Written Answers of 14 March 1989

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Submarines (Liverpool)
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what detailed information is available to the population of Merseyside on the consequences of an accident involving a nuclear reactor on the nuclear-powered submarines using the port of Liverpool.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Liverpool special safety scheme contains information on the possible consequences of accidents involving reactors on nuclear-powered submarines. Copies of the scheme are held by local civil authorities, and it is being distributed to public libraries in the area.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements exist for the disposal of nuclear material arising from an accident to a nuclear submarine in or around the port of Liverpool.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The possibility of an accident involving a release of nuclear material from a submarine is extremely remote. However, our accident response plans do allow for such an occurrence, and for the controlled monitoring and decontamination of affected areas. Disposal methods would vary depending on the type and amount of materials involved.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what incidents have been reported in the past 10 years involving nuclear submarines coming in to the port of Liverpool.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There has never been an incident involving a Royal Navy submarine which has led to a radiological hazard to service men or members of the public. No nuclear submarines of other navies have visited Liverpool during this period.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries by order of either national or local government to his Department's knowledge forbid the docking of nuclear submarines at ports near high population urban areas; and which countries forbid completely the entry of nuclear submarines into their waters.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence does not maintain a list of countries which make such prohibitions.

PRIME MINISTER

  Brunton
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Brunton near Rugby.

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

  Mr. Hugo Young (Book)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will acquire for the Library of 10 Downing street, a copy of Mr. Hugo Young's book of the Thatcher premiership.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Engagements
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 March.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 March.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 March.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 14 March.

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

ENERGY

  Redundant Mineworkers
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the suspension of payments to redundant mineworkers under the redundant mineworkers' payments scheme arising from the tighter enforcement of the criterion of availability for work.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 14 February,Official Report, column 161, whether he will now make a statement on restart and the redundant mineworkers payments scheme.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I recognise that restart procedures in respect of availability-for-work have resulted in suspension of payments to former mineworkers who are beneficiaries under the redundant mineworkers' payments scheme. Following discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, work has been put in hand on the options for modifying the link between benefits under the RMPS and unemployment benefit availability procedures, having regard to cost and consequential effects. It is very possible that as a result of this work I will need to introduce an amending order to modify the RMPS. In the meantime, I understand that the employment service is taking into account this development in its application of its procedures.

  Petrol Sales
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of petrol sold is sold through outlets owned by integrated oil companies.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  There are no figures available providing a breakdown of United Kingdom petrol sales by company type.

  Nuclear Power
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy for what aspects of the application of Euratom safeguards to civil nuclear power plants and civil nuclear fuel cycle facilities he is responsible to Parliament to give details.
  127
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The detailed application of safeguards procedures by Euratom and the IAEA is a matter for them. The Government's obligations arise from the Euratom treaty and our safeguards agreements with the IAEA. I am satisfied that we are fulfilling these obligations.

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many kilogrammes of safeguarded plutonium have been exported; to which commercial operators in which countries on which dates, for each year since 1979; and which exports involved sales and which leasing arrangements.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 January 1989 at column 157. Detailed information relating to the quantities of plutonium exported to individual operators and countries, and the frequency and nature of shipments, cannot be revealed for reasons of security and commercial sensitivity.

  Piped Gas
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he has any information as to what proportion of piped gas is presently supplied to large consumers by any company other than British Gas;

  (2) if he has any information as to what proportion of piped gas in the United Kingdom is presently supplied by British Gas.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department does not have reliable information available.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 1 March,Official Report, column 210, if he has any information about how British Gas will determine in the future the actual level of prices of firm gas for large industrial consumers; and whether a competitive market for the supply of piped gas currently exists in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I have nothing precise to add to my answer of 1 March 1989 at column 210 about the actual level of prices of firm gas. However, the measures taken following the MMC report are intended to encourage the development of competition in gas supply to customers over 25,000 therms.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what policy considerations underlie his decision to subject to control prices for domestic gas consumers but not prices for large industrial consumers.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The distinction was established by the Gas Act 1986, which subjected prices for large industrial consumers to competition law. The recent MMC report has justified that approach.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Inflation
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the effects of the level of inflation on industry.
  128
  Mr. Atkins
  A number of those who make representations to my Department refer to the need to contain inflation. The great majority recognise that this must remain a top priority both for Government and for business itself.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has made any study of opportunities existing for United Kingdom companies to provide dismantlement, storage and sealed-disposal services for refrigeration units containing chlorofluorocarbons in industrial developing Third world countries.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 March 1989 at column 461 to the hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, North (Ms. Walley). The parties to the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer have yet to approve procedures for the destruction of chlorofluorocarbons and other chemicals that are controlled under the protocol.

  Radioactive Waste Disposal
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, during his recent meeting with Soviet Trade Minister Kamentsev in London the prospects for the sale of British radioactive waste disposal technology and expertise were discussed.

  Mr. Forth
  No.

  European Regional Development Fund
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will be in a position to announce the areas in the United Kingdom which the Economic Community have decided will be eligible for support under the European regional development fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  Areas to be eligible for support from the European regional development fund will be those selected for assistance from the reformed European structural funds under their new objectives 1, 2 and 5(b).

  The objective 1 areas were listed in Council regulation (EEC) No. 2052/88 of 24 June 1988. They include Northern Ireland.

  Objective 2 and 5(b) areas are to be determined by the European Commission. It announced a provisional list of objective 2 (industrial) areas on 8 March 1989. This contains nearly all the industrial assisted areas, including the hon. Member's constituency, and also a number of other areas. Following consultation of an advisory committee of national officials, this list is expected to be finalised during March 1989.

  The Commission is expected to decide within a few weeks on a first list of objective 5(b) (rural) areas. It assured us in May 1988 that the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, rural Wales and the assisted areas of Devon and Cornwall would be eligible under objective 5(b).

  Regional Aid
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what limits he proposes to set upon the charities component of European regional development aid to the United Kingdom; if he will break down the figure by economic region; and if he will make a statement.
  129
  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: The composition of future applications to the European regional development fund is under consideration.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest figures on the regional distribution of his Department's budget for research and development.

  Mr. Forth
  This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Arms Sales (Iran and Iraq)
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if United Kingdom arms manufacturers will be granted export licences for sales to Iran or Iraq in the near future.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade on 18 January 1989 at column 241, to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor).

  Satellite Broadcasting
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps his Department is taking, in conjunction with the Independent Broadcasting Authority and the European Space Agency, to resolve potential problems of signal interference between BSB and the Olympus satellite; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: We are currently negotiating with the European Space Agency and other interested parties an arrangement which will ensure that reception of the United Kingdom's fifth direct broadcasting satellite channel will not suffer unacceptable signal interference from the Olympus experimental satellite. This arrangement is based on internationally agreed criteria (as prescribed in the final acts of the world broadcasting satellite administrative radio conference, Geneva, 1977—the 77 plan—and incorporated in appendix 30 of the International Telecommunications Union radio regulations): It also takes account of the possibility that the operator of the fifth United Kingdom DBS channel may wish to operate at only one half of the satellite power prescribed in the 77 plan.

  Radio Communications (Central London)
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many operating licences have been issued by his Department's radio communications division in central London to users operating on base transmission of 442·97500 mHz and mobile transmission of 428·47500 mHz; and how many users have complained about overcrowding of the frequency.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: There are six licensed operators on these frequencies within the M25, and one licensed operator in the west midlands area.

  Three users, from within the M25 area, have complained about overcrowding of these frequencies. These complaints are being investigated.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he now expects British Gas to publish its schedule of prices to large industrial consumers following the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in implementing the recommendation in the report.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: I hope that British Gas will be able to publish in the very near future its schedule of prices for large consumers, together with details of how it will be implemented. Many of the large customers of British Gas have asked for a delay in the implementation of the new schedule beyond 1 April to enable them to consider the implications for themselves.

  Steel Industry (Gas)
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 1 March,Official Report, column 190, what information he has as to what proportion of production costs firm gas accounts for in (a) the steel forgings industry and (b) the steel castings industry.

  Mr. Atkins
  According to the latest five-yearly inquiry, gas purchasing amounted to just under 2 per cent. of the production costs of the forging, pressing and stamping industry (including steel forging) and the ferrous metal foundries industry (including steel castings) in 1984. Data for firm gas alone, or for all gas to the specific industry sectors, are not available to me.

  Imitation Food
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has reached a decision on whether imitation foods for dolls' houses and collectors of miniatures should be covered by the proposed Food Imitations (Safety) Regulations 1989; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  In the course of consultation on the regulations to implement the European Community directive on dangerous imitations a large number of representations have been made for the regulations not to apply to imitation food supplied for use in dolls' houses or model scenes or settings. These items are exempt from the Food Imitations (Safety) Regulations 1985 but are subject to the general safety requirement under section 10 of the Consumer Protection, Act 1987 and where appropriate to the Toys (Safety) Regulations 1974. After careful consideration of these representations, I have concluded that these items should be excluded from the new regulations.

  Computer Hacking
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, following the recent cases of unauthorised electronic penetration of computerised information, when he intends to bring forward a Bill to outlaw computer hacking.

  Mr. John Patten
  I have been asked to reply. We are awaiting the final report of the Law Commission, which is looking at the matter as part of a review of the law on computer misuse.

WALES

  Urban Programme
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what was the value of urban programme moneys for each year since 1979(a) for Wales, and (b) for district councils in the valleys initiative area, at constant prices.

  £ million

  Cash allocations

  Real terms

  Year

  Main allocations

  Special and supplementary allocations

  Total

  Main allocations

  Special and supplementary allocations

  Total

  1979–80

  5·5

  0·6

  7·1

  12·1

  1·1

  13·2

  1980–81

  8·4

  0·7

  9·1

  13·2

  1·1

  14·3

  1981–82

  10·0

  0·9

  10·9

  14·3

  1·3

  15·6

  1982–83

  15·3

  3·3

  18·6

  20·5

  4·4

  24·9

  1983–84

  17·7

  —

  17·7

  22·7

  —

  22·7

  1984–85

  17·6

  4·45

  22·05

  21·4

  5·4

  26·9

  1985–86

  15·7

  3·5

  19·2

  18·1

  4·1

  22·2

  1986–87

  18·75

  4·95

  23·7

  21·0

  5·5

  26·5

  1987–88

  20·05

  3·0

  23·05

  21·3

  3·2

  24·5

  1988–89

  17·8

  6·7

  24·5

  17·8

  6·7

  24·5

  1989–90

  27·6

  —

  27·6

  26·3

  —

  26·3

  (b) The total urban programme allocations in cash and real terms for the district councils which have all or part of their areas within the Programme for the Valleys area are as follow:

  £ million

  Year

  Cash allocation

  Real terms

  1979–80

  2·1

  3·9

  1980–81

  3·3

  5·2

  1981–82

  3·5

  5·0

  1982–83

  7·1

  9·5

  1983–84

  6·7

  8·5

  1984–85

  8·5

  10·4

  1985–86

  6·4

  7·4

  1986–87

  10·0

  11·1

  1987–88

  10·5

  11·1

  1988–89

  13·3

  13·3

  1989–90

  13·4

  12·8

  (a) Number of Renovation Grant applications1

  1982–832

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Alyn and Deeside

  973

  705

  189

  220

  223

  197

  Colwyn

  598

  183

  161

  342

  366

  455

  Delyn

  785

  390

  82

  123

  187

  172

  Glyndwr

  1,042

  649

  90

  131

  195

  274

  Rhuddlan

  244

  122

  87

  114

  107

  98

  Wrexham Maelor

  719

  183

  104

  134

  130

  110

  Carmarthen

  2,766

  765

  480

  546

  614

  460

  Ceredigion

  1,525

  336

  127

  110

  127

  336

  Dinefwr

  2,552

  611

  103

  107

  134

  121

  Llanelli

  2,441

  131

  128

  683

  680

  654

  Preseli

  1,368

  220

  1,148

  731

  686

  844

  South Pembrokeshire

  1,499

  679

  278

  711

  640

  495

  Blaenau Gwent

  11,176

  702

  400

  791

  941

  677

  Islwyn

  2,687

  1,354

  1,178

  785

  1,312

  1,221

  Monmouth

  2,520

  187

  440

  653

  661

  89

  Newport

  6,071

  827

  910

  1,227

  889

  770

  Torfaen

  1,467

  3,226

  253

  849

  465

  265

  Aberconwy

  664

  199

  204

  199

  199

  245

  Arfon

  1,613

  797

  212

  317

  592

  533

  Dwyfor

  1,816

  600

  77

  128

  183

  153

  Meirionnydd

  1,559

  575

  68

  67

  56

  120

  Ynys Mon

  1,652

  942

  101

  119

  115

  131

  Cynon Valley

  5,206

  408

  560

  1,119

  2,029

  1,989

  Merthyr Tydfil

  4,950

  172

  187

  244

  268

  388

  Ogwr

  3,350

  1,342

  562

  1,140

  966

  1,089

  Rhondda

  15,800

  2,731

  1,771

  2,118

  1,578

  1,813

  Rhymney Valley

  5,641

  1,165

  496

  778

  974

  1,103

  132
  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: (a) The main urban programme and special and supplementary allocations in cash and real terms for all Wales for each of the years since 1979–80 is shown in the following tables:

  Notes:

  1. The allocations in real terms have been derived by the application of the GDP deflator at market prices with 1988–89 as base year.

  2. Boundaries for district councils do not correspond to boundary of Valleys Programme area and the figures in table b above do not include allocations for county councils.

  Home Improvement Grants
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of applications for home improvement grants and the number accepted for each year since 1979, by district and at constant prices.

  Mr. Ian Grist
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: The information available is shown in the following tables:
  133

  1982–832

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Taff-Ely

  5,411

  1,336

  649

  266

  513

  587

  Brecknock

  2,046

  419

  83

  120

  165

  231

  Montgomery

  2,294

  464

  95

  103

  77

  118

  Radnor

  530

  222

  92

  97

  123

  104

  Cardiff

  11,521

  5,364

  2,060

  3,608

  4,053

  4,296

  Vale of Glamorgan

  4,075

  578

  249

  450

  452

  391

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  660

  1,131

  100

  114

  184

  1,233

  Lliw Valley

  972

  468

  340

  377

  506

  610

  Neath

  2,551

  259

  283

  258

  491

  498

  Swansea

  8,357

  2,331

  1,617

  1,909

  1,594

  1,767

  Wales

  121,101

  32,773

  15,964

  21,788

  23,475

  24,637

  1 Number of renovation grant applications are not available prior to 9 March 1982.

  2 Total grant applications between 9 March 1982 and 31 December 1983.

  (b) Number of renovation grant approvals

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Alyn and Deeside

  109

  125

  153

  397

  428

  154

  86

  242

  226

  243

  Colwyn

  156

  135

  76

  182

  328

  60

  213

  274

  278

  341

  Delyn

  133

  69

  153

  259

  328

  160

  150

  195

  266

  152

  Glyndwr

  78

  68

  78

  330

  500

  230

  95

  106

  206

  180

  Rhuddlan

  32

  16

  22

  54

  94

  68

  52

  84

  83

  63

  Wrexham Maelor

  72

  88

  25

  170

  140

  94

  85

  115

  71

  96

  Carmarthen

  298

  244

  180

  633

  1,790

  424

  617

  445

  468

  465

  Ceredigion

  176

  165

  130

  365

  999

  68

  337

  316

  108

  291

  Dinefwr

  181

  49

  45

  160

  461

  171

  130

  150

  125

  165

  Llanelli

  338

  123

  132

  323

  1,523

  258

  484

  515

  461

  853

  Preseli

  187

  177

  188

  373

  902

  196

  423

  397

  427

  443

  South Pembrokeshire

  131

  95

  162

  483

  682

  605

  286

  555

  440

  447

  Blaenau Gwent

  275

  220

  169

  928

  2,325

  319

  225

  776

  907

  345

  Islwyn

  286

  176

  214

  528

  997

  978

  1,447

  1,186

  1,419

  1,582

  Monmouth

  115

  116

  100

  364

  912

  196

  335

  237

  413

  89

  Newport

  240

  160

  288

  1,147

  1,108

  413

  1,021

  55

  517

  874

  Torfaen

  98

  47

  87

  414

  773

  404

  286

  370

  433

  444

  Aberconwy

  117

  104

  127

  168

  301

  220

  209

  155

  195

  203

  Arfon

  279

  275

  269

  412

  698

  465

  562

  553

  468

  437

  Dwyfor

  101

  50

  141

  528

  758

  289

  79

  194

  132

  154

  Meirionnydd

  120

  104

  69

  353

  1,208

  861

  68

  223

  61

  116

  Ynys Mon

  114

  84

  75

  264

  1,271

  198

  162

  196

  232

  303

  Cynon Valley

  225

  171

  158

  422

  677

  221

  348

  1,263

  1,518

  1,430

  Merthyr Tydfil

  202

  81

  225

  705

  2,068

  377

  420

  547

  606

  1,036

  Ogwr

  493

  329

  455

  700

  1,418

  1,125

  574

  1,120

  904

  1,267

  Rhondda

  514

  415

  782

  1,723

  3,570

  5,068

  579

  2,329

  1,332

  1,642

  Rhymney Valley

  331

  207

  355

  953

  1,192

  944

  393

  739

  952

  954

  Taff-Ely

  320

  291

  854

  1,432

  2,205

  557

  677

  742

  256

  587

  Brecknock

  124

  127

  141

  296

  776

  111

  62

  202

  331

  236

  Montgomery

  69

  59

  63

  471

  733

  139

  167

  228

  116

  279

  Radnor

  72

  58

  31

  204

  372

  82

  181

  127

  101

  92

  Cardiff

  497

  457

  698

  1,425

  4,031

  1,821

  2,866

  3,122

  3,051

  3,107

  Vale of Glamorgan

  228

  207

  316

  788

  1,101

  402

  205

  590

  452

  386

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  202

  157

  163

  225

  204

  68

  186

  403

  609

  451

  Lliw Valley

  301

  283

  222

  402

  261

  315

  339

  535

  484

  574

  Neath

  394

  141

  235

  884

  1,727

  259

  304

  656

  774

  493

  Swansea

  977

  937

  444

  1,501

  1,987

  1,546

  2,046

  1,219

  1,276

  1,279

  Wales

  8,585

  6,610

  8,025

  20,966

  40,848

  19,866

  16,699

  21,661

  20,698

  22,099

  (c) Value of Renovation Grant approvals (£000) at 1988 prices1 2

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Alyn and Deeside

  —

  —

  —

  1,033

  1,484

  636

  285

  937

  788

  871

  Colwyn

  —

  —

  —

  1,020

  1,817

  203

  751

  1,050

  1,102

  1,088

  Delyn

  —

  —

  —

  999

  1,108

  660

  422

  487

  695

  391

  Glyndwr

  —

  —

  —

  1,261

  2,496

  1,486

  423

  454

  757

  664

  Rhuddlan

  —

  —

  —

  57

  213

  135

  83

  161

  218

  170

  Wrexham Maelor

  —

  —

  —

  586

  572

  408

  316

  413

  231

  313

  Carmarthen

  —

  —

  —

  3,250

  8,623

  2,052

  2,728

  2,144

  2,028

  1,772

  Ceredigion

  —

  —

  —

  1,987

  5,876

  302

  1,624

  1,555

  421

  1,083

  Dinefwr

  —

  —

  —

  805

  2,159

  580

  378

  439

  381

  519

  Llanelli

  —

  —

  —

  1,136

  4,371

  797

  1,819

  1,323

  1,252

  2,235

  Preseli

  —

  —

  —

  2,074

  5,598

  976

  2,138

  1,669

  1,792

  1,537

  South Pembrokeshire

  —

  —

  —

  2,518

  3,503

  3,047

  1,300

  2,610

  2,258

  2,189

  Blaenau Gwent

  —

  —

  —

  4,332

  9,705

  1,038

  1,028

  3,202

  3,295

  1,153

  Islwyn

  —

  —

  —

  2,061

  3,639

  2,780

  3,656

  3,698

  4,343

  4,230

  Monmouth

  —

  —

  —

  1,505

  4,024

  977

  1,068

  767

  1,265

  173

  Newport

  —

  —

  —

  5,086

  6,313

  1,846

  3,321

  1,917

  2,127

  3,287

  134 135

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Torfaen

  —

  —

  —

  1,410

  2,658

  1,716

  998

  1,014

  1,610

  1,837

  Aberconwy

  —

  —

  —

  752

  1,159

  707

  679

  473

  579

  654

  Arfon

  —

  —

  —

  1,588

  3,112

  2,275

  2,442

  2,278

  1,735

  1,567

  Dwyfor

  —

  —

  —

  2,305

  3,327

  1,252

  333

  877

  523

  648

  Meirionnydd

  —

  —

  —

  1,407

  5,152

  3,893

  236

  881

  211

  402

  Ynys Mon

  —

  —

  —

  1,336

  6,581

  833

  627

  750

  890

  1,078

  Cynon Valley

  —

  —

  —

  2,443

  3,837

  843

  1,363

  4,098

  5,562

  2,979

  Merthyr Tydfil

  —

  —

  —

  2,167

  5,245

  1,211

  1,233

  1,515

  1,532

  2,539

  Ogwr

  —

  —

  —

  3,276

  4,696

  3,384

  1,322

  3,855

  2,851

  3,490

  Rhondda

  —

  —

  —

  6,165

  12,540

  17,854

  1,883

  7,493

  4,605

  5,561

  Rhymney Valley

  —

  —

  —

  2,769

  4,848

  3,900

  1,298

  2,704

  3,639

  3,396

  Taff-Ely

  —

  —

  —

  4,576

  8,202

  2,273

  2,601

  3,377

  641

  1,508

  Brecknock

  —

  —

  —

  1,155

  3,165

  479

  235

  499

  753

  599

  Montgomery

  —

  —

  —

  2,032

  3,290

  547

  619

  758

  369

  877

  Radnor

  —

  —

  —

  694

  1,398

  409

  530

  333

  352

  248

  Cardiff

  —

  —

  —

  5,080

  16,228

  6,959

  10,158

  12,250

  11,735

  10,622

  Vale of Glamorgan

  —

  —

  —

  3,027

  4,553

  1,769

  859

  2,321

  1,554

  1,351

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  —

  —

  —

  534

  636

  250

  392

  965

  590

  1,268

  Lliw Valley

  —

  —

  —

  1,806

  1,096

  1,413

  1,299

  2,093

  1,520

  1,612

  Neath

  —

  —

  —

  2,093

  4,884

  604

  841

  1,236

  1,824

  962

  Swansea

  —

  —

  —

  6,510

  8,396

  6,937

  7,947

  5,194

  5,640

  5,770

  Wales

  31,265

  21,324

  30,520

  82,476

  166,503

  77,428

  59,233

  77,791

  71,665

  70,643

  1 Information by district is not readily available prior to 1982.

  2 Value of approvals has been expressed at 1988 prices using GDP deflators.

  This does not include allocations for area based renovations for which the totals are as follows:

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  11

  20

  24

  £ million

  Capital allocations: UDG

  Local authority

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Alyn and Deeside District Council

  —

  0·062

  0·012

  0·008

  0·694

  —

  Colwyn Borough Council

  —

  —

  0·092

  0·229

  0·114

  —

  Delyn District Council

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·060

  0·042

  Wrexham Maelor Borough Council

  —

  1·205

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·170

  0·008

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·213

  0·068

  Blaenau Gwent Borough Council

  0·220

  0·284

  0·353

  0·234

  0·027

  —

  Islwyn Borough Council

  —

  —

  —

  0·262

  0·058

  0·376

  Newport Borough Council

  0·013

  0·024

  0·821

  0·783

  —

  —

  Torfaen Borough Council

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·090

  Cynon Valley Borough Council

  —

  —

  —

  0·065

  0·345

  0·141

  Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council

  —

  —

  0·101

  0·010

  0·106

  0·201

  Rhondda Borough Council

  0·038

  0·451

  0·959

  0·318

  0·171

  0·897

  Rhymney Valley District Council

  —

  —

  0·129

  —

  0·018

  —

  Cardiff City Council

  0·640

  1·473

  1·289

  0·210

  0·244

  0·636

  Vale of Glamorgan District Council

  —

  —

  —

  0·744

  0·594

  0·022

  Neath Borough Council

  —

  0·061

  0·058

  —

  —

  0·435

  Port Talbot Borough Council

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·090

  0·186

  Swansea City Council

  0·640

  0·249

  0·058

  0·023

  0·327

  1·717

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has received any representations concerning the payment under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme of money to landlords; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: In addition to the letter that I have received from the hon.

  Urban Development Grants
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the value of urban development grants by district council for each year since 1979 at constant prices.

  Mr. Ian Grist
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: Urban development grant was introduced in 1982. The following table represents the value of capital allocations made in each year are expressed in real terms and have been devised by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the latest GDP deflators. 1988–89 is the base year for the calculations.

  Gentleman the president of the Farmers Union of Wales has written to me about problems which his members are facing in reaching agreement with the Crown Estate and the water authority about the apportionment of grant that would be paid under the ESA scheme. I have arranged for my officials to meet the union to discuss the problem.

  Press and Public Relations
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what are the latest figures for the number of staff presently employed, and the full complement of staff including vacant posts, in the press and the public relations office of the Welsh Office; and what is the proposed complement for 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: There are 22½ staff in the information division which has a notional complement of 28½. Under delegated budgets staffing levels for 1989–90 will be determined by the resources made available to line managers and decisions on budget allocations for 1989–90 have yet to be finalised.

  Bed and Breakfast
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what is the number of people for whom

  Households placed in bed and breakfast accommodation, by type of household1

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Single persons

  n/a

  n/a

  83

  74

  44

  54

  113

  56

  74

  Lone parents with children

  n/a

  n/a

  165

  160

  108

  148

  268

  211

  248

  Married couple with/without children

  n/a

  n/a

  168

  160

  106

  117

  225

  147

  177

  Other

  n/a

  n/a

  —

  1

  3

  —

  2

  4

  6

  Total

  133

  348

  416

  395

  261

  319

  608

  418

  505

  1 During the year as a whole, under Part III of the Housing Act 1985.

  Source: Welsh Office.

  Neath-Port Talbot Hospital
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether in the consideration he is now giving to the proposals of the health authority for the building of a new hospital in the Neath-Port Talbot area he is still on target so far as the intended commencement of work is concerned.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am at present examining the proposals from West Glamorgan Health Authority. The scheme is currently on target to start in 1991–92.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Plastic Bullets
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now make it his policy to answer detailed questions on the rules governing the use of plastic bullets.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I have nothing further to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short) on 15 December 1988, at column 677.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement of progress on the introduction of information technologies to facilitate internal communications in his Department and the provision of information to the public concerning those areas for which he is responsible; and if he has any further plans to apply the newest technologies in these fields.
  138
  bed-and-breakfast payments are being made; and whether they are single, single with children, a couple or a couple with children for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: The available information is set out in the following tables:

  Households accommodated in bed and breakfast accommodation1

  Numbers

  1979

  22

  1980

  67

  1981

  63

  1982

  21

  1983

  17

  1984

  31

  1985

  20

  1986

  35

  1987

  45

  1 On 31 December, under Part III of the Housing Act 1985.

  Source: Welsh Office.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  All Northern Ireland Departments have prepared, and are implementing, information technology strategies geared to their individual business objectives with the aim of increasing efficiency and effectiveness while ensuring value for money in the purchases of systems. The Northern Ireland Office is in the process of preparing its own strategy. Each strategy includes provision for improving internal communications through the use of voice and data transmission facilities, office automation and management information systems. Fax and telex facilities are also available in Departments and local offices dealing with matters such as social security. In particular, the Northern Ireland Office has recently introduced a secure inter-communicating word processing system and a secure video conferencing system linking its Belfast and London offices. A telecommunications strategy has also been drawn up, and plans are being prepared to provide a modern, fully integrated, digital network.

  The departmental information technology strategies address the provision of information to the public where this is appropriate and a number of computer systems providing this facility are operational in areas such as social security benefits, economic development and agriculture. In addition a free telephone service, freeline DHSS, is provided to anyone in Northern Ireland linking inquirers directly to a centre where full-time staff provide information and advice on all social security benefits and related services.

  Departmental information technology strategies are continually reviewed to ensure that they match administrative and policy objectives. Departments also endeavour to keep abreast of the latest developments in technology and seek to apply these where they fit into their strategies.

  Genealogists (Fees)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is he will list(a) the standard fees and (b) the discretionary fees charged for services provided by the public record office (i) to commercial genealogists and (ii) where YTP or ACE workers are working on behalf of commercial genealogists.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Fees charged for services provided by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland are set out in a schedule to the Public Record of the (Public Use Of The Records) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1953. The current schedule of fees is contained in a statutory rule, No. 180 of 1988 a copy of which is available in the Library.

  The deputy keeper of the records has discretion to waive such fees if the records are being inspected for the purposes of private, non-profit-making research. The rules are interpreted in the same way in respect of services provided for ACE and YTP workers as for other members of the public.

  Consumers (Consultation)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secreatary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements there are for consulting consumers on the work and decisions of his Department.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Tobacco Industry
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total of grants in aid paid to the tobacco industry in Northern Ireland since 1979; if he will list these; what other financial assistance has been made to tobacco companies by the Government in the same period; if he will list these; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  There have been no grants in aid paid to the tobacco industry in Northern Ireland since 1979. In terms of financial assistance, the Department of Economic Development (including the Industrial Development Board) has paid a total of £33,909,246 to tobacco companies in Northern Ireland since 1979.

SCOTLAND

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his best estimate of the amount of chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants under the control of his Department;

  (2) what plans there are to minimise the risk of leaks of chlorofluorocarbons from refrigeration and air conditioning systems under his Department's control.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 6 March 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Merionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on Monday 6 March.

  Telephone Survey
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the questions that were asked in the recent Scottish Office telephone survey.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 8 March 1989]: The interview schedule contained questions about respondents' experience of a number of crimes, including car theft, bicycle theft, theft from vehicles, vandalism to vehicles, housebreaking, robbery, sexual offences and assault. Questions were also asked about fear of crime and household security.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether surveys similar to the recent telephone survey by the Scottish Office have been conducted under its auspices in the past.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 8 March 1989]: The questions asked in this survey are very similar to those used in the British crime surveys of 1982 and 1988.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how people who took part in the recent Scottish Office telephone survey were chosen.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 8 March 1989]: A random sample was obtained by means of computer-generated telephone calls.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the purpose of the recent telephone survey by his Department.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 8 March 1989]: The survey in Scotland was part of an international exercise involving 15 countries mainly from the European Community but also including the United States of America, Canada and Australia. The survey used tightly standardised methods in order to obtain comparative information on the nature and scale of victimisation and other criminal justice information across the various participating countries.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received about the recent telephone survey conducted by his Department.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 8 March 1989]: My Department's central research unit, which acted as co-ordinator for the survey in Scotland, received about 30 telephone calls and one letter from the public. For the most part the callers sought only to confirm the bona fide nature of the survey though a number voiced specific concerns and complaints mainly related to the household security questions. Two of the calls related to the question about sexual assault.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) whether the people who carried out the recent Scottish Office telephone survey had received any formal training in counselling techniques;

  (2) what qualifications the people who carried out the recent Scottish Office telephone survey had.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]:

  The staff of the survey firms which conducted the survey are experienced in the use of telephone interviews

  141
  for research purposes. The interviewers were given introductory training for the special needs of this survey which paid particular attention to the sensitive nature of many of the topics included in the questionnaire.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the findings of the recent Scottish Office telephone survey will be published in full.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: A report on the results of the survey is to be published later this year.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps were taken to ensure that respondents to the recent Scottish Office telephone survey were made aware of the voluntary nature of the survey.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: The introduction to the questionnaire used by all survey interviewers offered the respondent a number of opportunities to decline to participate before commencing the interview. At this stage, also, respondents were given the opportunity to verify the authenticity of the survey. This could be done by telephoning the liaison contact in the Scottish Office or the free telephone number of the Market Survey Society. That this was effective was demonstrated by the fact that, to achieve a sample of 2,000, approximately 4,000 calls had to be made. One person in two approached declined to participate. Those who participated were, of course, free to put down the telephone at any point.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps were taken to protect the confidentiality of respondents to the recent Scottish Office telephone survey.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: Confidentiality was a principal factor in the decision to use computer-generated telephone interviewing. This technique offers greater confidentiality than the more usual doorstep interviews since neither the name nor address of the respondent is known to the interviewer. This was explained by the interviewers to potential respondents before seeking their agreement to participate.

  Hospitals (Capital Evaluation)
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give for each hospital over 250 beds(a) the land and building capital evaluation and (a) equipment capital evaluation;

  (2) on what date he proposes that hospitals will start paying capital interest charges; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have asked each health board to compile a register of all capital assets held, their location and their value, but this information is not yet available. A Scottish working paper on capital charging, including a proposed timetable, will be published shortly.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the proportion of Forestry Commission sales since the introduction of the rationalisation plans sold(a) back to the previous owners, (b) privately and (c) by public sale.
  142
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Manouchehn Tehrani
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has now received a copy of the written decision of Lord Weir, in the Court of Session, concerning the dismissal of Mr. Manouchehn Tehrani, consultant surgeon, from his employment at the Inverclyde royal hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has seen a copy of Lord Weir's opinion. It now falls to Argyll and Clyde health board to consider anew the courses of action open to it.

  Fish Farms
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what quantities of Nuvan 500 EC have been released into the marine environment via salmon farms in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inspections of marine fish farms have been made in each of the last five years by(a) the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, (b) the river purification boards and (c) the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The numbers of marine fish farms by scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland were as follows:

  Numbers

  1984

  68

  1985

  101

  1986

  110

  1987

  133

  1988

  176

  Information is not held centrally on the number of inspections of marine fish farms by river purification authorities.

  Information as to inspections carried out by the Health and Safety Executive is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Employment.

  Matrimonial Homes
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish the report of the research into the working of the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I am placing copies of the report in the Library, and the Scottish Home and Health Department is sending copies to interested organisations.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Plutonium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has reviewed the
  143
  report, "The Transport of Plutonium by Air and Sea", written by Jonathan Spink and Paul Helliwell for the European Proliferation Information Centre on behalf of the national steering committee of the nuclear free zone authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The honorary secretary of the nuclear free zone national steering committee wrote to the permanent under-secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16 January enclosing a copy of the report. A reply to the honorary secretary's letter issued on 9 February. A copy of the reply is being placed in the Library of the House.

  Condor 2
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek a meeting with his counterpart on the Federal Republic of Germany to discuss the assistance given by Federal Germany aerospace companies to Argentina for the production of the Condor 2 ballistic missile system.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No, but officials from the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany frequently discuss the effective implementation of the missile technology control regime.

  Rain Forests
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has made any recent representations to the Brazilian ambassador over the chopping down of the Amazonian rain forest and its consequent implications for the depletion of the ozone layer.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I both drew to the attention of the visiting Secretary-General of the Brazilian Ministry for Foreign Affairs last week the strong concern felt in this country on environmental issues, notably the future of the Amazon rain forests. We stressed that our overall approach was to work with the Brazilian Government on these matters.

  PLO (Bombings)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, at his recent meeting with representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, he raised the question of compensation for victims of past Palestine Liberation Organisation bombings.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State has not met PLO representatives. We have not discussed with the PLO possible compensation for victims of acts of violence. We oppose such acts from whatever quarter.

  Israel (Nuclear Weapons)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, during his recent meeting with Israeli Government officials in Israel, the right hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Waldegrave) raised the issue of Israeli possession of nuclear weapons and the prospects of Israel signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
  144
  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State raised the question of Israeli accession to the non-proliferation treaty during his talks with Professor Arens on 15 February.

  Albert Mukong
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make inquiries of the Government of Cameroon about the reasons for the trial of Albert Mukong, a civilian, by a military court.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are aware of the case of Albert Mukong and have raised it with the Cameroon authorities. We shall continue to monitor the case.

  Oil Spill (Antarctic)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what treaty obligations and resources are available for oil spill control in the Antarctic; and whether Vikoma skimmers and the Frogmat boom have been evaluated in these latitudes.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are no specific treaty obligations which require the United Kingdom to clean up oil spills in Antarctica and there are no resources deployed in Antarctica by the United Kingdom for that purpose. The equipment referred to in the question has not, so far as I am aware, been evaluated in Antarctica although boom and skimmer devices were used in connection with the oil spill from the Bahia Paraiso which sank on 31 January.

  Iraq
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on steps he has taken to advise the Government of Iraq of Her Majesty's Government's attitude towards human rights violations in Iraq.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have repeatedly made clear to the Government of Iraq our concern at their failure to respect human rights in their country. On 9 March, we co-sponsored a draft resolution on human rights in Iraq in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and voted against Iraq's successful motion to take no action on that draft. Our representative at the Commission made clear our concerns in his statement.

  China
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on human rights in China; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  In addition to publicly available sources, Her Majesty's embassy in Peking provides regular reports on human rights questions.

  We are concerned about human rights in China. Our general aim is to encourage the Chinese Government to continue their programme of economic, social and political reforms, in the belief that in the long run this will lead to the development of a stable and democratic society in China, which is essential for the respect of human rights.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Veterinary Practitioners
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many qualified veterinary practitioners completed their training in the United Kingdom in each year from 1985 to 1988; and how many veterinary practitioners, qualified abroad, were registered to practice in the United Kingdom in each year over that period.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The numbers of veterinary students who completed their training and obtained veterinary degrees in the United Kingdom in each year from 1985 to 1988 are:

  Number

  1985–86

  379

  1986–87

  366

  1987–88

  384

  1988–89

  314

  The numbers of qualified veterinarians from abroad registering with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons entitling them to practise in the United Kingdom in each of these years was:

  Number

  1985–86

  122

  1986–87

  224

  1987–88

  263

  1988–89

  256

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what mandatory training veterinary practitioners undergo with respect to(a) the treatement of marine fish and (b) protection of the marine environment.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Undergraduate veterinary training courses include basic instruction on all animal species. Veterinary graduates may choose to specialise in any aspect of veterinary surgery including marine fish.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what central records are kept of products prescribed by veterinary practitioners.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  None.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Tax System
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he anticipates that the law relating to capital gains tax, capital allowances and the management of the tax system will be consolidated.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 2 March 1989]: Consolidation of statute law is the responsibility of the Law Commission. One present plans, it is expected that a Bill consolidating the law on capital allowances will be ready for introduction early in the 1989/90 Session of Parliament. The Law Commission envisage that further work on consolidation of tax law will follow.

  National Debt
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what components comprise the calculation of the national debt.

  Mr. Lilley
  The national debt is conventionally defined as the nominal liabilities of the National Loans Fund. These consist mainly of short, medium and long-dated Government securities, national savings products and Treasury bills. As such, they take no account of the public sector's holdings of short-term assets (for example foreign exchange reserves held in the exchange equalisation account). At 31 March 1988 the national debt stood at £197·5 billion, of which market holdings were £177·9 billion.

  Full details of the national debt are published annually in the consolidated fund and national loans fund accounts: supplementary statements, and placed in the Library.

  However, net public sector debt is nowadays a more appropriate measure of public sector indebtedness than the traditional measure of "national debt" as it covers the whole of the public sector rather than just central Government and it also takes account of the public sector's short-term assets. At 31 March 1988 net public sector debt stood at £171·3 billion. Full details of the components of net public sector debt are published in the November 1988 Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the national debt at today's value in(a) 1973–74, (b) 1978–89 and (c) 1987–88.

  Mr. Lilley
  In 1987–88 prices, the national debt at the end of each year was as follows:

  £ billion

  1973–74

  177·5

  1978–79

  178·3

  1987–88

  197·3

  However the national debt is conventionally defined as the liabilities of the national loans fund. As such it is not the most useful or comprehensive measure of the total state of public sector indebtedness. It comprises debt held by official bodies within central Government, it does not cover the whole of central Government debt and it excludes entirely the debt of other parts of the public sector. In addition, it takes no account of the public sector's short-term assets including foreign exchange reserves. A better measure is public sector net debt, though figures for this are only available from end 1974–75. In 1987–88 prices, the public sector net debt at the end of each year was as follows:

  £ billion

  1974–75

  218·9

  1978–79

  180·3

  1987–88

  171·3

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the national debt was repaid between(a) 1974–75 and 1978–79 and (b) 1978–79 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Lilley
  The national debt is conventionally defined as the liabilities of the national loans fund. As such it is not the most useful or comprehensive measure of the total
  147
  state of public sector indebtedness. It includes debt held by official bodies within central Government, it does not cover the whole of central Government debt and it excludes entirely the debt of other parts of the public sector. In addition, it takes no account of the public sector's short-term assets. A better measure is public sector net debt, whose flow analogue is the PSBR-PSDR.

  In 1987–88 prices the cumulative PSBR was as follows:

  (a) 1974–75 to 1978–79 £118·9 billion (or £22·4 billion a year on average).

  (b) 1979–80 to 1987–88 £88·4 billion (or £9·8 billion a year on average).

  Select Committees (Recommendations)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about, and how many accepted by, his Department since June 1987.

  Mr. Major
  The reports of the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee and the Government's replies to them are available in the Library of the House of Commons.

  VAT
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy concerning the provision to credit reference agencies of information concerning the non-payment of value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: Information held by Customs and Excise about the VAT affairs of registered traders is confidential and is not disclosed to credit agencies.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each of the past 10 years the number of new businesses which have registered for value added tax in Waveney.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: I regret that statistics are not maintained on a district basis. The local VAT office at Ipswich covers not only the Waveney constituency but the area which includes Ipswich itself, Felixstowe, Newmarket and Bury St. Edmunds. The number of VAT registrations processed by that office for each of the calendar years 1979 to 1988 was:

  Year

  New registrations

  1979

  1,612

  1980

  1,497

  1981

  1,726

  1982

  1,528

  1983

  1,557

  1984

  2,321

  1985

  2,094

  1986

  2,180

  1987

  2,324

  1988

  2,826

  Advertising
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest figure for the estimated spending in 1988–89 by the Central Office of Information on(a)
  148
  television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material; and what is the 1989–90 budget for each of these categories of spending.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: The estimated spending for 1988–89 by the Central Office of Information on behalf of other Government Departments for the above categories is:

  £ million

  (a) TV advertising

  49·5

  (b) Radio advertising

  1·5

  (c) Newspaper advertising

  35·0

  (d) Other promotional material

  23·5

  109·5

  Detailed decisions on estimated expenditure by media through COI on behalf of other Government Departments for 1989–90 is a matter for departmental Ministers.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the latest figures for the number of staff presently employed, and the full complement of staff including vacant posts, by grade, in the statistical divisions in the Central Office of Information; if he will differentiate between staff in statistical posts and staff in administrative posts; and if he will give the staffing complements by grade, and differentiate between statistical and administrative posts, proposed for 1989–90.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: The Central Office of Information does not have statistical divisions or staff in statistical posts; nor are any proposed for in 1989–90.

  Civil List
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the total amount payable under the Civil List Acts to the royal family in the calendar years 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Lawson
  The information on amounts payable to the royal family in the present and previous year is as follows:

  1988

  1989

  £

  £

  The Queen's Civil List

  4,500,000

  4,658,000

  HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

  390,300

  404,000

  HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

  217,700

  225,300

  HRH The Duke of York

  86,500

  155,400

  HRH The Prince Edward

  20,000

  20,000

  HRH The Princess Royal

  135,600

  140,400

  HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

  132,100

  136,700

  HRH The Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester

  53,500

  55,400

  HRH The Duke of Gloucester

  106,300

  110,000

  HRH The Duke of Kent

  143,500

  148,500

  HRH Princess Alexandra, Hon. Lady Angus Ogilvy

  136,800

  141,600

  Total

  5,922,300

  6,195,300

  Refunded by Her Majesty The Queen

  386,600

  400,100

  5,535,700

  5,795,200

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Work Permits
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the position on the granting of work permits to husbands of Commonwealth exchange teachers working in schools in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  Under the immigration rules, the husbands of women admitted to the United Kingdom as Commonwealth exchange teachers cannot themselves be admitted to take employment unless they qualify in their own right—for example, by obtaining work permits in accordance with the usual criteria. I am, however, considering whether husbands should be admissible, with freedom to take employment, on the basis that their wives are being admitted as Commonwealth exchange teachers.

  Court Service (Clerks)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has about the number of justices' clerks, their deputies and court clerks in the magistrates courts service who have left the service to take up similar positions with the Crown prosecution service.

  Mr. John Patten
  I understand that at the end of February there were 278 court clerk vacancies in England and Wales. The number of court clerks who have taken up appointments with the Crown prosecution service during the previous year is not available except at disproportionate cost, but is due to be collected shortly. Information about justices' clerks and their deputies has not so far been available separately, but we propose to collect it.

  Women's National Alliance
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the decision to refuse a grant to the National Alliance of Women's Organisations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. Friend has received 26 representations and, having considered the points that they have made, can see no reason to change his decision that the Home Office should not make a grant to the proposed national alliance.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what applications he has received for the funding of a women's national alliance; whether he has reached a decison on any such application; and whether he will be taking into account existing funding provided to bodies representing women's interests in reaching his decision.

  Mr. John Patten
  The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has applied for a grant for a new National Alliance of Women's Organisations. My right hon. Friend has decided that funds should not be made available for the organisation. In reaching a decision he took account of existing funding provided to bodies representing women's interests.

  Entry Applications
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each country(a) the number of applications to enter the United Kingdom for marriage under paragraphs 41 and 46 of the immigration rules and (b) the number of refusals of such applications in (i) 1987 and (ii) 1988.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested on fiancé(e)s (paragraph 41 of the immigration rules) and spouses (paragraph 46) applying for entry clearance to the United Kingdom is available centrally only for those countries specified in the following table.

  Fiance(e)s and spouses applying for entry clearance to the United Kingdom

  Number of persons

  Applications

  Country

  Newly received1

  Granted2 3

  Refused initially3

  Bangladesh

  1987

  1,720

  1,180

  250

  19884

  1,270

  1,000

  280

  India

  1987

  3,450

  2,520

  890

  19884

  2,290

  2,030

  610

  Pakistan

  1987

  5,370

  3,060

  940

  19884

  4,040

  2,530

  730

  Hong Kong

  1987

  320

  250

  10

  19884

  230

  210

  5—

  1 Including applications subsequently withdrawn.

  2 Granted initially or on appeal.

  3 These applications may have been received in an earlier period.

  4 January to September.

  5 5 or fewer.

  Telephone Survey
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how people who took part in the recent Home Office telephone survey relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales were chosen.

  Mr. John Patten
  Those interviewed in the recent Home Office telephone survey were chosen from listings of randomly generated England and Wales telephone numbers. This maintained the confidentiality of the name and address of the respondent. The sample in England and Wales—2,000 men and women—was chosen to be a representative cross-section of those aged 16 or over.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether surveys similar to the recent telephone survey by the Home Office relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales have been conducted under its auspices in the past.

  Mr. John Patten
  Surveys similar to the recent telephone survey have been conducted in the past under Home Office auspices, though this is the first occasion on which telephone interviewing has been used. Other surveys have used face-to-face interviewing with similar questions asked. The British crime survey was conducted in England and Wales in 1982, 1984 and 1988 (and in Scotland in 1982
  151
  and 1988). The Home Office has also commissioned surveys to measure criminal victimisation at the more local level. Telephone interviewing was used in the current survey because it was less expensive than face-to-face interviewing, but mainly because it allowed greater standardisation of field work methods across the participating countries.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the questions that were asked in the recent telephone survey by the Home Office relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  The questionnaire contained questions about respondents' experience of eight crimes—vehicle theft from, bicycle theft, theft vehicles, vandalism to vehicles, burglary, thefts of personal property, robbery, and assault. Additionally, women were asked about sexual assault. Other questions asked included fear of crime, satisfaction with local policing, and crime prevention behaviour. Some social-demographic information was also collected.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the recent telephone survey by the Home Office relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Office research and planning unit (who acted as co-ordinator for the survey in England and Wales, and to whom respondents were referred if they had any queries) received about 50 calls from people who were either interested in confirming that the survey was bona fide, or wished to know why questions on household security had been asked. No one in England and Wales complained directly about the sexual assault question. One person wrote to the Home Office for confirmation that the interview she had given was part of a survey which the Home Office had commissioned.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the purpose of the recent telephone survey by the Home Office relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  The survey in England and Wales was conducted as part of an international exercise in which 15 countries have so far taken part. The countries are mainly those from the European Community, though the United States, Canada and Australia have also participated. Because of problems in comparing levels of crime across countries using information on recorded crime, the international survey used an identical questionnaire and highly standardised sample selection and field work methods to provide a comparable measure of levels of victimisation. Sexual harassment was one of nine forms of victimisation which women in the same were asked about. The survey also aims to compare attitudes to and responses to crime in the different countries.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken to protect the confidentiality of respondents to the recent telephone survey by the Home Office relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  The names and addresses of those interviewed in the recent telephone survey on crime in England and Wales were not known to interviewers as they 152
  were contacted through randomly generated telephone numbers. The Home Office do not know (and will not know) which telephone numbers were called. The full confidentiality of the information obtained was explained by the interviewers to potential respondents before seeking their agreement to take part.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what qualifications the people who carried out the recent telephone survey by the Home Department relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales had.

  Mr. John Patten
  Interviewers in the company which conducted the recent telephone survey in England and Wales (and Scotland) are experienced in interviewing for research purposes. They had undergone a full training programme for telephone interviewing and operate under the Market Research Society's code of conduct. There was also a full briefing for interviewers by a female Home Office survey expert in which the special features of this survey were emphasised.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps were taken to ensure that respondents to the recent telephone survey by the Home Office relating to sexual harassment in England and Wales were made aware of the voluntary nature of the survey.

  Mr. John Patten
  The interviews were carried out according to the Market Research Society's code of conduct which requires that respondents must be made aware of the voluntary nature of all surveys. Respondents were allowed the opportunity to decline to take part before the interview began. Respondents were also given the opportunity to check that the survey was bona fide. In England and Wales, one person in two declined to take part in the interview.

  Police Officers
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many police officers have(a) applied for a transfer from the Metropolitan police to provincial forces since 1 January and (b) had their applications approved; and what were the comparable figures for the year ended 31 December 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the commissioner that of the 201 applications for transfer received since 1 January 1989, five had been accepted by 10 March. In 1988, 464 applications were received, of which 92 had been accepted by 31 December, and a further 82 have been accepted since.

  Broadcasting Levy
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet in a position to announce the revised broadcasting levy arrangements for the period 1990 to 1992.

  Mr. Hurd
  Full details of the new levy arrangements will be published in the Finance Bill. A levy rate of 10 per cent. will be applied to net advertising revenue for each ITV company after their fourth channel subscription and a £15 million "free slice" have been deducted. A levy rate
  153
  of 25 per cent. will then be applied to the net domestic profits for each company after the advertising revenue levy and a £2 million "free slice" have been deducted. There will be no levy on profits from overseas sales.

HEALTH

  Salmonella
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will give a member of the public suffering from salmonella poisoning the identity of the source of their infection when it is known to his Department.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My Department is not the source of such information. The local authority environmental health department has primary responsibility for investigating cases of food poisoning. Any requests for information relating to such cases should be directed to the medical officer for environmental health of the appropriate authority.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the average waiting times for the following operations at each of the hospitals in the Trent regional health authority(a) hip replacements, (b) knee replacements, (c) hernias, (d) cataracts, (e) ear, nose and throat, (f) varicose veins, and (g) gynaecological; if he will show in his answer comparative figures for five and 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not collect waiting time information centrally for individual hospitals. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Trent regional health authority, who may be able to provide this information.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the waiting list statistics for September 1988 are yet available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  I have today published a statistical bulletin giving details of numbers of in-patients and day cases on the NHS hospital waiting lists for the six months which ended on 30 September 1988.

  On a comparable basis with earlier figures, there were 691,100 patients on the in-patient waiting lits for England at 30 September last year. This is a slight increase on the figure for March 1988, although it is still more than 8 per cent. lower than in March 1979.

  During the six months in question 941,400 in-patients and 359,200 day cases were treated from the waiting lists. For in-patients and day cases treated, the median waiting time was estimated to be around five weeks—a period which we have managed to sustain since March last year, in spite of the fact that the NHS is now treating more patients than ever before.

  General Practitioners (Contracts)
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has made to the general medical services committee to safeguard the earnings of general practitioners in the transition of any new general practitioner contract.

  Mr. Mellor
  The GMSC negotiators were sent proposals for transitional arrangements associated with changes in
  154
  the GPs' remuneration system on 27 February. Those proposals formed part of confidential discussions with the GMSC negotiators and I have no plans to disclose the details at this stage.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new money is being made available to ease the transition to any new general practitioner contract.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer my hon. Friend to the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" (paragraph 2·6) which states:
  "the Government are prepared to invest substantial extra resources into those parts of the FPS where they are most needed, in order particularly to develop positive health promotion activities, raise standards and make the services more sensitive to the needs of the consumer."

  AIDS
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the allocation of special funds for AIDS to the North East Thames regional health authority in 1987–88 and 1988–89 and what it will be in 1989–90; what has been the North East Thames regional health authority programme of expenditure on AIDS, listed by each district, in 1987–88 and 1988–89; and for what specific capital and revenue schemes the North East Thames regional health authority has allocated funds from its AIDS budget in 1987–88 and 1988–89.

  Mr. Mellor
  The table shows the funds allocated for AIDS to the North East Thames RHA.

  £ million

  1987–88

  6·163

  1988–89

  11·417

  1989–90

  16·655

  We do not hold centrally details of the region's AIDS expenditure by district and on its specific capital and revenue schemes held. The hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of the North East Thames RHA for this information.

  Computerised Information (Confidentiality)
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulatory guidelines are issued to general practitioners who store confidential patient data on general practitioner personal computers.

  Mr. Freeman
  All general medical practitioners who control the contents and use of automated data (including data held on practice personal computers) are required to be registered under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984. The general medical services committee of the British Medical Association has drawn up guidance, working in close consultation with the Data Protection Registrar's office and the Department of Health.

  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what protection from unauthorised internal and external access is afforded to computerised testing information on pharmaceuticals for approval.

  Mr. Mellor
  Access to confidential information relating to medicinal products which is held on the licensing authority's computerised database is protected by the appropriate physical and logical security controls. The effectiveness of these controls is kept under active review.

  Ambulance Journeys
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds regarding the number of ambulance journeys made in each of the last five years in(a) England and Wales and (b) each regional health authority area; in each case, what proportion of these

  Ambulance services

  Number of patients-journeys by regional health authority (Thousands)

  Regional health authority and patient-journeys1

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987–88

  South East Thames Total

  1,125·0

  1,128·1

  1,054·8

  1,026·2

  841·5

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  South West Thames Total

  3,649·1

  3,624·4

  3,528·2

  3,136·4

  3,063·6

  Journeys by private ambulance

  113·4

  112·7

  110·4

  121·6

  121·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  3·1

  3·1

  3·1

  3·9

  3·9

  Wessex Total

  1,359·9

  1,408·0

  1,454·5

  1,412·5

  1,106·9

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·9

  8·7

  8·3

  8·8

  22·4

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·1

  0·6

  0·6

  0·6

  2·0

  Oxford Total

  947·3

  914·9

  934·9

  863·1

  826·4

  Journeys by private ambulance

  4·3

  3·4

  3·4

  3·3

  3·6

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·5

  0·4

  0·4

  0·4

  0·4

  South Western Total

  1,917·4

  1,967·6

  1,960·3

  1,795·3

  1,443·6

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·3

  0·4

  0·3

  0·1

  0·4

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  West Midlands Total

  2,012·9

  2,000·3

  2,009·3

  1,976·1

  2,041·7

  Journeys by private ambulance

  133·5

  134·0

  102·9

  105·2

  125·7

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  6·6

  6·7

  5·1

  5·3

  6·2

  Mersey Total

  1,126·8

  1,103·8

  1,147·5

  1,235·8

  1,267·4

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·0

  4·9

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·0

  0·4

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  England Total

  21,271·1

  21,281·7

  21,364·2

  20,685·8

  19,669·5

  Journeys by private ambulance

  351·0

  345·1

  296·8

  307·4

  312·4

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  1·7

  1·6

  1·4

  1·5

  1·6

  Northern Total

  1,610·4

  1,567·9

  1,600·6

  1,622·3

  1,568·5

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·5

  0·6

  0·5

  0·1

  0·1

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  Yorkshire Total

  1,847·5

  1,840·5

  1,873·6

  1,888·4

  1,837·2

  Journeys by private ambulance

  6·0

  3·5

  0·9

  0·0

  0·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·3

  0·2

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  Trent Total

  1,802·0

  1,838·3

  1,877·7

  1,930·1

  2,061·9

  Journeys by private ambulance

  2·3

  3·3

  2·2

  2·2

  1·9

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·1

  0·2

  0·1

  0·1

  0·1

  East Anglia Total

  953·8

  997·4

  1,016·7

  944·2

  877·8

  Journeys by private ambulance

  3·4

  3·0

  0·1

  0·1

  0·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·4

  0·3

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  North West Thames Total

  476·4

  469·6

  464·2

  470·0

  508·7

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  North East Thames Total

  548·0

  547·7

  559·3

  575·0

  557·8

  Journeys by private ambulance

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  0·0

  North Western Total

  1,894·7

  1,864·1

  1,882·7

  1,801·0

  1,666·5

  Journeys by private ambulance

  79·2

  76·7

  67·6

  66·1

  32·4

  Journeys by private ambulance as a percentage of total

  4·2

  4·1

  3·6

  3·7

  1·9

  1One patient-journey is defined as one patient carried in one direction. A patient taken to a hospital and later in the same day taken home again counts as two patient-journeys.

  156
  journeys were made in a private ambulance contracted to the health authority concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The available information for England is given in the table. Figures for the London ambulance authority are included with those for South-West Thames. The information relating to Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Hearing Aids
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will extend the range of hearing aids available on the National Health Service.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Greenwich (Mrs. Barnes) on 13 March.

  Physical Measurement Technicians
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to address the high vacancy rates of physical measurement technicians (audiology) in the National Health Service.

  Mr. Mellor
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29 November to the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) at column 197.

  Prescription Costs
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the prescription cost per head for each family practitioner committee area, and for each health region for 1988–89 and as estimated for 1989–90, both on a current and standard price basis; and if he will provide exemplifications of per capita allocations to regions and districts on the same current and standard price bases and on the basis of the same resources assuming the same weights as for the weighted capitation system proposed for hospital services and disregarding the effects of temporary residence and cross-boundary dispensing.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not yet have available information about the net ingredient cost of drugs per head for FPCs or regions for 1988–89. Estimates of prescription costs for future years are not available below national level. The indicative prescribing budget scheme will not start to operate until 1991. It is too soon to say what the regional allocations will he at that time.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received regarding prescription charges.

  Mr. Mellor
  During the last month I have received 27 letters about prescription charges from hon. Members. I have also received a further 48 letters from members of the public and interested bodies on the same subject.

  Old Red House, Whitby
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that the care and well-being of the residents of the Old Red House private aged persons' home, Bagdale, Whitby are being properly safeguarded following its deregistration.

  Mr. Mellor
  North Yorkshire county council, which is the local social services authority for Whitby, has confirmed that it is closely monitoring the care and well-being of the residents remaining in the home pending arrangements for their future care.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been done on the proportion of elderly 158
  people admitted to hospital who are admitted as a direct result of the adverse effects of medication; and what were the finding of the research.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Department has commissioned no research on this specific issue but doctors are responsible for considering the risks of known adverse reactions when they write prescriptions, and the published data sheets draw attention to such reactions.

  Psychiatry (Old Age)
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health districts have currently a specialised service for the psychiatry of old age and of those which do not; how many have plans to establish such a service within the next three years;

  (2) how many consultants are currently working within the National Health Service in the field of old age psychiatry; and how many more are needed to ensure that every district health authority has sufficient consultants specialising in old age psychiatry on the basis of consultant cover of one session for every 2,000 elderly people.

  Mr. Freeman
  We do not hold this information centrally. In a joint report published in February this year the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists and Physicians estimate that there are currently 243 consultants working in old age psychiatry and that 152 district health authorities have specialised services. These figures represent a considerable advance in recent years. Detailed planning and provision of services is a matter for individual health authorities. The appointment of at least one psychogeriatrician in each health district is a key priority in our policy to provide a comprehensive range of services for the elderly mentally ill.

  Rail Accidents
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the times at which yellow and red alerts were received at St. George's hospital, Tooting, and the Mayday hospital, Thornton Heath, respectively, subsequent to the recent rail accidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  At the Clapham rail accident a yellow alert was given to St. George's hospital, Tooting at 08.23 and a major accident was declared at 08.48. In the incident at Purley a yellow alert was given at 13.50 and a major accident was declared at 14.20. The term red alert is not used by the London ambulance service.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings took place between Ministers in his Department and appointed members of the South West Thames regional health authority concerning the budget of the London ambulance service for the year 1988–89; and what meetings have taken place, or he expects to take place, concerning determination of the budget for the year 1989–90.

  Mr. Freeman
  No such meetings have taken or will take place. The determination of the London ambulance service revenue budget is a matter for the South West Thames regional health authority in consultation with the other three Thames regions.
  159
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the general reason why between 50 and 160 out-patient appointments per week were cancelled in the north-east division of the London ambulance service in January and the first fortnight of February because no ambulance was available; and what steps he or the South West Thames regional health authority intends to take to eliminate such cancellations throughout the area of the London ambulance service.

  Mr. Freeman
  The principal reason for these cancellations was a shortage of staff. I understand there are currently 43 vacancies—out of a whole time establishment of 248—in the north-east division of the London ambulance service. Every effort is being made to fill the vacancies.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his reply of Wednesday 1 March,Official Report, column 251 concerning the proportion of emergency calls for ambulances diverted to recorded message machines at the headquarters of the London ambulance service, he will publish what figures are available in respect of the use of this service during the month of February, including the proportion of time when calls were diverted to it and an indication of the range of wait for callers before being able to communicate details of emergencies.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not collected routinely and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South concerning the 1989–90 budget of the London ambulance service,Official Report, 1 March, column 251, he will state when discussions with the non-managing Thames regional health authorities will be concluded; what information has been supplied to the other named consultants and by what date they were asked to give their observations; when the South West Thames regional hospital authority will decide on the budget; when he expects to receive its request to him for the sum required; and on what date its estimates will be made public.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for the South West Thames regional health authority and the hon. Member may wish to contact the regional chairman, Mrs. Julia Cumberlege.

  Hospital and Community Health Service
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what has been the level of expenditure in each year since 1978–79 on the hospital and community health services adjusted by the HCHS pay and prices deflator.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information is as follows:

  Gross Current Expenditure

  Cash

  £ million Adjusted using HCHS pay and prices deflator

  1978–79

  4,522

  10,896

  1979–80

  5,395

  10,790

  1980–81

  7,097

  11,089

  1981–82

  7,835

  11,322

  1982–83

  8,439

  11,450

  160

  Gross Current Expenditure

  Cash

  £ million Adjusted using HCHS pay and prices deflator

  1983–84

  8,882

  11,461

  1984–85

  9,386

  11,446

  1985–86

  9,886

  11,469

  1986–87

  10,623

  11,522

  1987–88

  11,730

  11,730

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to review his Department's policy for residents of nursing homes for the elderly presently not covered by the Registered Homes Act 1984.

  Mr. Mellor
  I understand that my hon. Friend has in mind residential care homes rather than nursing homes. The report of the committee chaired by Lady Wagner "Residential Care—A Positive Choice" contained recommendations on the regulation of these homes. We are giving careful consideration to the recommendations in the report before deciding whether any change is desirable in the current arrangements.

  Pay and Price Deflator
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's estimate of the hospital and community health service pay and price deflator for 1988–89.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 22 February 1989]: The deflator is expected to rise by some 10·5 per cent. in 1988–89. A large part of this increase is attributable to review body pay awards, including the 17·9 per cent. award to nurses.

  Official Secrets
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the advisory committees coming under his Department and concerned in some way with public health which are covered by the Official Secrets Act whose members are required to sign the Official Secrets Act.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 24 February 1989]: Not all members of the following committees, which are concerned with various aspects of public health, will have signed the Official Secrets Act declaration, but the provisions of section 2 of that Act would apply in respect of sensitive official information entrusted to them on a confidential basis:

  Academic Forum

  Administration of Radioactive Substances Advisory Committee

  Advisory Committee for Medical Manpower Planning

  Advisory Committee on Assessment of Laboratory Standards

  Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances

  Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening

  Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens

  Advisory Committee on Distinction Awards

  Advisory Committee on Ethics of Gene Modification Therapy in Humans

  Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs

  Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes

  AIDS Services Working Group

  British Pharmacopeia Commission (BPC)

  BPC—Committee A. Medicinal Chemicals

  BPC—Committee B. Medicinal Chemicals

  161

  BPC—Committee C. General Chemicals

  BPC—Committee D. Steroids

  BPC—Committee E. Antibiotics

  BPC—Committee F. Pharmacy

  BPC—Committee G. Crude Drugs and Galenicals

  BPC—Committee H. Biological Materials

  BPC—Committee J. Immunologicals

  BPC—Committee K. Blood Products

  BPC—Committee L. Surgical Dressings

  BPC—Committee M. Nomenclature

  BPC—Sub Committee N. Medicines and Doses (Veterinary) Building and Engineering Research and Development Committee

  Building Legislation Working Group

  Building Notes Consultative Group

  Cardiology Liaison Committee

  Central Manpower Committee

  Chief Scientists Organisation (CSO)—Childcare Research Liaison Group

  CSO—Physical Disablement Research Liaison Group

  CSO—Procurement Directorate Research Liaison Group

  Committee for Monitoring Agreements on Tobacco Advertising

  Committee on Carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment

  Committee on Dental and Surgical Materials

  Committee on Gynaecological Cytology

  Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA)

  COMA—Committee on Recommended Daily Amounts of Nutrients

  COMA—Contamination of Air, Soil and Water

  COMA—Panel on Child Nutrition

  COMA—Panel on Sugar

  COMA—Radiation in the Environment

  COMA—Sub Committee on Nutritional Surveillance

  Committee on Mutagenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment.

  Committee on Research into Behavioural Aspects of Smoking and Health

  Committee on the Review of Medicines

  Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM)

  CSM—Sub Committee on Adverse Reactions to Vaccines and Immunisations

  CSM—Sub Committee on Biologicals

  CSM—Sub Committee on Chemistry Pharmacy Standards

  CSM—Sub Committee on Safety, Efficacy and Adverse Reactions

  Committee on Toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment

  Dental Advisory Committee

  Dental Auxiliaries Committee

  Dental Estimates Board

  Dental Formulary Sub Committee

  Dental Rates Study Group

  Elderly Research Liaison Group

  Expert Advisory Group on AIDS

  Health Advisory Service

  Hospital Engineering Technical Support Group

  Hospital Infection Working Group

  Independent Scientific Committee on Smoking and Health

  Information Advisory Group

  Joint Monitoring Group for "Achieving a Balance"

  Joint Planning Advisory Committee

  Legionnaires Disease: Code of Practice Working Party

  Maternal Mortality Committee

  Medical Advisory Committee

  Medical Practices Committee

  Medicines Commission

  Mental Handicap Research Liaison Group

  Microbiology Advisory Committee

  National Biological Standards Board UK

  National Development Team for People with a Mental Handicap

  National Fire Policy Advisory Group

  Neurosciences Liaison Committee

  Ongoing Review Panel on Diet and Cardiovascular Disease

  Panel on Leprosy Opinion

  Panel on Novel Foods

  Physical Disablement Research Liaison Group

  Prescription Pricing Authority

  162

  Radiological Advisory Committee

  Rural Dispensing Committee

  Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical Education

  Standing Dental Advisory Committee

  Standing Medical Advisory Committee

  Standing Nursing and Midwifery Advisory Committee

  Standing Panel on Hazards from Microbial Contamination of Food

  Standing Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee

  Standing Sub-Committee on Cancer

  Supra Regional Services Advisory Group

  Training Allowance Advisory Committee

  Transplant Advisory Panel

  UK Transplant Management Committee

  Working Party on Continuing Education of GPs

  Listeria
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct clinical staff to ensure that perinatal deaths, still births and miscarriages are examined for the presence of listeria monocytogenes.

  Mr. Kenneth Clark
  [holding answer 27 February 1989]: My Department has already drawn the attention of the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to possible under-reporting of maternofoetal listerial infection. Further advice to doctors was given by the Chief Medical Officer on 16 February 1989.

  Abortions
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of abortions performed in Basildon health authority area from April 1968 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 2 March 1989]: The total number of abortions performed in a particular area is not released for reasons of confidentiality. However, information on the number of abortions performed upon usual residents of Basildon and Thurrock district health authority (Basildon urban district (including Basildon new town) plus Thurrock urban district 1968–74; Basildon and Thurrock health district 1975–81; Basildon and Thurrock district health authority 1982–87.) from 28 April 1968 to 31 December 1987 was 12,179.

  Eye Tests
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage proportion of(a) a weekly income of £814·56, and (b) a single basic state weekly pension of £41·15 would have to be used in order to pay for an eye test from 1 April.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: The question gives insufficient information about the personal circumstances of the individual concerned to allow me to answer. Furthermore, questions as to whether there will be or will not be an eye test charge will be determined by the retailer. It is possible no charge may be made at all.

  Food Poisoning
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of food poisoning during 1988 were traced to(a) food eaten outside the home, (b) chilled prepared meals eaten in the home and (c) retail packs of food;
  163
  (2) how many outbreaks of food poisoning were reported in 1988; how many were caused by chilled prepared meals; and how many by food eaten in restaurants and so on.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: Provisional data show that there were 472 outbreaks of food poisoning reported to the public health laboratory service in 1988. Information on the number of reported outbreaks associated with the consumption of food in the home or elsewhere is not yet available. Reports to the public health laboratory service do not usually provide information on the way a suspect food was processed or sold.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scientific evidence he has suggesting that listeria monocytogenes can be eliminated by cook-chill catering that operates within his Department's 1980 guidelines.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: Studies by the Camden Food and Drink Research Association and the agriculture and food research council, Institute of Food Research, Norwich have shown that the heating and reheating temperature recommended in the 1980 guidelines will destroy listeria monocytogenes.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has studied the survey of the microbiological quality of airline meals carried out jointly with the food hygiene laboratory, Colindale and the health departments of the London borough of Hounslow and Spelthorne borough council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: I have not yet received a copy of this survey.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Mathematics and Science
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that sufficient time will be available after the date of the first national curriculum orders being made for mathematics and science and before the start of the autumn term this year in order to permit(a) the preparation of in-service training courses for the teachers concerned and (b) the subsequent preparation by teachers of suitable schemes of work for their classes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend is today laying the final National Curriculum Orders for mathematics and science. The general nature of the requirements has been known for some time, and a number of LEAs have already prepared in-service training courses. To support such courses, the National Curriculum Council has commissioned subject-specific in-service training materials which will be sent to all schools during the summer term. It is for local education authorities and schools to ensure that the non-teaching time available before the autumn, which may include two extra closure days, is used to best effect in helping teachers to prepare for the introduction of the new requirements.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assumptions have been made 164
  by his Department in relation to the availability of non-contact time for primary school teachers in order to prepare suitable schemes of work for the national curriculum in mathematics and science; if he will estimate the typical number of non-contact hours available to a primary school teacher for such work before the start of the autumn term this year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  Results of the 1987 primary school staffing survey show that teachers in maintained primary schools in England have on average two hours of non-contact time within the average pupil's week of 22½ hours of taught lessons. There is further non-teaching time available within teachers' annual 1,265 hours of directed time for tasks such as preparing or revising schemes of work. In addition to the five annual days available for in-service training, schools may close for two days in 1989 specifically to prepare for the introduction of the national curriculum. There should be plenty of scope over the coming six months for primary teachers to prepare, or revise as necessary, schemes of work to incorporate the national curriculum requirements in mathematics and science.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what number and proportion of primary school teachers expected to be concerned in the implementation of the national curriculum orders for mathematics and science this year have no formal training or qualification above O-level in either mathematics or science; what assessment he has made of particular training needs for such teachers in the preparation of suitable schemes of work for their classes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  In March 1987 there were an estimated 115,400 full-time and 26,100 part-time teachers in maintained nursery and primary schools in England who had no qualification above O-level in mathematics or science and had not attended an in-service course of at least one term's full-time duration or equivalent in the previous five years. These represent 72 per cent. and 78 per cent. respectively of the total number of full-time and part-time teachers in primary schools. However, initial training for primary teachers is designed to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach across the full range of primary subjects. It is for LEAs to assess the training needs of their teachers, including the particular needs of those teaching five-year-olds in September 1989 who will have to implement the national curriculum programmes of study and attainment targets in mathematics and science from that date, and to meet these needs using funds available through the LEA training grants scheme. My right hon. Friend has allowed for two extra closure days for in-service training in 1989, and the National Curriculum Council is preparing subject-specific training materials for use in schools.

  University Salaries
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that salaries for academic and academic-related university staffs are adequate to maintain excellence in teaching and research in British universities.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has recently informed the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and
  165
  Principals that limited additional funding will be available for pay increases for university staff after the staff's industrial action ceases. It is now for the vice-chancellors to reach a settlement with the Association of University Teachers.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the implications for the working of the formal salary negotiating machinery of the university authorities' unilateral withdrawal from the machinery.

  Mr. Jackson
  The salary negotiating machinery for university non-clinical academic and academic-related staff is voluntary. Although the university authorities are not at present willing to operate it, I understand that they are in active, informal discussion with the staff representatives.

  School Transport (Disabled)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what responsibilities a local education authority has for transport to school in cases where(a) the child is disabled, (b) both parents are or the sole parent is disabled and (c) one parent is disabled; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Butcher
  In assessing a child with special educational needs under the provisions of the Education Act 1981, a local education authority is required to take into account any non-educational provision which may be necessary to enable the child to gain access to the curriculum. This includes the need for transport, which must be provided free to children whose needs require it.

  Local education authority

  Primary expenditure

  Secondary expenditure

  Primary cost per pupil

  Secondary cost per pupil

  (£000)

  (£000)

  (£)

  (£)

  Barking

  13,428

  14,623

  1,010

  1,470

  Barnet

  22,111

  27,691

  1,060

  1,510

  Bexley

  15,042

  21,751

  915

  1,370

  Brent

  22,485

  23,465

  1,105

  1,805

  Bromley

  17,531

  24,971

  925

  1,420

  Croydon

  22,519

  28,750

  935

  1,535

  Ealing

  27,336

  20,702

  1,135

  1,650

  Enfield

  18,180

  24,422

  890

  1,380

  Haringey

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Harrow

  16,484

  15,951

  1,020

  1,600

  Havering

  16,804

  27,189

  905

  1,510

  Hillingdon

  17,248

  21,811

  1,000

  1,520

  Hounslow

  17,837

  20,181

  1,065

  1,505

  Kingston- Upon-Thames

  8,248

  12,252

  915

  1,530

  Merton

  8,075

  16,548

  950

  1,325

  Newham

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Redbridge

  14,847

  20,485

  935

  1,465

  Richmond-Upon-Thames

  8,973

  9,137

  1,000

  1,330

  Sutton

  9,049

  14,723

  855

  1,300

  Waltham Forest

  18,390

  25,719

  1,095

  1,915

  ILEA

  228,423

  267,983

  1,460

  2,345

  Birmingham

  79,083

  97,401

  835

  1,345

  Coventry

  23,725

  33,032

  910

  1,485

  Dudley

  21,960

  26,361

  830

  1,350

  Sandwell

  25,633

  31,856

  960

  1,410

  Solihull

  14,528

  21,290

  845

  1,280

  Walsall

  23,304

  32,155

  970

  1,430

  Wolverhampton

  21,824

  26,635

  985

  1,395

  Knowsley

  15,064

  18,309

  960

  1,515

  Liverpool

  42,123

  49,740

  980

  1,445

  St. Helens

  14,231

  20,211

  860

  1,340

  Sefton

  19,223

  27,700

  800

  1,275

  Wirral

  22,856

  30,524

  815

  1,280

  Bolton

  18,668

  25,003

  780

  1,230

  166
  The law governing home to school transport for other children is laid down by section 55 of the Education Act 1944, as amended by section 53 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986. Parents of children who do not qualify for free transport under section 55(1) may ask the LEA to exercise its discretion under section 55(2). Each case is considered on its merits in accordance with the policy of the authority. Section 55(2) applies as much to disabled parents as to other parents.

  Veterinary Schools
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out the number of veterinary schools in England and Wales and the amount of Government funds given to each in the last financial year.

  Mr. Jackson
  There are four veterinary schools in England and Wales. Funding for them is not earmarked within the block grant to their parent universities.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much money each education authority spent during the latest year for which figures are available;

  (2) how much money each education authority spent per pupil for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Butcher
  The latest available information is for 1986–87 and is given in the table. The data for 1987–88 has been received from most authorities and is in the process of being analysed.
  167

  Local education authority

  Primary expenditure

  Secondary expenditure

  Primary cost per pupil

  Secondary cost per pupil

  (£000)

  (£000)

  (£)

  (£)

  Bury

  11,242

  16,852

  795

  1,340

  Manchester

  39,971

  48,448

  1,020

  1,660

  Oldham

  18,396

  20,869

  870

  1,255

  Rochdale

  15,439

  24,643

  850

  1,460

  Salford

  17,080

  23,034

  840

  1,385

  Stockport

  18,581

  26,133

  805

  1,270

  Tameside

  17,542

  21,190

  910

  1,325

  Trafford

  13,523

  17,584

  855

  1,315

  Wigan

  23,111

  37,513

  860

  1,460

  Barnsley

  16,827

  23,015

  925

  1,325

  Doncaster

  24,698

  30,734

  980

  1,325

  Rotherham

  19,806

  25,649

  890

  1,230

  Sheffield

  42,999

  49,878

  1,060

  1,490

  Bradford

  33,447

  55,704

  945

  1,235

  Calderdale

  15,636

  19,239

  895

  1,330

  Kirklees

  28,315

  37,932

  875

  1,250

  Leeds

  43,042

  72,881

  905

  1,230

  Wakefield

  23,300

  31,551

  955

  1,290

  Gateshead

  16,580

  18,724

  980

  1,360

  Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

  20,381

  28,254

  1,020

  1,530

  North Tyneside

  14,348

  22,966

  995

  1,455

  South Tyneside

  12,650

  15,469

  965

  1,430

  Sunderland

  23,535

  29,347

  855

  1,305

  Isles of Scilly

  198

  280

  1,330

  2,205

  Avon

  61,396

  78,703

  850

  1,310

  Bedfordshire

  32,068

  57,332

  875

  1,250

  Berkshire

  47,560

  63,167

  845

  1,280

  Buckinghamshire

  48,713

  48,573

  845

  1,320

  Cambridgeshire

  42,736

  51,556

  815

  1,205

  Cheshire

  64,458

  88,656

  810

  1,235

  Cleveland

  47,632

  60,934

  890

  1,355

  Cornwall

  27,981

  37,487

  795

  1,175

  Cumbria

  35,560

  46,706

  915

  1,315

  Derbyshire

  65,292

  86,618

  875

  1,305

  Devon

  55,428

  75,465

  800

  1,225

  Dorset

  32,151

  50,312

  870

  1,190

  Durham

  46,919

  52,441

  920

  1,225

  East Sussex

  34,858

  46,952

  825

  1,235

  Essex

  97,210

  137,617

  820

  1,255

  Gloucestershire

  32,901

  44,985

  835

  1,260

  Hampshire

  98,524

  115,162

  825

  1,220

  Hereford and Worcester

  36,013

  62,091

  815

  1,180

  Hertfordshire

  66,576

  97,646

  870

  1,350

  Humberside

  60,831

  92,339

  915

  1,270

  Isle of Wight

  4,952

  12,168

  785

  1,150

  Kent

  84,843

  127,039

  760

  1,145

  Lancashire

  89,592

  120,712

  780

  1,255

  Leicestershire

  63,054

  91,834

  885

  1,390

  Lincolnshire

  35,044

  47,236

  795

  1,185

  Norfolk

  49,465

  55,767

  850

  1,230

  North Yorkshire

  42,998

  60,308

  850

  1,240

  Northamptonshire

  37,617

  58,560

  815

  1,250

  Northumberland

  16,132

  35,690

  840

  1,230

  Nottinghamshire

  72,276

  100,530

  935

  1,365

  Oxfordshire

  32,845

  50,752

  905

  1,350

  Shropshire

  26,541

  39,976

  850

  1,285

  Somerset

  25,232

  36,771

  780

  1,195

  Staffordshire

  69,558

  102,039

  880

  1,255

  Suffolk

  33,558

  58,509

  830

  1,165

  Surrey

  59,913

  63,151

  820

  1,260

  Warwickshire

  36,196

  36,347

  845

  1,220

  West Sussex

  37,688

  52,407

  785

  1,220

  Wiltshire

  35,330

  46,162

  850

  1,230

  Notes:—These figures are based on LEA expenditure returns to DOE and pupil number returns to DES.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the capital allocation was for each education authority for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Butcher
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Hyndburn (Mr. Hargreaves) on 21 December 1988 at columns 287–90.

  Capital Allocation
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the capital allocation was per head of school population for each education authority for the latest year for which figures are available.
  169
  Mr. Butcher
  Following is a list of figures showing how much the capital allocation was per head of school population for each education authority for the year 1989–90.

  Individual authorities' allocations are calculated not pro rata to population, but by assessing their capital expenditure plans, which they supply to the Department each year in a common form, against a consistent and well-publicised set of criteria.

  1989–90 Notional schools capital allocation per head of maintained population

  LEA

  £

  Barking

  11

  Barnet

  25

  Bexley

  27

  Brent

  10

  Bromley

  19

  Croydon

  12

  Ealing

  8

  Enfield

  30

  Haringey

  68

  Harrow

  16

  Havering

  36

  Hillingdon

  21

  Hounslow

  16

  Kingston

  11

  Merton

  226

  Newham

  103

  Redbridge

  67

  Richmond

  30

  Sutton

  30

  Waltham

  275

  ILEA

  42

  Birmingham

  31

  Coventry

  55

  Dudley

  49

  Sandwell

  39

  Solihull

  21

  Walsall

  19

  Wolverhampton

  13

  Knowsley

  69

  Liverpool

  7

  St. Helens

  26

  Sefton

  39

  Wirral

  47

  Bolton

  29

  Bury

  24

  Manchester

  71

  Oldham

  38

  Rochdale

  62

  Salford

  107

  Stockport

  36

  Tameside

  21

  Trafford

  94

  Wigan

  26

  Barnsley

  7

  Doncaster

  15

  Rotherham

  15

  Sheffield

  26

  Bradford

  100

  Calderdale

  77

  Kirklees

  12

  Leeds

  61

  Wakefield

  60

  Gateshead

  33

  Newcastle

  38

  North Tyneside

  54

  South Tyneside

  134

  Sunderland

  44

  170

  LEA

  £

  Isles of Scilly

  530

  Avon

  29

  Bedfordshire

  24

  Berkshire

  54

  Bucks

  84

  Cambridge

  58

  Cheshire

  22

  Cleveland

  53

  Cornwall

  90

  Cumbria

  71

  Derbyshire

  61

  Devon

  106

  Dorset

  36

  Durham

  24

  East Sussex

  99

  Essex

  65

  Gloucester

  78

  Hampshire

  35

  Hereford and Worcester

  26

  Hertford

  29

  Humberside

  53

  Isle of Wight

  96

  Kent

  39

  Lancashire

  65

  Leicester

  49

  Lincoln

  37

  Norfolk

  35

  North Yorkshire

  22

  Northampton

  40

  Northumberland

  19

  Notts

  21

  Oxfordshire

  44

  Shropshire

  79

  Somerset

  48

  Staffs

  31

  Suffolk

  66

  Surrey

  47

  Warwick

  21

  West Sussex

  21

  Wiltshire

  34

  Expenditure
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how much money per pupil each education authority received from the Government for the latest year for which figures are available;

  (2) how much money each education authority received from the Government for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Butcher
  The information requested is not available. Whereas specific grant payments for education activities made to each local education authority can be separately identified, the much larger block grant payment is not hypothecated to individual services, and it is not therefore possible in the case of multi-purpose authorities to separate the element of grant paid to support education from that paid to support other services.

  Examinations
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of school leavers in each education authority achieved two or more A-level passes in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Butcher
  The information is given in the table. The figures are presented as a three year average over the academic years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87, to reduce the effects of sampling error in the data relating to a 10 per
  171
  cent. sample of school leavers. Sampling error is a particular problem for local education authorities with relatively small numbers of school leavers.

  Maintained secondary schools in England: aggregation of school leavers and the proportion gaining two or more A-levels over the academic years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87

  Local education authorities

  Numbers of school leavers (thousands)

  Percentage of school leavers with two or more A-levels

  Barking

  6·68

  4·6

  Barnet

  10·35

  25·4

  Bexley

  10·40

  11·5

  Brent

  8·68

  9·9

  Bromley

  10·27

  16·4

  Croydon

  12·88

  11·5

  Ealing

  9·77

  10·2

  Enfield

  10·40

  14·2

  Haringey

  6·05

  7·9

  Harrow

  6·01

  18·3

  Havering

  11·03

  11·7

  Hillingdon

  8·81

  10·3

  Hounslow

  8·31

  9·3

  Kingston upon Thames

  4·65

  16·1

  Merton

  6·13

  12·2

  Newham

  9·08

  4·6

  Redbridge

  8·29

  14·1

  Richmond upon Thames

  4·39

  0·0

  Sutton

  6·22

  21·2

  Waltham Forest

  7·19

  5·0

  Inner London

  73·43

  7·4

  Birmingham

  48·88

  7·6

  Coventry

  14·27

  8·5

  Dudley

  14·52

  6·9

  Sandwell

  14·54

  4·7

  Solihull

  10·82

  15·8

  Walsall

  14·87

  10·1

  Wolverhampton

  12·9

  7·2

  Knowsley

  7·98

  4·1

  Liverpool

  21·10

  9·2

  St. Helens

  8·87

  11·8

  Sefton

  13·77

  15·1

  Wirral

  15·47

  12·3

  Bolton

  12·93

  12·5

  Bury

  8·09

  14·3

  Manchester

  22·23

  10·0

  Oldham

  9·78

  6·6

  Rochdale

  9·38

  8·4

  Salford

  11·03

  10·9

  Stockport

  12·82

  13·8

  Tameside

  11·56

  9·3

  Trafford

  8·63

  14·9

  Wigan

  17·29

  9·4

  Barnsley

  11·28

  7·0

  Doncaster

  13·50

  10·0

  Rotherham

  13·54

  9·7

  Sheffield

  25·64

  9·5

  Bradford

  22·22

  9·6

  Calderdale

  9·01

  10·7

  Kirklees

  18·26

  11·0

  Leeds

  30·57

  10·5

  Wakefield

  16·09

  4·4

  Gateshead

  9·35

  8·1

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  10·32

  7·8

  North Tyneside

  8·85

  10·8

  South Tyneside

  7·14

  7·6

  Sunderland

  14·82

  6·8

  Avon

  37·28

  11·9

  Bedfordshire

  22·42

  12·3

  Berkshire

  29·00

  14·4

  Buckinghamshire

  24·90

  16·9

  Cambridgeshire

  24·31

  10·8

  Cheshire

  44·91

  13·3

  Cleveland

  29·60

  12·0

  Cornwall

  20·70

  10·4

  Cumbria

  21·55

  12·2

  Derbyshire

  43·65

  9·1

  Devon

  38·27

  8·8

  172

  Local education authorities

  Numbers of school leavers (thousands)

  Percentage of school leavers with two or more A-levels

  Dorset

  25·27

  11·1

  Durham

  27·86

  8·1

  East Sussex

  22·63

  13·8

  Essex

  66·24

  10·9

  Gloucestershire

  21·82

  13·0

  Hampshire

  66·78

  10·3

  Hereford and Worcester

  27·54

  12·7

  Hertfordshire

  43·45

  14·3

  Humberside

  41·81

  10·4

  Isle of Wight

  4·93

  8·7

  Kent

  65·93

  14·2

  Lancashire

  62·58

  7·7

  Leicestershire

  38·28

  13·3

  Lincolnshire

  24·93

  12·1

  Norfolk

  31·34

  8·3

  North Yorkshire

  29·25

  15·7

  Northamptonshire

  26·16

  10·0

  Northumberland

  12·90

  14·6

  Nottinghamshire

  46·85

  9·4

  Oxfordshire

  22·94

  14·1

  Shropshire

  19·32

  11·3

  Somerset

  17·79

  6·3

  Staffordshire

  48·29

  10·8

  Suffolk

  25·80

  10·6

  Surrey

  37·43

  18·0

  Warwickshire

  21·04

  13·4

  West Sussex

  27·20

  15·8

  Wiltshire

  21·43

  8·2

  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of school leavers in each education authority achieved five or more GCSE passes or equivalent qualifications, in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Butcher
  The information requested is not readily available but I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Magistrates (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the names of the members of the local advisory committee which offers advice on the appointment of magistrates in the Nottingham area.

  The Attorney-General
  No. Advisory committees have until the end of 1992 to make their membership known. The Nottinghamshire advisory committee has not yet decided to do so.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensions
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retired people depend entirely on state benefits; and how many depend on state benefits for 80 per cent. of their income.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In 1986, just under 20 per cent. of all pensioner tax units received income only from state benefits; 53 per cent. of pensioner tax units were in receipt of state benefits greater than or equal to 80 per cent. of their gross income.
  173
  Source: Family expenditure survey 1986.

  1. A pensioner tax unit is a single person of state pension age or over, or a married couple where the man is of state pension age or over.

  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the value of the state retirement pension in April 1989 if it had been uprated in line with prices since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The value of the state retirement pension in April 1989, based on annual upratings in line with prices since 1979, would be £41·70 for a single pensioner and £66·80 for a pensioner couple.

  Income Support
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much income support or supplementary benefit was paid to people looking after elderly persons in each year since 1974–75, in cash and constant 1988–89 prices, and how many people were paid the benefit in each year.

  Index of the number of claimants receiving supplementary benefit or income support: 1979 to 1988 (using 1979 as the base year)

  Year

  Social security region

  11979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  21988

  North Eastern

  100

  112

  134

  151

  155

  164

  166

  170

  167

  146

  London North

  100

  112

  135

  152

  158

  167

  170

  174

  172

  141

  London South

  100

  109

  127

  144

  149

  158

  162

  167

  163

  133

  Wales and South Western

  100

  108

  127

  142

  145

  156

  158

  161

  156

  137

  Midlands

  100

  114

  142

  164

  170

  179

  181

  186

  181

  152

  North Western

  100

  110

  132

  150

  155

  163

  165

  170

  167

  149

  Scotland

  100

  109

  131

  149

  157

  167

  170

  187

  186

  169

  1Figures for 1979 to 1981 are reworked data.

  2 Figures for 1988 are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Sources: November/December quarterly count of cases in action, which include a number of cases where benefit payment has ceased but other action is continuing. Full figures set out in the reply on 6 March.

  War Pensioners
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of war pensioners.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We calculate that there were 258,300 at the end of 1988. This number is made up of 197,800 war disablement pensioners, 57,500 war widows and 3,000 other dependants receiving a war pension.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to advise potential claimants of family credit that child-minding expenses may be deducted from earnings in assessing entitlements; whether existing claimants of family credit have been so advised; and whether his publications will be revised.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There is no provision in legislation for child-minding expenses to be deducted from earnings in assessing family credit.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he has taken to notify women who would be entitled to invalid care allowance on the basis of the settlement of case CG/15/1987; and whether he proposes to revise his Department's publications.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshaw (Mr.
  174
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information requested is not available. The supplementary benefit annual statistical inquiry identified only carers under pension age who cared for severely disabled people aged 16 years or more and who would otherwise have been required to be available for employment. The figures therefore included carers of people under pension age, and excluded carers who were not subject to the condition of availability for employment. The cost and numbers requested, for identified supplementary benefit carers, could be obtained but only at disproportionate cost. Information for income support, which will be available later this year, will not identify carers separately.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central, of 6 March,Official Report, column 446, he will express the number of supplementary benefit/income support claimants for each region as an index figure with 1979 as the base.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows.

  Morris) on 21 December at column 306. Any follow-up action which may be necessary will need to await the outcome of related cases currently before the social security commissioner and the Court of Appeal, also affecting the entitlement of women over pension age.

  Mobility Allowance
  Mr. Crowther
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to increase mobility allowance next month by an amount close to the current rate of inflation rather than that prevailing in September 1988.

  Mr. Scott
  No. Price increases from September 1988 to April 1989 will be taken into account at the next benefits uprating. Between November 1979 and April 1988 mobility allowance rose in real terms by 9·4 per cent. The estimated average number of people receiving mobility allowance has increased from 95,000 in 1978–79 to 530,000 in 1988–89.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis he calculates the levels of expenditure in table 15·8 of Cm. 615.

  Mr. Scott
  The levels of expenditure in table 15·8 were determined by a breakdown of the totals in table 15·1. The
  175
  methodology is described in the footnotes. Forecasts throughout chapter 15 are consistent with the economic assumptions described in paragraphs 45–48.

  Chief Adjudication Officer
  Mr. Forman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the fourth annual report of the chief adjudication officer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Scott
  The report which is being published today provides an authoritative account of the standards of social security adjudication. We welcome the report and the recognition that the replacement of supplementary benefit with income support, as part of our reform of the social security system, has produced encouraging signs for further improvements in the standard of adjudication. A copy has been placed in the Library.

  Rating Reform
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by district the income level at which a single person over 25 years of age with no savings would lose entitlement to a rebate from the community charge.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 8 March 1989]: These figures assume that the claimant is under pension age, is not disabled, is in full-time work and has no children. The tax and national insurance rates current at 9 March 1989 have been used in calculating gross income.

  Gross weekly earnings

  District council

  £

  Berwickshire

  64·43

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  66·04

  Roxburgh

  66·04

  Tweeddale

  66·19

  Clackmannan

  78·39

  Falkirk

  70·14

  Stirling

  79·90

  Annandale and Eskdale

  67·43

  Nithsdale

  66·26

  Stewartry

  65·97

  Wightown

  66·41

  Dunfermline

  76·88

  Kirkclady

  77·64

  North East Fife

  80·95

  Aberdeen City

  76·73

  Banff and Buchan

  70·39

  Gordon

  68·53

  Kincardine and Deeside

  66·77

  Moray

  68·24

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  65·89

  Caithness

  64·43

  Inverness

  64·58

  Lochaber

  66·19

  Narin

  64·87

  Ross and Cromarty

  66·48

  Skye and Lochalsh

  64·43

  Sutherland

  61·65

  East Lothian

  89·10

  Edinburgh City

  91·81

  Midlothian

  87·59

  West Lothian

  86·84

  Argyll and Bute

  72·20

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  77·49

  Clydebank

  77·34

  Clydesdale

  77·94

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  71·90

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  72·05

  Cunningham

  72·34

  176

  District council

  £

  Dumbarton

  77·49

  East Kilbride

  80·50

  Eastwood

  75·07

  Glasgow City

  78·69

  Hamilton

  76·43

  Inverclyde

  76·43

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  71·02

  Kyle and Carrick

  78·99

  Monklands

  76·73

  Motherwell

  78·54

  Renfrew

  77·03

  Strathkelvin

  77·64

  Angus

  76·43

  Dundee City

  81·11

  Perth and Kinross

  77·34

  Islands Council

  Orkney

  52·27

  Shetland

  50·13

  Western Isles

  54·47

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what future provisions his Department is making to pay full housing benefit to tenants in receipt of housing benefit in private rented accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: The Government have given a firm commitment that housing benefit will continue to be available to help those on low incomes with their reasonable housing costs up to market rent levels.

  However, housing benefit is not intended to enable claimants to occupy, at public expense, accommodation which the majority of people could not afford. The Government have therefore announced that they intend to introduce formal limits on benefit for properties at the top of the market, once sufficient information is available about the level of market rents.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his Department will be fully reimbursing all local authority resources paid out in housing benefit to private tenants under the Housing Act 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: From April 1989, under the arrangements for subsidising local authorities' housing benefit expenditure, full subsidy at the rate of 97 per cent. will be payable, up to the level determined by the rent officer as representing a reasonable market rent, on housing benefit awarded to claimants with deregulated tenancies created under the Housing Act 1988. Benefit above that level will not attract subsidy unless the local authority has paid benefit, above the level of the rent officer's determination, to a person in a vulnerable group, when 50 per cent. subsidy will be paid. For housing benefit claims on deregulated tenancies created before April 1989, until such cases are referred to the rent officer, 97 per cent. subsidy will be payable on benefit awarded on rents up to the subsidy rent threshold for the area and 25 per cent. subsidy above that level. Housing benefit expenditure not met by direct subsidy is reflected in the rate support grant arrangements.

EMPLOYMENT

  Wages
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom in the latest available year.

  Mr. Cope
  A total of 8·7 per cent. of the establishments on the wages inspectorate's register, covering 329,591 workers (an estimated 13·1 per cent.) were inspected in 1988. If the hon. Gentleman wishes I will arrange for divisional figures to be published in the Official Report.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no such thing as a Council of Europe decency threshold for a minimum acceptable level of earnings.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the west midlands.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no such thing as a Council of Europe decency threshold for a minimum acceptable level of earnings.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the Wales.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Scotland.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the west midlands.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Great Britain.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time 178
  female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the northern region.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in(a) Great Britain and (b) the north-west region.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what percentage, of full-time female workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what percentage, of the full-time workforce earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Great Britain.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) on 8 March 1989 at columns 569–70.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Great Britain.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Scotland.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the south-east.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Wales.

  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Greater London.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the east midlands.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Wales.
  179
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Greater London.

  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the north-west.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in Scotland.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the northern region.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the north-west.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the east midlands.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what percentage, of full-time male workers earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the northern region.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) on 8 March 1989 at columns 569–70.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work places were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work places were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom.

  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work places were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work places were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the east midlands.
  180
  Mr. Heffer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work places were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Greater London.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying, for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Greater London.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the east midlands.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited and how many of them were found to be illegally underpaying for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Wages inspectorate statistics for Great Britain are not compiled for areas smaller than the inspectorate's nine divisions. The number of workplaces visited in 1988 for the purpose of checking pay and the number where underpayments were found was included in a reply given in the Official Report of 1 March at columns 201–26. The number of workplaces visited in 1988 for advisory purposes was:

  Number

  London

  10

  South East

  9

  Eastern

  10

  South West

  69

  Midlands

  103

  North West

  33

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  25

  Northern

  5

  Scotland

  29

  Northern Ireland has a separate wages council system which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, but it is understood that in 1988, 944 workplaces were visited and 112 were found to have underpaid one or more workers.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the
  181
  full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the north west.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the United Kingdom.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the south-east.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the west midlands.

  Mr. Bell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the northern region.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what percentage, of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the west midlands.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many, and what percentage, of the full-time work force earned less than the Council of Europe's decency threshold in the latest available year in the north-west.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) on 8 March 1989 at columns 569–70.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region in the latest available year.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed in the most recent year for which figures are available on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom in the latest available year.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on 182
  employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom in the latest available year.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering Scotland in the latest available year.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the west midlands in the latest available year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering Yorkshire and Humberside in the latest available year.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region in the latest available year.

  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering Scotland in the latest available year.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering Wales in the latest available year.

  Mr. Buckley (Hemsworth)
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering Wales in the latest available year.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average fine imposed on employers found to be illegally underpaying within the wages inspectorate divisions covering the east midlands within the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Wages inspectorate statistics are not kept for areas smaller than the inspectorate's nine divisions. The average total fine on employers prosecuted for underpayment in 1988 is given for each of the divisions in the following table.

  Northern Ireland has a separate wages council system which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, but I understand that in 1988 there were no prosecutions.
  183

  Division

  Average fine

  £

  London

  No Prosecutions

  South East

  200

  Eastern

  750

  South West

  150

  Midlands

  150

  North West

  215

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  350

  Northern

  No Prosecutions

  Scotland

  No Prosecutions

  Wales

  1100

  Great Britain

  328

  1 Wales figures are also included in the Inspectorate's North West and South West divisional statistics.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentages of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions in the south-east in the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Scotland.

  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom in the latest available year.

  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering East Anglia in the latest available year.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west in the latest available year.

  Mr. Foot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Wales in the latest available year.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west in the latest available year.

  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Scotland in the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region in the latest available year.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the west midlands in the latest available year.

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of workplaces and workers were inspected by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Yorkshire and Humberside.
  184
  Mr. Nicholls
  Wages inspectorate statistics are not compiled for areas smaller than the wages inspectorate's nine divisions. The percentage of workplaces known to the inspectorate which was checked in each division of Great Britain in 1988 was:

  Per cent.

  London

  6·6

  South East

  6·2

  Eastern

  15·1

  South West

  7·3

  Midlands

  8·6

  North West

  7·9

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  9·5

  Northern

  8·2

  Scotland

  9·6

  Wales1

  7·7

  1 Wales figures are also included in the inspectorate's south west and north west divisional statistics.

  Northern Ireland has a separate wages council system which is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, but it is understood that in 1988, 13·6 per cent. of workplaces known to the inspectorate were checked.

  No information is available on the percentage of workers in each wages inspectorate division whose pay was checked because statistical returns of the number of workers employed in establishments covered by wages councils are not collected. However, in 1988 an estimated 2,472,400 workers aged 21 and over were employed in establishments covered by wages councils in Great Britain and checks covered 11 per cent. of that total. In 1987 an estimated 36,065 workers aged 21 and over were employed in establishments covered by wages councils in Northern Ireland and in 1988 checks covered 18 per cent. of that total.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be illegally underpaying and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering Wales.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be illegally underpaying and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be illegally underpaying and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the United Kingdom.

  Mr. McWilliam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be illegally underpaying and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region.

  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be illegally underpaying and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the west midlands.

  Mr. Leadbitter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be
  185
  illegally underpaying and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers were found to be illegally underpaying; and how many of them were prosecuted in the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the north-west.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Wages inspectorate statistics on compliance with wages orders are compiled on the basis of establishments rather than employers and are not kept for areas smaller than a wages inspectorate division. With those provisos, the information requested is given in the following table.

  Northern Ireland has a separate wages council system which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, but I understand that in 1988 112 establishments were found to be underpaying. There were no prosecutions.

  Establishments found to be underpaying in 1988

  Prosecutions for underpayment in 1988

  London

  317

  —

  South-East

  537

  1

  Eastern

  462

  2

  South-West

  1,156

  2

  Midlands

  747

  1

  North-West

  869

  2

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  631

  2

  Northern

  369

  —

  Scotland

  509

  —

  Great Britain

  5,597

  10

  Wales1

  446

  1

  1 Wales figures are also included in the inspectorate's south-west and north-west divisional statistics.

  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many West Midlands employers have been prosecuted by his Department's wages inspectorate in the past three years for underpaying wages; how many were found guilty; and what was the average level of fines imposed.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Wages inspectorate statistics are not kept for areas smaller than the inspectorate's nine divisions. In the three years from 1986 to 1988, two employers in the midlands were prosecuted for offences which included underpayment. Both prosecutions were successful. The average total fine imposed by the courts was £125.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) on 8 March 1989 at column 569–70.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are undertaking training on employment training; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fowler
  The number of people on employment training at 24 February 1989 was 157,000. This is a tremendous achievement after only six months of the 186
  programme's operation and reflects the great interest shown by unemployed people in getting high-quality training to help them back into a job.

  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give figures for the current percentage take-up rate under employment training; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information about the take-up rate under employment training is not available. It is not possible to estimate the total number of people in the employment training client group. There are currently over 157,000 on employment training. This is a heartening response by unemployed people who clearly acknowledge that the programme's provision of quality training will be a great help in their efforts to find work.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen since June 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,988,100 compared with 2,857,200 in June 1987 on the same basis, a fall of 869,100. Unemployment is now at its lowest level for eight years.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of young people aged 18 to 24 years unemployed in(a) January 1983 and (b) January 1989.

  Mr. Cope
  In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants aged 18 to 24 years in the United Kingdom was 595,743 compared with 1,004,212 in January 1983—a fall of 408,469. The comparison is slightly affected by the change in compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording.

  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people in employment aged 24 to 35 years in(a) January 1983 and (b) January 1989.

  Mr. Lee
  It is estimated from the 1983 labour force survey (LFS) that in spring 1983 there were 5,042,000 persons aged 25 to 34 in employment in Great Britain. An equivalent estimate for spring 1988, from the preliminary results of the 1988 LFS, is 5,980,000.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the United Kingdom in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the fall in unemployment during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In the 12 months to January 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom fell by 531,300 on a consistent basis. At 1,988,100 unemployment is now at its lowest level for eight years.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the numbers of people aged 16 to 18 years in employment.
  187
  Mr. Lee
  It is estimated from the preliminary results of the 1988 labour force survey (LFS) that in spring 1988 there were 1,475,000 persons aged 16 to 18 in employment in Great Britain.

  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportions of those in employment in the United Kingdom are self-employed; what this figure was 10 years ago; and what is the comparable change for other OECD countries.

  Mr. Lee
  The table shows, for the United Kingdom and major OECD countries, the proportion of those in civilian employment who were self-employed in 1976 and 1986 and the change in the proportion over the 10-year period. 1986 is the latest year for which the information requested is available for the other OECD countries. In September 1988, the latest date for which United Kingdom figures are available 11·6 per cent. of the civilian work force in employment were self-employed.

  Percentage of civilian employment self employed

  1976

  1986

  Change (percentage points)

  United Kingdom

  8·0

  10·8

  2·8

  Canada

  8·4

  9·2

  0·7

  USA

  8·4

  8·5

  0·1

  Germany

  9·6

  9·6

  0

  Japan

  17·7

  15·6

  -2·1

  France

  17·8

  15·8

  -2·0

  Italy

  29·2

  24·5

  -4·7

  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen in Bury, North since July 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in Bury, North constituency was 2,474 compared with 4,607 in July 1986—a fall of 2,133, or 46·3 per cent. The comparison is affected by seasonal influences as well as by the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to the new benefit regulations affecting those aged under 18.

  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the percentage fall in unemployment in each of the Liverpool parliamentary constituencies since June 1987.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is also available from the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in June 1987 and January 1989 for each of the Liverpool parliamentary constituencies, together with the percentage change over the period. The figures are affected by seasonal influences as well as by the change in the coverage of the count due to new benefit regulations from September 1988 for young people aged under 18.

  Constituency

  June 1987

  January 1989

  Percentage change

  Liverpool Broadgreen

  8,149

  6,689

  -17·9

  Liverpool Garston

  7,456

  5,812

  -22·0

  Liverpool Mossley Hill

  7,070

  5,923

  -16·2

  Liverpool Riverside

  10,764

  8,960

  -16·8

  Liverpool Walton

  10,303

  8,300

  -19·4

  Liverpool West Derby

  8,795

  7,161

  -18·6

  188
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have become self-employed during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In the year to September 1988 there was a net increase of 125,000 in the estimated number of self-employed people in Great Britain. It is estimated that nearly 3 million people are now self-employed and the number is still rising. The numbers of self-employed people have risen by over 60 per cent. since 1979 and they now represent almost one in nine of the work force in employment.

  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the numbers of people in employment in Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Mr. Lee
  In September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the Yorkshire and Humberside region was 2,148,000. This represents an increase of 179,000 or 9 per cent. since September 1983. The civilian workforce in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Dover
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen over the past year in the north-west; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the last 12 months in the north-west; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In the 12 months to January 1989, the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the north-west fell by 61,100 or 17·5 per cent. on a consistent basis.

  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  Between March 1983 and September 1988 the work force in employment in Great Britain increased by 2,809,000 to 25,807,000, the highest level on record. This rising trend has now continued for more than five years. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed, Her Majesty's Forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in full-time and part-time employment, where identifiable, in each standard planning region of the United Kingdom in June 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Lee
  For the dates specified, the only available information about full and part-time employment in the regions is for female employees in employment. The information is not available for Northern Ireland. The information is as follows:
  189

  Female employees in employment regions of Great Britain

  Thousands

  Full-time

  Part-time

  June 1979

  September 1988

  June 1979

  September 1988

  South-East

  1,899

  2,210

  1,279

  1,392

  Greater London (included in South-East)

  —

  1,105

  —

  496

  East Anglia

  163

  201

  122

  160

  South-West

  382

  430

  295

  325

  West Midlands

  533

  541

  370

  405

  East Midlands

  376

  404

  265

  309

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  453

  452

  362

  395

  North-West

  666

  607

  471

  496

  North

  298

  278

  208

  237

  Wales

  250

  217

  165

  185

  Scotland

  565

  529

  332

  382

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by how much unemployment has fallen in the west midlands over the past year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In the 12 months to January 1989, the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the west midlands fell by 65,900 or 25·6 per cent., on a consistent basis.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate of the fall in unemployment in the last 12 months in the east midlands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In the 12 months to January 1989, the level of unemployment seasonally adjusted, in the east midlands fell by 34,300 or 21·9 per cent. on a consistent basis.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people who were classified as long-term unemployed in January 1983 and January 1989.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants who had been unemployed for more than 12 months in the United Kingdom, was 821,419 compared with 1,106,771 in January 1983. The comparison is affected by the 1983 Budget measures for certain older men, mostly aged 60 and over, who no longer need to sign on to get their benefits, the change in compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording, and the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to new benefit regulations affecting those young people aged under 18.

  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the percentage fall in unemployment in the parliamentary constituencies in the city of Birmingham since June 1987.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is also available from the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in June 1987 and January 1989 for each of the Birmingham parliamentary constituencies, together with the percentage change over the period. The figures affected by seasonal influences as well as by the change in the coverage of the count due to new benefit regulations from September 1988 for young people aged under 18.

  Constituency

  June 1987

  January 1989

  Percentage change

  Birmingham Edgbaston

  5,001

  3,548

  -29·0

  Birmingham Erdington

  7,359

  5,196

  -29·4

  Birmingham Hall Green

  5,314

  3,700

  -30·4

  190

  Constituency

  June 1987

  January 1989

  Percentage change

  Birmingham Hodge Hill

  7,081

  5,152

  -27·2

  Birmingham Ladywood

  8,892

  6,606

  -25·7

  Birmingham Northfield

  7,663

  5,630

  -26·5

  Birmingham Perry Barr

  7,400

  5,301

  -28·4

  Birmingham Small Heath

  9,599

  7,344

  -23·5

  Birmingham Sparkbrook

  8,566

  6,188

  -27·8

  Birmingham Yardley

  4,721

  3,185

  -32·5

  Birmingham Selly Oak

  5,750

  4,203

  -26·9

  Sutton Coldfield

  3,243

  2,156

  -33·5

  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the level of unemployment now; what was the level in June 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the level of unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,988,100 compared with 2,857,200 in June 1987 on the same basis, a fall of 869,100. Unemployment is now at its lowest level for eight years.

  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people included in the unemployment count are early retired people or those in receipt of the carer's allowance not seeking work; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  Information is not available in the form requested. However, according to preliminary results of the labour force survey for spring 1988, in Great Britain there were some 60,000 claimants in the unemployment count who were not unemployed on the ILO/OECD definition and who gave retirement as their main reason for not seeking work in the previous week.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make an up-to-date statement on the employment situation in West Norfolk.

  Mr. Lee
  The latest available information from the September 1984 census of employment shows that there were 41,000 employees in employment in the West Norfolk local authority area compared with 39,400 in September 1981, an increase of 4·3 per cent. between the two census dates. Estimates from the 1987 census of employment will become available later this year.

  More recent information is available about unemployment. In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in the West Norfolk local authority area was 3,148 compared with 4,876 in January 1988, a fall of 1,728 or 35·4 per cent.
  191
  Dame Peggy Fenner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of vacancies in Kent.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the number of unfilled vacancies at jobcentres in Kent was 6,937. Vacancies at jobcentres do not represent the total number of vacancies in the economy. Recent research shows, nationally, only about one third of vacancies are notified to jobcentres. This proportion will tend to vary between different areas.

  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment, expressed as a percentage, according to the latest available figures for the Sheffield travel-to-work area; and what was the figure 10 years ago.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants in the Sheffield travel-to-work area was 31,687 or 11·2 per cent. of employees in employment plus the unemployed. The corresponding figure for the Sheffield 1978 travel-to-work area in January 1979 was 13,771 or 4·6 per cent. The figures are affected by the changes in the boundaries of travel-to-work areas as well as in the coverage of the unemployment count, and are therefore not comparable.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for unemployment in Basildon; and what were the corresponding figures for the same period in each of the last four years.

  Mr. Lee
  The table shows the number of unemployed claimants in Basildon local authority area for each January from 1986 to 1989. The figures are affected by the change in the compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and by the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to the introduction of new benefit regulations for young people aged under 18.

  Unemployment in Basildon local authority area

  January

  Number of unemployed claimants

  1986

  9,073

  1987

  8,695

  1988

  6,287

  1989

  4,145

  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people in employment in London.

  Mr. Lee
  In September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available the civilian work force in employment in Greater London was 4,014,000. This represents an increase of 253,000 or 7 per cent. since September 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Ashby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in the east midlands.

  Mr. Lee
  In September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available the civilian work force in employment in the east midlands region was 1,836,000. This represents 192
  an increase of 219,000 or 14 per cent. since September 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the rate of unemployment in the north-west in January and February; and what was the rate recorded in January and February 1988.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the north-west was 9·6 per cent., compared with 11·6 per cent. and 11·4 per cent. on the same basis, in January and February 1988 respectively.

  The February 1989 unemployment figures are not available until 16 March.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in which regions of the United Kingdom the rate of unemployment has fallen fastest; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In the 12 months to January 1989 the largest falls in the regional seasonally adjusted unemployment rates, were in the west midlands, 2·5 percentage points, and Wales 2·2 percentage points, compared with the United Kingdom average of 1·9 percentage points.

  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the numbers of long-term unemployed aged 16 to 24 years in(a) January 1983 and (b) January 1989.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the number of unemployed claimants aged 16 to 24 years who had been unemployed for more than 12 months in the United Kingdom was 136,969 compared with 258,470 in January 1983. The comparison is affected by the change in compilation of the count in March 1986 to reduce over-recording and the change in the coverage of the count from September 1988 due to new benefit regulations for those young people aged under 18.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current employment position in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  Between March 1983 and September 1988 the work force in employment in the United Kingdom increased by 2,813,000 to 26,374,000, the highest level on record. This rising trend has now continued for more than five years. The figures have been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. The work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed, HM forces and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many women are now working; how many were working in 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  In September 1988 the latest date for which figures are available the female work force in employment in Great Britain was 11,059,000. In September 1986 it was 10,276,000. This represents an increase of 8 per cent.
  193
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of employment in the south-west of England.

  Mr. Lee
  In September 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the south-west region was 1,982,000. This represents an increase of 224,000 or 13 per cent. since September 1983. Th civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

  National Dock Labour Scheme
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered dock workers have been recruited in the last 12 months by the dock labour scheme port of Tees and Hartlepool.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In the port of Tees and Hartlepool 12 registered dock workers have been recruited in the last 12 months.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers were employed by dock labour scheme ports in 1979; how many are currently employed in those ports; and if he will estimate similar figures for non-scheme ports.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Dock labour scheme ports employed 25,770 registered dock workers in 1979, in 1989 they currently employ 9,471. Comparable figures for non-scheme ports are not available.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to seek to amend the dock labour scheme with a view to implementing the free movement of labour provisions of the Single European Act in 1992.

  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to review the operation of the national dock labour scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government's position on the scheme remains unchanged as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed in the House on January 19 1989, at columns 481–82.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the National Association of Port Employers to discuss the future of the dock labour scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has no plans at present to meet the National Association of Port Employers to discuss the future of the dock labour scheme.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the national average age of registered dock workers in dock labour scheme ports.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In 1987 (the latest available date) the national average age for registered dock workers in dock labour scheme ports was 46·7 years.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received concerning the future of the dock labour scheme.
  194
  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about the future of the dock labour scheme.

  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the 1988 average wage of registered dock workers in dock labour scheme ports.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The average earnings of registered dock workers in the last quarter of 1988 was £341·83 per week.

  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the impact of the dock labour scheme on the creation of real jobs in port areas.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Where the dock labour scheme has sustained inefficiency in dock work leading to loss of business, and has acted as a disincentive to investment in adjacent areas, there is no doubt that local job prospects have suffered.

  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many demarcation disputes exist at the present time in relation to registered dock workers claiming work that is currently undertaken by other workers.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Four cases arising from disputed definitions of dock work under the dock labour scheme are currently under litigation.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what reports he received of the National Dock Labour Board's monthly meetings.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no requirement for the National Dock Labour Board to provide me with reports of its monthly meetings.

  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from the fishing industry in Grimsby or Aberdeen on the future of the dock labour scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have received a number of representations about the operation of the dock labour scheme on the fishing industry in Grimsby and Aberdeen.

  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he intends to examine the operations of the dock labour scheme on the River Thames; and whether representations have been made to him about the effect on businesses along the Thames brought about by the operation of the dock labour scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has received and noted several representations about the operation of the dock labour scheme on the Thames river.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are now covered by the national dock labour scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The total number of registered dock workers in ports covered by the national dock labour scheme was 9,741 on 28 February 1989.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average daily surplus of labour in dock labour scheme ports during 1988.
  195
  Mr. Nicholls
  In 1988 the average daily surplus of labour in dock labour scheme ports was 932.

  Drug Misuse
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of working hours lost each year from drug misuse.
  196
  Mr. Nicholls
  It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy the effect of drug misuse on working hours lost. No one knows the full extent of drugs misuse in this country but it is clear that this serious problem affects a significant number of people who are or who otherwise could be in employment.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what evidence he has that the abolition of wages councils will result directly in employment growth; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is now a large body of research which establishes that there is a link between the level of pay and jobs and there are studies by academics and others which point to the adverse effects on jobs of statutory minimum rates. Employers also report that the levels at which wages council minima are set influence the amount of employment that they are prepared to offer.

  Tourism
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to change the grant structure of the tourist boards for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lee
  A wide range of issues is being looked at as part of the tourism review announced last July. The review report is currently under consideration.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current levels of capital investment in the tourist industry.

  Mr. Lee
  The English tourist board's "Tourism Investment Report" shows that the total amount spent on tourism projects in England, with a value of £0·5 million or more, which were completed in 1988 was £605 million. Investment in such projects which were still under construction at 31 December 1988 totalled £2,114 million.

  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the moratorium on section 4 grants has had any effect on the levels of capital investment in tourism and hospitality developments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The suspension of the section 4 scheme was announced some seven weeks ago and it is too early to assess what effect this has had on the level of capital investment. However, the £13·2 million spent on the section 4 scheme in the current financial year is minuscule compared with total new capital investment in tourism and leisure, estimated to be worth £2·5 billion in major projects in England during the last six months of 1988 and thus the moratorium is unlikely to have had any significant effect.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the prospects for the tourism industry in 1989.

  Mr. Lee
  Levels of investment and forward bookings show that prospects for the domestic tourism industry in 1989 are excellent. A recent survey carried out by the English tourist board indicates that there has been an upsurge in bookings for holidays in Britain. Operators are reporting increases of up to 50 per cent. on 1988 so far this year and coupled with approximately £2 billion worth of facilities due to come on stream make the prospects for 1989 very promising.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the BTA to discuss the promotion of Britain in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.
  198
  Mr. Lee
  Both my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I frequently meet the chairman of the British Tourist Authority. There are no plans for a separate meeting to discuss this specific issue.

  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the chairman of the British Tourist Association to discuss promotion of tourism from Japan to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  I frequently meet the chairman of the British Tourist Authority to discuss aspects of promotion of tourism from overseas and we are both aware of the great potential of the Japanese market. In June I hope to lead a delegation of senior figures in the tourism industry to Japan to explore ways of encouraging more Japanese visitors to Great Britain. This will build on the Government's wider "Opportunity Japan" campaign of which tourism is an integral part.

  Lost Working Days
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average annual number of working days lost through stoppages for the period of the past nine years; and what was the figure for the preceding nine years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The average annual number of working days lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes for the period 1980 to 1988 is provisionally estimated as 7,562,000; the figure for the period 1971 to 1979 was 13,081,000.

  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the work clays lost in(a) January 1979 and (b) January 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The number of working days lost through stoppages of work due to industrial disputes in January 1979 was 2,966,000. The most recently available figure relates to December 1988, for which it is provisionally estimated that 35,000 working days were lost; the January 1989 figures will be published on 16 March in the labour market statistics press notice.

  Retirement Policy
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to encourage workers over 60 years to remain in their jobs and not retire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 14 February 1989 at column 154.

  Trades Union Congress
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress to discuss vocational qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no present plans to do so.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to meet the general
  199
  secretary of the Trades Union Congress to discuss the current employment situation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. Friend has no plans for such a meeting in the immediate future.

  Child Labour
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employers have been prosecuted as a result of investigations by Her Majesty's factory inspectorate and Her Majesty's agriculture inspectorate in each year since 1973 for alleged offences in connection with the employment of children; with what result; and what was(a) the highest, (b) the average and (c) the lowest penalty imposed following a conviction.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to information in the reply to his question by the Secretary of State for Health on 16 February,Official Report column 327, in respect of industrial and agricultural undertakings. Prosecutions of industrial undertakings by the Health and Safety Executive were as a result of investigations by the factory inspectorate, and those of agricultural undertakings as a result of investigations by the agricultural inspectorate.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his campaign to reduce unemployment benefit fraud.

  Mr. Lee
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in his reply to my hon. Friend's question of 14 February 1989 at column 145 on 15 February the drive against fraudulent benefit claims is being intensified. In the nine months from April 1988 325,000 cases were investigated compared with 286,000 in the same period in 1987. Increased resources have been devoted to fraud detection, particularly in the south-east, and a new inner London fraud team has been established to pursue investigations into the hidden economy.

  Sir John Stokes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for savings for 1988 as a result of investigations of fraudulent claims; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The net benefit saving from my Department's fraud investigation work during 1988 was £65 million.

  Local Employer Networks
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the establishment of local employer networks.

  Mr. Cope
  At the end of February 1989, 118 local employer networks were operating throughout Great Britain. Some may form the nucleus of a training and enterprise council. The Government will be encouraging the new councils to make the best use of the expertise of these employer networks.

  YTS
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures for YTS trainees going into work, further education and training; and if he will make a statement.
  200
  Mr. Cope
  The latest figures show that 86 per cent. of young people completing full YTS training and 78 per cent. of all leavers went into either employment, full-time education or further training.

  Mr. Day
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the number of people currently benefiting from YTS.

  Mr. Cope
  At the end of January 1989, 413,300 young people were recorded in training on YTS.

  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people went into employment, full-time education or further training on leaving YTS; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  The latest figures show that 86 per cent. of young people completing full YTS training and 78 per cent. of all leavers went into either employment, full-time education or further training.

  "Employment for the 1990s"
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received following the publication of the White Paper, "Employment for the 1990s"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  We have received several hundred representations following publication of the White Paper "Employment for the 1990s", the majority of which have expressed interest in and support for the introduction of training and enterprise councils. The prospectus inviting local groups led by employers to submit proposals for forming training and enterprise councils in their areas was published on 10 March.

  Voluntary Sector
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people he estimates are employed in the voluntary sector.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available.

  Vacancies
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many vacancies were notified to jobcentres, and what proportion these constitute of the estimated number of vacancies in the economy in the last months for which figures are available.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1989 the level of unfilled vacancies, seasonally adjusted, at jobcentres in the United Kingdom was 229,200. A survey in January 1989 showed that only about one third of all vacancies in the economy are notified to jobcentres.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment from which sources he derives information about the number and proportion of disabled people of working age who are unemployed; and what is the latest information provided by these sources.

  Mr. Lee
  The only count made of unemployed people with disabilities is of those who choose to register for work
  201
  at jobcentres and careers offices. The latest figures available show that on 6 January 1989 there were 50,219 unemployed people with disabilities registered for work at jobcentres and careers offices. There is no count made of the total number of people with disabilities of working age.

  Job Clubs
  Mr. Rhodes James
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job clubs are currently in operation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  At 31 January 1989 there were 1,220 job clubs in operation. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) on 27 January 1989,Official Report, column 810.

  Enterprise Agencies
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many enterprise agencies are currently operating in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  We know of 437 local enterprise agencies operating in the United Kingdom. Of these, 396 are approved under provisions of the 1988 Income and Corporation Taxes Act (previously under provisions of the Finance Act 1982), which allows business sector sponsors tax relief on their contributions to such bodies.

  Workfare
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has made a study during the last 12 months of workfare schemes in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  I have not made a study of workfare schemes in the United States of America during the last 12 months. Some two years ago Professor John Addison of the university of South Carolina completed a study of such schemes as part of a wider research project commissioned by my Department. A summary of his findings were included in the Blaug report on workfare and a summary was published in "Economic Affairs" in May 1988.

  Closed Shop
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has come to any conclusions on the future of the pre-entry closed shop; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The examination of the operation of the pre-entry closed shop which was announced in our White Paper "Employment for the 1990s" is now nearing completion. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State expects to make a further announcement shortly.

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed people have been helped to start a business during the last 12 months through the enterprise allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  In the year to March 1989, 99,070 unemployed people set up their own businesses with the 202
  help of the enterprise allowance scheme. Since the scheme began in 1982 over 421,000 unemployed people have been helped to create their own business.

  Restart
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on progress in the restart scheme.

  Mr. Lee
  Since the introduction of the restart programme in July 1986, some 5·4 million interviews have been carried out, of which just under 90 per cent. have resulted in an offer of positive help being made.

  The restart programme now offers interviews at six-monthly intervals to everyone who has been out of work for six months or more. In addition, certain clients are now offered follow-up interviews in order to provide further guidance and support.

  Since September 1988, the programme has delivered the Government's guarantee to people aged between 18 and 24, who have been unemployed for between six and 12 months, of the offer of a place on employment training, or in a job club or on the enterprise allowance scheme.

  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many long-term unemployed have been offered help under the restart programme since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  Since 1 July 1986, some 5·4 million interviews have taken place under the restart programme of which just under 90 per cent. have resulted in an offer of positive help being made. There is no record of the number of people who have been interviewed as some will have been interviewed more than once.

  Business Starts
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many businesses were started during the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  In 1987, the latest year for which figures have been published, the estimated number of new registrations for value added tax was 205,000. The net increase in the number of VAT registered businesses in 1987 was 45,000, or nearly 900 a week on average. The indications are that the rate of increase during 1988 has been faster.

  Trade Union Representatives
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to ensure that time off rights for trade union representatives will be equal to those enjoyed by safety representatives under the Health and Safety at Work Regulations.

  Mr. Lee
  Time off rights for trade union representatives will be provided under the Employment Bill, amending the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, which will not affect the provisions for safety representatives in the Health and Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations.

  Wages (Northern Region)
  Mr. Dixon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workplaces were visited, and how
  203
  many of them were found to be illegally underpaying, for the latest available year by the wages inspectorate divisions covering the northern region.

  Mr. Nicholls
  In 1988 the wages inspectorate visited 1,004 workplaces in the northern region for the purposes of checking workers' pay and found 369 were underpaying one or more worker. However, this cannot be taken as representing the general level of non-compliance with wages council orders because the wages inspectorate targets its checks by visit on those workplaces thought more likely to underpay workers. The wages inspectorate also visited five workplaces in the northern region for advisory purposes.

  Dock Labour Boards
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many staff are employed by the National Dock Labour Board and the 20 local dock labour boards.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The National Dock Labour Board and the 20 local boards employed a total of 234 staff on 31 December 1988.

  Community Insulation Projects
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the introduction of the employment training scheme on the operation of community insulation projects.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I am aware that some community insulation projects operating under employment training have had difficulty attracting trainees. Community insulation projects have an important role to play in employment training and on 10 February at column 868 my right hon. Friend announced a range of measures specifically aimed at supporting and maintaining the present community insulation project network.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he has given to funding directly the community insulation programme, along the lines of the funding arrangements of the action for community employment scheme in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to the measures I announced on 10 February at column 868, which reinforce the generous support available for running community insulation projects in Great Britain through employment training. Different employment and training programmes operate in Northern Ireland so different funding arrangements are appropriate there.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his proposals to create training and enterprise councils.

  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many representations he has received on his proposals to create training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fowler
  On 10 March I published a prospectus inviting local groups of employers to submit proposals for 204
  forming training and enterprise councils in their areas. The TECs will represent a fundamental change in the way training and enterprise activities are managed and developed. The idea has captured the imagination of employers throughout the country and we have already had many inquiries. I have invited the first formal applications for development funding by the end of April. I expect the first TECs to be in operation by early next year.

  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what contributions training and enterprise councils will make to meeting skill shortages; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on his proposals to establish training and enterprise councils to deal with skill shortages.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline his proposals for employers to direct training for jobs on a local basis through training and enterprise councils; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  Training and enterprise councils offer employers major opportunities to improve the supply of skills and to promote enterprise. They will be well placed to identify key skill needs in their localities. They will manage and develop the training and enterprise programmes previously run by the Employment Department so that they meet local needs more effectively. The TECs will also be able to take new initiatives, in partnership with others, to promote more effective training and small business support, using public and private funds. They will have a key role in helping to stimulate greater investment by employers in training their employees. The TECs will greatly increase employers' ability to mould the training system to meet their needs.

TRANSPORT

  Ports (Statistics)
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of United Kingdom trade passes through(a) dock labour scheme ports and (b) non-scheme ports; and what was the comparable figure in 1965.

  Mr. Portillo
  The percentage of trade tonnage (including oil) passing through dock labour scheme ports and non-scheme ports in Great Britain are given in the table for 1965 and 1987. Northern Ireland is not covered by the dock labour scheme legislation.

  United Kingdom Foreign trade through ports in Great Britain

  Percentage of tonnage

  Dock labour scheme ports

  Non-scheme ports

  1965

  88

  12

  1987

  62

  38

  Computerised Information (Confidentiality)
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that the air
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  traffic control system is adequately protected from unauthorised entry by computer hackers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It is for the Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Defence acting through the management of the national air traffic services to ensure adequate protection.

  Vehicles (North Yorkshire)
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the numbers of vehicles seeking to travel from the home counties to north Yorkshire and the north in the coming 10 years.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department prepares forecasts of national traffic. Where specific trunk road improvements are being assessed, local traffic forecasts are prepared. Projections are not otherwise made for traffic between specific regions.

  Motoring Mileage
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has of the total mileage driven by the average motorist per annum; and how this estimate is arrived at.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I am advised that the average motorist drives about 6,000 miles per annum, while the average household car travels 7,700 miles per annum. Mileage per car is higher than mileage per driver because there is more than one driver per car. These estimates are derived from the latest national travel survey carried out in 1985–86.

  Drivers (Eyesight)
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to what extent random tests to determine whether drivers' eyesight is defective are carried out in England and Wales; with what results; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Last month I placed in the Library two transport and road research laboratory reports on eyesight standards for driving—"A Re-analysis of Californian Driver Vision Data" and "A Survey of Visual Acuity of Drivers"—together with a paper entitled "Vision and Driving" prepared by the Department's medical adviser. These documents show clearly that defective eyesight is not a problem in the general driving population as a whole.

  We are not aware of any random testing of driver eyesight standards. We know that some police forces carry out occasional surveys of driver eyesight using binocular screening devices.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any proposals to seek to amend the law so as to make it an offence for a person to drive a vehicle while having defective vision, whether known to that person or not; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It is an offence under section 91 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 to drive with defective eyesight, whether known or not, to the extent that the driver is unable to meet the number plate test.
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  It is an offence to refuse to submit to any eyesight test required by a police constable. The maximum penalty is £400, as well as an obligatory two penalty points.

  Around 300 people each year are prosecuted for these offences.

  Fishermen (Pots)
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require potting fishermen to mark their pots clearly.

  Mr. Portillo
  The need for the efficient marking of lobster and crab pots will shortly be drawn to the attention of fishermen by the circulation of advice to the local sea fisheries committees, and attempts are also being made to stimulate interest in the subject in the fishing press. It remains the case however that progress can best be made through better communications locally between fishermen, yachtsmen and others concerned.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision is being made for the laying of submarine high voltage cable in the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Portillo
  The use of the Channel tunnel for purposes such as the passage of electricity cables is a matter in the first place for Eurotunnel's commercial judgment. I understand that it has considered the possibility of entering into arrangements with CEGB, and it seems that overall the disadvantages would outweigh the advantages. There would be considerable technical problems to be overcome, for example in making space available, coping with the heat generated, and avoiding interference with signalling equipment.

  M11 Link
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in discussions between his Department's officials and Beazers Ltd. to achieve environmental improvements to the proposed M 11 link road through Leyton and Leytonstone; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Discussions between officials of the Department of Transport and Beazers Ltd. have taken place against clearly set out criteria that there should be no delay to the road scheme nor any extra risk of cost falling upon my right hon. Friend.

  The costs and feasibility of Beazers' tunnelling proposals were agreed. Beazers has been unable to agree financial terms which would meet these criteria. Beazers has now been advised that its proposals could not be incorporated in the scheme without delay to its completion.

  Refurbishment Costs
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide precise details of refurbishment/upgrading costs expended over the past five years on the following stations(a) Hartland MSRC-to 6 December 1988, (b) Ramsey MRSC-to 17 January 1989 and (c) Peterhead MRSC-to date.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 13 March 1989] Over the five-year periods specified, expenditure on refurbishment/upgrading of the buildings concerned has totalled:

  207

  £

  Hartland MRSC

  54,634

  Ramsey MSRC

  4,723

  Peterhead MRSC

  5,196

  Roads (Hampshire)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish statistics indicating the increase of traffic in Hampshire (i) in the county as a whole and (ii) in the local authority districts of the county for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: The Department carries out surveys designed to measure traffic growth only at the national level. For counties, estimates of traffic levels are made annually for major roads (class A and motorways). These levels estimates are subject to wide margins of error and do not provide a reliable basis for measuring year-to-year changes.

  For 1987 the level of traffic on major roads in Hampshire is estimated at 7·2 billion vehicle kilometres. No estimates are made of traffic levels for the local authority districts within a county.

  London Underground (Security)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total extra amount spent by Her Majesty's Government on police and improved security on the London Underground since the publication of the 1986 report "Crime on the Underground".

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 10 March 1989]: The Government have made available to London Underground Ltd. £15 million specifically for additional passenger security measures recommended by the 1986 report. In addition the increase in complement of the London Underground division of the British Transport police from 350 to 400 officers will cost an extra £1·5 million in a full year.

  Elveden Junction
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his request to Suffolk county council to investigate what action can be taken to improve the A 11/B1106 junction at Elveden, if he has received the council's recommendations; and what steps he is now taking to bring about an improvement in road safety at this junction.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 10 March 1989]: Suffolk county council has recommended that a roundabout be built at this junction. At the Department's request it is now carrying out an economic evaluation of the proposal in relation to any possible longer-term major improvements to this section of the trunk road.

  We expect to have the evaluation in a few weeks and shall then be able to give further consideration to the possibilities for improving the junction.

ENVIRONMENT

  Nature Reserves
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for the publication of the 208
  Nature Conservancy Council's report on the future of its reserves; when he intends to respond to this report; and if he will make a statement on Government policy on the future of Britain's state-owned nature reserves.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 8 February 1989]: My right hon. Friend proposes to discuss this report with the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council as soon as we have completed our initial examination of it and before making any announcement of the Government's response. At that time I would expect to place a copy of the report in the Libraries of both Houses.

  UK 2000
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is(a) the Government funding for UK 2000 in 1987–88, 1988–89, with plans for 1989–90 and (b) the number of people employed on programmes under the UK 2000 initiative in each of these years.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department's grant to UK 2000 in England was £1·381 million in 1987–88 and £1·805 million in 1988–89. In each year UK 2000 matched this grant with private sponsorship. In 1987–88, 10,300 community programme (CP) trainees were employed on projects supported by UK 2000, with 12,500 volunteers also involved. In 1988–89 some 9,000 CP trainees were employed, reducing to under 6,000 trainees following the introduction of employment training, with an estimated 15,000 volunteers also involved.

  I have not yet formally offered grant or approved plans for 1989–90. I have however indicated to UK 2000 my intention to continue funding at the same level as in 1988–89, as a declining share of the overall budget for the initiative.

  UK 2000 also operates separately in Scotland and Wales, receiving grant from the Scottish and Welsh Offices respectively.

  Lowermoor Treatment Works
  Mr. Neale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if the water being supplied from the Lowermoor treatment works now meets European Community standards;

  (2) if he will publish the latest details of samples taken by the South West water authority in the Lowermoor treatment works distribution area; and if he will make a statement on the proposed programme of sampling intended in the area for the seven months period from 1 March 1989 to 30 September 1989.

  Mr. Howard
  I understand from the South West water authority that for the week commencing Monday 27 February, 23 samples of water issuing from the Lowermoor treatment works all complied with the standards of the EC drinking water directive. The 89 samples taken during the same week from the distribution system served by the Lowermoor treatment works complied with the EC standards except for one sample from an old property with lead plumbing which exceeded the standard for lead and four samples which exceeded the standard for iron. It is not unusual for the iron standard to be exceeded occasionally in distribution systems with iron mains. Those results which did not comply with a directive standard have been notified to the local environmental health officer.
  209
  I am informed that the authority's current sampling programme has a daily target of 10 routine samples. In addition, samples are taken in response to customer requests to investigate problems and to monitor the effects of mains cleaning operations. This level of sampling will be maintained until the authority, North Cornwall district council, and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly health authority are satisfied that it can be reduced.

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what consideration there has been of rural housing policy as part of his Ministry's annual review of alternative land use.

  Mr. Chope
  Evidence on land use change in the countryside is collected regularly by my Department and by the Ministry of Agriculture, and taken into account in policy formulation. It is too early to assess the implications for land use of the announcements about rural housing which my right hon. Friend made last month.

  BISF Houses, Bilborough
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the meetings which have taken place between his officials and(a) building societies and (b) Nottingham city council, on the question of mortgages for BISF houses in Bilborough, Nottingham, since he met a delegation of residents in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have written to the hon. Member.

  BNF (Nuclear Fuel Cycle Production Plants)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn)Official Report, column 493, 20 February, he will set out the policy considerations underlying his decision not to conduct an environmental audit of British Nuclear Fuels plc's nuclear fuel cycle production plants.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no reason to believe that these plants release nationally significant amounts of carbon dioxide or chlorofluorocarbons.

  Hazardous Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting between EEC Environment Ministers and African Environment Ministers held in Dakar in January to discuss the international trade and regulation of hazardous waste.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The conference on hazardous wastes held in Dakar on 26 and 27 January this year issued a communiqué requesting the Secretary General of the Organisation of African Unity, in collaboration with, among others, the executive director of the United Nations environment programme, to assist African countries to establish appropriate mechanisms for monitoring and control of movement of nuclear and industrial wastes in Africa and calling on all countries to participate in the diplomatic conference expected to be held in Basle later this month under the auspices of the United Nations 210
  environment programme to negotiate a global convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in the United Nations on the development of an international convention to regulate hazardous and toxic waste disposal.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A diplomatic conference is expected to convene in Basle later this month for the purpose of adopting and signing the global convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes.

  Housing (Hampshire)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many units of accommodation have been started and completed by the private sector in each local government district in Hampshire in each year since 1979;

  (2) how many units of accommodation have been started and completed by the public sector in each local government district in Hampshire in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: The reported annual housebuilding figures for public and private sectors since 1980 appear in "Housebuilding in England by Local Authority Areas: 1980 to 1987". Figures for 1979 were published in "Local Housing Statistics" issue 59 and figures for the first half of 1988 were published in "Local Housing Statistics" issue 87. Copies of these are in the Library.

  Brundtland Report
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans Her Majesty's Government have to review progress at all levels in respect of their achieving the goals set by the Brundtland report; and when they expect to publish their first review.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The United Kingdom is one of the few countries around the world to have produced a detailed response setting out the steps being taken to follow up the Brundtland report. The Government believe that the most effective way to promote the call in the report for policies of sustainable development to be adopted on a global scale is through concerted action by the international community as a whole. Our recent conference on saving the ozone layer was one practical and highly successful demonstration of this.

  The United Kingdom is taking a leading role in international organisations such as the United Nations and OECD to ensure that sustainable development is integrated into all their activities. We have also recently commissioned Professor David Pearce of London university to review current work on the tools needed for measuring progress towards sustainable development.

  Low Frequency Transmissions
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the effects of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic radiation on plant, animal and human life.
  211
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department has no information regarding the effects of extremely low frequency electric and magnetic radiation on plant, animal and human life. The National Radiological Protection Board is under a statutory duty to inform and advise Government, and others, on any hazards which may arise.

  Sewage Works Discharge Consents
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many relaxations in sewage works discharge consents are currently being allowed in each water authority or water company area; and, of this number, how many are temporary and how many permanent.

  Mr. Howard
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: Authorities may apply for time-limited variations to discharge consents in cases where they plan to complete improvement schemes by March 1992. In addition, some small works may also be eligible for longer-term variations in those limited number of cases where it can be demonstrated that investment to meet current consent requirements would produce negligible environmental benefits. In all cases, HMIP will consider applications on their merits before granting revised consent conditions. At this stage, I cannot say how many applications will be made or granted—either in total or for any water authority.

  Capper Pass Works, North Humberside
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the reasons for the delay in the publication of the HMIP report on the subject of the emission of radiation from the Capper Pass works in north Humberside, which his Department stated it expected to receive in November 1988,Official Report, 1 November 1988, column 564.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: The first part of the HMIP report on emissions from the Capper Pass works on north Humberside was completed in November. Completion of the second part, concerning non-radioactive emissions was unfortunately interrupted by an injury to the inspector who was dealing with it. This was overcome and the two parts of the report assembled into a single report. I have already indicated that I hope to place this single report in the Library of the House shortly.

  Clay Pigeon Shooting
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete his consideration of the consultations concerning the General Development Order 1988 in respect of clay pigeon shooting.

  Mr. Chope
  Within the next few weeks.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy on major retail development in the green belt.

  Mr. Howard
  Major retail development proposals have no place in the green belt. The Government's commitment 212
  to upholding this policy is demonstrated by my right hon. Friend's dismissal in February of proposals for a major shopping and leisure complex at Bricket wood near St. Albans, and by his dismissal today of similar proposals at Hewitts farm near Orpington. Both sites are in the metropolitan green belt. In both these cases my right hon. Friend has ordered the prospective developer to pay the cost incurred by the local planning authority at the public inquiries held to consider these proposals.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the volume of chlorofluorocarbons which are at present in use in refrigeration units and other domestic and industrial equipment in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no estimate of the volume of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) at present in use. The Montreal protocol, and the European legislation which implements it, restrict the overall supply of CFCs. The European Community Environment Council, in response to a United Kingdom initiative, has called for the protocol to be strengthened so as to reduce supply by 85 per cent. as soon as possible and to eliminate it altogether by the end of the century. This will increasingly encourage the recycling of existing material wherever possible.

  Power Boats
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many accidents involving injury have been reported during the past five years involving powered boats travelling close inshore off bathing beaches.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have been asked to reply.

  There have been about 700 incidents in total each year involving powered pleasure boats, but records are not kept of those occurring close to bathing beaches.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress made by the biogeochemical ocean flux study in assessing the use of coccolithophores to fix carbon dioxide.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.

  Studies have shown that the natural abundance of coccolithophores could increase under conditions of increasing carbon dioxide. Studies are under way on the suitability of these organisms as food for zooplankton and protozoa. Coccolithophores are only one component of ocean life taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; the biogeochemical ocean flux study's 1989 cruises will measure these processes.

  Climatic Change (Study)
  Mr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom contribution to the joint global ocean flux study investigating the role of oceans in global climate change.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The biogeochemical ocean flux study (BOFS) of the Natural Environment Research Council provides the United Kingdom component of the joint global ocean flux

  213
  study (JGOFS). The BOFS involves 60 scientists and 14 laboratories, and expenditure of at least £3 million in 1989–90. The United Kingdom is also represented on the joint global ocean flux study international scientific committee.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the chairmen of the private water companies whom he has called in to see him as a result of their announcing increases in water charges of more than 10 per cent. for the year 1989–90; what response they gave to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  [pursuant to his reply 23 February 1989, c. 733]: The Water Companies Association indicated in its statement of 5 February that statutory water companies were likely to raise their charges this year by 30 per cent. or more. In some quarters, increases of 50 per cent. or more were anticipated. I have now met almost all the chairmen of the companies to discuss their proposals. The Department's financial advisers, Deloitte Haskins and Sells, have also scrutinised the companies' proposals and the reasons for the increases.

  Some companies already had fixed their charges and were unable to reduce them. However, following the meetings that I have had with them, most companies proposed lower increases and the majority seen by Deloitte have agreed to reduce their proposals further. I now anticipate that the average increase in charges for the statutory water companies will be about 22 per cent. Since Deloittes began its scrutiny, consumers have, therefore, been saved at least £16 million in increased charges.

  The Government have always made it clear that water charges will have to rise to meet the higher quality standards which are being demanded of the water industry. The preparation of asset management plans, as part of the new regulatory framework being established by the Water Bill, has also identified in a number of cases serious backlogs of maintenance of underground assets, which mean that companies will have to spend substantially more to maintain existing levels of service. In reviewing the companies' charging proposals, Deloittes sought in particular to identify the increase which could be attributable to these factors; it also sought to avoid
  214
  recommending any action which would be imprudent when set against the likely sustained higher levels of capital expenditure in future.

  The extent to which investment is needed to meet existing requirements and maintain standards indicates underinvestment in many of the statutory water companies which shows just how inadequate the existing system of regulation has been. Such sharp increases in one year should not have been necessary and some of the increases which companies have announced are higher than these considerations alone would justify. Under existing statutory controls, the Government have no power to reverse these decisions.

  We shall scrutinise this year's increases in charges very carefully in the light of the new system for controlling these charges which we are introducing in the Water Bill. Where price rises this year cannot be justified, appropriate adjustments will be made to the price ceilings which we set.

  Aluminium
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of aluminium in water supplies taken at regular intervals by each of the local authorities in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Iancashire and Merseyside; and how often the samples taken are in excess of the recommended safety levels.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The available information is listed:

  It is not the practice of many local authorities to carry out extensive monitoring of public water supplies. Water undertakers monitor their water supplies regularly.

  Supplies taken by the North West water authority in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Iancashire and Merseyside have shown that the aluminium standard of the EC drinking water directive is regularly exceeded in parts of the following local authority areas:

  Sefton (Southport).

  Stockport (excluding Reddish, Heaton Mersey).

  Bolton (excluding Westhoughton, Lostock, Heaton Moor).

  Tameside (Ashton, Stalybridge, Dukinfield, Mossley) Oldham (excluding Royton and Chadderton).

  Lancaster (Lancaster City and parishes of Slyne with Hest and Bolton-le-Sands).

  The levels of aluminium detected in these supplies have not been judged to constitute a health risk.

  BRITISH HONOURS AND ORDERS OF CHIVALRY HELD BY OVERSEAS HEADS OF STATE
  BRITISH HONOURS AND ORDERS OF CHIVALRY HELD BY OVERSEAS HEADS OF STATE
  OUTER SPACE TREATY
  OUTER SPACE TREATY
  HONG KONG: ANNUAL REPORT
  HONG KONG: ANNUAL REPORT
  FIREARM AND SHOTGUN CERTIFICATE FEES WORKING PARTY
  FIREARM AND SHOTGUN CERTIFICATE FEES WORKING PARTY
  CHANNEL TUNNEL RAIL LINK: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
  CHANNEL TUNNEL RAIL LINK: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
  SUBMARINE/SURFACE VESSEL COLLISIONS: IMO RESOLUTION
  SUBMARINE/SURFACE VESSEL COLLISIONS: IMO RESOLUTION
  ST. MARK'S CHURCH, HORSHAM
  ST. MARK'S CHURCH, HORSHAM
  EARNINGS INCREASE RATE
  EARNINGS INCREASE RATE
  SOCIAL SECURITY ADJUDICATION: REPORT
  SOCIAL SECURITY ADJUDICATION: REPORT