May at columns 374–5 of the nature and effects of the disturbances on male wings at Risley.

  The disturbance was one of the most serious and complex suffered by the prison service in recent years. Throughout there were violent attacks by prisoners upon the fabric of the centre and on the staff endeavouring to contain them. I pay tribute to the Governor and staff for their bravery and determination in resisting the extreme violence they faced and for bringing the disturbance to a conclusion as quickly as they did without serious injury to staff or prisoners. In doing so they prevented the rioters from totally destroying the establishment, which was their clear intention.

  Mr. Dunbar's inquiry led him to conclude that Risley should be closed at the earliest possible moment. I accept that recommendation so far as male remand prisoners are concerned. They amounted to 468 inmates out of a total of 541 males at the time of the disturbance, and the disturbance was confined to them. After careful thought, and despite the practical difficulties of making a change, I do not believe it would be sensible to hold male remand prisoners at Risley for longer than we must. I have accordingly decided to work towards the end of Risley's remand function for males by the summer of next year, when refurbished accommodation will be available. Risley will then take only sentenced prisoners on the male side. In addition, the women's wing, which has not been the subject of criticism—indeed, it was commented upon favourably by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons—and which has a valuable contribution to make in the female prison estate, will remain.

  Work had already begun before the disturbance on the phased demolition and replacement of the prison. This will take some years and in the interim, B and C wings are being completely refurbished and strengthened to make them secure against this sort of attack. The male population of Risley will be limited to about 320 until new living blocks become available.

  All the other recommendations have wider application in the prison service and I welcome them. Some—for example, the strengthening of cell doors—are statements of policy on which work is already in hand. Mr. Dunbar's recommendations on contingency planning will be taken fully into account in a major review which has been under way for some time and which is nearing completion. Other
  608
  recommendations on physical resources, on protective clothing and equipment and on intervention plans are also accepted and will be taken on board. I also accept in principle the recommendations that Mr. Dunbar makes on personnel and regime matters.

  The findings of the report concerning medical matters are most disturbing. The director designate of prison medical services and her staff have been to Risley and immediate steps have been taken to clean thoroughly the areas concerned and to remove the health hazards to which Mr. Dunbar has drawn attention. I accept all the particular recommendations in his report and have asked the director of prison medical services to explore further how these serious shortcomings came about and to take steps to ensure that they do not happen again, either at Risley or elsewhere in the prison system.

  Mr. Dunbar makes a number of recommendations concerning the treatment of, and facilities for, remand prisoners. I accept most of them as desirable but they will have to compete for resources with other equally desirable aims in the prison service. I am not convinced that it is necessary for separate rules to be drawn up for remand prisoners, since distinctions between the unconvicted and the convicted can be satisfactorily reflected within a unified set of rules but I am willing to look at this again. I do not rule out reduction of censorship and the provision of telephones for remand prisoners but the security implications in respect of certain prisoners require, and will receive, careful consideration. Research on categorising all remand prisoners is already under way.

  Of the remaining recommendations, those which are matters for the police will be drawn to their attention and I accept the others.

  I have indicated the action being taken on all the recommendations which are of more general application. In addition, an action plan has been drawn up specifically for the purpose of rectifying the failings at Risley identified in Mr. Dunbar's report and making the necessary preparations for Risley's change of function. This will be the direct responsibility of the deputy director general of the prison service, who will be assisted by a small working group and will report regularly to me on progress.

  The disturbance at Risley arose out of a long history of difficulties caused principally by the inadequacy of the buildings and the nature of the prisoners housed in them. It interrupted the considerable progress towards improving the regime for prisoners which the governor and staff had made following the report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons. I am sure that with all the changes I have outlined and, in particular, with confidence established in the renovated buildings, the governor and his staff will be able to resume their positive work to remedy the grave deficiencies identified in the report.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters were received from, and sent to, hon. Members by his Department in(a) January and (b) the whole of this Session up to 1 July.

  Mr. Hurd
  The available figures relate to and from Ministers and to and from the secretary to the immigration and nationality board, the great majority of which represented correspondence with hon. Members, and are as follows:
  609

  January 1989

  22 November 1988–1 July 1989

  Received from hon. Members

  2,436

  17,690

  Sent to hon. Members

  2,295

  15,584

  Civil Service Dispersal
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress is being made in his Department's review, in line with Treasury guidelines, of the potential for the further relocation of Civil Service posts outside London and the south-east; and when he expects the review to be completed.

  Mr. Hurd
  A report by consultants on the feasibility of relocation of the immigration and nationality department has been received and is under consideration. A review of the organisation and location of the prison service above establishment level is nearing completion. The scope for relocation of parts of the police department science and technology group and of the Home Office accounts branch is also under review.

  Welford Road Prison, Leicester
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred to other prisons in the United Kingdom from Welford Road prison, Leicester, before I April, and the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  The information requested is given in the table:

  Number of prisoners transferred from Her Majesty's prison requested of Leicester to other prisons: weekly 1 April—21 July 1989

  Week beginning

  Number of prisoners

  April 3

  27

  10

  12

  17

  4

  21

  19

  May 1

  25

  8

  21

  15

  20

  22

  11

  29

  11

  June 5

  16

  12

  22

  19

  19

  26

  23

  July 3

  9

  10

  22

  17

  9

  Total

  268

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the prison population of Welford Road prison, Leicester, for each day from 1 April; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  The information requested is as follows:
  610

  Population of Her Majesty's prison Leicester at unlocking

  April

  Numbers

  1

  412

  2

  412

  3

  412

  4

  417

  5

  384

  6

  396

  7

  407

  8

  395

  9

  395

  10

  395

  11

  401

  12

  389

  13

  388

  14

  389

  15

  389

  16

  389

  17

  389

  18

  397

  19

  400

  20

  400

  21

  405

  22

  406

  23

  406

  24

  406

  25

  411

  26

  401

  27

  407

  28

  408

  29

  413

  30

  413

  May

  Numbers

  1

  413

  2

  413

  3

  397

  4

  397

  5

  390

  6

  394

  7

  394

  8

  394

  9

  403

  10

  377

  11

  382

  12

  379

  13

  379

  14

  379

  15

  379

  16

  372

  17

  366

  18

  382

  19

  388

  20

  391

  21

  391

  22

  391

  23

  394

  24

  378

  25

  381

  26

  381

  27

  392

  28

  392

  29

  392

  30

  392

  31

  383

  June

  Numbers

  1

  377

  2

  374

  3

  379

  4

  379

  5

  379

  6

  386

  7

  375

  8

  386

  9

  389

  611

  June

  Numbers

  10

  393

  11

  393

  12

  393

  13

  395

  14

  368

  15

  375

  16

  369

  17

  377

  18

  377

  19

  377

  20

  372

  21

  347

  22

  357

  23

  365

  24

  362

  25

  362

  26

  362

  27

  360

  28

  350

  29

  365

  30

  358

  July

  Numbers

  1

  358

  2

  358

  3

  358

  4

  357

  5

  343

  6

  355

  7

  356

  8

  356

  9

  356

  10

  356

  11

  362

  12

  341

  13

  343

  14

  346

  15

  346

  16

  346

  17

  346

  18

  350

  19

  340

  20

  356

  21

  338

  Emergency Calls
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the proportion of screened-out emergency calls when the caller is informed that no further action is to be taken immediately or at a future time;

  (2) if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to what proportion of emergency calls in the Leyton constituency are screened out.

  Mr. Hurd
  The police respond to all emergency calls. A decision on whether to screen out any crime is taken only after a thorough initial investigation.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to report the Government's response to the Audit Commission's recommendations on value for money in the probation service.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for St. Helens, South (Mr. Bermingham) on 17 April at column 24.
  612
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to promote co-operation between the probation service and other agencies in the criminal justice system, as recommended by the Audit Commission in its recent report on the probation service.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have taken and are taking a number of steps to promote co-operation between the probation service and other agencies in the criminal justice system. The paper "Tackling Offending: An Action Plan" was sent to chief probation officers, justices' clerks, circuit administrators, chief crown prosecutors, chief officers of police, the Association of Chief Police Officers and a variety of other agencies and organisations working in the criminal justice field. That paper emphasised that although the probation service has a key role in achieving the aims of part II of the Green Paper, "Punishment, Custody and the Community", it cannot work alone and that other agencies must be involved; the Home Office has provided funds for a number of seminars on non-custodial penalties, organised by the NACRO, which have included amongst the participants magistrates, justices' clerks, members of probation services and members of police forces; a number of Home Office circulars have encouraged co-operation between the criminal justice services including the probation service; and Ministers and officials also take the opportunity in speeches and meetings to encourage such co-operation.

  Prisons (Security Status)
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his proposals to change the top security status for certain gaols by 1992 and as the consultation processes which will be involved.

  Mr. Hurd
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 12 April 1989 at columns 544–5. This draws attention to the statement issued by the deputy director general of the prison service (a copy of which is in the Library) which includes details of the plans for the future shape and size of the prison dispersal system.

  A copy of the statement has been sent for information to governors and to chairmen of boards of visitors of prisons normally holding inmates in the highest security category—category A—and copies have also been supplied to the trade unions.

  Consultation with the staff interests concerned at national and local level will take place as appropriate as we work towards effecting the changes planned to take place in the 1990s at the establishments involved.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the eventual total job losses at Her Majesty's prison, Gartree, due to the change from category A by 1992.

  Mr. Hurd
  It is too early to be certain how many staff will be needed when the prison changes its function but the total staff in post figure could fall by more than 100. No redundancies are anticipated as a result of the change at Gartree. The aim is to absorb surplus staff by redeployment and natural wastage.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prior consultation he had with
  613
  local hon. Members with a constituency interest before announcing his decision relating to changes of category at Her Majesty's prison, Gartree.

  Mr. Hurd
  None. The effect of the change planned for Gartree prison is that from the early 1990s the 50 or so category A prisoners will be replaced by inmates of a lower security category.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the legislation that applies penalties for unauthorised use, collection or disclosure of personal information from Government computers.

  Mr. Renton
  So far as I am aware, the only legislation that applies such penalties specifically in relation to computers is the Data Protection Act 1984. Other legislation such as the Official Secrets Acts deals with particular categories of information whether or not held on computers.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will list the recommendations made by(a) the Younger committee into privacy and (b) the Law Commission's report into breach of confidence which Her Majesty's Government have supported; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  Many of the recommendations of the Younger committee were directed to organisations outside Government. Proposals addressed to Government were implemented by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and the Data Protection Act 1984. In addition the Broadcasting Complaints Commission was established under the Broadcasting Act 1981; and the law on breach of confidence was referred to the Law Commission.

  The Law Commission's report on breach of confidence, which is the responsibility of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor, amounts essentially to a recommendation for a restatement of the common law and the Government do not propose to give its implementation high priority at present.

  Drug Addicts (Suicides)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug addicts have committed suicide in prisons and remand centres in each of the last five years; in which prisons and remand centres the suicides occurred; to what the addicts were addicted; what treatment they were receiving; how many were in single cells; and how many were(a) male and (b) female.

  Mr. Hurd
  [holding answer 13 July 1989]: Information is readily available only from 1 January 1987; four inmates on whom verdicts of suicide have been returned since that date are known to have been addicted to drugs. The details requested are as follows:

  (1) 1987; HMRC Risley; heroin; treated with antidepressant drugs; single cell; female

  (2) 1987; HMP Canterbury; valium; treated with reduced doses of the drug of addiction and largactil; shared cell; male

  (3) 1988; HMRC Risley; heroin; treated with heminevrin as a sedative; single cell; male

  (4) 1988; HMP Lincoln; diconal tablets; treated with antidepressants; single cell; male

  Rehabilitation
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specialist facilities exist; and what is the total amount invested by his Department for the rehabilitation of perpetrators of sexual abuse of children for each of the years for which figures are available.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 11 July 1989]: Perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, who receive a prison sentence, are normally identified early in the prison reception process as requiring psychiatric assessment. Where the diagnosis suggests that the offender's behaviour was the result of an underlying mental illness, specific treatment is provided for that illness. If the behaviour was secondary to an aspect of personality disorder, the inmate might be offered psychotherapy. group therapy, behaviour therapy or a combination of these. But the effectiveness of such treatment depends critically on the motivation of the offenders and on their willingness to participate. Those judged to be mentailly disordered receive treatment in special and other types of hospitals. Those under the supervision of the probation service will have available to them a variety of probation and multi-agency facilities. Some probation services have developed or are developing specialist skills in the supervision of sex offenders. The objective of probation service work with offenders, including sex offenders, is to reduce their offending behaviour by making them face up to the consequences of that behaviour, and by helping them to tackle the problems underlying it. No separate figures are kept of resources devoted by prison service establishments or by area probation services to work with those found guilty of sexual offences against children.

  Right to Silence
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has reached any conclusions on the abolition of the right of silence for accused persons interviewed in police stations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make an announcement on the Government's review of the right to silence; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hurd
  [holding answers 15 June 1989 and 7 July 1989 respectively]: I have received the report and am considering its recommendations. I have arranged for it to be published today. A copy will be placed in the Library.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Written Questions
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how the level at which it is decided that a parliamentary written question could be answered only at disproportionate cost is evaluated.

  Mr. Ryder
  I have been asked to reply. The disproportionate cost level is based on an interdepartmental survey of the cost of answering parliamentary questions and is set at a level to identify and draw to ministerial attention the most expensive 1 to 2 per cent. That cost level is kept under review by the Treasury and currently stands at £250.

EMPLOYMENT

  Sikhs (Headgear)
  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to introduce legislation to exempt religious Sikhs employed in all sections of industry from having to wear protective headgear other than their traditional long hair and turban.

  Mr. Nicholls
  It was announced in another place on 14 July, during the Second Reading debate on the Employment Bill, that the Government intend to introduce a new clause to the Bill to exempt turban-wearing Sikhs from any statutory requirement to wear head protection in construction work. There are no plans to extend such an exemption to other industries at present.

  Claimant Advisers
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claimant advisers are in post; and how many interviews with claimants they have carried out in the year to the latest available date.

  Mr. Lee
  There were 1,160 claimant advisers in post at 28 March 1989, the latest date for which figures are available.

  The total number of interviews carried out in the 12 months to 26 May 1989 was 937,496.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what have been the outcomes of interviews by claimant advisers showing(a) how many claimants have been referred to the Department of Social Security; (b) how many have been referred to adjudication because of doubts about their availability for work and (c) how many have been encouraged to apply for jobstart or family credit.

  Mr. Lee
  Outcomes of claimant adviser interviews held between April 1987 and May 1989 are as follows:

  Numbers

  (a) Referrals to DSS

  152,390

  (b) Referrals to Adjudication1

  54,919

  (c) Figure not available

  1 This is the total figure for referrals to adjudication—separate figures for referrals on availability doubts are not collected.

  Table 1

  Numbers of availability for work submissions included in the survey

  Region

  Period ending March 1988

  Period ending June 1988

  Period ending September 1988

  Period ending December 1988

  Period ending March 1989

  Northern

  111

  93

  100

  82

  60

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  375

  386

  278

  243

  201

  East Midlands

  258

  244

  249

  185

  163

  Eastern

  174

  227

  154

  171

  157

  Southern

  182

  154

  149

  149

  132

  Western

  301

  222

  203

  196

  198

  South West

  351

  154

  198

  140

  137

  Wales

  102

  73

  43

  36

  137

  West Midlands

  119

  128

  109

  152

  102

  North West

  215

  216

  226

  157

  139

  Scotland

  422

  361

  403

  327

  284

  616
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the cost of the claimant adviser service in 1989–90.

  Mr. Lee
  The claimant adviser service is an integral part of the employment service, and it is not possible to give a total, discrete cost for the service.

  The salary cost of the claimant adviser service for 1989–90 is estimated to be some £18·5 million.

  Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the data from the latest labour force survey showing the training received by employees in the last four weeks broken down by sex and age.

  Mr. Lee
  Preliminary results from the 1988 labour force survey, as requested, are shown in the following table:

  Employees of working age1 receiving job-related training2 Great Britain, Spring 1988

  Thousands

  Age

  All persons

  Men

  Women

  16–19

  396

  224

  172

  20–24

  546

  310

  237

  25–34

  773

  448

  325

  35–49

  847

  448

  399

  50–59/64

  214

  118

  97

  Total

  2,776

  1,547

  1,229

  Source: Preliminary 1988 LFS estimates

  1 Men aged 16–64, women aged 16–59

  2 Those who in the four weeks prior to interview had taken part in any education or training connected with their job or a job that they might be able to do in the future.

  Availability For Work
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide details of the sample survey of delays in adjudication officers making decisions on availability for work, showing the number and proportion of cases involved, by regions, for each quarter since October 1987.

  Mr. Lee
  The following tables show the number of submissions on availability for work included in the sample survey in each of the regions covering the period January 1988 to March 1989, and the observed percentages on those cases in which a decision had been reached in less than four weeks.
  617

  Table 2

  Percentage of availability for work cases cleared in under 4 weeks

  Region

  Period ending March 1988

  Period ending June 1988

  Period ending September 1988

  Period ending December 1988

  Period ending March 1989

  percentage

  percentage

  percentage

  percentage

  percentage

  Northern

  97

  100

  96

  100

  98

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  97

  97

  94

  86

  91

  East Midlands

  91

  96

  91

  91

  88

  Eastern

  86

  81

  84

  68

  69

  Southern

  81

  71

  73

  82

  84

  Western

  87

  78

  72

  85

  70

  South West

  87

  85

  80

  80

  71

  Wales

  84

  97

  91

  89

  91

  West Midlands

  85

  79

  77

  89

  95

  North West

  93

  86

  92

  89

  88

  Scotland

  92

  91

  85

  83

  86

  Records are no longer retained for periods prior to January 1988. However, I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave her on 25 March 1988 at column 259 and 12 April 1988 at column 38.

  Job Clubs
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the latest number of(a) referrals to job clubs, (b) the number of starts with job clubs, (c) the number of job club leavers and (d) the number of job club leavers getting jobs, or becoming unemployed for Great Britain and each training agency region for each month since September 1988.

  Northern

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midlands and Eastern

  London and South East

  South West

  Wales

  West Midlands

  North West

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  September 1988

  Starts

  824

  984

  1,007

  2,309

  489

  696

  1,095

  1,894

  1,743

  11,041

  Total leavers

  799

  1,069

  1,087

  2,640

  560

  797

  1,452

  2,209

  1,790

  12,403

  Of which:

  Jobs

  418

  592

  679

  1,246

  310

  453

  721

  1,204

  1,007

  6,630

  Other positive outcomes

  163

  224

  192

  445

  107

  159

  262

  423

  321

  2,296

  Reasons not recorded

  218

  253

  216

  949

  143

  185

  469

  582

  462

  3,477

  October 1988

  Starts

  669

  1,036

  958

  2,241

  514

  792

  998

  2,108

  1,535

  10,851

  Total leavers

  695

  987

  899

  2,258

  435

  713

  1,034

  2,025

  1,548

  10,594

  Of which:

  Jobs

  393

  583

  532

  1,032

  247

  387

  509

  1,150

  891

  5,724

  Other positive outcomes

  124

  163

  197

  362

  95

  154

  175

  353

  218

  1,841

  Reasons not recorded

  178

  241

  170

  864

  93

  172

  350

  522

  439

  3,029

  November 1988

  Starts

  794

  1,056

  998

  2,570

  631

  845

  1,084

  2,123

  1,587

  11,688

  Total leavers

  718

  904

  883

  2,264

  488

  700

  1,050

  1970

  1,417

  10,394

  Of which:

  Jobs

  398

  544

  531

  1,053

  259

  382

  570

  1,111

  831

  5,679

  Other positive outcomes

  113

  178

  166

  368

  96

  139

  173

  307

  197

  1,737

  Reasons not recorded

  207

  182

  186

  843

  133

  179

  307

  552

  389

  2,978

  December 1988

  Starts

  476

  689

  620

  1,683

  335

  454

  782

  1,148

  1,022

  7,209

  Total leavers

  489

  770

  707

  1,895

  409

  532

  749

  1,418

  1,254

  8,223

  Of which:

  Jobs

  255

  444

  456

  850

  217

  282

  365

  779

  719

  4,367

  Other positive outcomes

  81

  106

  110

  296

  76

  99

  144

  223

  209

  1,344

  Reasons not recorded

  153

  220

  141

  749

  116

  151

  240

  416

  326

  2,512

  January 1989

  Starts

  902

  1,213

  1,007

  2,550

  703

  851

  1,497

  2,300

  1,407

  12,430

  Total leavers

  646

  849

  835

  2,067

  457

  683

  1,002

  1,650

  1,182

  9,371

  Of which:

  Jobs

  325

  462

  474

  937

  240

  361

  498

  882

  651

  4,830

  Other positive outcomes

  123

  147

  172

  332

  100

  142

  153

  277

  185

  1,631

  Reasons not recorded

  198

  240

  189

  798

  117

  180

  351

  491

  346

  2,910

  618
  Mr. Lee
  From September 1988 to May 1989, 100,440 people started with a job club. During the same period, there were 98,159 leavers, of whom 52,917 left to start work, with a further 15,794 going on to some other positive outcome such as training, education or self-employment. Regional and monthly breakdowns are given in the table.

  Because of the very large number of potential referral points, the employment service does not keep statistics of referrals. All job club members are unemployed and separate records are not kept of the number remaining out of work on ceasing to attend.
  619

  Northern

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  East Midlands and Eastern

  London and South East

  South West

  Wales

  West Midlands

  North West

  Scotland

  Great Britain

  February 1989

  Starts

  939

  1,204

  1,121

  2,875

  705

  835

  1,450

  2,446

  2,072

  13,647

  Total leavers

  754

  999

  893

  2,350

  530

  725

  1,171

  2,025

  1,460

  10,907

  Of which:

  Jobs

  442

  566

  548

  1,156

  296

  382

  637

  1,127

  831

  5,985

  Other positive outcomes

  110

  166

  175

  400

  104

  142

  198

  332

  234

  1,861

  Reasons not recorded

  202

  267

  170

  794

  130

  201

  336

  566

  395

  3,061

  March 1989

  Starts

  873

  1,096

  1,034

  2,703

  660

  680

  1,104

  2,297

  1,957

  12,404

  Total leavers

  927

  1,161

  1,126

  3,057

  711

  807

  1,558

  2,535

  1,920

  13,802

  Of which:

  Jobs

  520

  687

  683

  1,374

  395

  464

  719

  1,349

  1,125

  7,316

  Other positive outcomes

  160

  149

  198

  444

  99

  121

  201

  356

  296

  2,024

  Reasons not recorded

  247

  325

  245

  1,239

  217

  222

  638

  830

  499

  4,462

  April 1989

  Starts

  811

  1,160

  944

  2,417

  586

  663

  982

  2,184

  1,857

  11,604

  Total leavers

  894

  1,112

  863

  2,575

  582

  725

  911

  2,109

  1,701

  11,472

  Of which:

  Jobs

  477

  667

  568

  1,120

  329

  425

  508

  1,158

  1,044

  6,296

  Other positive outcomes

  137

  141

  136

  352

  81

  86

  128

  307

  205

  1,573

  Reasons not recorded

  280

  304

  159

  1,103

  172

  214

  275

  644

  452

  3,603

  May 1989

  Starts

  743

  919

  798

  2,075

  527

  510

  811

  1,731

  1,452

  9,566

  Total leavers

  876

  1,006

  919

  2,276

  580

  597

  961

  1,968

  1,810

  10,993

  Of which:

  Jobs

  460

  621

  568

  1,119

  323

  381

  495

  1,080

  1,043

  6,090

  Other positive outcomes

  116

  128

  108

  333

  66

  97

  164

  250

  225

  1,487

  Reasons not recorded

  300

  257

  243

  824

  191

  119

  302

  638

  542

  3,416

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any further plans to encourage employers to establish workplace or shared facility creches or similar incentives further to assist the return to employment of women to counter skill shortages; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend takes, and will continue to take, every opportunity to encourage employers to help employees combine work and family responsibilities. Workplace nurseries are, however, only one possible way of helping parents with childcare. They can be successful, but it may not always be the most practicable solution. Other possibilities include help with childcare costs in the local home area and rearrangement of working hours and holidays to fit in with school hours and terms. We welcome measures taken by employers including assistance with childcare and the introduction of flexible working hours and family leave. The best way of introducing such measures is through voluntary agreement between employers and employees. Schemes can then be tailored to individual priorities and needs, and available resources.

  Fatal injuries

  Major injuries

  Rate per 100,000 manshifts

  Fatal injuries

  Major injuries

  1984–851

  22

  378

  —

  —

  1985–86

  28

  715

  0·08

  2·15

  1986–872

  15

  952

  0·05

  3·45

  1987–882

  9

  729

  0·04

  3·24

  1988–892 (provisional)

  18

  685

  0·08

  3·35

  1 This period covers the 15 months January 1984 to March 1985.

  2 The introduction of RIDDOR regulations on 1 April 1986 widened the coverage of the "major" injury category.

  620
  My Department also plays a full part in the ministerial group on women's issues, which is currently considering the whole question of childcare. The group recently announced a five-point plan on child care which includes encouragement for the use of school premises after school and in holiday periods; support for the voluntary sector through pump-priming of projects and encouragement of partnerships between the voluntary sector and employers. The initiative will also encourage employers to use the tax reliefs available to them when they help their employees with child care.

  Collieries (Safety)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of accidents at British Coal collieries at which there were either loss of life or serious injuries in each of the last five years and add the ratio of such incidents per 100,000 shifts worked in each year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is not available in the format asked for; the number of fatal injuries and major injuries in British Coal collieries over the last five years are as follows:
  621
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of concerns about the incidence of underground fires in British Coal collieries; and if he will pursue the matter with Her Majesty's inspector.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend is concerned about any incident which affects health and safety, but the number of underground fires in British Coal mines fell from 72 in 1987–88 to 52 in 1988–89. Reducing the number of underground fires is a primary objective of the Health and Safety Executive which through the work of the mines and quarries inspectorate, is actively monitoring safety measures taken by British Coal. These include the application of more sophisticated inspections and detection techniques, the raising of standards in the specification, design, installation and maintenance of machinery and equipment and the continuing development of fire-resistant materials.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) on how many occasions fire or smoke detection devices in British Coal collieries have been put out of use without notice being given to those employed in the colliery or Her Majesty's inspector;

  (2) what information he has on whether underground fire or smoke alarms or similar monitoring equipment have been put out of operation or use by British Coal insofar as smoke or fire detection is concerned.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no statutory requirement for the Health and Safety Executive to be given notice of fire or smoke detection devices that have been put out of use and therefore the information requested is not available.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on whether the use of free moving underground vehicles has led British Coal to put out of use fire or smoke detection and warning devices.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive is not aware of any fire detection systems being put out of use by the operation of free-steered vehicles underground.

  Employment Schemes
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the 50-plus jobstart scheme is to be monitored; what targets he has for numbers participating in the scheme; what is the likely cost of the 50-plus jobstart scheme to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The 50-plus jobstart scheme is a variation of the existing jobstart scheme. It aims to help people over 50 to take up part-time work as a means of re-establishing themselves in the labour market.

  Under 50-plus jobstart people over the age of 50 who have been unemployed for more than 12 months may be eligible for an allowance of £20 per week if they take up certain part-time jobs paying not more than £2·57 per hour. The scheme is being piloted in four areas—Lothian and the Borders, Dudley and Sandwell, Leeds and London South. The pilots started on 26 June 1989 and will run for one year. No targets have been set for the number of participants.

  The number of people applying and being accepted for the allowance will be monitored. The pilots are being funded from within the overall cost of the main jobstart programme.
  622
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the participation of income support claimants in the action credit and 50-plus jobstart schemes is intended to be purely voluntary; whether refusal to participate will affect claimants eligibility for benefits; and what measures his Department is taking to get over-50's to participate in the 50-plus jobstart scheme.

  Mr. Lee
  Participation of all claimants in the action credit scheme and in 50-plus jobstart is voluntary. Refusal to participate will not of itself affect entitlement to benefit. The 50-plus jobstart scheme is being publicised by means of leaflets and posters in unemployment benefit offices and jobcentres in the four pilot areas.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the minimum pay, training and employment conditions which action credit agencies are required to meet in providing part-time jobs for income support claimants; when the statement of the terms and conditions of employment of action credit participants will be available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Action credit is an employment scheme, with participants paid the rate for the job. It will allow participants to build on their ET training through practical work with an employer.

  Action credit agencies are required to ensure that conditions of employment meet the relevant legislative standards. Each participant will have a personal document outlining their terms and conditions. I welcome the testing of this new initiative and hope that unemployed people in the pilot areas will make full use of it.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why action credit agencies are required to pay employers' national insurance contributions for their employees participating in action credit; whether his Department expects employers to pay national insurance contributions for participants in similar schemes where employees are earning below the lower earnings limit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Action credit agencies will pay class 1 national insurance contributions only on the lump sum that participants receive when they leave the scheme. Class 1 national insurance contributions are not payable where an employee earns less than the lower earnings level.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why an earnings ceiling of £43 a week has been set for action credit participants; what, for participants working 23 hours a week, would be the hourly payment; how the earnings ceiling relates to the full extent normal rule; and what are his Department's target figures for participation in action credit.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The earnings ceiling of £43 per week has been set to ensure participants are not required to pay national insurance contributions on a weekly basis. Hourly earnings will be paid at the local rate for the job. There is no connection between the earnings ceiling on action credit and the full extent normal rule.

  The scheme can help up to 300 participants in each pilot area, greatly enhancing the existing options for employment training leavers. The purpose of the pilot will be to test the attractiveness of the scheme; thus my right hon. Friend will not be setting numerical targets for these areas.

  Pioneer Concrete UK limited
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how often Pioneer Concrete UK Limited has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive under health and safety legislation during the last 10 years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: Health and Safety Executive records show that it has prosecuted Pioneer Concrete UK Limited three times since 1979.

  Disabled People (Training)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the supplementary grant available to training agents and managers has been apportioned to the higher cost of training disabled people.

  Mr. Lee
  [holding answer 6 July 1989]: The information as requested is not available. The Training Agency, however, does provide special help for people with disabilities. This includes the loan of special equipment which may be needed to help trainees with their training programme, adaptations to premises and equipment, personal reader service for blind trainees and communicator service for deaf trainees.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Mobility Housing
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many units of mobility housing have been provided by(a) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and (b) housing associations in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979;

  (2) how many units of wheelchair housing have been provided by (a) the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and (b) housing associations in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Needham
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 7 June,Official Report, vol. 154, column. 162–63.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he intends to provide additional sums of money to the housing association development programme (Northern Ireland) 1989–90 to cover the approved schemes for the mentally ill and handicapped.

  Mr. Needham
  No. Such schemes are being provided for within the existing budget.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate how much money will be available under the housing association development programme (Northern Ireland) 1989–90 to fund new projects.

  Mr. Needham
  It is estimated that £7·6 million is available in the 1989–90 year to fund:(a) new starts, that is, schemes which will receive tender approval to commence work on site; (b) other schemes up to an advanced stage of planning but not to commence on site this year.
  624
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give further assistance to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the voluntary housing associations to assist those persons who are homeless.

  Mr. Needham
  The Executive has the statutory responsibility of providing assistance to the homeless. The Executive has not asked for increased in-year funding for the homeless, whose needs for future years will, of course, be carefully considered during the public expenditure survey.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the names and addresses of those housing associations which have applied for funding in 1989–90.

  Mr. Needham
  The list is as follows:

  Association and Address

  Abbeyfield Northern Ireland Development Society Limited

  Room 306, Bryson House,

  28 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FE

  Ballynafeigh Housing Association Limited

  70 Kimberley Street,

  Belfast BT7 3DY

  Baptist Union of Ireland Housing Association Limited

  117 Lisburn Road,

  Belfast BT9 7AF

  Belfast Community Housing Association Limited

  131 Ravenhill Road,

  Belfast BT6 8DR

  Belfast Improved Houses Limited

  Russell Court, Claremont Street,

  Belfast BT9 6JX

  Ben Madigan Housing Association Limited

  Russell Court, Claremont Street,

  Belfast BT9 6JX

  Botanic Housing Association Limited

  99 Agincourt Avenue,

  Belfast BT7 1QD

  Broadway Housing Association Limited

  131 Ravenhill Road,

  Belfast BT6 8DR

  The James Butcher Housing Association (NI) Limited

  Murray House, Murray Street,

  Belfast BT1 6DN

  Church of Ireland Housing Association (NI) Limited

  74 Dublin Road,

  Belfast BT2 7HP

  Clonard Housing Association Limited

  54 Clonard Gardens,

  Belfast BT13 2RH

  Connswater Housing Association Limited

  50 Mersey Street,

  Belfast BT4 1EX

  Covenanter Residential Association Limited

  Cameron House, 98 Lisburn Road

  Belfast BT9 6AG

  Craigavon and District Housing Association Limited

  20 Carleton Street,

  Portadown BT62 3EN

  Craigowen Housing Association Limited

  35 New Road,

  Donaghadee BT21 0DR

  625

  Derry Housing Association Limited

  18 Magazine Street,

  Londonderry BT48 6HH

  Donacloney Housing Association Limited

  c/o Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations,

  Carlisle Memorial Centre,

  88 Clifton Street,

  Belfast BT13 1AB

  Down and Connor Housing Association Limited

  Saint Lukes Presbytery,

  Twinbrook Road,

  Dunmurry, Co. Antrim

  Dungannon and District Housing Association Limited

  48A Irish Street,

  Dungannon BT70 1DB

  Flax Housing Association Limited

  Brookfield Mill, 333 Crumlin Road,

  Belfast BT14 7EA

  Fold Housing Association

  3–4 Redburn Square,

  Holywood BT18 9HZ

  Gosford Housing Association (Armagh) Limited

  16 Stockingmanshill Road,

  Armagh BT60 1HZ

  Grove Housing Association Limited

  139 York Road,

  Belfast BT15 3GZ

  Habinteg Housing Association (Ulster) Limited

  12 Sullivan Close,

  Holywood BT18 9HL

  Hearth

  181A Stranmillis Road,

  Belfast BT9 5DU

  Latharna Housing Association Limited

  First Floor, 93–97 Main Street,

  Larne BT40 1HJ

  Lisnagarvey Housing Association Limited

  8 Bensons Road,

  Lisburn BT28 3UU

  Malone Housing Association Limited

  The Bursar's Office

  The Queens University of Belfast

  University Road Belfast BT7 1NN

  Masonic Housing Association

  (NI) Limited

  74 Dublin Road

  Belfast BT2 7HP

  McGarel Housing Association Limited

  First Floor, 93–97 Main Street, Lame BT40 1HJ

  Newington Housing Association (1975) Limited

  300 Limestone Road, Belfast BT15 3AR

  Nih Housing Association Limited

  'Hazelbank', 361 Shore Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim BT37 9SA

  Northern Ireland Co-ownership Housing Association Limited

  Murray House, Murray Street, Belfast BT1 6DN

  North Belfast Mission Housing Society Limited

  35A Rathcoole Drive, Newtownabbey BT37 9AQ

  Open Door Housing Association (NI) Limited
  626

  10–14 Commercial Court, Belfast BT1 2NB

  Presbyterian Housing Association (NI) Ltd

  Room 119, Church House, Fisherwick Place, Belfast BT1 6DW

  The Royal British Legion Housing Association (NI) Ltd

  War Memorial Building, Waring Street, Belfast BT1 2EU

  St. Matthew's Housing Association Limited

  58 Harper Street, Belfast BT5 4EN

  Students Housing Association Co-operative Limited

  3–5 Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JG

  Tennent Street District Housing Association Limited

  229 Tennent Street, Belfast BT13 3GG

  Triangle Women's Housing Association Limited

  7 Girona Avenue, Portrush

  Ulidia Housing Association Limited

  57A Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7 1JF

  Ulster Homemaker Limited

  C/o Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations,

  Carlisle Memorial Centre, 88 Clifton Street, Belfast BT13 1AB

  Willowfield Parish Church Housing Association Limited

  131 Ravenhill Road, Belfast BT6 8DR

  Woodvale and Shankill Housing Association Limited

  58 Rosebank Street, Belfast BT13 3HB

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report those schemes which have been assured of finance from the Housing Association Development Programme (Northern Ireland) 1989–90 together with the sums of money allocated.

  Mr. Needham
  The inclusion of individual schemes in the housing association development programme does not in itself guarantee that the scheme will proceed. This will depend upon compliance with agreed procedures, costs and standards and on the availability of resources. On that basis, no schemes are assured of finance. Nevertheless those schemes which have been included in the programme for possible tender approval during 1989–90, together with the capital "allocations", are as follows:

  Capital allocation 1989–90

  £

  Scheme address

  2–12 Dundela crescent, Belfast

  69,000

  3–17 Ethel Street, Belfast

  181,000

  Glencraig Community, Holywood

  10,000

  Newry road, Kilkeel Mourne Grange 3

  200,000

  Main street, Lisnaskea

  374,000

  Abbey Gardens, Knock, Belfast

  137,000

  1–33 Barrack Hill, Armagh

  273,000

  Millmount House, Banbridge

  218,000

  Mountain Road, Kilkeel

  222,000

  1 Cavehill Road, Belfast

  102,000

  Randalstown Road, Antrim

  86,000

  Croft Phase 2, Bloomfield Road, Bangor

  119,000

  Elizabeth Avenue, Carrickfergus

  61,000

  Kinsale Park, Caw, Londonderry

  382,000

  14 Inverary Avenue, Belfast

  238,000

  Carrick House Annexe, Belfast

  179,000

  1–25 Ambleside Street, 111–113 Silvio Street, Belfast

  127,000

  Tennent Street Phase 5, Belfast

  277,000

  627

  Capital allocation 1989–90

  £

  Ambleside Street, Tennent Street, Sydney Street West, Belfast

  114,000

  Warden Street, Ballymena

  174,000

  CDA 94, Donegall Street, Belfast

  10,000

  14, 18 Hills Avenue, Belfast

  36,000

  Tennent/Orkney Phase 6, Belfast

  74,000

  1 Park Avenue, Belfast

  79,000

  7 Windsor Avenue, Lurgan

  12,000

  Woodview Avenue, Portadown

  64,000

  Gate Lodge Foyle Hospital, Londonderry

  35,000

  18, 43 Curran Road, Larne

  76,000

  2–10 Fountainville Avenue, Belfast

  161,000

  139 Glen Road, Belfast

  316,000

  4, 6, 8 Bryansford Road, Newcastle

  152,000

  49 Somerton Road, Belfast

  22,000

  3, 5 Brookhill Avenue, Belfast

  90,000

  157–159 Falls Road, Belfast

  32,000

  42–45, 161–166 Rathkyle, Antrim

  250,000

  Lyne Lodge Canal Quay, Newry

  94,000

  Bray Street/Rathlin Street, Belfast

  259,000

  Cambrai Street, Belfast

  185,000

  Repairs

  Dundela, Belfast, Flue Lining

  26,000

  Edenderry, Belfast, Flue Lining

  36,000

  Ravenhill, Belfast, Flue Lining

  38,000

  Dundela, Belfast, Re-Roofing

  72,000

  Windsor Park, Belfast

  317,000

  Crosby Flats, Bangor

  344,000

  Ogilvie Street, Ravenhill Avenue, Belfast

  8,000

  In addition, a total of £4·5 million has been "allocated" in respect of a further 115 schemes which associations may take to an advanced stage of design so that they may be considered for inclusion in the next or subsequent financial year.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will list in the Official Report those schemes which have been submitted for inclusion in the housing association development programme (Northern Ireland) 1989–90 intending to provide accommodation specifically for people who are homeless.

  Mr. Needham
  The following proposals to provide accommodation specifically for the homeless were identified by housing associations as projects which they would like to have had included for tender approval in the 1989–90 development programme:

  Scheme Address

  65 Bridge Street, Newry

  1–5 Curran Road/2 Circular Road, Larne

  239 Newtownards Road, Belfast

  14 Inverary Avenue, Belfast

  32 Edward Street, Portadown

  83–95 Foyle Street, Londonderry

  Carrick House Annexe, Belfast

  14–16 Lodge Road, Coleraine

  Disability
  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in schools in Northern Ireland are defined as deaf; and what steps are being taken to identify those who may suffer from blindness as well or from another handicap in addition to deafness.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  According to latest information (January 1988) there were 82 deaf pupils of compulsory school age attending grant-aided primary, secondary and 628
  special schools. Of these, 45 suffered from one or more additional physical handicaps. No details are available about children attending grammar schools.

  Under the Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 it is a matter for education and library boards to identify and make provision for children with special educational needs.

  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaf people are resident in mental hospitals in Northern Ireland; how many of these have an additional handicap; what plans have been made for their future in the community; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of the number of residents in mental hospitals.

  Mr. Needham
  This information is not collected centrally. Plans for the future in the community of deaf people resident in mental hospitals are the responsibility of the health and social services boards. In drawing them up, boards take appropriate account of patients' individual needs and circumstances.

  Medical Screening
  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the number of medical screening units in the Province and future demand for screening.

  Mr. Needham
  Screening for hearing and visual defects, speech disorders and other developmental problems is an integral part of the child health surveillance programme. The physical and developmental status of children is assessed on an ongoing basis from infancy to age 14. Where abnormalities are detected children are referred to appropriate specialist services. Adults with suspected handicapping conditions are also referred to specialist services by their family doctor. Existing services have the capacity to deal with present and expected future requirements.

  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what post-school provision exists for deaf and multi-handicapped young people in Northern Ireland; and what advice he is giving to area boards on this matter.

  Mr. Needham
  In Northern Ireland, the individual needs of hearing-impaired and multi-handicapped clients are met by the general range of statutory and voluntary services including the provision of home helps, aids and adaptations and day centre and workshop activities.

  Specialist social workers for the deaf provide advice and guidance to hearing-impaired people and their families and act as interpreters where necessary. Three resource centres for the hearing impaired are provided in the Eastern health and social services board area at Beechbank house, Helen Keller house and the Parkmount rehabilitation unit.

  The regional strategy for the period 1987–92 advises boards that the Department of Health and Social Services expects them to effect improvements in services specifically for the deaf and blind, either through the creation of specialist posts, or through in-service training designed to ensure that existing staff, including social workers, are made more aware and capable of meeting the needs of sensorily handicapped people.
  629
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision has been made in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys survey of disability in Northern Ireland for the identification of deaf-blind people and deaf people who may suffer from an additional handicap to their deafness.

  Mr. Needham
  The study of disability now under way in Northern Ireland is modelled closely on that carried out in Great Britain by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, and the same methods of establishing the nature and extent of disability are being followed. Information is sought on each and every disability that an individual has which interferes with his or her ability to perform daily activities. Thus, people with varying levels of visual loss and/or hearing loss and those who suffer an additional disability to their hearing loss will be included in the survey. Investigations cover those living in private households and also those who live in residential establishments of varying kinds.

  The study is being carried out by the policy planning and research unit of the Department of Finance and Personnel.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will meet representatives of organisations representing the deaf to discuss the implications for them of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989.

  Mr. Needham
  No request for a meeting to discuss the implications of the Disabled Persons (Northern Ireland) Act 1989 has been received from any organisation representing deaf people.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residents in(a) Northern Ireland residential and (b) Northern Ireland nursing homes are required to contribute all or part of their personal expenses allowance to fund shortfalls in fees charged to them.

  Mr. Needham
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of how many elderly people and their relatives cannot afford to pay for care in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  None, but income support is available to people in need of care whose resources are below levels prescribed by Parliament.

  Roads
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to complete dualling of the Belfast-Larne road; and whether this road has been indentified as a Euro-route.

  Mr. Needham
  The existing single carriageway sections of the Belfast-Lame road are adjudged capable of carrying projected traffic flows for the foreseeable future. Proposals for completion of dualling are therefore considered to be long term. The Department of Environment for Northern Ireland has indentified the route as a Euro-route.

  Housing
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sub-contractors named by successful main contractors in tender documents submitted to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive were not subsequently used after the main contract was awarded, in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Needham
  I am advised by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that the information requested is not available as contractors are not required to name proposed sub-contractors when submitting tenders for Housing Executive contracts, although some do so.

  Road Safety (Carrickfergus)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he proposes to reduce traffic congestion and improve road safety at Windermere road and Windermere avenue, Carrickfergus, Country Antrim.

  Mr. Needham
  As there is little evidence of traffic congestion or a particular road safety problem at Windermere road and Windermere avenue, no action is proposed at the present time.

  Coal Gas Works, Carrickfergus
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration has been given to the retention of the only complete coal gas works in Ireland at Carrickfergus, or to the retention of this site as a historical tourist attraction and for educational purposes.

  Mr. Needham
  I understand that this site, which is owned by Belfast city council, is to be sold later this year, after it has been detoxified to the normal standard. The Carrickfergus Gasworks Preservation Society, which wishes to develop the site as a gasworks museum, will have the opportunity to make an offer for it.

  Scotland (Transport Links)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had regarding road, rail and ferry links between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

  Mr. Needham
  Discussions are continuing at ministerial and official levels on proposals for improved facilities at Larne harbour, the upgrading of the rail connection between Belfast and Lame and the possible introduction of a ferry service between Red Bay harbour and Scotland.

  Sewage Disposal (Islandmagee)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the marine survey postponed in 1988 into sewage disposal from Ashvale park, Islandmagee, County Antrim, to the sea will be carried out.

  Mr. Needham
  A study, including any necessary marine survey, has been initiated and is expected to be completed by November 1989.

  Benefit Statistics
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons in Northern Ireland are currently receiving(a) unemployment benefit and (b) income support.
  631
  Mr. Needham
  The latest available information is as follows:

  Number of recipients

  Unemployment Benefit

  21,584

  Income Support

  1183,235

  1 This includes an estimated 4,000 people who get unemployment benefit and income support.

  Civil Service Statistics
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show for each grade in the Northern Ireland Civil Service the number and percentages of (a) Roman Catholics, (b) Protestants and (c) others, showing the number and percentages of males and females in each category; and if he will indicate the percentage of each of those groupings of working age in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Cope
  The information requested by the hon. Gentleman is contained within the Second Report of the Equal Opportunities Unit of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The Second Report was published in December 1987 and shows the make-up of the Northern Ireland Civil Service by sex, religion and disability as at 1 January 1987.

  Copies of the Second Report were placed in the Library on 17 December 1987.

  The following table shows estimated aggregated figures (1985–87) of the religious affiliation of persons of working age in Northern Ireland, derived from the continuous household survey.

  Males

  Females

  All

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  Catholic

  37·9

  39·6

  38·9

  Protestant

  57·8

  57·8

  57·8

  Other or not stated

  4·3

  2·6

  3·3

  Bogside Flats (Demolition)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the demolition of the Bogside flats in Londonderry was carried out by the main contractors or by sub-contractors.

  Mr. Needham
  I am advised by the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive that the demolition of the Bogside (Rossville street) flats was carried out by the main contractor.

  MOT Tests
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the length of delay for vehicles awaiting MOT tests in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The average waiting time for private car test appointments was approximately six and a half weeks at 14 July 1989.

  Teachers
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the numbers of(a) Roman Catholic and (b) other teachers who have
  632
  graduated in each of the last three years for which records are available, together with information on the level of qualification awarded in each category from Northern Ireland universities and teacher training colleges.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Available information is as follows:

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Stranmillis College

  BEd (Hons)

  53

  68

  83

  BEd

  89

  77

  51

  PGCE

  51

  65

  67

  St. Mary's College

  BEd (Hons)

  61

  60

  94

  BEd

  85

  75

  65

  PGCE

  46

  58

  61

  Queen's University

  PGCE

  109

  124

  115

  University of Ulster

  PGCE

  22

  23

  25

  BA

  10

  11

  6

  BA (Hons)

  28

  25

  27

  BA/BSc single subject concurrent

  2

  2

  —

  BA/BSc (Hons) single subject concurrent

  45

  33

  53

  BA/BSc (Hons) combined subject

  16

  6

  11

  BSc

  20

  10

  2

  Since St. Mary's is a voluntary Roman Catholic college it is likely that most graduates are Roman Catholic. The other institutions are in the public sector and non-denominational.

  Planning Officers
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, in taking account of the peculiar structure of local government in Northern Ireland, he will require planning officers to follow the practice of councillors in declaring their interests in cases where their duties may constitue a conflict of interest on the part of themselves or their families.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: In accordance with their conditions of service all civil servants are required not to put themselves in a position where their duty and private interests conflict and they must not make use of their official position to further those interests. All planning officials, therefore, are expected to take no part in cases where their duties may constitute a conflict of interest on the part of themselves or their families.

  Rent Arrears
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what powers the Northern Ireland Housing Executive demands deductions for arrears which are being disputed by a tenant.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: In cases where tenants do not repay rent arrears voluntarily the Northern Ireland Housing Executive recover arrears by three main methods: by direct payment from benefits under the Social Security Claims and Payments Regulations (NI) 1988; from other money due to the tenant from Government sources under the Payment for

  633
  Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) 1971; and under the Magistrates Courts (NI) Order 1981. When using the Magistrates Courts (NI) Order the Executive must prove the debt in court. If a tenant disputes the withholding of money under the Social Security Claims and Payment Regulations or the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) he can use the Executive's internal complaints procedure and if he is still not satisfied he can refer his case to the commissioner for complaints.

  Type

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  a. Twins

  298

  305

  306

  263

  304

  272

  281

  322

  287

  b. Triplets

  4

  3

  2

  4

  3

  3

  2

  7

  1

  c. Quadruplets

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  d. Quintuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  e. Sextuplets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Maternities

  28,542

  27,229

  26,905

  27,188

  27,547

  27,529

  27,989

  27,694

  127,614

  1 Provisional.

  NHS (Regrading)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about progress in implementing the recent regrading exercise for National Health Service staff.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the regrading of medical laboratory scientific officers. The assignment of existing posts to new grades under the medical laboratory scientific officer regrading exercise is a matter for the health and social services boards. In each board this involves a review of each post against the needs of the board. The exercise is at a fairly advanced stage in all the boards and local staff interests are being consulted. However, due to the work involved it has not been possible to assign the new grades before 1 April this year as had been planned.

  Scientific Staff
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to the relationship between difficulties experienced in the recruitment and retention of medical physicists, clinical biochemists, micro-biologists and psychologists in Northern Ireland and similar difficulties in Great Britain; and whether he has received any recent representations or information on this.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: I have received some representations about pay and conditions of service for these groups of staff. In Northern Ireland there is, as for other staff groups in the health and personal social services, a policy of parity with similar grades of staff employed in the National Health Service. In Great Britain, I understand that the management side of the appropriate Whitley Council has set up a working party to investigate reported problems of recruitment and retention. I shall, of course, be keeping in close touch with developments.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he intends to take to ensure that the commit ment given in "Working for Patients" to maintain a health care service based on high technology includes measures to recruit and retain scientific staff to operate the service.

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of sets of(a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets, and (e) sextuplets, born in Northern Ireland in each year since 1980; and what was the total number of maternities in each of these years.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: The information is set out in the table:

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: The current commitment within the Health Service to recruit and retain, within available resources, sufficient numbers of staff of the right calibre for the job will continue.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust (Scotland)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Inland Revenue has completed its review of the charitable status of the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Trust (Scotland).

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I regret that I cannot comment on the tax affairs of any particular body.

  Arts and Charities (Sponsorship)
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax incentives are available to encourage commercial sponsorships of the arts and charities.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Sponsorship payments which are not of a capital nature are deductible for tax purposes in calculating trading profits if they are made wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the payer's trade. In practice, this means that the sole purpose of the payment must be to provide the payer with a benefit—often in the form of advertising—commensurate with his expenditure.

  There are also special tax reliefs for business donations to charities.

  Life Assurance
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the rules for the taxation of investment-linked and other life assurance in(a) Germany and (b) Luxembourg for life offices and policy holders, respectively.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  In both countries life offices pay tax broadly by reference to their trading profits. In Germany policy holders may also pay tax on policy benefits received, depending on the terms of the policy and its duration. So far as I am aware, investment-linked life assurance comparable. to that in the United Kingdom is not usual in either country: I am aware of no special tax provision for it.
  635
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what practical limitations have been or are likely to be imposed by membership of the EEC on the Government's freedom to increase the tax take from the life assurance business, including pension and annuity business.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The practical development of a single internal EC market for life assurance is still at an early stage but in consultation with the industry the Government will be keeping the position under review. The decision this year to reform the existing tax regime for life assurance instead of adopting a more radical option will undoubtedly provide stability for the run-up to 1992. But allowing for freedom of services in the EC was only one of several objectives of the reform. As my right hon. Friend said in his Budget speech, above all the effect of the changes will be to provide a more efficient and equitable tax regime for this most important industry.

  Personal Taxation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the gross and taxable income of the self-employed in the current financial year as(a) declared for tax and (b) not so declared; and if he will provide comparable figures for 1978–79.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The latest information is for 1986–87. The estimates cover married couples and single people whose main source of income is from self-employment.

  £ billion

  Gross Income

  Taxable Income

  1978–79

  9·1

  4·5

  1986–87

  26·4

  15·4

  By their very nature, estimates of amounts of income not declared for tax are not available.

  Special Debt Relief
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how it is proposed to account for the special debt relief to the poorest and most heavily indebted countries agreed at the Toronto summit this year.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development on 25 November 1988 (WA col. 13) following the Toronto agreement have been modified for technical reasons. ECGD will receive the lower amount of interest from the debtor as before. But it is now intended that, instead of ODA reimbursing ECGD for the forgone receipts, ECGD's obligations to the Consolidated Fund will be reduced by the same amount. The published accounts will be noted to make this clear. These changes will be taken into account during the 1989 public expenditure survey. It is expected that the cost of providing special debt relief in this way will count as part of Britain's net official development assistance to developing countries, as reported to the development assistance committee of the OECD.

  Offices (London)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage increase over the nearest equivalent figure for 1976 and 1966 is represented by the total rateable value of offices, including banks in office areas, in London, as shown in section 1 of table 11.1 of Inland Revenue Statistics 1987.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  About 26·5 per cent. for 1 April 1986 compared with 1 April 1976. A comparison with 1966 would not be appropriate because rateable values for that year were based on the 1963 revaluation.

  Personal Taxation
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has information from the family expenditure survey, the survey of personal incomes and from the building societies which enable him to estimate the distribution of mortgage interest relief by marital status as well as by range of total income.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information on the distribution of mortgage interest relief by marital status and by range of total income is available from projections of the data from the 1986–87 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and the 1986 "Family Expenditure Survey". However, all estimates are provisional and those for marital status are rather tentative because of lack of firm data.

  Latest estimates for 1989–90 based on the assumption that interest rates remain at current levels for the rest of 1989–90 are given in the table. The estimates include mortgages formerly under the option mortgage scheme which are now subsumed within MIRAS.

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

  Range of total income

  Number of tax units with mortgage interest relief

  Average value of relief per mortgagor

  Cost of relief

  Thousands

  £

  £ million

  Singles

  Up to £5,000

  300

  430

  130

  £5,001 to £10,000

  810

  630

  510

  £10,001 to £15,000

  660

  670

  440

  £15,001 to £20,000

  400

  810

  330

  £20,001 to £25,000

  190

  850

  160

  £25,001 to £30,000

  80

  1,110

  80

  over £30,000

  100

  1,430

  140

  Total

  2,540

  700

  1,790

  Married couples

  Up to £5,000

  340

  540

  180

  £5,001 to £10,000

  890

  570

  510

  £10,001 to £15,000

  1,600

  650

  1,040

  £15,001 to £20,000

  1,480

  690

  1,020

  £20,001 to £25,000

  1,010

  700

  710

  £25,001 to £30,000

  530

  820

  440

  over £30,000

  910

  1,170

  1,060

  Total

  6,760

  730

  4,960

  Total income

  Up to £5,000

  640

  490

  310

  £5,001 to £10,000

  1,700

  600

  1,020

  £10,001 to £15,000

  2,260

  660

  1,480

  £15,001 to £20,000

  1,880

  720

  1,350

  £20,001 to £25,000

  1,200

  720

  870

  £25,001 to £30,000

  610

  860

  520

  over £30,000

  1,010

  1,200

  1,200

  637

  Range of total income

  Number of tax units with mortgage interest relief

  Average value of relief per mortgagor

  Cost of relief

  Thousands

  £

  £ million

  Total

  9,300

  730

  6,750

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made estimates of the revenue cost of the introduction of separate taxation; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing by range of total income for two-earner married couples the number of wives earning (i) more and (ii) less than the single allowance.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  It is estimated that the revenue cost of the introduction of independent taxation will be approximately £500 million in the first year, 1990–91, and approximately £1·2 billion in 1991–92.

  The number of wives earning more than the single allowance in 1990–91 by range of total income for example is given in the table. The figures are estimates based on a projection of the 1986–87 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and are therefore provisional. I regret that it is not possible to provide reliable estimates of total income for couples where the wife earns for the number of wives earning less than the single allowance.

  Number of wives earning more than single allowance, 1989–90, by range of total income of the married couple

  Range of total income of married couple (lower limit)

  Thousands

  (£)

  1

  110

  5,000

  310

  10,000

  580

  15,000

  990

  20,000

  1,420

  30,000

  450

  40,000

  150

  50,000

  150

  Total

  4,160

  Charitable Donations
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value of income covenanted to charities by(a) individuals and (b) companies in every year from 1984–85 to 1988–89, inclusive.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Gross amounts covenanted to charities are shown in the table. I regret that a reliable breakdown of these figures between individual and company covenants is not available.

  Gross amounts covenanted to charities

  £ million

  1984–85

  400

  1985–86

  450

  1986–87

  500

  1987–881

  650

  1988–892

  800

  1 Estimated.

  2 Provisional.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of income convenanted to 638
  professional arts organizations with charitable status by (a) individuals and (b) companies in every year from 1984–85 to 1988 inclusive.

  Mr.Norman Lamont
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of payroll giving—"give as you earn"—to(a) all charities and (b) professional arts organisations with charitable status in 1987–88 and 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  It is estimated that about £1 million was donated to charities in 1987–88 through the payroll giving scheme and over £3 million in 1988–89. No information is available on how much of these amounts were received by professional arts organisations.

  Higher Rate Tax
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of persons subject to higher-rate tax in the current year on the basis of separate taxation for husbands and wives.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  On the basis of the latest information available, it is estimated that just under 1·3 million individuals will be liable to income tax at the higher rate when independent taxation starts in 1990–91. This estimate is based on a projection of the 1986–87 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and is therefore provisional.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the cost of administering income tax.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 19 July 1989]: The total cost of administering income tax for the financial year 1987–88, the last year for which this figure is available, was £931·5 million.

  Married Women (Tax)
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many married women pay income tax on their earnings; and what proportion they make up of all married women in paid work.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 20 July 1989]: It is estimated that in 1989–90 some 3·7 million married women will pay income tax on their earnings. It is believed that this represents approximately half of all married women with some income from employment.

  Mortgage Interest Tax Relief
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the revenue cost of mortgage interest tax relief projected for the year 1989–90;

  (2) what was the revenue cost of mortgage interest tax relief for 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 20 July 1989]: The estimated costs of mortgage interest tax relief in the United Kingdom are shown in the table. The cost of

  639
  mortgage interest in 1989–90 is based on the assumption that interest rates remain at current levels for the rest of 1989–90.

  Cost of mortgage tax relief

  £ million

  1986–87

  4,670

  1987–88

  4,800

  1988–891

  5,500

  1989–901

  6,750

  1 provisional.

ENERGY

  British Nuclear Fuels (Safety)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with British Nuclear Fuels with respect to plans to make production workers more responsible for safety monitoring; whether he intends to discuss this with the nuclear installations inspectorate; what implications the plan has for the 1986 safety audit carried out by the nuclear installations inspectorate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have had discussions with British Nuclear Fuels plc on this matter. Any such proposal and its implications for the 1986 safety audit would be a matter for discussion between British Nuclear Fuels and the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.

  Halliburton Group
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether, before letting any further contracts to the Halliburton group or any of its subsidiaries, he will make it his policy to instruct his officials to demand prior assurances from the company(a) that full compensation will be paid to any British subject in their employ who is injured while working for them abroad, (b) that no British subject will be dismissed immediately while still in hospital receiving treatment and (c) that Halliburton Manufacturing and Services Ltd., 17 Hanover square, London W 1, will reply to letters written by hon. Members on behalf of constituents dismissed while in its employ.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  No. It would not be appropriate for the Secretary of State to attempt to regulate the management procedures and practices of companies with which the Department contracts.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Correspondence
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters were received from, and sent to, hon. Members by his Department in(a) January and (b) the whole of this Session up to 1 July.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department of Social Security received 1,333 letters from right hon. and hon. Members and organisations during the month of January and despatched 1,345 replies. This Session 10,314 have been received and 9,474 replies were issued to 1 July.

  Civil Service Dispersal
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress is being made in his Department's review, in line with Treasury guidelines, of the potential for the further relocation of Civil Service posts outside London and the south-east; and when he expects the review to be completed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We are making excellent progress in relocating "backroom" work from 21 local social security offices in London to the three social security centres in Glasgow, Belfast and Makerfield.

  The first social security centre at Glasgow is due to start work on 14 August.

  As a separate exercise, a team of officials is close to completing a thorough and systematic review of the location of our headquarters work. We expect to receive a report of the team's findings shortly.

  Local Offices (South Yorkshire)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to review the areas covered by the boundaries of his Department's offices in Doncaster and Wath-on-Dearne in the county of South Yorkshire, with particular regard to the more rural areas of Doncaster metropolitan borough council.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The local office network in this area is being reviewed later in the year. No specific proposals have yet been made regarding the boundaries of Doncaster and Wath-on-Dearne local offices.

  Invalidity Benefit
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security to what extent charitable work undertaken prior to the period covered by a claim for entitlement to invalidity benefit is used as an indication of a person's ability to work during the period covered by the claim.

  Mr. Scott
  Work, whether charitable or other, carried out prior to a claim for invalidity benefit does not affect entitlement to that benefit. Where a person performs some work during the period of the claim, it is for the independent adjudicating authorities to determine whether such work is consistent with the incapacity for work test, which is one of the qualifying conditions for entitlement.

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has received any recent representations about pilot or permanent workplace creches and similar incentives further to encourage the return to employment of women in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We have received no recent representations but officials are in regular touch with staff and their representatives about child care provisions generally. Holiday play schemes have been established in several different parts of the country often in collaboration with other Government Departments and other local employers. Information about local child care facilities is also available to staff. A study is currently under way into the feasibility of providing workplace nurseries.
  641
  These schemes form only part of the provisions to encourage the employment of women. Flexible working patterns including part-time working and job sharing, maternity leave and pay, career break opportunities and other special leave arrangements are all designed to encourage women to return to or remain in work in the Department.

  Sickness Benefit
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will list the action taken by his Department to assist Mr. A., reference OVB/STB/EC, Longbenton, 25 January 1989, to obtain sickness benefit in respect of his car accident in Italy on 7 December 1983; what response his Department obtained from the Italian authorities; and what efforts they made to insist upon a reply, before the intervention of the Italian ambassador and the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Responsibility for Mr. A's claim was transferred to the Italian authorities on 8 August 1988, and from that date the matter was outside the control of the Department.

  However, on request from Mr. A, overseas branch wrote to the Italian authorities on 25 January 1989, asking them to write to Mr. A and let him know the position on his claim. In response to a letter from my hon. Friend asking the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to arrange for the intervention of the British consul with the Italian authorities, which later was passed to the Department for reply as a social security matter was involved, overseas branch has written to the liaison officer in Italy to see whether the inquiries instigated by the Italian ambassador at my hon. Friend's request, have produced any results. If overseas branch has not received a reply to this letter within one month, we have said that the request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the consulate in Italy to pursue the matter will be reconsidered.

  Jobstart
  Mr. Nernst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of savings accruing to his Department from reductions in the payment of benefit to participants in the 50-plus jobstart scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Family support 1978–79 to 1988–89 (£ million)

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  cash/real

  real

  real

  real

  real

  FIS/Family credit

  24

  23

  30

  43

  58

  Maternity grant

  16

  14

  12

  11

  10

  Maternity allowance

  105

  107

  108

  104

  94

  Statutory maternity pay

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Supplmentary benefit/income support1 and housing benefit

  629

  490

  483

  575

  767

  Social fund

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Child benefit

  1,776

  2,389

  2,129

  2,222

  2,252

  One parent benefit

  22

  37

  44

  50

  56

  Child tax allowances

  460

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Additional personal tax allowance (lone parent)

  60

  60

  61

  76

  86

  Total

  3,092

  3,121

  2,867

  3,080

  3,323

  642
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The initiative is being piloted for a year in four areas. It started on 26 June. An estimate of potential income support savings will be possible once the results of the pilot are available.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications there have been for family credit in each month since April 1988, and how many awards have been made in each month since April 1988.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information is as follows:

  Claims

  Awards

  1988

  April

  96,505

  40,213

  May

  41,721

  June

  52,293

  36,145

  July

  46,100

  37,912

  August

  46,376

  40,249

  September

  47,759

  24,158

  October

  56,373

  44,944

  November

  57,850

  46,234

  December

  44,834

  35,797

  1989

  January

  63,638

  42,712

  February

  60,318

  45,180

  March

  68,637

  47,184

  April

  96,752

  43,300

  May

  123,038

  39,187

  June

  107,276

  73,778

  Notes:

  1. The figures are for the four or five weeks ending on the last Friday of the month.

  2. The figures for claims received include those made to renew existing awards and those made more than four weeks before the expiry of an existing award (and therefore invalid).

  Family Support
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the level of support for the family net of the consequences of unemployment growth, in total, and by each category of benefit for each year since the first full year after the introduction of child benefit and express the levels of support by each category of benefit in standard prices with the levels of expenditure in the first full year after the introduction of child benefit as the base.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 10 March 1989]: The information requested is set out as follows:
  643

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  real

  real

  real

  real

  real

  FIS/Family credit

  71

  69

  83

  88

  193

  Maternity grant

  10

  9

  7

  0

  0

  Maternity allowance

  90

  87

  86

  25

  12

  Statutory maternity pay

  —

  —

  —

  86

  110

  Supplementary benefit/income support and housing benefit

  1,019

  1,141

  1,257

  1,404

  1,360

  Social fund

  —

  —

  —

  —

  22

  Child benefit

  2,396

  2,374

  2,320

  2,250

  2,064

  One parent benefit

  67

  71

  76

  80

  79

  Child tax allowances

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Additional personal tax allowance (lone parent)

  78

  80

  87

  83

  75

  Total

  3,732

  3,831

  3,917

  4,016

  3,915

  1 Supplementary Allowance, Income Support and Housing Benefit paid to one-parent families and to people looking after elderly persons. Housing Benefit includes rate rebates.

  National Insurance Fund
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to publish his next review of the long-term financial position of the national insurance fund under section 137 of the Social Security Act 1975.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 6 July 1989]: The Government Actuary is responsible for reviewing the operation of the 1975 Social Security Act for each five-year period, and section 137 of the Social Security Act 1975 provides that the Government Actuary shall review the national insurance fund. The Government Actuary advises that he plans to complete his quinquennial report by the end of the year, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will lay the report before Parliament.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Bob Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much of the overall spending on child benefit goes to families on income-related benefits, broken down by benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 17 July 1989]: The information requested is set out as follows:

  Estimated child benefit expenditure on families in receipt of income-related benefits 1989–90

  Benefit

  Child Benefit

  £ million

  Income Support

  850

  Family Credit1

  300

  Housing Benefit only2 3

  100

  1 Based on the assumptions underlying the Government's Expenditure Plans (Cmnd 615).

  2 Child Benefit expenditure on families receiving Housing Benefit is estimated on the assumption that the rate rebate scheme is operating throughout Great Britain.

  3 In receipt of Housing Benefit but no other income-related benefit. Income Support and Family Credit recipients may also be receiving Housing Benefit.

SCOTLAND

  Scottish Homes
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further provision he intends to make in order to reduce the length of delays presently experienced by
  644
  purchasers from Scottish Homes; what is the number of legally qualified staff presently engaged in work relating to the sale of domestic residential property; what is the number of legally qualified staff formerly employed by (a) the Housing Corporation and (b) the Scottish Special Housing Association in order to deal with such work; and what arrangements are being made by Scottish Homes in order to reduce the backlog of cases.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Scottish Homes has recently contracted with some 30 private legal firms to assist its own in-house conveyancing staff to increase the throughput of applications in order to clear the large number of cases on hand at present. This arrangement should enable up to 1,000 applications to be processed monthly, and should ensure that in future sales should be completed within six months of application.

  The number of legally qualified staff employed by Scottish Homes on house sale work is nine, with a further four posts awaiting recruitment. This compares with 14 such staff employed by SSHA to do such work. The Housing Corporation had no landlord function and thus had no such staff.

  Teachers
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of qualified teachers not employed in the teaching profession in 1979; and what is the current number.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is not available.

  Community Charge
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment his Department has made of the costs of regional authorities of(a) ensuring that the registrar of births, marriages and deaths advised the community charge registration officer of the death of an individual registered to pay the poll tax, (b) removing the deceased person's name from the community charge register (c) calculating the amount due by the deceased person and (d) preparing, mailing and pursuing the payment of that amount by the deceased person's next of kin or executor.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under the provisions of the Community Charge (Notification of Deaths) (Scotland) Regulations (SI 1988 No. 2211) as amended by the Community Charges (Notification of Deaths)
  645
  (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No. 735) the district registrar, in respect of a death registered in his district is required within seven days of registration of such death to notify a number of prescribed particulars relating to the deceased to the community charges registration officer of each region or islands area within which the registration district falls. No fee is charged to regional authorities for the provision of this information. Other costs associated with removing a deceased person's entry from the community charges register and with collecting any outstanding amount of unpaid community charge are a matter for the regional or islands council concerned.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what record his Department is keeping of the number of complaints received at either the Scottish Office or at individual regional authorities about the levying of community charge on deceased persons.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Very few representations on this issue have been received in the Scottish Office. Information about representations made to regional councils is not held centrally.

  Piper Alpha
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will outline the role performed by his officials in the monitoring of the area above and on the sea-bed surrounding the wreckage of Piper Alpha; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  In the period following the incident on 6 July 1988 to February 1989 the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, in co-operation with the operators Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd., carried out surveys of debris and other samples from the Piper Alpha site for possible polychlorinated byphenyl (PCB) and radioactive contamination. Details of the work carried out

  NCC Advisory Committee for Scotland

  Name

  Occupation

  Employer

  Appointment ends

  A. R. Trotter (Chairman)

  Estate Manager

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  J. M. S. Arnott

  Vice-Chairman Countryside Commission for Scotland, manager (Edinburgh) for BBC Scotland (part-time)

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  J. C. Compton

  Farmer and landowner

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  Professor P. S. Corbet

  Biologist (formerly University of Dundee)

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  A. D. M. Farquharson

  Chartered surveyor, Fanner, forester

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  J. L. Goodfellow

  Past Vice-President National Fanners' Union of Scotland. Retired farmer

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  J. R. Johnstone

  Industrialist Landowner

  Not known

  31 August 1989

  Dr. R. C. Kirkwood

  Reader in Biology

  University of Strathclyde

  31 March 1992

  Professor J. B. L. Matthews

  Director, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory

  NERC

  31 March 1992

  Mrs. E. Macdonald

  Crofter

  Not known

  31 March 1992

  Councillor D. J. McPherson

  Vice-Convenor Highland Regional Council

  Not known

  31 March 1992

  Professor I. Parsons

  Professor of Mineralogy

  University of Edinburgh

  31 March 1991

  Professor W. Ritchie

  Professor of Physical Geography

  University of Aberdeen

  31 March 1990

  J. H. Scott

  Farmer and landowner

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  Dr. E. A. Smith

  Director, Development Trust

  University of Aberdeen

  31 March 1992

  Professor T. C. Smout

  Historian

  University of St. Andrews

  31 March 1991

  Miss V. M. Thorn

  Author and consultant on interpretative planning

  Not known

  31 March 1990

  Members of NCC's advisory committee for Scotland are not nominated for appointment. Instead they are appointed by the Nature Conservancy Council with the approval of the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro), 11 July,Official Report, column
  646
  and of the results of these surveys were given in scientific reports published on 6 June (copies of which have been placed in the Library).

  Further monitoring and surveys are being carried out by the operators in compliance with conditions attached to the approval for the abandonment programme granted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy under the Petroleum Act 1987. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate were consulted on the monitoring requirements and will advise as appropriate on the results as and when available.

  Monitoring of the area may also be carried out in due course as part of the general monitoring of sea waters around Scotland on behalf of this Department.

  Renaval Fund
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on 25 April,Official Report, column 489, he is in a position to indicate the response of the European Commission to the applications under the Renaval fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  An application for Strathclyde region to be declared eligible under Renaval went forward to the European Commission on 26 May 1989. We still await a response.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the names of the members of the Nature Conservancy Council's advisory committee for Scotland and give in each case their occupations, their employer, their nominator and the date their term of office is due to expire.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is as follows:

  436, what measures he proposes to introduce to ensure that scientific advice continues to be made available to the proposed Scottish Nature Conservancy Council.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government intend that this council's work will be founded on an
  647
  objective science base. Careful consideration is being given to various possible mechanisms for achieving this. Details of the proposals will be announced in due course.

  Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many fines have been recovered each month by means of civil diligence under section 56 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987 during the years 1988 and 1989.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Section 56 of the 1987 Act applies not to fines but to fixed penalties payable in consequence of a conditional offer by the procurator fiscal. Information about the enforcement of these by means of civil diligence is not yet available as returns from district courts are incomplete.

  Devolution (Europe)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the business community about devolution or independence in Europe.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have not received any such representations recently. I am, however, aware of the findings of a research study on this subject published this month by the Scottish Business Insider magazine. The study demonstrated that there is serious concern among top companies in Scotland at the detrimental effect on the Scottish economy which would be the consequence of constitutional change in Scotland.

  Set-aside
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate how many full-time and part-time jobs have been lost as a consequence of the set-aside scheme for agricultural land in Scotland; and if he will estimate how many of those job losses are attributable to whole farm set-side.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As indicated in the reply given to the hon. Member on 15 December 1988 at col.622 the possible consequences of the set-aside scheme for farm employment will be included in an evaluation of the scheme in its early years of operation. No results are yet available. I do not expect whole farm set-aside to be a significant factor since in the majority of cases where the whole of the area of eligible land has been set aside, the set-aside area represents less than half the total area of the farm.

  Clydeside Western Buses
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to make a statement on financial support for the employees of Clydeside Western Buses, in preparing a bid for the purchase of that company.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  We have consistently made it clear that financial assistance will be made available to one management-employee buy-out team per company. The Scottish Transport Group has recommended that, in the case of Western Clydeside, financial assistance to prepare a bid for the purchase of the company should be offered to the management-employee 648
  buy-out team led by Mr. Alan Wilson, managing director of Western Clydeside. The Scottish Transport Group considered that a successful bid was most likely to emerge from the outline proposals put forward by this team; and that these proposals offered the prospect of the most satisfactory shareholding arrangements for employees. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has now approved the Scottish Transport Group's recommendation and the Scottish Transport Group will today be writing to Mr. Wilson confirming this offer.

  The decision to offer assistance to the management-employee buy-out team will not confer any preferential status on this team as bidders. All bids will be considered on their merits with bids involving employee participation receiving preference. This preference will not in any way depend on whether or not financial assistance has been given.

  Environment Protection
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what policies his Department has implemented in the last five years to develop environmental protection measures.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In 1984–85 the Department brought into effect the main provisions of part II of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 relating to the control of water pollution; these were further strengthened by means of the Water Act 1989. These provisions are the framework for implementing EC legislation on the protection of the water environment (some 30 directives) and other international agreements, such as those arising from the ministerial conferences on the North sea.

  Scottish water authorities, with the encouragement of the Department, have made considerable progress in improving the quality of public water supplies, particularly with regard to lead in drinking water: provisions in the Water Act 1989 will strengthen the existing Scottish legislation on the quality of public and private supplies.

  The Government have increased funding to water and sewerage authorities to improve the water environment. In the last five years, some £500 million has been invested in water and sewerage services. The allocation for 1989–90 has been increased by 14 per cent. over planned provision.

  The Department has supported research in Scotland as part of the Government's major research programme to determine the effects of acidification and in association with the Department of the Environment, has undertaken a major review of the control of air pollution in Great Britain, with a view to legislation.

  The hazardous waste inspectorate, set up in 1983, has given advice and guidance to local authorities on safe and efficient systems of waste management; it has published three comprehensive reports and issues guidance on such matters as landfill gas.

  Scottish Information Office
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce safeguards to protect the integrity and non-party political status of the Scottish Information Office.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The staff of the Scottish Information Office, as civil servants, are well aware of established conventions followed by Ministers in relation to party
  649
  political activity. I see no need to issue new guidance to that which has stood successive Governments in good stead, and to which I fully subscribe.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters were received from, and sent to, hon. Members by his Department in(a) January and (b) the whole of this Session up to 1 July.

  Mr. Rifkind
  In January this year some 834 letters were received by my ministerial colleagues and myself from hon. and right hon. Members, and the total for the Session to 1 July is certainly in excess of 8,000. To provide like information on correspondence issuing during the same periods would incur disproportionate costs.

  Consultants
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has come to a decision in relation to his proposal to engage consultants to advise on how the awareness of the Scottish people in relation to the activities of his Department can be improved.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have now made arrangements with Hall Advertising Limited, Edinburgh who will work in association with specialist staff from Siegel and Gale and Kingsway Rowland for the preparation of a full report which will define a corporate identity strategy for the Scottish Office and describe the corporate visual guidelines for its implementation. Work will begin right away and I expect that it will take four months for the report to be concluded. When I have received and considered the report I will be informing the House of the decisions I have taken.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the future of neighbour notification of planning applications following the deletion of domestic subjects from the valuation roll.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government are committed to maintaining the neighbour notification arrangements in Scotland, but the present procedure provided for in the Town and Country Planning (General Development) (Scotland) Order 1981 requires to be changed. Developers are currently required to serve a notice on the named owners, occupiers and lessees of neighbouring land as listed in the valuation roll, informing them that a planning application for a proposed development has been submitted, that a copy of the application and plans may be inspected at the address of the planning authority and that they have 14 days to make representations to the authority. These procedures will remain for all but domestic property.

  With the introduction of the community charge entries for domestic property on the valuation roll will no longer be updated. It is therefore necessary to adopt a different approach to identifying those neighbours on whom notification of a planning application must be served. We propose to replace the existing arrangements with a requirement to notify two categories of neighbours. These would be firstly those listed in the parts of the community charges register which a member of the public may inspect
  650
  in respect of the address of the neighbouring property and, secondly, the owner of the neighbouring property. Notification of the owner will be by means of a notice addressed to "the owner" at the address of the neighbouring property. Those receiving the notification would have the same opportunity as at present to make representations to the planning authority about the application. The Scottish Development Department is currently undertaking a complete revision and updating of the General Development Order and the neighbour notification procedure will be altered as part of that revision during next year. In the meantime the valuation roll remains available for consultation.

  The introduction of these changes to the notification procedures will ensure that owners and occupiers of property continue to receive notification of planning applications affecting neighbouring property and that the task of undertaking neighbour notification does not place an undue burden on developers.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will reconsider the position of those with severe mental impairment from progressive disease in relationship to payment of the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has made it clear that if a practical way can be found of tackling the problem of determining the point at which a person with a progressive brain disorder should be exempt from the community charge, he will look closely at it.

  Fraud and Corruption (Councillors)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to how many local authority councillors have been prosecuted and convicted for fraud or corruption in each of the past 10 years; and if he will list the authorities on which they served.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the achievements of his Department and his policies in helping small businesses over the last 12 months compared with the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: Small firms continue to play an important and dynamic role in the regeneration of the Scottish economy. Small firms also continue to benefit from the comprehensive schemes of support that the Government have introduced. In the main, these are delivered through the Scottish Development Agency, the Highlands and Islands Development Board and from the Industry Department for Scotland, where policy responsibility lies. In addition to providing services specific to Scotland, the SDA, HIDB and the Industry Department for Scotland are responsible for the delivery and monitoring in Scotland of United

  651
  Kingdom services on behalf of other Departments, including the Department of Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry. During 1988, there was a net increase of over 3,400 in the number of registered companies in Scotland. Between January 1980 and January 1989 there was a net increase of some 20,000 or over a half in the number of companies registered in Scotland. VAT returns indicate that between 1980 and 1987 the number of new businesses operating in Scotland showed a net increase of 13,400.

  The following describes the services available to small firms in Scotland during the periods 1987–88 and 1988–89 and some of their achievements.

  Regional Assistance

  IDS made offers to small firms in Scotland of regional selective assistance of £4 million in 1987–88 and £12 million in 1988–89. Under the revised regional development grant scheme, approvals to small firms amounted to £48 million in 1987–88 and £70 million in 1988–89. Information on the grant offered to small firms under the original RDG scheme is not available. Under both the investment and innovation elements of the regional enterprise grants scheme, some £2 million was offered to companies in Scotland in 1988–89.

  Better Business Services and Better Technical Services Schemes

  During the periods in question, the BBS scheme was administered by IDS, SDA and the HIDB. The scheme allows small companies to have access to subsidised professional business advice and in 1987–88 some 9,597 offers of assistance were made with an associated value of £2·9 million. In 1988–89 some 6,804 offers of assistance were made with an associated value of £3·1 million. The BTS scheme was available in Strathclyde and part of Tayside region and allowed small companies to have access to subsidised professional advice of a technical nature. In 1987–88, 1,720 offers were made with an associated value of £1 million. Support under the BTS scheme ceased on 31 March 1988.

  Scottish Development Agency

  SDA support for small business includes the provision of financial assistance, premises and a wide range of advisory services, including the small firms service in Scotland and the administration of DTI's consultancy initiatives, under the enterprise initiative. Under the consultancy initiatives, some 1,235 consultancy projects were undertaking during 1988–89. It is estimated that Scotland accounted for 10 per cent. of total GB expenditure on this scheme, compared with a 6·9 per cent. share of eligible firms. During 1987–88 the SDA had contact with 19,125 small companies. Some £2.7 million was invested in 692 small firms creating or safeguarding some 800 jobs. In addition, some 875 small companies received assistance with the costs of attending promotional events. Sixty small companies were provided with technical advice, while 30 received assistance with market research studies. In the year 1988–89, the agency had contact with 19,250 small firms. Some £1·8 million was invested in 92 small firms creating or safeguarding 1,600 jobs. In addition, 925 small companies received assistance with the costs of attending promotional events. Eighty
  652
  small firms were provided with technical advice while 40 companies received assistance with market research studies.

  Highlands and Islands Development Board

  As well as delivering the small firms service in its area, the HIDB undertakes a wide range of activities in support of business, most of which are small, to help them overcome the difficulties of operating in this peripheral and rural part of the United Kingdom. The measures taken include financial support to business, provision of factories and assistance with business advice and training. In 1987–88, the board approved 1,063 offers of financial assistance with an associated value of £14·4 million. This generated private sector investment of some £42·3 million and created or safeguarded 2,700 jobs. For the period 1988–89, the board approved 1,220 offers of financial assistance with an associated value of £25·3 million. This generated private sector support of £44·4 million and created or safeguarded 3,300 jobs. In the period 1987–88, the HIDB completed 6,090 sq m of factory floor space. In this period some 2,920 jobs were housed in HIDB factories. In the period 1988–89, the HIDB completed 12,553 sq m of factory floor space. In this period, some 3,130 jobs were housed in HIDB factories.

  Local Enterprise Trusts

  Local enterprise trusts have proved to be an important catalyst in fostering the enterprise culture in Scotland. The Government have continued to demonstrate their recognition of the valuable role played by the trusts, and the SDA provided financial support of £1·04 million to the 40 enterprise trusts in 1987–88, the latest year for which figures are available—an increase of over 46 per cent. over the previous year. This has triggered a further £3·28 million from the other public and private sector partners. During 1987–88 trusts in Scotland had contact with 25,000 clients from which 3,800 small businesses were formed. Companies assisted by enterprise trusts created some 9,000 new jobs. The SDA bases its financial assistance on its appraisal of each trust's annual management plan which contains details of the previous year's projects and objectives for the oncoming year.

  Deregulation

  The Scottish Office has responded fully to the deregulation initiative. This participation has resulted in an improved awareness within SO Departments of the needs of business and has led to a more systematic approach to assessing the financial and other burdens imposed on business by regulation. Scotland was the first area in the United Kingdom to set up a pilot Government business shop which provides small businesses with a single access point for advice on dealing with Government regulations. It is hoped that, with the co-operation of other participating regulatory Departments, the Government business shop will be permanently established in Glasgow once the pilot period has ended.

  Public Purchasing

  Earlier this year, the SDA, assisted by IDS, held two seminars on MOD procurement. These events attracted over 400 Scottish companies and as a result over 70 companies participated in face-to-face discussions with

  653
  MOD procurement staff. SDA will be embarking on a further series of seminars dealing with public purchasing issues in the near future.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all private sector companies appointed as training agents or training managers in Scotland for employment training schemes.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 17 July 1989]: The information requested is set out in the list.

  Training Agents

  Central Training

  Employment Training Scotland Limited

  Greater Edinburgh Training Association (GETA)

  Highland Training and Development Limited

  Lanarkshire Training Agency

  QCG Enterprises Limited

  Support Training

  The Training Agency Limited

  Training Managers

  Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce

  Aberdeen Enterprise Trust

  ABTA National Training Board

  ADM Limited

  Addapt Limited

  Agricultural Training Board

  A & M Projects

  AMARC (Training Education and Safety) Limited

  Angus Training Group Limited

  Anne Rodger

  Balloch Trust Enterprises Limited

  Business and Employment Skills Training Limited

  Central Chamber of Commerce

  Comet Group PLC

  Community Industry

  Dumbarton District Training Association

  Dundee Enterprise Trust

  Dundee and Tayside Chamber of Commerce and Industry

  East Kilbride and District Group Training

  Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures

  Edinburgh and District Engineering Training Association (EDETA)

  Employment and Training Sponsors (Scotland) Limited

  Fate

  Galloway Training Organisation

  Garnock Workspace Limited

  Glasgow College Enterprise Limited

  Glasgow Training Group (Motor Trade) Limited

  Grand Metropolitan Community Services Trust

  GRTA Limited

  Hairdressing Training Associates

  Henry Boot Training Limited

  Highland Perthshire Development Company Limited

  Highland Training Limited

  Hotel and Catering Training Board

  JHP Training Limited

  John Laurence (Glasgow) Limited

  Industrial Training Service Limited

  Intec Inverclyde

  Lanarkshire Enterprise Training Consortium

  Lagta Limited Employment Training Unit

  Lloyds British Training Services Limited

  May-Tag Limited

  MDS (Management Services) Limited

  Metcon Training

  Microcom Training Limited

  Mid-Grampian Employment Training

  Midscot Training Services Limited

  MI Technologies Limited

  Moray Firth Group Training Association

  MTC Limited

  Ness Training Consultants

  Newstart

  Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Board (OPITB)

  Omega Training Limited

  654

  Oriel Training Services

  Phoenix Employment Training

  Plastics Processing Industrial Training Board

  Radix Training (Scotland) Limited

  RDL Professional Services Limited

  Reid Consultants Limited

  Road Transport Industry Training Board

  RRW Associates Limited

  Sight and Sound Education Limited

  Simpson and Dalgarno Partnership

  Skillchoice Training (Central) Limited

  Stakis Hotels and Inns Limited

  Stirling Heatsave

  Strathclyde Training Agency

  Suliven Limited

  Sumlock Calculating Services Limited

  Support Training

  Tayside Training Services Limited

  Tayside Road Transport Group Training Association Limited

  Tektra Managing Agency Limited

  Training and Development Edinburgh Limited

  Training Services (Ayrshire) Limited

  Westwood Training Services

  Whiteleys College

  Wimpey Group Services Limited

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for the years 1966, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1987 and the latest available full year(a) the total number of jobs by industrial category in Scotland (b) a breakdown of full-time and part-time employment in each year and (c) for each category including full-time and part-time jobs, the percentage increase or decrease between the last available full year and 1966.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: The information is not available in the precise form requested. Table 1 shows employment in 1966 and 1970 separately for men and women analysed by the 1968 standard industrial classification. There is no information available which separately identifies the number of women working part-time on this basis.

  Table 2 shows the number of male, female arid part-time female employees in employment at June 1971 and for each of the years requested up to June 1988, the latest year available, analysed by industrial division of the 1980 standard industrial classification.

  Table 3 shows the percentage increase or decrease in employment between June 1971, the earliest date for which estimates are available on the basis of the 1980 standard industrial classification and June 1988, the latest date for which employment estimates are available, consistent with the series shown.

  Estimates of the number of part-time male employees are not available for the years for which information has been requested.
  655

  Table 1

  Employees in employment at June: Scotland

  '000s

  Industry (standard industrial classification, 1968)

  1966

  1970

  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

  Male

  62

  50

  Female

  10

  9

  TOTAL

  73

  59

  Mining and Quarrying

  Male

  54

  38

  Female

  2

  1

  TOTAL

  56

  39

  Manufacturing Industries

  Male

  499

  488

  Female

  226

  221

  TOTAL

  726

  708

  Table 2

  Employees in employment, at June: Scotland

  Thousands

  Industry (1980 standard industrial classification)

  1971

  1974

  1975

  1976

  1977

  1978

  1979

  1 1983

  1 1987

  1 1988

  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing1 (Division 0)

  Male

  47

  43

  42

  41

  41

  41

  41

  31

  25

  24

  Female

  8

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  7

  5

  5

  4

  Part-time female

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  3

  2

  2

  2

  Total

  55

  50

  49

  49

  49

  48

  48

  37

  30

  28

  Energy and Water Supply (Division 1)

  Male

  64

  57

  56

  58

  58

  61

  64

  60

  38

  35

  Female

  6

  7

  7

  7

  7

  8

  8

  8

  7

  8

  Part-time female

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  1

  1

  Total

  71

  64

  63

  65

  66

  69

  72

  68

  46

  43

  Metal Manufacturing and Chemicals (Division 2)

  Male

  78

  75

  75

  70

  72

  70

  68

  46

  37

  36

  Female

  13

  13

  14

  13

  14

  15

  14

  9

  9

  10

  Part-time female

  2

  2

  2

  2

  3

  3

  3

  2

  1

  1

  Total

  92

  88

  88

  83

  86

  85

  82

  55

  46

  46

  Metal Goods, Engineering and Vehicles (Division 3)

  Male

  230

  232

  225

  214

  212

  212

  206

  159

  143

  142

  Female

  57

  64

  58

  53

  54

  51

  52

  36

  35

  36

  Part-time female

  5

  9

  8

  7

  8

  7

  6

  5

  6

  7

  Total

  287

  296

  283

  267

  266

  263

  258

  195

  178

  178

  Other Manufacturing (Division 4)

  Male

  157

  156

  144

  141

  142

  139

  140

  104

  90

  87

  Female

  141

  143

  130

  124

  128

  124

  125

  88

  84

  85

  Part-time female

  18

  23

  20

  19

  21

  20

  20

  15

  13

  11

  Total

  298

  299

  274

  265

  270

  263

  265

  193

  173

  172

  Construction (Division 5)

  Male

  140

  149

  152

  149

  142

  139

  143

  122

  128

  134

  Female

  8

  10

  10

  11

  11

  11

  11

  12

  11

  11

  Part-time female

  2

  3

  3

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  Total

  148

  159

  162

  160

  153

  150

  155

  134

  139

  145

  Distribution, Hotels and Catering; Repairs (Division 6)

  Male

  143

  146

  146

  147

  151

  154

  160

  157

  158

  163

  Female

  206

  221

  221

  222

  224

  222

  232

  214

  225

  235

  Part-time female

  80

  99

  106

  110

  111

  112

  120

  115

  129

  134

  Total

  349

  368

  367

  369

  374

  376

  392

  371

  384

  399

  Transport and Communication (Division 7)

  Male

  119

  113

  116

  112

  110

  112

  111

  98

  88

  86

  Female

  25

  25

  25

  25

  24

  24

  25

  21

  21

  22

  Part-time female

  4

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  5

  4

  4

  4

  Total

  144

  139

  141

  137

  134

  136

  135

  119

  109

  108

  656

  Industry (standard industrial classification, 1968)

  1966

  1970

  Construction

  Male

  177

  164

  Female

  10

  9

  TOTAL

  187

  173

  Gas, Electricity and Water

  Male

  31

  26

  Female

  4

  5

  TOTAL

  35

  31

  Service Industries

  Male

  519

  502

  Female

  525

  547

  TOTAL

  1,044

  1,049

  All Industries and Services

  Male

  1,342

  1,267

  Female

  777

  791

  TOTAL

  2,120

  2,058

  657

  Industry (1980 standard industrial classification)

  1971

  1974

  1975

  1976

  1977

  1978

  1979

  l 1983

  l 1987

  l 1988

  Banking, Insurance and Finance (Division 8)

  Male

  54

  58

  60

  59

  60

  61

  62

  69

  80

  83

  Female

  48

  53

  55

  56

  58

  56

  61

  71

  85

  90

  Part-time female

  8

  10

  11

  12

  12

  12

  13

  18

  20

  20

  Total

  102

  111

  114

  115

  118

  117

  123

  140

  165

  173

  Other Services (Division 9)

  Male

  184

  197

  205

  217

  209

  212

  211

  214

  223

  229

  Female

  274

  313

  331

  343

  346

  349

  362

  373

  400

  407

  Part-time female

  99

  126

  136

  142

  144

  146

  157

  170

  197

  198

  Total

  458

  510

  536

  560

  556

  561

  573

  587

  623

  636

  All Industries1 (Divisions 0–9)

  Male

  1,216

  1,227

  1,219

  1,210

  1,198

  1,200

  1,205

  1,060

  1,010

  1,020

  Female

  787

  857

  858

  861

  873

  867

  897

  839

  882

  908

  Part-time female

  224

  281

  294

  306

  312

  314

  332

  337

  378

  383

  Total

  2,003

  2,084

  2,076

  2,071

  2,071

  2,067

  2,102

  1,899

  1,892

  1,928

  lDue to a change of classification in September 1981 the figures for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing include non-principal tenant farmers prior to 1981 and exclude these from September 1981. In 1981 there were an estimated 6,000 non-principal tenant farmers in Scotland.

  Table 3

  Employees in Employment, at June: Scotland percentage change between 1971 and 1988

  Male

  Female

  Part-time Female

  Total

  0 Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1 Energy and Water Supply

  -45

  +20

  -28

  -39

  2 Metal Manufacturing and Chemicals

  -53

  -28

  -18

  -50

  3 Metal Goods, Engineering and Vehicles

  -38

  -36

  +33

  -38

  4 Other Manufacturing

  -45

  -39

  -37

  -42

  5 Construction

  -4

  +30

  +84

  -2

  6 Distribution, Hotels and Catering; Repairs

  +14

  +14

  +66

  +14

  7 Transport and Communication

  -27

  -14

  -1

  -25

  8 Banking, Insurance and Finance

  +53

  +88

  +148

  +69

  9 Other Services

  +24

  +49

  +99

  +39

  0–9 All Industries2

  -16

  +15

  +71

  -3

  1 Due to the change in classification from September 1981 which resulted in non-principal tenant farmers being treated as self-employed, it is not possible to calculate the percentage change in employment over this period for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing.

  2 The percentage change for All Industries between 1971 and 1988 has been estimated after deducting an estimated 6,000 male non-principal tenant farmers in 1971.

HEALTH

  NHS Reform
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what special allowance he has made in his plans for National Health Service reforms to ensure proper general practitioner services for small town hospitals.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  On 4 May I agreed with the GMSC negotiators that where GPs were providing a necessary service in the public sector, such as being a clinical assistant in a small hospital, they would be required by their terms of service to be available to their practice's patients on a minimum of four, rather than five days a week. This will ensure sufficient flexibility to allow GPs to continue their contracts with local hospitals.

  Mr. David Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients", will affect general practitioners' freedom to refer patients for treatment.

  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how general practitioners' ability to refer patients for treatment will be affected by the proposed reform of the National Health Service.
  658
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  When district health authorities place contracts, they will be expected to give effect to the referral patterns which local GPs want. They will need to consult closely with their GPs, therefore, in order to agree a range of contracts which make best use of their resources to secure the best services for their residents. As a result, local GPs will be much more closely involved in planning health care for their patients than at present. GPs will also have their freedom to refer increased, because for the first time they will be able to refer patients for NHS treatment in private hospitals. DHAs will be much better placed to take advantage of GPs' knowledge of their patients' needs.

  GP practice budget holders will of course have their freedom to refer increased because they will be able to negotiate their own preferred pattern of referral with hospitals and units using the taxpayers money at their disposal.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the implementation of the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Mellor
  We are pleased to be able to say that good progress is being made on the implementation of our proposals for the Health Service. Consultation is taking place with a great many interested parties, including those
  659
  representing medical opinion, and we are working with NHS managers to ensure smooth implementation. Progress includes:
  receipt of 178 expressions of interest in self-governance from hospitals and other NHS services;
  publication of an initial guide on self-governing hospitals which has provided much more information about how self governing hospitals will operate;
  the establishment of the new NHS management executive and the NHS policy board;
  a major initiative to improve the quality of service is now under way;
  publication of a further working paper on the capital charging system;
  the first 56 hospitals are now in the process of installing new information systems;
  shortlisting for 90 FPC general manager posts is virtually complete and a number of appointments have already been made.
  medical audit systems are being developed at a cost of £2 million this year; and
  bids for the 100 extra consultant posts promised in the White Paper are due at the end of July.

  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how education and training will be affected by the proposals in the White Paper, "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications of the White Paper, "Working for Patients", for education and training.

  Mr. Mellor
  Since the White Paper "Working for Patients" was published, a number of working papers have been issued and these contain some further detail about training and education. The working paper, "Self-Governing Hospitals—An Initial Guide", advises that a consultation paper on training and education will be issued shortly, which will deal fully with these important issues.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received directly from members of the public about the reforms of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have received more than 5,000 representations directly from members of the public in respect of our proposals for the Health Service.

  Nurses
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of nurses in the National Health Service at present; and what it was in 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  Provisional figures show that at 30 September 1988 there were 404,000 whole-time equivalent nursing and midwifery staff (including agency staff) in the National Health Service in England. The comparable figure for September 1979 is 358,000 whole-time equivalents.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of appeals by nurses with regard to regradings.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of appeals by nurses with regard to regradings.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of appeals by nurses with regard to regradings.
  660
  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Members to my reply to the hon. Member for Dundee, West (Mr. Ross) earlier today.

  General Practitioners (Contract)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received about the new contract for general practitioners.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a further statement on the proposed contract for general practitioners.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I met Mr. Michael Wilson and his negotiating team from the General Medical Services Committee yesterday.

  The Government are proceeding with the preparation of the necessary amendments to regulations and to the GPs' statement of fees and allowances. Subject to Parliament's approval, the reforms to the GPs' contract will be introduced on 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will next be meeting the chairman of the British Medical Association to discuss progress on negotiations over the general practitioners' contract.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will next be meeting the chairman of the British Medical Association to discuss progress on negotiations over the general practitioners' contract.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will next be meeting the chairman of the British Medical Association to discuss progress on negotiations over the general practitioners' contract.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will next be meeting the chairman of the British Medical Association to discuss progress on negotiations over the general practitioners' contract.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have no plans at present to meet the chairman of the British Medical Association on this subject, but I met the chairman of the General Medical Services Committee and his negotiating team on 24 July.

  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the new general practitioners' contract will affect health promotion clinics and regular check-ups.

  Mr. Mellor
  The new contract will for the first time introduce a fee for GPs providing health promotion clinics. It will also require GPs to offer health check-ups to patients newly registering with them, and patients who have not seen their GP for three years.

  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the new general practitioners' contract will affect the performance of minor surgery by general practitioners.

  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent general practitioners will be able to carry out minor surgery under the terms of the new general practitioners' contract.

  Mr. Mellor
  The new contract will for the first time introduce a fee for suitably qualified GPs who provide
  661
  minor surgery services to patients. This will encourage the provision of minor surgery by GPs and relieve the pressure on out-patient departments.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications in the new general practitioners' contract for the assessment of the health care of young children.

  Mr. Mellor
  The new contract will for the first time introduce a fee for GPs who provide child health surveillance services to children on their lists, according to programmes agreed by the district health authority. There will also be new incentives to encourage GPs to help achieve high levels of coverage for childhood immunisations. District health authorities will continue to be responsible for monitoring health care services for young children, and GPs will be required to keep them fully informed of the services they provide. DHAs will work in close co-operation with family practitioner committees.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications of the new general practitioners' contract for immunisation and screening policies.

  Mr. Mellor
  By introducing new payments linked to the achievement of specified levels of coverage for childhood immunisation and cervical cytology, the new contract will offer GPs a powerful incentive to help raise coverage among their patients.

  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how health care in deprived areas will be affected by the new general practitioners' contract.

  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the implications of the new general practitioners' contract for services in deprived areas.

  Mr. Mellor
  The new contract will help improve services in deprived areas. Changes to their remuneration system will encourage GPs to practise in areas of deprivation by recognising the special circumstances involved. In future family practitioner committees will be able to target funds for premises improvements and practice team expansion to improve services in these areas. The greater emphasis in the new contract on preventive care will mean that patients in deprived areas will benefit as GPs seek to improve the levels of protection against childhood diseases and cancer of the cervix.

  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications of the new general practitioners' contract for health care for elderly patients.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the new general practitioners' contract will affect health care for elderly patients.

  Mr. Mellor
  The new contract will lead to improved services to elderly people. As a result of changes to their terms of service and remuneration system GPs will have a powerful incentive to strive to provide them with the best possible care. There will be a significantly increased capitation free for patients over the age of 75, and in return for this GPs will he expected to offer annually a thorough health assessment, including a home visit if the patient wishes.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the new general practitioners' contract will affect preventive health care.
  662
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of how the new general practitioners' contract will affect preventive health care.

  Mr. Mellor
  The new contract forms an important part of our policy of encouraging health promotion and the prevention of ill-health. General practitioners' terms of service will make clear their role in these areas, and there will be new payments encouraging the provision of health promotion clinics, check-ups for newly registered patients and the achievement of high levels of coverage for cervical cancer screening and childhood immunisations.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the implications of the new general practitioners' contract for night visits by doctors.

  Mr. Mellor
  The hours during which a night visit fee may be claimed will be extended and a higher fee introduced for GPs who make their own visits or who arrange visits in a small rota of no more than 10 doctors. This will reward those doctors who ensure continuity of care to their patients during out-of-hours periods.

  Hospices
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was provided by the Government in 1988–89 in grant to Help the Hospices.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Department made a grant of £400,000 on 9 March 1989 to Help the Hospices for distribution to local projects in short-term financial difficulty.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost and nature of the support given by his Department to the hospice movement.

  Mr. Mellor
  During 1988–89 the Government made an additional £1·3 million available to health authorities to distribute as a contribution to the costs incurred by voluntary hospices due to the nurses' pay award. It also made a grant of £400,000 to Help the Hospices for distribution to local projects in short-term financial difficulty. In addition, the Government provided separate funding for the AIDS hospices at the Mildmay hospital and London Lighthouse, £256,000 and £208,000 respectively. The bulk of NHS support for hospices comes from local health authorities, which are best placed to judge how the contribution of voluntary bodies can be integrated with the other services for which they are responsible.

  Smoking
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received about smoking.

  Mr. Freeman
  I receive a number of representations on this important subject, from a range of interested bodies.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the results of the 1988 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys survey of teenage smoking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The results of this survey were published yesterday in an Office of Population Censuses and Surveys report entitled "Smoking among secondary school children in England in 1988" [ISBN 0 11 691267 7]. Copies have been placed in the Library.
  663
  The results of the survey show that the decline in teenage smoking revealed by the 1986 survey has been confirmed, and there is evidence of a further decline in 1988. The prevalence of regular smoking among teenagers aged 11–15 is estimated at 7 per cent. for boys and 9 per cent. for girls. This is well below the level of 13 per cent. for both boys and girls seen in 1984. The results of this survey will be of great value in helping to determine the precise strategy to be used in the new teenage smoking campaign announced by the Prime Minister in January. This should encourage health workers, teachers and parents to continue their worthwhile efforts to persuade young people not to take up this dangerous habit.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on monitoring of the take-up of eye tests.

  Mr. Allen Adams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on monitoring of the take up of eye tests.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on monitoring of the take-up of eye tests.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the monitoring of the take-up of eye tests.

  Mr. Mellor
  We intend to carry out a survey into the number of private sight tests later this year when the market has had time to become more stable.

  NHS (Scientists)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what urgent measures he is taking in order to solve the problems of recruitment and retention of scientists in the National Health Service.

  Mr. Mellor
  We understand that the management side of the Scientific and Professional Staffs Council has set up a working party to investigate the recruitment and retention of scientists in the NHS and is currently considering its findings.

  Hospital Doctors
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on initiatives to reduce junior hospital doctors' hours.

  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on initiatives to reduce the hours worked by junior hospital doctors.

  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to reduce the hours worked by junior hospital doctors.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Government are committed to reducing further the onerous hours of some junior hospital doctors. There are two current initiatives. That launched in June 1988 aims to minimise the number of doctors with average weekly hours of duty in excess of 84. Interim reports from health authorities in January showed 664
  progress had been made but more needed to be done. The second initiative was launched earlier this month and involves studies to see whether the Government's long-term aim of 72 hours duty a week can be achieved within existing constraints. Final reports on both initiatives are due in October.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of hospital doctors in the National Health Service now; and what it was in 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information is in the table:

  Figures, for England only, as at 30 September

  1979

  1987

  Hospital medical staff

  41,736

  46,394

  No-fault Compensation
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy on the introduction of a no-fault compensation system for high-risk medical practitioners.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Department has no plans to introduce any kind of no-fault compensation scheme for medical practitioners. We consider that the basis for seeking compensation for injuries alleged to have been suffered as a result of medical negligence should continue to be through litigation in the courts.

  British Medical Association
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the British Medical Association; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement on his latest discussions with the British Medical Association regarding the White Paper, "Working for Patients."

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I last met the British Medical Association on 15 June when we talked about the Government's proposals for the Health Service. Although the BMA expressed opposition to some of the proposals, they continued to support a number of our planned reforms including medical audit, the principle of money following the patient, the extension of resource management and the greater involvement of doctors in management. Both sides expressed their unconditional support to the underlying principles of the Health Service.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he is now able to give an assessment of the current relations between his Department and the doctors within the British Medical Association membership.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Although I very much regret the hostile and unconstructive stance that the BMA as an association has taken towards our plans for the Health Service, I know that there is strong support for the principles on which our reforms for the Health Service are based and for many of our individual proposals among doctors in the hospital service and in general practice.

  Hospitals (Self-governing Status)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how public opinion is to be tested in Bradford over proposals for local hospitals to become self-governing trusts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he is issuing to health authority on arrangements for public consultation where groups have expressed an interest in pursuing the opting out of individual hospitals.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that my right hon. and learned Friend gave to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) earlier today.

  Hospital Patients (Discharge)
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that health authorities adopt the hospital discharge practices outlined in circular HC (89)5, "Discharge of Patients from Hospital".

  Mr. Freeman
  Circular HC(89)5 states that, in the light of the guidance held in the circular, district and special health authorities should report on action taken to their regional health authority or, in the case of special health authorities, to the Department by 31 March 1990.

  Hospitals (West Midlands)
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has had any discussions with Sir James Ackers about his plans to redevelop the hospital system in the west midlands.

  Mr Mellor
  Yes, recent discussions have covered hospital services in Birmingham, for which the region has made proposals for reorganisation which are currently the subject of preliminary local consultation.

  Wheelchairs (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of wheelchairs by the Leicestershire health authority.

  Mr. Mellor
  Provision of wheelchairs is a matter for the district health authority concerned and the hon. Member may care to contact the chairman of Leicestershire health authority for the information that he seeks.

  Midwives (Grading)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of settlements in the midwives' regrading dispute; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not collect this information centrally.

  Doctors (Northern Region)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met doctors in the northern region; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I was in Newcastle on 3 and 4 July for meetings to discuss the NHS White Paper "Working for Patients" and I met doctors on both occasions.

  Patients (Bury)
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are being treated per year in the Bury district health authority; and how many were treated in 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Patients treated, NHS hospitals, Bury district health authority, 1979 and 1987–88

  1979

  1987–88

  Percentage increase

  In-patient cases treated

  17,768

  23,130

  30·2

  Day cases

  1,621

  2,421

  49·4

  New out-patients

  22,474

  24,589

  9·4

  Total out-patient attendances

  99,889

  109,596

  9·7

  Source: Returns: SH3 (1979 data), SH3a, KH09 and KH18.

  General Practitioners (Lists)
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State far Health what is the latest figure he has as to the average size of a general practitioner's list.

  Mr. Mellor
  The average list size in England for unrestricted principals at 1 October 1987 was 2,020, at 1 October 1978 it was 2,312. The provisional figure for 1 October 1988 is 1,999.

  Performance Indicators
  Mr. Neale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Heali.h what conclusions he draws from work on analysing performance indicators.

  Mr. Mellor
  The booklet "Comparing Health Authorities" published by the Department in April 1988, copies of which are in the Library, gave examples of some of the conclusions drawn from work on analysing performance indicators. These include:Cost per case for acute in-patient care: Even when standardised for specialty mix and the costs of teaching hospitals and London, this Indicator in 1986–87 showed that costs in some districts are more than 15 per cent. higher or lower than might be expected.
  Length of stay: The Indicator for average length of stay in general surgery in 1986–87, standardised for age, sex and clinical condition, showed figures in some district s over 40 per cent. more than the national figure and in others more than 30 per cent. less. There are similar variations for other specialties.
  Throughput: Throughput for general surgery in 1986–87 standardised for age, sex and diagnosis was in some districts over 40 per cent. higher than the national average and in others over 30 per cent. lower than the national average. There are similar variations in other specialties.

  These show marked scope for improvements in performance by significant parts of the service.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on establishing performance indicators.

  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in establishing performance indicators.

  Mr. Mellor
  Sets of performance indicators have now been published by the Department for 1983–84, 1984–85. 1985–86 and 1986–87. Indicators have been increasingly
  667
  important in review cycles establishing a key role in addressing variations in performance. Last year districts were asked to carry out an analysis of the four-year trend in their indicators and to report to their authority members. This underlined the role of indicators in the monitoring and management of services at the local level. Research completed in 1987 showed widespread acceptance and use of the indicators by all levels of Health Service management.

  General Practitioners (Pay)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the level of general practitioners' remuneration now; and what it was in 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  The intended average net remuneration for general practitioners in 1989–90 is £31,105. For 1979–80 it was £12,830. These figures exclude GPs' reimburseable practice expenses.

  Meat Tenderisers
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans any new studies on the effects on human health of eating meat treated with tenderisers.

  Mr. Freeman
  No new Government-funded studies on the effects on human health of eating meat treated with tenderisers are planned. I am not aware of any other studies in progress elsewhere.

  Abortion
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to revise the financial regulation on private abortion clinics and their referring agencies.

  Mr. Freemman
  No.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many conceptions in 1986, 1987 and 1988(a) led to maternities, (b) were terminated under the terms of the Abortion Act 1967 among residents of England and Wales aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 years, 22 to 24 years, 25 to 29 years, 30 to 34 years, 35 to 39 years and 40 years and over; and what percentage (a) represents of (b).

  Mr. Freeman
  Some conceptions occurring in 1988 would lead to maternities in 1989 and this information is not yet available. Data for 1986 and provisional data for 1987 are as follows. All pregnancies of women usually resident in England and Wales which led to a maternity or termination by abortion under the 1967 Act are included (and those which led to a spontaneous abortion are excluded).

  Number of conceptions

  Age of woman at conception

  Leading to maternities

  Terminated by abortion1

  Maternities per 100 abortions

  1986

  All ages

  671,259

  147,658

  455

  Under 11

  2

  0

  70

  11

  1

  0

  12

  10

  14

  13

  107

  158

  14

  809

  1,171

  69

  15

  3,293

  3,629

  91

  668

  Number of conceptions

  Age of woman at conception

  Leading to maternities

  Terminated by abortion1

  Maternities per 100 abortions

  16

  8,933

  6,492

  138

  17

  16,101

  8,675

  186

  18

  22,456

  9,721

  231

  19

  27,419

  9,786

  280

  20

  32,348

  10,028

  323

  21

  37,767

  9,882

  382

  22–24

  138,241

  24,865

  556

  25–29

  225,557

  28,242

  799

  30–34

  115,352

  17,672

  653

  35–39

  37,503

  12,763

  294

  40 and over

  5,360

  4,560

  118

  1987

  All ages

  689,452

  160,948

  428

  Under 11

  1

  1

  72

  11

  2

  2

  12

  16

  13

  13

  126

  185

  14

  736

  1,163

  63

  15

  3,304

  3,586

  92

  16

  9,415

  7,097

  133

  17

  15,915

  8,894

  179

  18

  23,114

  10,534

  219

  19

  27,911

  11,137

  251

  20

  32,808

  10,904

  301

  21

  38,046

  10,778

  353

  22–24

  140,590

  28,750

  489

  25–29

  233,178

  31,468

  741

  30–34

  120,131

  18,910

  635

  35–39

  38,186

  12,601

  303

  40 and over

  5,973

  4,925

  121

  1 Legal terminations under 1967 Abortion Act.

  Note: 1987 data are provisional.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what form recent representations on the proposals regarding prescriptions in the National Health Service White Paper have taken.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have received a large number of representations in respect of the NHS White Paper plans for indicative drug budgets. These have come from a wide range of members of the community including GPs, community health councils, pharmaceutical companies, bodies representing patients suffering from chronic illness and members of the public. In response we have been able to provide unequivocal reassurances that indicative drug budgets will enable patients to receive all the drugs they require, that there will be no disincentive to GPs to accept patients requiring expensive courses of drug treatment and that there will be no change to the range or quality of appliances available to patients nor to the existing arrangements for certain categories of patients to receive free prescriptions.

  Waiting lists
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are currently on hospital waiting lists; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The latest available figures are for 30"Hospital In-patient Waiting Lists—England", a copy of which is in the Library.
  669
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the percentage reduction in the number of patients waiting longer than 12 months for an operation in the South Birmingham health authority area in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Mellor
  Between September 1987 and September 1988 there was a 48 per cent. reduction in the number of patients waiting more than a year for treatment in the surgical specialties in the South Birmingham health authority.

  Mental Patients
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about his Department's plans for provision of help to mental hospital patients.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health made to the House on community care on 12 July 1989, and to the written answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad) on 13 July at columns 620–25.

  NHS Staff (Information Skills)
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in training National Health Service staff in information skills.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are for training National Health Service staff in information skills.

  Mr. Mellor
  On 28 June the NHS management executive and the NHS training authority launched a strategy for training Health Service staff in information management and technology. As part of this launch, we announced a programme of 20 centrally funded projects worth £4½ million to develop training courses and material in support of health authorities' implementation of the strategy.

  The importance of training cannot be overemphasised. The NHS is becoming increasingly dependent upon accurate and timely information for the effective and efficient management of health services, both in the acute sector and in the community. This will inevitably mean larger numbers of more powerful computer-based information systems. The people who design and run the systems, those who put the data in and those who interpret and use the information they provide must all be trained if they are to do their jobs properly. The strategy will provide a very useful framework within which Health Authorities can make the arrangements that best suit their local needs.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners were under contract to the National Health Service in 1979; how much this cost; and what were the comparable figures in 1988.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of general practitioners now; and what it was in 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  The figures are as follows:
  670

  Year on 31 October

  1979

  1987

  1 1988

  Number of unrestricted principals2

  21,357

  24,992

  25,322

  Cost of general medical services3 (£ million)

  468

  125

  1,402

  1Provisional.

  2Doctors in contract with FPCs in England to provide unrestricted services.

  3Cost of the general medical services in England, excluding the cost of drugs and appliances prescribed by GPs and the administrative costs, for years 1979–80, 1987–88 and (provisional) 1988–89

  Centre for Applied Microbiological Research
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to review the future of the centre for applied microbiological research.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 19 July at columns 202–3.

  Cook-chill Meals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to monitor the effects of nutrient depletion on long-stay hospital patients whose diet comprises cook-chill meals.

  Mr. Freeman
  An expert group which recently reviewed the cook-chill guidelines concluded that, provided the guidelines are followed, food produced by the cook-chill method is as nutritious as food produced by conventional catering. Regional and district health authorities are responsible for monitoring hospital catering services.

  Child Care
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the implications of the Children Bill[Lords] for child care.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Bill has been generally welcomed. Many detailed points have been considered during the Bill's progress in Parliament.

  Consultants
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital doctors are currently qualified to become consultants.

  Mr. Mellor
  Appointment to consultant posts is made on the advice of advisory appointments committees. Appointments are normally made from the senior registrar grade. In 1987 there were 3,215 senior registrars in the hospital service in England, of whom 500 had been in the grade for four years or more.

  Ancillary Services
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of the Health Service trade unions to discuss the privatisation of ancillary services.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government's policy is for NHS ancillary services to be subject to competitive tendering—not privatisation. Competitive tendering was among a
  671
  number of topics discussed when my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State met the TUC health services committee on 1 March 1989.

  Trent RHA (Resources)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he is satisfied that the resources available to the Trent regional health authority are sufficient to meet the needs of areas like that served by the Rotherham health authority.

  Mr. Freeman
  This year Trent regional health authority received a real terms increase in funding of 2·9 per cent.—higher than the national average increase of 2·7 per cent. The region subsequently received additional moneys to help meet the cost of the review body awards (£9·6 million) and NHS review implementation (£2·5 million). Allocation of funds to individual district health authorities is a matter for the regional health authority.

  Phoenix House Trust
  Mr. Michael Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public funds have been given to the Phoenix House Trust in each of the years from 1986–88.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provision and funding of direct client services for drug misusers is the responsibility of the local statutory authorities and the Government have also provided them with special earmarked funds for drug services. However, under the central funding initiative set up by the Department in 1983 to pump-prime community-based services for drug misusers, Phoenix House received grants totalling over £1·1 million. Each grant was for a period of three years. In each of the years referred to by the hon. Member Phoenix House received the following amounts in support of its local residential rehabilitation facilities:—

  £

  1985–86

  135,055

  1986–87

  404,276

  1987–88

  309,234

  1988–89

  59,000

  I understand that Phoenix House has also received support from Home Office funds.

  Artificial Limbs
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cash limit for the disablement services centre for 1989–90; what number of artificial limbs this was estimated to cover; how many have been produced since the beginning of the financial year to the latest available date; what contingency plans exist for continued production in the event of demand for these limbs outstripping expected quotas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The cash limit for the Disablement Services Authority for 1989–90 is £94·231 million. The authority is required to keep its total spending, of which expenditure on artificial limbs is a part, within this figure. Questions about the detail of its spending should be addressed to the authority.

  Single European Act
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his assessment of the implications of the Single European Act in 1992 on the health care provided in Britain.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Single European Act (SEA) commits the European Community to the aim of progressively establishing a single market by the end of 1992. The provision of heal th care is not directly affected by the SEA and remains a domestic matter. There are however a number of proposals concerned with the free movement of goods, services and people throughout the Community, which may have an indirect effect on health. The main areas affected by European Community legislation and legislative processes are pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, tobacco products and the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

  Cyclotron Machines
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has requested an evaluation of the performance of the cyclotron machine at Clatterbridge hospital, the Wirral; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The treatment provided by this facility is being evaluated by the Medical Research Council, which will keep the Department informed of progress as appropriate.

  Toxocariasis
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the number of people in England and Wales infected by dog-related toxocariasis; and how serious he estimates the threat of this disease to be to human beings.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provisional number of laboratory reports in 1988 from England, Wales and (all) Ireland to the Public Health Laboratory Service's communicable disease surveillance centre is 54. The seriousness of toxocariasis varies from mild pulmonary symptoms and fever to permanent loss of vision.

  Erith Hospital
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning Erith hospital.

  Mr. Freeman
  Since the previous reply to my hon. Friend on 3 November 1988 at column 753, one letter has been received from him, two from another hon. Member, and one from a member of the public.

  Community Services (Mentally Handicapped)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines his Department has given to regional and district health authorities about risk-taking policies becoming part of the format for developing community services for people with a mental handicap.

  Mr. Freeman
  None. However, in respect of general provision for those with a mental handicap, "Needs and Responses" published in June 1989 draws attention to the need for all agencies participating in the provision of care for those with special needs to have jointly agreed guidelines on risk taking. A copy is in the Library.

  Radiotherapy (Delays)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many National Health Service patients have been identified to have died because of delays in receiving radiotherapy doses due to(a) shortages of hospital physicists and (b) other causes.

  Mr. Freeman
  I am not aware of evidence of deaths attributable to these causes. If the hon. Member has a particular cause for concern, perhaps he will write to me.

  Hospital Physicists
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital physicists there are; what are their pay scales; and what duties they perform.

  Mr. Mellor
  At 30 September 1987 there were 790 (whole-time equivalents) physicists employed in the NHS in England; the role of the medical physicist is very varied and the specific duties will depend on an individual's contract with his/her employing authority; the salary scales are as follows:

  Pay scales as at 1 April 1988

  1988–89

  £

  Probationer—lower qualification

  7,378

  7,949

  8,255

  8,548

  8,866

  9,158

  9,452

  9,770

  Probationer—higher qualification

  8,255

  8,548

  8,866

  9,158

  9,452

  9,770

  10,063

  10,369

  Basic

  8,548

  8,866

  9,158

  9,452

  9,770

  10,063

  10,568

  11,073

  Senior

  11,778

  12,163

  12,814

  13,440

  14,091

  14,742

  15,394

  Principal

  15,180

  15,899

  16,630

  17,347

  18,078

  18,810

  19,527

  20,258

  674

  1988–89

  £

  20,989

  Top grade

  21,136

  21,893

  23,090

  24,193

  25,297

  Top grade—with greater responsibility

  23,914

  24,672

  25,869

  26,971

  28,088

  Negotiations on a pay increase from 1 April 1989 are still continuing and an interim offer of 5 per cent. has been made.

  Medicines Commission
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the annual report of the Medicines Commission for 1988.

  Mr. Mellor
  I have received the report and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of section 5(2) of the Medicines Act 1968.

  Bound volumes will shortly be placed in the Libraries containing the 1988 reports of the Medicines Commission, the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Veterinary Products Committee, the British Pharmacopoeia Commission, the Commitee on the Review of Medicines and the Committee on Dental and Surgical Materials. The bound volumes include a record of the personal and non-personal interests in the pharmaceutical industry of members of these advisory bodies, with the exception of the Veterinary Products Committee for whom only personal interests are recorded.

  I am glad to pay tribute to the valuable work done in the public interest by the distinguished members of the Medicines Act advisory bodies.

  Care in the Community
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration has been given to the provision of housing alterations and adaptations for elderly and mentally disabled people being discharged into the community from long-stay hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Elderly and mentally disabled people are eligible for assistance for house alterations under the provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, and are also eligible for help under the home improvement grant schemes run by local authorities. We would expect health authorities and local authorities to liaise as necessary over any adaptation needed for an eligible patient who is to be discharged.

  Resource Management Initiative
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish his Department's evaluation or the resource management initiative in hospitals.
  675
  Mr. Freeman
  The Department intends to evaluate the resource management initiative in October 1989.

  Health Service Commissioner
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the annual report of the Health Service Commissioner for 1988–89.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Health Service Commissioner has, as in previous years, made a report on the performance of his functions in England, Scotland and Wales. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales presented the report to the House on Thursday 13 July. It was published on 13 July (House of Commons Paper No. 457) and copies are available from the Vote Office.

  Midwives
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what percentage the number of midwives working in the National Health Service has increased over the last 10 years; and by what percentage midwives' pay rates have increased since last year.

  Mr. Mellor
  There has been a 28 per cent. increase in the number of midwives working in the NHS in England in the 10 years up to September 1987. Midwives' pay rates have increased on average by over 28 per cent. since March last year.

  Foetal Material (Research)
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he is now in a position to publish the report of the committee set up last year to review the report of the advisory group on the use of foetal material and foetuses for research; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Together with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales I am arranging for the report of the committee to review the guidance on the use of foetal material and foetuses for research (Cm. 762) to be published today. A copy has been placed in the Library. We are most grateful to the Rev. Dr. John Polkinghorne, FRS and his committee for producing their report on this complex and sensitive matter in just over a year.

  The Government accept the Committee's main recommendations which are that:
  The use in research of foetuses showing signs of life is no longer in general to be permitted (the Peel code permitted this in certain circumstances);
  The mother's consent to the use of foetal tissue for research of therapy is required;
  The mother's consent for such purposes should not be sought until she has given her consent to the termination of pregnancy. She should not be informed of the specific use which may be made of foetal tissue, lest this may influence her decision to have her pregnancy terminated;
  The Government should begin negotiations with the Medical Research Council and relevant professional bodies with a view to setting up an intermediary body which would receive tissue for research or therapy from centres willing to provide it. Those wishing to undertake research or therapy involving foetal tissue would obtain it from this intermediary. The committee's recommendation is founded on the principle of keeping the practice of abortion separate from the use to which any tissue might be put.
  676
  The principal change proposed by the committee is a substantial revision of the guidance on the use of foetuses for research in the Peel report published in 1972 in the light of subsequent developments including the use of foetal tissue in transplants involving patients suffering from Parkinson's disease. Letters are being sent to all health authorities in Great Britain commending the use of the revised code in the NHS and to all proprietors of private sector facilities approved under section 2 of the Abortion Act 1967.

  The Government will actively pursue the other recommendations in the report and in particular will shortly begin discussions with the Medical Research Council and the relevant professional bodies with a view to setting up the intermediary body which the committee recommends should become the sole agency in this country from which those wishing to carry out research or treatment involving the use of foetal tissue should obtain it. The committee recommended that its report should be kept under regular review with the professional bodies concerned. I will arrange for this to be done on a five-yearly basis.

  Special Hospitals Service Authority
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Coombs) on 3 July,Official Report, column 48, he is now able to provide details of the membership of the new Special Hospitals Service Authority.

  Mr. Freeman
  With the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, we have decided that the authority's membership should reflect the Government's proposals for health authority membership in the White Paper, "Working for Patients". Accordingly, there will be five non-executive members, including the chairman, and four executive members—the chief executive, medical and nursing advisers and a finance director.

  I am pleased to announce that Dr. Donald Dick, a consultant psychiatrist, a vice-president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and former director of the Health Advisory Service, and Mr. James Collier, a business consultant and former deputy secretary in my Department, have accepted my invitation to serve as members of the authority. The names of the two remaining non-executive members will be announced shortly, following further consultation with my right hon. Friend.

  The executive members are to be appointed following open competition for the posts in question. The first of these appointments has now been made: Mr. Charles Kaye, currently district general manager, Basingstoke and North Hampshire health authority, will be joining the authority as its chief executive. Arrangements for the selection of the authority's other senior managers have been put in hand, and the outcome will be announced in due course.

  I am also pleased to announce that, as a result of a selection process based on open competition, Dr. Diana Dickens has been appointed general manager, Rampton hospital and Mr. Alan Franey, general manager at Broadmoor hospital. The selection process for the appointment of general manager, Moss Side and Park Lane hospitals, is continuing and, until its completion, interim arrangements are being made for management of those hospitals.

  Infectious Disease Reporting
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the operation of the system of infectious disease reporting set up under the Local Government Act 1974.

  Mr. Freeman
  The statutory basis for the system of infectious disease reporting in England and Wales is now contained in the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984 and the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988.

  Medical practitioners are required to notify cases of certain infectious disease to local authority proper officers who are required to pass data on to other bodies including district health authorities and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. Serious outbreaks of disease and individual cases of particular diseases must also be reported to the chief medical officer. In practice surveillance of infectious disease in the population draws upon various sources of data apart from these notifications, for example school sickness records, general practitioner reports, laboratory reports, hospital data, death registration and local surveys.

  We announced last July that we accepted the general principles advanced by the chief medical officer's report on "Public Health in England" and that we would be taking a number of steps to carry forward its recommendations. To this end the Department has set up a review of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. We will be issuing a consultation paper later this year.

DEFENCE

  Radiation
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent advice he has received from the National Radiological Protection Board with respect to recommendations for further studies on mortality and cancer incidents among British participants in United Kingdom atmospheric nuclear weapons tests and experimental programmes.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On 28 January 1988 the NRPB, in collaboration with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, published its epidemiological report on mortality and cancer incidence amongst British participants in the United Kingdom atmospheric nuclear weapons test programme. The report included data up to the first of January 1984. Since that time NRPB has continued to accumulate data on mortality and cancer incidence amongst both participants and the control group. The NRPB has now advised that, in order to provide a reliable assessment of the further accumulated data for the period 1 January 1984 to 1 January 1989, it will be necessary to conduct a full-scale validation and analysis exercise. Following this advice, we have decided to set in hand a further study as proposed by the NRPB and ICRF, which are the independent experts on these matters.

  On the advice of the NRPB and ICRF, the methodology will be the same as that adopted for the original study. They hope to be in a position to report on this further study by the end of 1991, though this timetable is subject to any unforeseen difficulties they may encounter in the validation and analysis of the data.
  678
  The NRPB's recommendation and the decision to proceed with this further study are not based on any new and worrying evidence, but rather on a wish to be able to give a definitive statement on whether the overall picture has changed as a result of the further five years follow-up. The MOD and other Government Departments and agencies will, to the extent that it is available, provide all the information sought by the NRPB and ICRF in support of this further study.

  EC (Defence Advisory Team)
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what briefing and assistance he is giving the defence advisory team set up by Mr. Delors, the European Commissioner.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We are not aware of the existence of such a team.

  Air-launched Missiles
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will outline options that are under consideration by the Government with regard to the procurement of an air-launched missile to replace the existing free-fall nuclear bombs.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Clackmannan (Mr. O'Neill) on 17 July at column 71.

  Warheads
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reduction in types of warhead and their numbers is envisaged by the statement made in paragraph 9 on page 12 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates, Cm. 675–1.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Any changes to the number of weapons mentioned in the Statement on the Defence Estimates will depend on modernisation decisions which have yet to be taken.

  HERO Unsafe Weapons
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons systems classified HERO unsafe in the possession of the United States armed forces are stored, transported or deployed in the United Kingdom or its territorial waters.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I understand that there are no such systems present in the United Kingdom or its territorial waters.

  EMR Emitters
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what account is taken of the locations of large EMR emitters such as radio, telephone and television transmitters, when the storage, transportation or deployment of weapons is involved.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My Department maintains a computer data base of all high intensity radio transmitting areas in the United Kingdom. This information is taken into account in all decisions involving the storage, transportation, or deployment of weapons.

  United States Forces (Payments)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the estimated total amounts of official payments by the United States forces in the United Kingdom to British firms and agencies other than central Government plus private expenditure by United States personnel in the United Kingdom, for each financial year since 1979–80; and if he will make a statement on trends in these figures in this period.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated expenditure by the United States forces on purchases made directly from the private sector, including personal expenditure, is as follows:

  £ million

  1979–80

  185

  1980–81

  213

  1981–82

  289

  1982–83

  317

  1983–84

  441

  1984–85

  422

  1985–86

  499

  1986–87

  557

  1987–88

  589

  1988–89

  564

  Defence Estimates
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will state the reasons for the increases in project cost and the extension of the period of peak expenditure for the type 23 frigates, set out in the major equipment projects tables in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989" and the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988";

  (2) what are the reasons for the increase in project cost for the GWS26 Mod 1 vertical launch Sea Wolf missile system, set out in the major equipment projects tables in the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989" and the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988".

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Statement on the Defence Estimates tables show the cost and peak expenditure periods of projects on order or in clear prospect at the time the information was compiled. The Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989 therefore takes into account a larger number of type 23 frigates and VLSW missile systems than that in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988.

  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the increase in expenditure between 1988–89 and 1989–90 in the category "Extramural research: Overseas", set out in table 3.3 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989" volume two.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The difference between the 1988–89 and 1989–90 Estimates in the overseas category of extramural research in table 3.3 of the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989, volume (Cm 675-II) arises principally from the payment through Defence Votes of the United Kingdom's contribution to the European trans-sonic wind tunnel (ETW) which has now entered the construction phase.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all alterations made to low flying avoidance areas and transit areas since August 1988, giving in each case the date of the alteration and the reason for the alteration.

  Mr. Neubert
  No. It is not our practice to publish detailed information on the United Kingdom low flying system. The system is, however, kept under continuous review and minor changes are made frequently, to improve the operation of the system and to take account of new developments.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the percentage increase in 1988 in the airspace over land in the United Kingdom which is available for military low flying.

  Mr. Neubert
  I regret that the information requested by the hon. Member is not available.

  Frigate Project
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the up-to-date progress of the NATO frigate project; and how much money his Department has spent on this so far.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The contract for project definition was signed in January and is expected to take two years to complete.

  The next milestone is a review of progress by all eight NATO nations during this autumn, when the United Kingdom will also consider the alignment between the programmes for the ship and its major weapons systems.

  My Department's expenditure to June 1989 amounts to approximately £4·5 million.

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received any recent representations about pilot or permanent workplace creches and similar incentives further to encourage the return to employment of women in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We are planning to establish in 1990 a nursery for the children of staff working in central London. We are also considering what might be done to provide child care in other locations throughout the United Kingdom.

  Other policies designed to encourage the return to employment of women working in the MOD are:
  More flexible working patterns at all levels (for example part-time work and job sharing).
  combining working in the home and in the office.
  the granting of up to 5 years maternity leave.
  "Keeping in Touch" schemes, involving periods of casual work, for staff on temporary absence from the Department.
  the use of unpaid leave to allow for care of children during school holidays.

  Aldermaston (Flooding)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent flooding of the atomic weapons research establishment at
  681
  Aldermaston; whether underground bunkers and the underground railway were flooded; and to what extent research programmes were interrupted or adversely affected.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Heavy local rainfall on 6 July 1989 caused minor flooding in some buildings at the atomic weapons establishment, Aldermaston. Research programmes were not significantly interrupted or adversely affected.

  Flight Simulators
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flight simulators are available to the Royal Air Force; when they entered service; and which aircraft they simulate.

  Mr. Neubert
  A total of 43 simulators are available to the RAF as follows:

  Aircraft type

  Numbers

  Entered service

  Air Combat

  1

  1986

  Buccaneer

  2

  pre-1975

  Chinook

  1

  Time hired on a commercial system

  Harrier GR3

  2

  pre-1975

  Harrier GR5

  1

  Time hired from Spanish airforce

  Hawk

  3

  1977

  Hawk

  2

  1978

  Hercules

  1

  1983

  Hercules

  1

  1984

  Hercules

  1

  1985

  Jaguar

  3

  pre-1975

  Jet Provost

  4

  pre-1975

  Jetstream

  1

  1977

  Nimrod

  3

  pre-1975

  Phantom

  3

  pre-1975

  Puma

  1

  Time hired on commercial simulator

  Tornado F3

  4

  1988

  Tornado GR1

  1

  1982

  Tornado GR1

  2

  1983

  Tornado GR1

  1

  1984

  Tornado GR1

  1

  1985

  Tristar—500

  1

  Time hired on commercial simulator

  VC10 C1

  1

  1987

  VC10 K1

  1

  1987

  Victor

  1

  pre-1975

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence(1) what of his policy towards the use of flight simulators by the aircrew of the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what studies his Department has carried out to determine the extent to which low flying training may be sustained by the use of flight simulators

  Mr. Neubert
  Simulation is an important element in training military pilots, particularly in procedures,682
  instrument flying and cockpit familiarisation. The extent to which low flying training might be substituted by the use of simulators is kept under review but simulators currently in service with the Royal Air Force do not reproduce the necessary environment with sufficient fidelity to provide an adequate substitute for low level tactical flying training.

  Armour Piercing Weapons
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for Defence what agreements his Department has entered into with the United States Government to develop jointly a hand-held armour piercing weapon; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. There has, however, been a discussion between officials on the possible benefits of a exchange of data.

  Laser Systems
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department intends to place orders for multiple integrated laser engagement systems for use by the Army; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We are looking into the requirement and suitable procurement arrangements for this type of training equipment for the British Army. We expect that the decision on whether to proceed will be made before the end of the year.

  Lodging Allowances
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each rank of serving officer in the armed forces between the rank equivalent to an army captain and a major-general, inclusive, the lodging etc. allowances payable to those having to rent accommodation in London while serving in the Ministry of Defence.

  Mr. Neubert
  Personnel for whom no public accommodation is available, and who are therefore required to rent accommodation, are paid lodging allowance as follows:

  £ per day

  Rank

  Rate A

  Rate B

  Rate C

  Captain or equivalent

  20·11

  14·33

  18·81

  Major and Lieutenant Colonel or equivalents

  22·54

  16·76

  21·24

  Colonel and above, or equivalents

  25·62

  19·84

  24·32

  Notes:

  1. A rates of lodging allowance are payable to personnel who would be eligible for free food and accommodation if they were occupying service single accommodation. As virtually all personnel are required to pay a food charge, rate A is mainly used as the basis for calculating rates B and C.

  2. B rates are payable to personnel who, if they were occupying public single accommodation, would be required to pay food and accommodation charges.

  3. C rates are payable to those married unaccompanied personnel who, if they were occupying public single accommodation, would be required to pay the married unaccompanied rate of food charge but would be eligible for free accommodation.

  Environmental Pollution
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the environmental effects of the production, use, storage and ultimate disposal of nuclear fuels for the United Kingdom's naval forces.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 13 July 1989]: The environmental effects of the production, use, storage and ultimate disposal of nuclear fuels for the United Kingdom's naval forces are negligible. Radioactive discharges to the environment that lie within United Kingdom jurisdiction, whether made by contractors associated with the programme or by the Royal Navy itself, comply with authorisations from, or agreements with, the Department of the Environment or the Scottish Development Department. These authorisations and agreements are set so that discharges within the limits they permit have no detrimental effect on any human beings. Radioactive discharges made by nuclear submarines on the high seas are governed by naval regulations that have the same effect.

  Joint Tactical Information Distribution
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what study he has made of the cost of providing joint tactical information distribution system terminals for(a) the Tornado air defence variant aircraft, (b) Invincible class aircraft carriers and (c) Type-42 destroyers.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer Monday 17 July 1989]: Studies of the cost of integrating JTIDS into the Tornado ADV have been undertaken and work is now proceeding concurrently with the full development phase of the JTIDS project.

  Project definition studies on the RN variant of JTIDS for the CVSA and type 42 classes are currently being undertaken in industry. Estimates of the costs of the system will be submitted upon completion of the PD phase.

ENVIRONMENT

  Housing Action Trust (Southwark)
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his policy on the eviction of squatters in the event of the proposed housing action trust being created on the Gloucester grove or North Peckham estates in Southwark;

  (2) whether there will be any limitations on the time the proposed housing action trust in Southwark could continue to exist.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 21 July 1989]: As I told the hon. Member in my replies to her on Thursday 20 July, one of the primary statutory objects of a housing action trust would be to secure the proper and effective management and use of the housing for which it was responsible. It would be for a trust to decide how to deal with problems of unlawful occupation of property by squatters.

  Craven Cottage Football Ground
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received from Hammersmith and Fulham council the compulsory purchase order and 684
  supporting evidence relating to Craven Cottage football ground; and when he intends to hold the inquiry to consider the council's compulsory purchase order.

  Mr. Chope
  The compulsory purchase order was received from Hammersmith and Fulham council on 30 May. An inquiry is being arranged.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he accepts the claims made by the Association for the Conservation of Energy about United Kingdom emissions of carbon dioxide; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Estimates of United Kingdom emissions of carbon dioxide since 1977 were published in the "Digest of Environmental Protection Statistics", No. 11, in February this year. They do not support the figures quoted by the Association for the Conservation of Energy (ACE). United Kingdom emissions were only 1 per cent. higher in 1987 compared with 1986. This is still 10 per cent. lower than in 1979. An initial estimate of the emissions for 1973 shows that they were about 14 per cent. higher than at present, not 20 per cent. lower as claimed.

  Local Polls
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what provisions permit local authorities to conduct local ballots, polls or referenda on issues of local concern; and under what conditions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are specific provisions for parish polls in England and Wales on questions arising at parish meetings, where 10 electors (or one third of the electors for the parish, if that is less) so demand.

  The provisions are in paragraphs 18, 21 and 22 of schedule 12 to the Local Government Act 1972 and the Parish Community Meetings (Polls) Rules 1987 (SI1987, No. 1).

  For other local authorities, there are no specific provisions.

  Debate (Information)
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on which date he drew to the attention of the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry the information which had been given to the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment by the hon. Members for Bexhill and Battle (Mr. Wardle) and for Eastbourne during a debate in the House on 26 May,Official Report, columns 1291 and 1292; and what further action has been taken.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I wrote to my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs at the Department of Trade and Industry on 7 June drawing his attention to the information provided by the hon. Members during the debate on 26 May. It is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who has responsibility for such matters, to decide what action to take on the basis of this information.

  Sewage Discharges
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report, those sewage treatment works in the North West water authority which have failed to meet their discharge consents during the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

  Mr. Howard
  In 1988 90 per cent. of sewage treatment works in the North West water authority area complied with the terms of their discharge consents. Those which did not are as follows:

  Adlington

  Appleby

  Ashley

  Ayside

  Barrow in Furness (Palace N)

  Beston

  Beetham

  Betley

  Bolton

  Brigham

  Chorley No.1

  Crooklands

  Delamere

  Dunkinfield

  Eaglesfield

  Failsworth

  Fazakcrley

  Gamblesby

  Glenridding

  Hesketh Bank

  High Leigh

  Hillhouse

  Horton-in-Ribblesdale

  Hyde

  Irlam

  Kendal

  Langwathby

  Nether Eover

  Ormskirk

  Pardshaw

  Prescot

  Ravenstonedale

  Rowrah Skelmersdale

  Strines

  Talkin

  Thornton Hough

  Utkinton (Quarry Bank)

  Wardle

  Weeton

  Wigan

  Winder gill

  Worsley

  The North West water authority has in hand a major capital expenditure programme designed to bring substandard sewage treatment works into compliance with their discharge consents by March 1992, wherever practicable.

  Emergency Work
  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he gives as to what constitutes emergency work under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.

  Mr. Gummer
  There are no provisions relating to emergency work in the 1980 Act.

  Polluters
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date members of the public were given the right to prosecute polluters.
  686
  Mr. Howard
  Members of the public were given the right to prosecute polluters of rivers by sections 31 and 32 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, which were brought into force by the present Government on 31 January 1985. This right is contained in the Water Act 1989.

  Unoccupied Property Rating
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all types of hereditament which will be exempt from unoccupied property rating after 1 April 1990; and when he anticipates making regulations to bring these exemptions into effect;

  (2) what proposals he has to exempt occupiers of empty industrial premises from payment of the national non-domestic rate after April 1990.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment intends to consult shortly on draft regulations, to be made in final form in the autumn, to replicate from 1 April 1990 the exemption from unoccupied property rating of those hereditaments which are currently exempt from such rates under paragraph 2(a) to (d) of schedule 1 to the General Rate Act 1967, the Rating (Exemption of Unoccupied Industrial and Storage Hereditaments) Regulations 1985 (SI No. 258) and the Rating (Exemption of Unoccupied Property) Regulations 1967 (SI No. 954).

  Housing
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, the market value of (a) all privately owned housing stock and (b) all publicly owned housing stock in England and Wales at the latest available date, indicating the amount it would be necessary to charge each householder to finance local government expenditure at current levels on the assumption that rate support grant levels remain static, should capital value taxation be introduced.

  Mr. Gummer
  My right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for the Environment placed in the Library on 19 July a table showing the capital value rate which could have applied in each local authority area in 1989–90 if introduced in conjunction with a local income tax. These are based on an assumed domestic rateable value in England of £1,200 billion.

  "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics"
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" have been(a) distributed and (b) sold in each year since 1979, and what efforts are made by his Department to ensure copies are placed in public, school and college libraries.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The latest estimates of the number of copies of the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" distributed and sold since 1978, when the digest was first published, are as follows:

  Issue number

  Year

  Distributed

  Sold

  1

  1978

  1,732

  1,332

  2

  1979

  1,196

  746

  3

  1980

  1,082

  682

  687

  Issue number

  Year

  Distributed

  Sold

  4

  1981

  818

  568

  5

  1982

  863

  613

  6

  1983

  879

  629

  7

  1984

  843

  543

  8

  1985

  1,011

  596

  9

  1986

  1,233

  833

  10

  1987

  1,096

  716

  11

  1988

  1,235

  1835

  1 Final sales likely to reach 1,000 and a reprint may be required.

  There are over 250 regular purchasers of the digest, some of which are school and college libraries. The digest is listed in the Department of the Environment's annual list of publications, which is sent to all local authorities, and HMSO's sectional list No. 5, Department of the Environment. It is advertised in Social Trends and steps are being taken to publicise the volume in professional librarian journals.

  "Solving the Greenhouse Dilemma"
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received a copy of the report entitled "Solving the Greenhouse Dilemma", published by the Association for the Conservation of Energy on 2 July; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We were interested to receive the report as a contribution to the current wide-ranging debate on the greenhouse effect.

  We, together with other Government Departments, will be considering this report as well as other proposals, as part of the intergovernmental panel on climate change.

  "Inside the Poison Trade"
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to obtain a copy of the video tape and transcript of the UNEP sponsored programme, entitled "Inside the Poison Trade" on hazardous and toxic waste disposal, for the departmental library.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no plans to do so.

  Local Finance (Waltham Forest)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will tabulate in relation to the London borough of Waltham Forest how much revenue would be raised from the individuals resident in the borough assuming(a) a system of capital value rates plus local income tax paid in proportions of 80–20, (b) the existing system of rates and (c) the community charge; and how much Government grant would be given in each case.

  Mr. Gummer
  The amount raised in any area with a system of capital value rates plus local income tax would depend on the tax rates set. It is possible to calculate tax rates which would apply in each area from a comparison of grant-related expenditure and actual spending. The implication of these tax rates for specimen individuals, with defined incomes and property values, can then be assessed. I have published figures on this basis which are consistent with the illustrative 1989–90 community charge and with current levels of domestic rates.

  I cannot estimate how much would be raised from the residents in any one local authority area if a system of
  688
  capital value rates combined with local income tax were in force. This is because data are not available for each local authority area for either the capital value of domestic properties or the taxable income of residents.

  Based on the illustrative 1989–90 community charge levels placed in the Library on 19 July, the amount raised from the full community charge in Waltham Forest could have been up to £56 million. But part of this amount would have been met by the Exchequer through community charge benefit payments. The figure comparable with the present system of domestic rates is £51 million.

  In 1989–90 illustrative community charges assume a standard spending grant of £78 million for Waltham Forest residents. In 1989–90 rate support grant payable to Waltham Forest amounted to £83 million. In addition, Waltham Forest residents presently benefit from grant paid to the Receiver for the Metropolitan police district and the London Fire and Civil Defence Authority.

  With both the current system and the community charge the Government also provide additional amounts to the poorest in each area in the form of rebates to reduce their payments to the local authority. Specific grants are also paid to fund certain areas of local authority spending and other Government grants are paid from a variety of programmes.

  Gipsy Sites
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many meetings his Department has convened of representatives of local authorities from Yorkshire to discuss strategy for gipsy site provision on a regional or sub-regional basis in each of the last five years; if he will list the participating local authorities; and when the next such meeting is scheduled to take place;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that officials of his Department visit the permanent gipsy sites within the city of Bradford metropolitan district council before he takes any decision on any application Bradford council may submit for designation of such sites.

  Mr. Trippier
  Officials have meetings with representatives of county and district councils in Yorkshire jointly and individually as required to discuss gipsy site provision. Meetings drawing together representatives from local authorities throughout the country are also held regularly to discuss gipsy issues.

  Officers from the Department have visited the City of Bradford metropolitan district council's gipsy site at Mary street and plane to see the one in Esholt in the near future.

  Town and Country Planning
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is proposing to introduce legislation to consolidate the statutes relating to town and country planning before he introduces legislation to abolish structure plans.

  Mr. Chope
  I understand that the Law Commission does not now expect to finish preparing the consolidation of the planning Acts in time for introduction during the current parliamentary Session. I cannot anticipate when legislation relating to development plans might be introduced, but we are bearing in mind the interaction of these legislative proposals with each other.

  Community Charge, Lambeth
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the likely level of poll tax in Lambeth from 1 April 1990 on the assumption that patterns of expenditure in the current year by Lambeth and the Inner London education authority do not change.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax.

  To estimate a 1990–91 community charge on the assumptions suggested by the hon. Member would be misleading, because there will be changes in local government responsibilities which will alter expenditure patterns. Based on current responsibilities, the illustrative full community charge in Lambeth for 1989–90 is £543.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is yet able to indicate the projected average poll tax for England based on 1989–90 local expenditure figures; and which local authorities would be above or below that figure.

  Mr. John Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax.

  Figures placed in the Library on 19 July show the illustrative community charge in each English local authority based on 1989–90 rate levels. The average is £274.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the likely level of poll tax in(a) Burnley, (b) Pendle, (c) Rossendale, and (d) Hyndburn as from 1 April on the assumption that current patterns of expenditure are maintained within those boroughs and by Lancashire county council.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax.

  I have made no estimate of the likely level of community charge in any area. Illustrative 1989–90 community charge levels were placed in the Library on 19 July.

  Planning
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to introduce legislation to strengthen the present provisions in the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 for planning enforcement in line with the recommendations contained in the Carnwath report.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 24 May to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond)Official Report, volume 153, column 942.

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his holding answer of 26 June, when he intends to provide a substantive answer to the hon. Member for East Kilbride about the refurbishment and redevelopment of empty property held by the Property Services Agency.

  Mr. Chope
  I have replied to the hon. Member today.

  Boundary Commission
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Boundary Commission to complete its review of the London borough boundaries.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Local Government Boundary Commission must complete its reviews by 31 March 1992. Apart from that date, the rate of progress is a matter for the commission.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Boundary Commission to publish recommendations regarding the boundary of the London borough of Bexley.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is its statutory duty to complete the review by 31 March 1992. The rate of progress is a matter for the commission. I understand that the commission is considering separately the boundaries between the London borough of Bexley and the boroughs of Dartford, Bromley and Greenwich. They published draft proposals on the boundary with Dartford on 11 July 1988, and one small further draft proposal on 10 July 1989; they published draft proposals on the boundary with Bromley on 29 May 1989. They intend to hold a local meeting in connection with the boundary with Greenwich (at Thamesmead) in the autumn, which may result in draft proposals.

  London Boroughs (Staff)
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the increase or decrease in staff employed by each of the London boroughs since May 1986; if he will publish any such information in the Official Report in tabular form; and if he will make an estimate of the contribution the increased payroll in the London borough of Hillingdon makes to overspending per adult.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The total numbers of full and part-time staff employed by each London borough are collected quarterly and published in table H of the joint staffing watch (until recently the joint manpower watch) press notice available in the Library of the House. No estimate is available of the contribution of Hillingdon's increased payroll to overspend per adult.

  Regent's Park
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many deck chairs are available in Regent's park; how much they cost to hire and what were the equivalent figures in and for each year since 1979–80.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are approximately one hundred deckchairs in Regent's park. The cost per half-day session is 35p. Figures for the number of deckchairs in previous years are not available because the number of chairs provided is left to the discretion of the contractor. Hiring costs in previous years were as follows:

  Year

  pence

  1979

  20

  1982

  25

  1984

  30

  1986

  35

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the
  691
  financial and other status of Zoo Operations Ltd. in considering London Zoo's proposals for changes in Regent's park.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Zoological Society of London's current proposals for changes follow a full review of the society's finances and zoo operations carried out in 1987–88 by consultants employed jointly by the Government and the society. The Government's conclusions on that review were announced on 11 May last year. We shall await the Zoological Society of London's detailed proposals for the further 10 acres. Zoo Operations Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Zoological Society of London.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Her Majesty's Government's policy concerning the renewal of leases of private demesnes in the centre of Regent's park and the addition of such land to the park for the benefit of the public; when this policy was determined; and what was the policy which it replaced.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Private properties leased in Regent's park are owned by the Crown Estate and, apart from Regent's college, are not generally open to the public. Two areas of Regent's park—the zoological gardens and the golf and tennis school which are both open to the public on payment of a fee—are occupied on lease from the Department of the Environment. This division of responsibility is based on the provisions of the Crown Lands Act 1936 and the Crown Estate Act 1961.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions he has suggested to London Zoo concerning the location of any land that it takes over under the Crown Estate Act 1961.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Crown Estate Act 1961 gives the Secretary of State power to grant up to 10 acres of neighbouring land. We await the Zoological Society of London's detailed proposals. Any new boundaries will have to be carefully landscaped by the society to minimise the impact on the park.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that London Zoo's rights in Regent's park under the Crown Estate Act 1961 are not assigned to any other body.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The current lease precludes the Zoological Society of London from underletting any part of its premises in Regent's park except for temporary use by a society or organisation with purposes similar to the society's. The new lease will include a similar restriction.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any lessees of land in Regent's park besides London Zoo have made proposals to him to charge for access to any part within the outer canal.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The only other holder of a lease in Regent's park from my Department is the golf and tennis school which already charges for the use of its facilities. Companies also hold licences to operate and charge for recreational and refreshment facilities. Other organisations and individuals occupy property on lease from the Crown Estate.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether(a) the Crown Estate and (b) the
  692
  occupants of St. John's lodge, Regent's Park lane, proposed taking in any part of the park other than that required to change the public access to the public gardens behind the lodge.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Crown Estate made an informal inquiry to my Department in relation to the reinstatement of the original gardens of St. John's lodge as set out by John Nash. The Crown Estate was told that a formal request would not be looked on favourably and this has been accepted.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the land at Gloucester slips car park is included in the 10 acres of land in Regent's park of which the London Zoo may claim use under the Crown Estate Act 1961.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who is currently responsible for deck chairs in Regent's park.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The contract for the deck chair service is currently operated by J. H. Kesslers Limited.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his agreement to the London Zoo taking over the Gloucester slips car park in Regent's park was by lease; and on what date any agreement was signed.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Zoological Society of London took over management of the Gloucester slips coach and car park under licence and not by lease on 1 April 1989. The terms of the licence will be finalised shortly.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the assumed contributions to local expenditure for each authority from(a) Government funds and (b) business rates in the tables contained in the document "1989–90 Illustrative Capital Value Rates and Local Income Tax" published on 19 July.

  Mr. Gummer
  The illustrative capital value rates and local income tax figures published on 19 July assume that Government funds and business rates are distributed to achieve full equalisation of tax rates. This means that in every area the same tax rates would apply if all local authorities were spending at the level needed to provide a standard level of services. The level of grant entitlement would vary if expenditure were at a different level in order to ensure that each £1 per head of additional spending in any area would lead to exactly the same change in tax rates. Areas with high average house values and high average taxable incomes would receive less grant with higher spending, while areas with low taxable resources would receive more grant with higher spending.

  Costs
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of answering the question from the hon. Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) 19 July,Official Report, columns 215–6.
  693
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of producing and distributing the document published by his Department on 19 July entitled "1989–90 Illustrative Capital Value Rates and Local Income Tax."

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) on 24 July 1989.

  Creches
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any recent representations about pilot or permanent workplace creches and similar incentives futher to encourage the return to employment of women in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  My Department is considering possible initiatives providing child care for its staff which they, and their union representatives, have supported.

  Local Authority Finance
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how, in the new local government finance system, he intends that the relevant population of each charging authority in England should be calculated for the purposes of determining revenue support grant and non-domestic rate entitlement and for dividing precepts among charging authorities.

  Mr. Gummer
  I told the Consultative Council for Local Government Finance on 12 July that following representations from the local authority associations we now intend that the relevant population should be calculated from data supplied from community charge registers. We intend to take powers in the Local Government and Housing Bill to facilitate this. These data will, we believe, provide the most appropriate record of the adult population in an area liable to pay the community charge. We shall make provision for those occasions when the necessary information is not provided by a local authority. We also intend to make provision to enable the Secretary of State to substitute an alternative figure where there is doubt that the figure derived from the register is a realistic estimate of an area's adult population. For this purpose we propose that an alternative be adopted where the register figure differs from the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys' estimate of the area's adult population by more than a defined percentage.

  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the results of consultation on the harmonisation of the decapitalisation rate used for rating assessment in Great Britain that he announced on 7 March.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have considered carefully the responses received to our proposal to set the decapitalisation rate for property valued by reference to the cost of construction somewhere in the range of 6 per cent. to 7 per cent. Respondents recognised that a common decapitalisation rate throughout Great Britain will assist in the harmonisation of rating. However, they generally argued that a figure as high as 7 per cent. overstated the 694
  relationship between the decapitalisation rate and the 1988 cost of borrowing to finance construction. We have therefore decided to set the rate at 6 per cent. for most property, with a lower rate of 4 per cent. applying to educational property—schools, universities, polytechnics and to colleges of further and higher education provided by local authorities and non-profit making bodies; this rate will also apply to hospitals and certain other health establishments. The necessary regulations will be made later this year.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is giving further consideration to the rates to be applied to sports grounds, amateur sports clubs and to church property valued on the contractors basis in Scotland.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he provides(a) to parents about the eligibility of their children aged 18 or 19 years or over, who are required to remain in secondary education, to pay poll tax and (b) to young people, who leave secondary education after their 18th or 19th birthdays and are granted places as students at institutions of higher or further education, about their liability to pay a full personal poll tax between leaving school and entering university or college; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 20 July 1989]: No one has any liability to pay a poll tax as no such tax exists or is planned. Guidance on individuals' community charge liability is contained in the Department's free booklet "You and the Community Charge" and the associated series of free leaflets including that entitled, "Students".

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many full-time staff are employed by the Nature Conservancy Council in(a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland; how many contract staff are employed in each country; and how many staff are employed by the Nature Conservancy Council pursuing (i) Great Britain or (ii) international functions.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 24 July 1989]: Details of the numbers of staff employed by the NCC and their location within the organisation at 1 July 1989 are as follows:

  Location

  Permanent staff

  Contract staff

  England HQ and regions

  281

  189

  Wales HQ and regions

  88

  44

  Scotland HQ and regions

  160

  87

  Great Britain HQ1

  258

  132

  International branch

  5

  —

  1 Except International branch.

  Directorate of Rural Affairs
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the number and gradings of his officers who are currently working in the directorate of rural affairs; and whether he proposes any increases following the changes announced to the Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission.
  695
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 20 July 1989]: There are currently 99 staff working in the Department's directorate of rural affairs. The grades of these staff are as follows:

  Number

  Grade 3

  1·0

  Grade 5

  3·0

  Grade 6

  2·0

  Grade 7

  11·5

  SEO/SPTO

  9·0

  HEO

  16·0

  EO

  18·0

  AO

  26·0

  AA

  12·5

  99·0

  These figures include one additional SEO who has already been allocated to assist in work concerned with reorganising the conservation agencies. Further adjustments will be made if necessary.

  Funeral Services
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of comments in paragraph 417 of the 1988–89 report by the Local Government Ombudsman, he has any plans to ban unfair trading practices in respect of funeral services by certain local councils.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 20 July 1989]: Behaviour such as that of Wear Valley district council, both in maladministration by discriminating between local traders and in refusing to implement the local ombudsman's recommendations for compensation, is unacceptable. However, on the information available, what appears to have occurred is an abuse of the council's power to provide information rather than any unfair trading practice.

  Landfill Gas Sites
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the top 20 landfill gas sites in England and Wales by acreage.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 21 July 1989]: Information concerning the acreage of landfill sites is not held centrally.

  Caravan Sites Act 1968
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the operation of the Caravan Sites Act 1968.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 21 July 1989]: My right hon. Friend the former Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 6 February 1987 that a review of the Act had been completed and that there was to be no amendment of the present law. We are concerned to assist and encourage authorities to fulfil their duties under the Act as quickly as possible.

  Residuary Bodies
  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures exist to facilitate public scrutiny of the accounts of residuary bodies.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 21 July 1989]: Section 79 of the Local Government Act 1985 requires residuary bodies to make their accounts available for public inspection.

  Departmental Properties
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those empty properties which are rented, leased or owned by the Property Services Agency and which are being considered for refurbishment or redevelopment to allow reoccupation by a Government Department and the probable date of reoccupation.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 26 June 1989]: The list is as follows:

  Schedule of empty properties rented, leased or owned by the PSA undergoing or being considered for refurbishment or redevelopment to allow re-occupation by a Government

  Department

  Property

  Godwin House, George Street, Huntingdon

  Chaucer House, Upper Marlborough Road, St. Albans

  Caledonian House, 39/61 St. Albans Road, Watford

  87 Burlington Road, New Malden, Surrey

  St. Mary's Gate, Chesterfield

  22 and 29 The Springs, Wakefield

  Sheriff Court House, Castle Street, Aberdeen

  Norfolk House, East Kilbride

  Hut Number 3, Chaucer Barracks, Canterbury

  Shire Hall, Shuttern, Taunton

  Clarence Street, Swindon

  Telford House, Park Gardens, Yeovil

  Portcullis House, Lagland Street, Poole

  Reading Courts, The Forbury, Reading

  The agency aims to bring vacant space back into re-occupation as soon as possible.

  RIGHT TO SILENCE: REPORT
  RIGHT TO SILENCE: REPORT
  LEEDS PRISON: REMAND POPULATION
  LEEDS PRISON: REMAND POPULATION
  FORENSIC PATHOLOGY: WORKING PARTY REPORT
  FORENSIC PATHOLOGY: WORKING PARTY REPORT
  FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN: EC BENEFIT PROVISIONS
  FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN: EC BENEFIT PROVISIONS
  ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT REVIEW: COMMENTS
  ANGLO-IRISH AGREEMENT REVIEW: COMMENTS
  SCHOOLS OFFERING ASSISTED PLACES
  SCHOOLS OFFERING ASSISTED PLACES
  OPEN UNIVERSITY TEACHER TRAINING: FUNDING
  OPEN UNIVERSITY TEACHER TRAINING: FUNDING
  UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CHAINS: BUSINESS FUNDING
  UNIVERSITY LANGUAGE CHAINS: BUSINESS FUNDING