Written Answers of 23 March 1989

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Self-defence
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he has taken following the Women's National Commission's 1985 recommendation that he give attention to the need for self-defence education, as part of physical education, in secondary schools, and to the necessary training for physical education teachers.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  At the time of that recommendation, responsibility for determining the content of the school curriculum locally rested with individual schools, governing bodies and local education authorities as appropriate. The Education Reform Act 1988, however, establishes a national curriculum which includes physical education. Arrangements for considering the content of guidelines on PE will be set up by June 1990 with a view to beginning to implement them in schools from autumn 1992. Self-defence education may be among the matters to be considered. It will be for LEAs to determine the necessary in-service training for teachers of PE, and for teacher training institutions to decide upon the content of initial teacher training courses.

  School Leavers
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the change in the proportion of school leavers in the north-west going on to further or higher education in the north-west since 1979–80.

  Mr. Jackson
  In 1979–80, 18·2 per cent. of leavers from maintained schools in the North-west intended to proceed to a course of further or higher education. The comparable figure for 1986–87 was 27·6 per cent.

  Pupil-teacher Ratios
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the change in pupil-teacher ratios in the north-west since 1979.

  Mr. Butcher
  The pupil-teacher ratios in maintained primary and secondary schools in the north-west in 1979 and 1988 were as follows:

  January each year

  1979

  1988

  Percentage change

  Primary

  23·6

  22·5

  -4·7

  Secondary

  16·4

  15·0

  -8·5

  Indic Languages
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has 682
  received urging that Indic languages be specified as eligible for the modern foreign languages foundation subject; what ethnic minority representatives and other interested parties he is meeting to discuss this matter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Indic languages are among those specified as eligible for inclusion in the national curriculum, within the framework of the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) on 3 March at columns 338 and 339. Since that announcement, my right hon. Friend has received a small number of representations on this matter, including one from the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden). The proposals already take account of earlier representations about the inclusion of Indic languages, which had been received after the passage of the Education Reform Act. My right hon. Friend has no present plans to meet ethnic minority representatives or other parties, but will consider carefully any further representations made during the consultation period on the proposals.

  Teaching as a Career
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide further resources towards recruiting people back to teaching; and if so if he is prepared to increase the budget to its teaching as a career promotion unit.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend announced on 27 January that the remit of TASC would be extended for a further three years beyond April 1990. The future level of funding of the unit is at present under consideration. An important part of TASC's activity will continue to be to promote the re-employment of former teachers.

  Teachers' Pay and Conditions
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if the gap between the rate support grant additional allocation and the net effect of improvements to teachers' pay and conditions of employment, will be met in full from central sources.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend is consulting the local authority associations arid others about his proposals to give effect to the recommendations of the interim advisory committee on teachers' pay and conditions m 1989–90. Paragraph 4 of my right hon. Friend's consultative letter of 16 February made clear that the Government do not intend to revise the rate support grant settlement on account of those proposals. The additional cost to local authorities of the proposals will be offset in part by the greater than expected reduction in the employers' contributions to the teachers' superannuation scheme which my right hon. Friend announced on 10 February.

  University Staff
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional funds have been earmarked specifically for university staff salaries for each of the years(a) 1989–90, (b) 1990–91 and (c) 1991–92; and what conditions have been attached.

  Mr. Jackson
  Following the 1987 salary settlement the Government have earmarked £67 million for the salaries
  683
  of academic staff in institutions to be funded by the Universities Funding Council in 1989–90 on condition that the universities produce satisfactory evidence of the implementation of staff appraisal. The Government have also offered to make additional sums available over the three years for staff pay if all industrial action ceases and settlements which introduce differentiation into the pay of lecturers and technicians are agreed.

  Nursery and Primary Education
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total capital expenditure for nursery and primary education for each of the last 10 years in absolute cash terms and in real terms using 1979 as the base year.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The information available is as follows:

  Local authority expenditure on nursery and primary education England only

  £000

  Cash

  Real terms

  1979–80

  104,712

  104,712

  1980–81

  135,813

  114,561

  1981–82

  106,902

  82,163

  1982–83

  107,998

  77,517

  1983–84

  122,904

  84,310

  1984–85

  144,000

  94,131

  1985–86

  161,187

  99,895

  1986–87

  177,768

  106,585

  1987–88

  n.a.

  —

  1988–89

  n.a.

  —

  The above figures do not include expenditure for voluntary aided and special agreement primary and nursery schools, for which information is not readily available.

  Teacher Training
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many students who entered initial teacher training are specialising in nursery education for each of the last 10 years;

  (2) how many students who entered all forms of initial teacher training are specialising in early years education, up to seven years old, for each of the last 10 years;

  (3) how many post graduate certificate for education students have entered initial teacher training specialised in primary school teaching for each of the last 10 years;

  (4) how many students have entered all forms of initial teacher training specialising in primary education for each of the last 10 years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Information is not available on the number of students entering initial teacher training who specialise in nursery education. The first table gives the numbers of students entering courses of initial teacher training specialising in early years education since 1986. The second table shows numbers of students entering primary courses of initial teacher training since 1982. These are the years for which, in each case, information is available.684

  Table 1. Recruitment to Initial Teacher Training Courses for Early Years.

  1986

  1987

  1988

  PGCE

  292

  437

  836

  BEd

  1,105

  1,168

  1,771

  Total

  1,397

  1,605

  2,607

  Source: DES annual survey of recruitment to initial teacher training.

  Note: Figures include all courses of initial teacher training for the age ranges 3–7, 3–8, 4–7 and 4–8.

  Table 2. Recruitment to Primary Phase Courses of Initial Teacher Training

  PGCE

  BEd

  Total

  1982

  1,357

  5,078

  6,435

  1983

  1,740

  5,682

  7,422

  1984

  2,003

  6,254

  8,257

  1985

  2,328

  6,466

  8,794

  1986

  2,707

  6,257

  8,964

  1987

  3,134

  6,970

  10,104

  1988

  3,727

  7,646

  11,373

  Source: DES annual survey of recruitment to initial teacher training.

  Grant-maintained Schools
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the governors of a school seeking grant-maintained status, and where a ballot of parents has received a majority yes vote, will have the same right to comment on objections subsequently submitted by the local education authority as the authority itself has for commenting on objections to section 12 notices; and whether this applies where the school in question is itself the subject of a section 12 notice.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Objections to proposals from schools seeking grant-maintained status are submitted direct to my right hon. Friend and are not automatically shown to the governing body. However in considering the proposals my right hon. Friend takes steps to ensure that he has all the information necessary for him to make a decision, including where appropriate comments from the governing body on objections to the proposals. Proposals for grant-maintained status are treated in the same way for a school which is also the subject of a section 12 notice, but in that case both proposals are considered together.

  Lecturers (Dispute)
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action is being considered to ensure that students' examinations will not be jeopardised as a result of the current lecturers' dispute.

  Mr. Jackson
  This is a matter for the university authorities. I understand that they are actively considering a range of possibilities.

  National Curriculum
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if sufficient copies of the national curriculum are available in schools in preparation for September.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Following the publication of national curriculum documents for mathematics and science on 14 March, initial copies were sent to schools in time to arrive before the end of their Easter term. A second instalment
  685
  will be distributed by local education authorities after Easter, which will allow one copy for every primary teacher and secondary teacher of mathematics or science. It is intended that national curriculum documents for key stage 1 in English will be distributed to schools in early June.

  Derbyshire County Council
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much Derbyshire county council has spent on primary and secondary education each year since 1981–82, in total, and per pupil.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The available information is given in the table:

  Net institutional expenditure1 and spend per pupil2

  Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Net Institutional expenditure

  Unit cost

  Net Institutional expenditure

  Unit cost

  Year

  £ million

  £

  £ million

  £

  1981–82

  46·9

  575

  60·1

  795

  1982–83

  49·5

  635

  65·5

  870

  1983–84

  51·7

  690

  70·5

  950

  1984–85

  54·1

  730

  73·6

  1,020

  1985–86

  58·1

  780

  78·1

  1,125

  1986–87

  65·3

  875

  86·6

  1,305

  1987–88

  375·2

  3990

  95·9

  1,530

  1 Net institutional expenditure includes the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certin supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

  2 The figures are based on LEA expenditure returns to DoE and pupil number returns to DES.

  3 The figures for 1987–88 include nursery schools.

  Education Costs
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the Government have spent on primary and secondary education each year since 1981–82.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Local authorities determine their own education budgets. Rate support grant paid by the Government in support of local authority spending is not hypothecated to individual services, and education specific grants are not necessarily paid on a sectoral basis. The information requested is not therefore available.

  Books (Expenditure)
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the spending on books in England per primary school child for every year for the last 10 years.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  While local authorities' expenditure returns to the Department of the Environment show separate figures for books, these need to be treated with caution because of differing local authority practices in allocating spending between books and equipment. The table therefore shows spending figures for books and equipment together as well as for books separately.686

  Expenditure per pupil on books and equipment Primary schools, England, £ cash

  Books and equipment

  Within which, books

  1977–78

  11·40

  3·60

  1978–79

  12·80

  4·20

  1979–80

  14·30

  4·70

  1980–81

  16·00

  5·30

  1981–82

  18·20

  5·90

  1982–83

  20·90

  7·00

  1983–84

  22·80

  7·10

  1984–85

  23·50

  7·30

  1985–86

  24·90

  7·50

  1986–87

  28·00

  8·20

  The Government's expenditure plans for 1989–90 allow for provision per primary pupil for books and equipment to increase by 32 per cent. in cash over the 1986–87 level.

  Nursery Schools
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table showing, by local authority areas, the number of full-time equivalent 0–4 year-olds in nursery schools in January.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  In January 1988 the number of full-time equivalent pupils under five in maintained nursery schools in each local education authority in England is given in the table.

  Full-time equivalent pupils under 5 in maintained nursery schools January 1988

  Full-time equivalent pupils

  Barking

  0

  Barnet

  268

  Bexley

  99

  Brent

  225

  Bromley

  0

  Croydon

  244

  Ealing

  275

  Enfield

  0

  Haringey

  210

  Harrow

  0

  Havering

  0

  Hillingdon

  60

  Hounslow

  0

  Kingston upon Thames

  150

  Merton

  0

  Newham

  515

  Redbridge

  0

  Richmond upon Thames

  36

  Sutton

  120

  Waltham Forest

  192

  Inner London

  3,173

  Birmingham

  1,592

  Coventry

  250

  Dudley

  221

  Sandwell

  162

  Solihull

  0

  Walsall

  436

  Wolverhampton

  422

  Knowsley

  0

  Liverpool

  374

  St. Helens

  39

  Sefton

  160

  Wirral

  146

  Bolton

  339

  Bury

  111

  Manchester

  473

  687

  Full-time equivalent pupils

  Oldham

  0

  Rochdale

  494

  Salford

  675

  Stockport

  507

  Tameside

  180

  Trafford

  0

  Wigan

  108

  Barnsley

  91

  Doncaster

  0

  Rotherham

  207

  Sheffield

  460

  Bradford

  355

  Calderdale

  65

  Kirklees

  332

  Leeds

  150

  Wakefield

  232

  Gateshead

  32

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  549

  North Tyneside

  178

  South Tyneside

  373

  Sunderland

  537

  Isles of Scilly

  0

  Avon

  1,194

  Bedfordshire

  834

  Berkshire

  1,081

  Buckinghamshire

  256

  Cambridgeshire

  374

  Cheshire

  434

  Cleveland

  77

  Cornwall

  74

  Cumbria

  411

  Derbyshire

  687

  Devon

  153

  Dorset

  0

  Durham

  1,354

  East Sussex

  143

  Essex

  132

  Gloucestershire

  0

  Hampshire

  130

  Hereford and Worcester

  0

  Hertfordshire

  913

  Humberside

  605

  Isle of Wight

  0

  Kent

  41

  Lancashire

  1,765

  Leicestershire

  25

  Lincolnshire

  195

  Norfolk

  202

  North Yorkshire

  186

  Northamptonshire

  307

  Northumberland

  88

  Nottinghamshire

  322

  Oxfordshire

  290

  Shropshire

  83

  Somerset

  0

  Staffordshire

  1,435

  Suffolk

  55

  Surrey

  252

  Warwickshire

  378

  West Sussex

  230

  Wiltshire

  0

  England

  30,501

  Examinations
  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
  [holding answer 14 March 1989]: The information is given in the table. The figures relating to examination results are derived from a 10 per cent. sample of school leavers from each school. Sampling error is a major consideration where information for individual local education authorities is concerned. To help mitigate the effects of sampling error, the figures are presented in the form of a three-year aggregate covering the academic years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87.

  School leavers from maintained secondary schools: aggregation for the academic years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87

  Numbers (thous-ands)

  Percentage achieving 5 + graded results at GCE O-level/CSE

  Local education authorities:

  Barking

  6·68

  52·99

  Barnet

  10·35

  81·55

  Bexley

  10·40

  76·54

  Brent

  8·68

  68·55

  Bromley

  10·27

  77·22

  Croydon

  12·88

  73·76

  Ealing

  9·77

  67·14

  Enfield

  10·40

  68·94

  Haringey

  6·05

  65·12

  Harrow

  6·01

  82·86

  Havering

  11·03

  72·26

  Hillingdon

  8·81

  77·98

  Hounslow

  8·31

  66·43

  Kingston upon Thames

  4·65

  76·77

  Merton

  6·13

  70·80

  Newham

  9·08

  57·27

  Redbridge

  8·29

  65·14

  Richmond upon Thames

  4·39

  77·45

  Sutton

  6·22

  81·99

  Waltham Forest

  7·19

  53·41

  Inner London

  73·43

  58·68

  Birmingham

  48·88

  66·67

  Coventry

  14·27

  69·80

  Dudley

  14·52

  75·96

  Sandwell

  14·54

  61·35

  Solihull

  10·82

  83·27

  Walsall

  14·87

  70·07

  Wolverhampton

  12·90

  63·72

  Knowsley

  7·98

  50·25

  Liverpool

  21·10

  53·51

  St. Helens

  8·87

  68·43

  Sefton

  13·77

  69·72

  Wirral

  15·47

  70·72

  Bolton

  12·93

  74·40

  Bury

  8·09

  75·28

  Manchester

  22·23

  51·15

  Oldham

  9·78

  64·93

  Rochdale

  9·38

  65·25

  Salford

  11·03

  62·65

  Stockport

  12·82

  70·67

  Tameside

  11·56

  70·42

  Trafford

  8·63

  73·93

  Wigan

  17·29

  74·67

  Barnsley

  11·28

  62·85

  Doncaster

  13·50

  67·04

  Rotherham

  13·54

  68·46

  Sheffield

  25·64

  72·19

  Bradford

  22·22

  57·56

  Calderdale

  9·01

  63·15

  Kirklees

  18·26

  70·04

  689

  Numbers (thous-ands)

  Percentage achieving 5 + graded results at GCE O-level/CSE

  Leeds

  30·57

  69·55

  Wakefield

  16·09

  65·94

  Gateshead

  9·35

  66·42

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  10·32

  63·18

  North Tyneside

  8·85

  75·82

  South Tyneside

  7·14

  76·33

  Sunderland

  14·82

  72·81

  Avon

  37·28

  76·77

  Bedfordshire

  22·42

  76·70

  Berkshire

  29·00

  82·76

  Buckinghamshire

  24·90

  81·57

  Cambridgeshire

  24·31

  74·04

  Cheshire

  44·91

  75·46

  Cleveland

  29·60

  73·01

  Cornwall

  20·70

  77·39

  Cumbria

  21·55

  74·71

  Derbyshire

  43·65

  77·25

  Devon

  38·27

  73·53

  Dorset

  25·27

  82·43

  Durham

  27·86

  72·83

  East Sussex

  22·63

  74·68

  Essex

  66·24

  71·56

  Gloucestershire

  21·82

  78·51

  Hampshire

  66·78

  82·73

  Hereford and Worcester

  27·54

  78·36

  Hertfordshire

  43·45

  76·16

  Humberside

  41 81

  71·27

  Isle of Wight

  4·93

  78·09

  Kent

  65·93

  77·54

  Lancashire

  62·58

  69·45

  Leicestershire

  38·28

  73·51

  Lincolnshire

  24·93

  77·10

  Norfolk

  31·34

  63·59

  North Yorkshire

  29·25

  79·18

  Northamptonshire

  26·16

  77·45

  Northumberland

  12·90

  80·08

  Nottinghamshire

  46·85

  74·34

  Oxfordshire

  22·94

  81·17

  Shropshire

  19·32

  79·30

  Somerset

  17·79

  73·86

  Staffordshire

  48·29

  76·99

  Suffolk

  25·80

  70·16

  Surrey

  37·43

  83·44

  Warwickshire

  21·04

  81·56

  West Sussex

  27·20

  84·67

  Wiltshire

  21·43

  73·45

PRIME MINISTER

  Canadian Prime Minister (Visit)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister if during the visit of the Canadian Prime Minister to Downing street on 13 March, she discussed the prospects of the sale of British nuclear submarines to Canada.

  The Prime Minister
  Yes, expressing the hope that the Canadian order would go to the United Kingdom. Mr. Mulroney told me he had still to take a decision.

  NHS (Clwyd)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit the Rhyl offices of the National Union of Public Employees to hear its views on(a) Her Majesty's Government's proposals for the National Health Service and (b) Clwyd health authority's proposals to close Lluesty hospital, Holywell; and if she will make a statement.
  690
  The Prime Minister
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be meeting a range of organisations in Wales to hear their views on the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  I understand that no proposal to close Lluesty hospital has been put to Clwyd health authority. It would therefore not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend or myself to enter into any discussions at this stage.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will meet the Clwyd local medical committee and representatives from 40 general practitioner practices in Clwyd to hear the views of general practitioners concerning the White Paper "Working for Patients";

  (2) if she will visit Wrexham-Mealar district hospital, Glan Clwyd district hospital and Mauceot community hospital to meet representatives of the nursing and ancillary staffs concerning Her Majesty's Government's White Paper "Working for Patients": and if she will make a statement;

  (3) if she will meet Clwyd general practitioners to discuss their views of the National Health Service Review "Working for Patients";

  (4) if she will meet the Clwyd local medical committee at Tegfryn, Mold, Clwyd, to discuss matters concerning the National Health Service; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales will be meeting a range of organisations in Wales to hear their views on the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Policing (North Wales)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit North Wales police headquarters, Colwyn Bay, to meet the chief constable and the Gwynedd-Clwyd police committee to discuss police manning levels and to discuss developments in the level of crime; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to visit the North Wales police. Since the Government took office 51 extra police posts have been approved for North Wales. The police authority has applied for the further 10 posts in 1990–91. This will be considered. It is encouraging to see that recorded crime in North Wales fell by 6 per cent. in 1988.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister who is representing the United Kingdom at the global convention on the control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste; and if she will make a statement on the remit of the United Kingdom's representative.

  The Prime Minister
  The United Kingdom's delegation to the diplomatic conference at Basle to draw up a convention on the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes was led by the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment will make a statement about the conference as soon as possible.

  Dangerous Substances
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Prime Minister, if she will make a statement on the role of each Government
  691
  Department involved in the licensing of dangerous substances, the controls over the shipment of such substances, the rescuing and disposal of cargoes containing such substances in case of accident and the monitoring and clearing up of the after effects of any accident.

  The Prime Minister
  The Department of the Environment is responsible for the general oversight of waste, including dangerous waste. A scheme for the notification of new substances is run jointly by the Health and Safety Executive and DoE. On registration of agricultural pesticides, the lead is taken by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Department of Transport is responsible for the regulation of the carriage of dangerous goods including waste, with specialist advice from the Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority as necessary.

  EC Directive 84/631/EEC, and the related United Kingdom regulation, deal with the transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste. International movement of dangerous substances by sea is governed by the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1981 and in practice means compliance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code.

  The marine pollution control unit in DTp is responsible for dealing with spillage and clearing up after accidents. If such goods are brought ashore here for disposal they would have to be dealt with at a suitable facility by a local authority. In serious cases advice on disposal would be available from Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Tornado Aircraft
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions she has had with the Jordanian Government concerning the sale of eight Tornado aircraft to that country.

  The Prime Minister
  I have discussed the possible sale of Tornado to Jordan with King Hussein on a number of occasions, most recently on 13 March. I understand that the Jordanian Government, after reviewing their financial commitments, and in the light of the current economic situation in Jordan, have informed us that they would like to postpone further negotiations on the sale until more favourable circumstances prevail. This has been agreed.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Prime Minister what contacts she has had with the West German Government concerning the sale of eight Tornado aircraft to Jordan.

  The Prime Minister
  Since the Tornado is a collaborative project I have had occasion to have discussions with the Federal Republic of Germany authorities about financing arrangements for this possible sale.

  Newspapers (Legal Proceedings)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister what injunctions or other legal proceedings have been brought by the Government or members of the Government against individual newspapers or publishing organisations over the last 12 days.

  The Prime Minister
  I am not aware of any such proceedings.

  Pamella Bordes
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussion took place between on the one hand Downing street officers or representatives of Her Majesty's Government and on the other hand representatives of national newspapers on the question of Miss Pamella Bordes between Sunday 12 March and Monday 20 March.

  The Prime Minister
  Downing street press officers discharge their duties as appropriate.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Junior Counsel
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide for the latest available 12 month period(a) the number of junior counsel regularly practising and (b) the number of junior counsel regularly practising in the criminal courts; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The number of junior counsel regularly practising is 5,343 for the 12-month period ending 1 October 19881; the number of junior counsel regularly practising in the criminal courts is 2,926 as at 17 March 19892.
  1 Figures supplied by the Bar Council based on those registered as at 1 October.
  2 Figures supplied by the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund as at 17 March 1989.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will provide for the latest available 12-month period in respect of the Crown prosecution service(a) the total number of lawyers employed, (b) the number of barristers employed, (c) the number of solicitors employed, and (d) the number of cases prosecuted in (i) the magistrates' courts and (ii) the Crown court, (e) the average cost of cases prosecuted in the magistrates' courts, (f) the average cost to the Crown prosecution service, of prosecution in the Crown court excluding counsels fees and (g) the average counsel's fee in Crown court cases; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The latest 12-month period for which the information requested is available is from January to December 1988. The information requested is as follows:

  (a) 1,539.

  (b) 549.

  (c) 990.

  (d)

  (i) 1,354,000 defendants.

  (ii) 123,000 defendants.

  (Records are kept of the number of defendants, rather than the number of cases, prosecuted in each court).

  (e) £47.

  (f) £170.

  (g) £267.

  Legal Reform
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General what instructions the Director of Public Prosecutions has given to lawyers in the service of the Crown prosecution service on the public expression of any views they might have on the Lord Chancellor's Green Papers, and on their sending such views to the headquarters for collation.
  693
  The Solicitor-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions has reminded all members of the Crown prosecution service that, in accordance with standard civil service practice, they should not comment publicly on matters of current political controversy. The director has expressed the view that if members of staff wish to make comments on issues raised in the Green Paper, the most appropriate course is to send them to the working party which has been set up under the chairmanship of the deputy director/chief executive to consider the Department's response to the Lord Chancellor's proposals.

  Entry Clearance
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Attorney-General how many appeals against entrance clearance were upheld by adjudicators in 1987 and 1988; and in how many of such appeals entry clearance thereafter was issued by the relevant immigration authorities.

  The Solicitor-General
  In 1987, 1,612 appeals against refusal of entry clearance were upheld; in 1988, 978 such appeals were upheld. Figures on the number of such appeals where entry clearance was subsequently granted by the immigration authorities are not available.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Miss Pamela Bordes
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he has made, or is intending to make, any changes in the vetting system for pass applications following upon the issue of a pass to Miss Pamella Bordes.

  Mr. Wakeham
  As the hon. Member will be aware, the House has already approved the Services Committee's Second Report, "Access to the Precincts of the House", which includes recommendations about security matters. These are in the process of implementation.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) what inquiries have been instituted by the authorities of the House into the issue of a pass to Miss Pamella Bordes;

  (2) whether the matter of the providing of a pass to Miss Pamella Bordes has been referred to those persons responsible for security in the House;

  (3) what instructions have been given to the police as to the nature of inquiries that should be made into the background of applications for a pass for entry to the House.

  Number of incidents

  Species involved

  Pesticide/poison involved

  1984

  12

  8 dogs, 2 carrion crows, buzzard, duck, magpie, water rail

  Strychnine, mevinphos, alphachlorose, famphur, parathion

  1985

  4

  2 cats, 2 carrion crows, 2 magpie, 1 pheasant

  Alphachlorose, famphur, metaldehyde

  1986

  10

  3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 foxes, buzzard, gull, carrion crow, jackdaw, lamb, rabbit, pheasant

  Mevinphos, strychnine, alphachlorose, metaldehyde

  1987

  7

  4 dogs, buzzard, jackdaw, herring gull, peregrine, pheasant, raven

  Strychnine, alphachlorose, endrin, mevinphos

  1988

  6

  5 dogs, cat

  Strychnine, metaldehyde

  694
  Mr. Wakeham
  It is not appropriate to comment in detail on matters of security of the House.

  Division Bells
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) whether he will list the location of all division bells in the SW1 area in the homes of persons other than right hon. and hon. Members and Members of the House of Lords;

  (2) on what date approval was given for the fitting of division bells at (a) 6 Stockton court, Greycoat street, London SW1 and (b) 69A Winchester street, London; and who made the application in each case.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It would be inappropriate for me to provide information about the specific location of Division bells. It is the policy of the authorities of the House not to approve the fitting of Division bells in homes of persons other than right hon. and hon. Members.

  Passes
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) what security checks were instituted in the case of Mr. Michael Middleton, employee of Messrs. Kingfisher of Ferndown, Dorset, in the case of his access to the House of Commons for the purpose of delivering food provisions;

  (2) whether he will list the categories of convictions which preclude a person from receiving (a) a day pass or (b) other passes authorising access to the House of Commons.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It is not appropriate to comment in detail on matters of security of the House.

WALES

  Wildlife Poisoning
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each of the last five years the number of cases of wildlife poisoning in Wales caused by the illegal use of pesticides or poisons; and if he will identify the species involved and if possible the poison or pesticide involved.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The number of cases of wildlife poisoning in Wales caused by the illegal use of pesticides or poisons identified by the wildlife and storage biology service were as follows:

  Roads
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92, the provision for value added tax liability on new construction within the budgets given for capital expenditure on roads by his Department and the local authorities in Wales in chapter 17 of the Government's expenditure plans 1989–90 to 1991–92.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the disruption being caused to development projects of small businesses in rural Wales arising from the suspension of the rural conversion grant scheme in February; if he has discussed this with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency with a view to re-establishing the scheme; if he will make available to the Welsh Development Agency the necessary finance to enable them to meet their obligations under this scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The Welsh Development Agency has earmarked £3 million to the rural conversion grant programme over the next three years, sufficient to stimulate nearly 1,200 new jobs. The record resources allocated by the agency to conversion grants in the current financial year, broadly double the amount available in 1987–88, are fully taken up, though payment in relation to new schemes will commence in April. The impact on the development of small businesses in rural Wales of the slight delay in payments is therefore minimal.

  Development Areas
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (a) the latest average unemployment rate for development areas in Wales and (b) the unemployment rate on the same date for each travel-to-work area which had an unemployment rate higher than the average for development areas in Wales, denoting which of these areas have in their territory a development area.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information is as follows:

  Unemployment rate as at February 1989

  Percentage

  (a) Average for development areas in Wales

  12·6

  —

  (b) Travel-to-work areas with a higher unemployment rate than the average for the development areas in Wales:

  Aberdare

  17·7

  IA

  Bangor and Caernarfon

  13·3

  DA

  Blaenau Gwent and Abergavenny

  13·8

  DA

  Cardigan

  18·0

  DA

  Fishguard

  16·1

  IA

  Haverfordwest

  14–0

  IA

  Holyhead

  17·7

  DA

  Lampeter and Aberaeron

  13·2

  DA

  Merthyr and Rhymney

  14·1

  DA

  Pwllheli

  19·0

  IA

  South Pembrokeshire

  17·6

  DA

  Notes:

  1. DA denotes development area.
  696
  2. IA denotes intermediate area.

  3. Development areas are defined in terms of travel-to-work areas.

  Alcohol
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has issued any guidance to health authorities in Wales on the development by each such authority of an alcohol planning strategy; and whether he is satisfied with the provisions being made by health authorities in this area.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department, along with others, has recently issued a joint circular to health authorities, and a wide range of other organisations, on planning to tackle the problem of alcohol misuse. A copy of Welsh Office Circular 8/89 is in the Library of the House. Progress is to be monitored: relevant aspects of health authorities' work are to feature in forthcoming performance reviews.

  Disabled Persons
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made in implementing section 5 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986, in respect of its obligation to place duties upon education authorities and social services authorities to identify, assess and provide for the needs of people with mental handicaps at the time that they move out of full-time education; and what arrangements have been made to ensure that these facilities are being monitored in respect of their implementation in terms of quality of life.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The attention of local authorities was drawn to their detailed responsibilities under section 5 and 6 of the Act at the time of their implementation and it is upon them that the responsibilities now lie. No central record is held of individual assessments but social work service officials will be conducting a survey of local authority services for disabled people in the coming months.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to implement sections 1 and 2 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and whether he will meet the cost implications required to appoint authorised representatives for all people with mental handicaps in connection with the provision of services and the right to obtain relevant information to facilitate an informed choice of a selection of appropriate support services.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  As my ministerial colleagues in the Department of Health have repeatedly said, each section of the Act will be implemented as and when the necessary resources can be identified and made available. We are making good progress on implementation with six key sections now in force. We have agreed with the local authority associations that section 7 is the next priority and detailed work on sections 1, 2 and 3 will follow as soon as possible. Local authorities will be consulted about the potential cost implications at an appropriate time.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many social workers trained to deal with physically handicapped people are employed by each county council in Wales.
  697
  Mr. Peter Walker
  Information relating to the number of senior social workers, social workers and community workers with qualifications is given in the following table1

  Number

  Clwyd

  134

  Dyfed

  120

  Gwent

  175

  Gwynedd

  72

  Mid Glamorgan

  201

  Powys

  25

  South Glamorgan

  156

  West Glamorgan

  102

  1 Full-time staff only, as at 30 September 1988, with a certificate of qualification in social work of the CCETSW or equivalent, a declaration of recognition of experience, a certificate in social service or a senior certificate in residential care.

  Rural Water Supply
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many rural water supply schemes have been requisitioned of the Welsh water authority by district councils in Wales in each year.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information requested is not held centrally. I am asking the chairman of the Welsh water authority to write to the hon. Gentleman.

  Therapists
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the number of professionally qualified people in post in each health authority area in Wales, and the number of vacancies that exist within the same disciplines, as(a) speech therapists, (b) occupational therapists and (c) physiotherapists;

  (2) what steps are being taken to improve training facilities for speech therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Alyn and Dceside (Mr. Jones) on 21 October at columns 1015–16, which gives the information requested in respect of physiotherapists and speech therapists. Information on the number of occupational therapists in post in each Welsh district health authority as at 30 September is given in the following table. As indicated in my earlier reply information on the number of vacancies is not currently collected by the Department on a regular basis, but information obtained in the course of the 1988 manpower resource planning exercise indicated that at the all-Wales level at 30 September 1988 there were about 75 (whole-time equivalent) vacancies for occupational therapists. This aggregate figure is approximate only; reliable information at individual district health authority level is not currently available.

  Following the results of the 1988 manpower resource planning exercise, consideration is being given to how training provision for speech therapy and occupational therapy may be improved in Wales. The need for improved training capacity for physiotherapy will be assessed in the light of the 1989 round of manpower resource plans.
  698

  Occupational therapists Staff in post (whole-time equivalents) as at 30 September 1988

  Whole-time equivalents

  Clwyd

  31·9

  East Dyfed

  12·8

  Gwent

  37·3

  Gwynedd

  15·2

  Mid Glamorgan

  35·5

  Pembrokeshire

  8·3

  Powys

  6·6

  South Glamorgan

  74·2

  West Glamorgan

  29·0

  All Wales

  250·8

  Crime (Homing Estates)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet the chief constables of Wales to discuss how crime on local authority housing estates might be eliminated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I keep under review the crime levels on housing estates and in the country generally. In addition my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State represents the Welsh Office on the ministerial group on crime prevention. My Department works closely with statutory agencies and the voluntary sector to reduce crime on housing estates—grants totalling over £600,000 have been given by the Welsh Office over the last two years for a variety of crime preventive schemes for this purpose. I remain informed of the views of chief constables on all local matters.

  Lluesty Hospital
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit Lluesty hospital, Holywell, to discuss with patients and staff the proposals of Clwyd health authority to close Lluesty hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I understand that no proposal to close Lluesty hospital has been put to Clwyd health authority. It would therefore not be appropriate for me to hold any discussions at this stage.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many(a) nursing staff, (b) ancillary staff, (c) paramedical staff, (d) patients and (e) beds there are at Lluesty hospital; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many geriatric patients are under treatment at Lluesty hospital.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  As at 28 February 1989, there were 48·3 nursing staff, 24·0 ancillary staff and 3·1 physio-therapists. These staff are recorded as whole-time equivalents.

  In the period January to September 1988 inclusive, the numbers of in-patients and beds, both of which were recorded under the geriatric speciality, were as follows:

  1

  Number

  In-patients

  394

  Average daily available beds

  74·0

  1 Excludes day care.

  NHS (Clwyd)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make additional cash allocations to Clwyd health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Plans to increase the cash allocations to Clwyd health authority were announced in January for the coming financial year. Other specific initiatives are to be announced shortly. The authority's initial revenue cash allocation for 1989–90 is £107·13 million, an increase of 6·5 per cent. over the 1988–89 allocation; in addition the authority is expected to achieve cost improvements and generate additional income next year equivalent to a further 1·3 per cent. of their revenue allocation. The authority's initial capital allocation for next year is £6·915 million, an increase of more than 40 per cent. over this year. I believe that these resources will be sufficient to allow the authority to meet inflationary pressures and provide for further service development.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit Clwyd health authority at Preswefa, Mold, Clwyd, to hear the authority explain why it has rejected the White Paper "Working for Patients".

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I will be meeting a range of organisations in Wales to hear their views on the White Paper "Working For Patients", including the chairmen of district health authorities.

  Hospital Journeys (Clwyd)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the distance by bus route from Shotton, Deeside to(a) Lluesty hospital and (b) Abergele hospital, Clwyd.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The distances by bus to Lluesty hospital and Abergele hospital are 9·5 miles and 30 miles respectively.

  NHS Review
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will receive a deputation of the Clwyd local medical committee to hear their views on the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients";

  (2) if he will address a general meeting of Clwyd general practitioners from 40 practices on the National Health Service review; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) how many general practitioners in Wales he has met to discuss his proposals concerning the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave today.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has received objections from general practitioners in Wales concerning his National Health Service review proposal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have received comments on the White Paper from a number of general medical practitioners and I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave today.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what research or assessment his Department has 700
  undertaken into the impact on general practitioners in Wales of the Department of Health's proposals for general practitioners;

  (2) what research projects his Department has undertaken on the practices of general practitioners in rural Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The document "A New Contract" setting out proposals for changes in the arrangement for the remuneration and terms of service for general medical practitioners was issued jointly by the Health Ministers for Wales and England. I will be having discussions with representatives of the GPs.

  Broadleaved Woodland Grant Scheme
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on how many occasions the Forestry Commission awarded grants under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme in Wales between its inception and closure; and on how many occasions the grant of £100 for obtaining professional advice in the preparation of a plan of operations under the BWGS was awarded.

  Mr. Peter Waker
  To date, the Forestry Commission has approved 671 applications for grant under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme in Wales. The grant of £100 has been paid on 142 of those applications.

  Welsh Water Authority
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has received any response from the Welsh water authority following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have received the authority's initial response, which has been published today, and have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

  The Monopolies and Mergers Commission was asked to report on the efficiency and costs of, and the services provided by, Welsh Water. After a thorough investigation, for which I am grateful, the Commission made 24 recommendations, eight of which it considered should be a matter of priority for the authority. Overall the Commission considered that, although it had detailed comments to make, the authority now had the right policies in place.

  The recommendation that the Commission considered should be a matter of priority for the authority related to the implementation of the new customer accounting system, the collection of arrears of debt, manpower efficiency, the proposed cost and saving investment strategy, the development of business information systems, a work planning system to introduce and monitor performance targets for small jobs, the efficiency of section 15 agencies, the relationship between costs and services and the need for the athority to undertake rigorous and critical examination of its own operations.

  The authority has successfully implemented its new customer accounting system, ahead of schedule, and introduced a work planning system to bring in and monitor performance targets for small jobs. Effective action is in hand to implement the other recommendations. A number of the recommendations not in these priority categories have also been implemented.

  I am pleased to note that the authority is taking a positive stance in its consideration of the report;

  701
  implementation of its detailed recommendations will further improve the authority's performance and add to the considerable strides it has made towards increased efficiency.

  I have drawn the Commission's report and this first response by the Welsh water authority to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment so that he can bring both to the attention of the other regional water authorities.

THE ARTS

  Scottish Arts Council
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what was the Scottish Arts Council grant in current prices in each year from 1978.

  Mr. Luce
  The information requested is as follows:

  £

  1978–79

  13,547,311

  1979–80

  14,390,861

  1980–81

  13,561,463

  1981–82

  13,970,323

  1982–83

  14,555,203

  1983–84

  115,385,276

  1984–85

  14,765,495

  1985–86

  15,083,981

  1986–87

  15,228,263

  1987–88

  15,268,807

  1988–89

  15,258,000

  1 Included £917,851 at 1983–84 prices for Scottish Opera deficit.

  Items in Lieu of Tax
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if there have been any items accepted in lieu of tax or allocated since he last made an announcement on the subject to the House.

  Mr. Luce
  Since my announcement on 26 January at column 665, I am pleased to announce that a painting by Cezanne, "Allée à Chantilly" has been accepted in lieu of capital transfer tax. The amount of tax satisfied was £3,387,556 and was met by a call on the Reserve. A decision as to the allocation of this painting has not yet been taken.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

  Comic Relief
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to increase contributions to the developing world over the next three years in the light of the public response to comic relief.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I pay tribute to the remarkable fund-raising achievement of comic relief and to the generosity of the British public. We are currently discussing with comic relief how we can fund projects with it so that the proceeds go much further. The aid programme is planned to grow in real terms over the next three years.

  Namibia
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what special assistance he is planning for Namibia during its period of transition to independence.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We shall maintain the existing programme of English language training and scholarships for Namibians living both within and outside the country, at a cost of about £1·5 million annually. I announced recently a contribution of £500,000 towards the programme for the repatriation of refugees being undertaken by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. We are ready to help also with the costs of relocating exiled Namibian institutions.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  National Debt
  Mr. Robert Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the amounts of the national debt owing on the day of the spring Budget for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Lilley
  National debt is conventionally defined as the liabilities of the national loans fund, which is not the most useful or comprehensive measure of public sector indebtedness. It does not cover the whole of central government, it excludes entirely the debt of other parts of public sector, and it take no account of the public sector's short term assets.

  A more useful measure of public sector indebtedness is the net public sector debt which includes debt held by local authorities and public corporations, as well as central Government. It also takes account of the public sector's short term assets. Net public sector debt is measured on 31 March each year, and the figures for the last 10 years are:

  £ billion

  Per cent.of GDP

  1978

  87·9

  54·2

  1979

  95·3

  50·6

  1980

  102·1

  45·6

  1981

  116·

  47·0

  1982

  127·

  46·7

  1983

  135·0

  45·5

  1984

  147·3

  46·2

  1985

  160·

  46·3

  1986

  166·8

  44·8

  1987

  171·

  42·2

  1988

  171·

  38·2

  19891

  157·0

  32·0

  1Forecast.

  Exchange Equalisation Account
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what transfers were made to the exchange equalisation account from the national loans fund and vice versa in each month from April 1988 to February 1989.

  Mr. Lilley
  The net transfer between the National Loans Fund and the exchange equalisation account over the financial year is published in table 16.7 of the Central Statistical Office's annual "Abstract of Statistics".

  Gilts
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what gilts have been brought in by the Bank of England in each month from April 1988 to February 1989.

  Mr. Lilley
  The most recent and comprehensive figures for official transaction in gilts are contained in table 8 of the February 1989 Bank of England Quarterly Bulletin. (These figures are published on a quarterly rather than monthly basis).

  It is not the practice to give information on the particular stocks involved in these transactions on grounds of market sensitivity.

  Treasury Loan
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when 15½ per cent. Treasury loan 1998 was first issued; how much was issued; at what price; how much is now outstanding; and what is the highest coupon gilt issued.

  Mr. Lilley
  15½ per cent. Treasury loan 1998 was first issued on 14 October 1976 and the original amount was £600 million nominal. The issue price was £96. There is currently £1,100 million nominal outstanding. The highest coupon gilt ever issued and the highest coupon currently outstanding are 15½ per cent.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what considerations caused him to revise the proposals on value added tax on non-residential construction from those originally published on 21 June 1988.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 6 February at columns 548–50.

  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will specify the assumptions and forecasts he has made about non-residential construction in the private sector in each of the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, and 1992–93, in calculating value added tax yield in future years on such construction.

  Mr. Lilley
  The assumptions and forecasts used to calculate the VAT yield from non-residential construction in 1989–90 and 1990–91 are consistent with the economic forecasts contained in the FSBR.

  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he has undertaken any study into the effect of the output and activity of the construction industry of his proposals for applying value added tax to non-residential construction;

  (2) whether he has undertaken any study into the likely effect on employment in the construction industry of his proposals for applying value added tax to non-residential construction;

  (3) whether he has undertaken any study into the likely effect on urban development corporations of applying value added tax to non-residential construction;

  (4) whether he has undertaken any study into the likely effect on inner city regeneration of his proposals for applying value added tax to non-residential construction.

  Mr. Lilley
  As I made clear in my statements on 21 June 1988 and 6 February 1989, the Government had no choice 704
  but to remove the zero-rating found unlawful by the European Court of Justice. After consulting the construction and property industries, the Government are satisfied that the best solution is to combine the taxations of certain new construction with the landlord's option to tax rents, so that the tax could "wash through" the system to the maximum possible extent.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are interest rates in(a) Britain and (b) Germany.

  Mr. Lilley
  Three-month interbank rates on 20 March were 13·1 per cent. in the United Kingdom and 6·6 per cent. in Germany.

  Take-home Pay
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase in the real take-home pay of a married man with two children on half average male earnings from 1978–79 to 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 22 March.

TRANSPORT

  Trunk Roads
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has completed his review of the trunk road network; and if he is now in a position to improve the A11 trunk road through Elveden, Suffolk.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The review of the trunk road programme is still in progress. Possible improvements to the A11 are being considered along with many other candidates for inclusion. Each must compete on its merits for a share of the resources available.

  We expect to make an announcement later in the spring. I could not say more about the prospects for particular proposals before then.

  We shall look separately at the possibility of shorter term improvement of the junction of the A11 and the B1106 at Elveden when we receive the report from Suffolk county council to which I referred in my reply to my hon. Friend on 14 March 1989 at column 205.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list information available to him on all the plans by(a) British Rail and (b) other undertakings to improve transport infrastructure in the Yorkshire region in the period before the opening of the Channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Plans for infrastructure investment in railways, roads, ports, airports and other passenger transport facilities in the Yorkshire and Humberside region are too numerous to list. Major schemes include the electrification of the east coast main line; resignalling in the York area and from Northallerton to Berwick; and 29 national trunk road schemes.

  There are many other schemes which have not yet been finalised. British Rail is still working on the plan which it

  705
  is required to publish by the end of the year, in compliance with section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987, setting out its proposals for Channel tunnel passenger and freight services and any associated infrastructure.

  British Rail (Signalling and Safety)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what spending criteria have been laid down for British Rail in respect of signalling and safety; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  British Rail's duty is to ensure that its equipment and procedures meet high standards of safety. Following a review of the railway inspectorate in 1988 I have asked British Rail to ensure that safety is explicitly covered in all investment cases that come to Ministers for consideration. In deciding on the best way of meeting safety requirements, British Rail has to apply the normal investment tests to ensure that the preferred option represents the best possible value for money.

  Car Telephones
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding hazards to road safety produced by drivers using car telephones while driving; what advice his Department gives on this subject to those responsible for ensuring road safety; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have received a number of representations. Most expressed concern at the safety implications of using in-car telephones in moving vehicles.

  The revised highway code, issued in March 1987, tells drivers not to use a hand held telephone while their vehicle is moving, except in an emergency.

  Anyone who can afford a car telephone can afford, and should use, a hands-free microphone.

  Railway Safety
  Mr. Michael Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will be meeting the chairman of British Rail to discuss all aspects of safety relating to the railway system.

  Mr. Portillo
  The chief inspecting officer of railways has meetings with BR's director of safety to review safety every six months. He reports to Ministers and the HSC annually on major safety issues and from time to time on particular concerns and individual accidents. I have discussed safety a number of times with Sir Robert Reid over the last 12 months and shall want to do so again when the inspector's reports on the accidents at Clapham, Purley and Bellgrove are available.

  Hazardous Cargoes
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department was informed of the cargo of the Perintis freighter before it was sunk.

  Mr. Portillo
  There is no requirement to report the carriage of packaged hazardous cargoes and the Department was not informed of what cargo the Perintis carried.
  706
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department was informed of the danger posed to the environment by the cargo of the Perintis.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department's marine pollution control unit obtained a copy of the cargo manifest and recognised the presence of substances likely to pose a threat to the environment within six hours of the sinking of the MV Perintis on 13 March.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what help was asked for and provided by his Department in ensuring the safe disposal of the cargo of the Perintis.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department's marine pollution control unit alerted Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution on 14 March who in turn advised the MPCU and south coast local authorities on the safe disposal of any chemicals from MV Perintis which might be landed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what controls his Department has over cargoes of hazardous substances being transported through British waters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  There is no control of hazardous cargoes being transported through territorial waters unless those cargoes have been loaded or are to be unloaded in a United Kingdom port. Ships are, however, required to report the loss or likely loss of any substances that might cause pollution, and powers of intervention are available to control pollution incidents.

  M40 (Wendlebury to Waterstock)
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he intends to take to try and ensure that the time between the completion of the Waterstock to Wendlebury or the Wendlebury to Waterstock sections of the M40 is kept as short as possible.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It is intended to invite tenders for the Waterstock-Wendlebury section as soon as possible. Tenderers would be invited to suggest their own shorter periods for construction. The contract would include provision for payment of a bonus for early completion.

  Nuclear Fuel Transporter (Doncaster)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which a radioactive nuclear fuel transporter was left unguarded for several days at the beginning of March near the Mech Cast factory in the railway sidings at Carr hill, Doncaster.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The nuclear fuel transporter in Carr hill sidings from the 3–8 March was awaiting repair. It did not contain a nuclear fuel flask. The weatherproof cover was in place and this may have given the false impression that the wagon was loaded.

  East London River Crossing
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he received the report of his consultants
  707
  into the alternatives to the current suspension bridge designs for the east London river crossing; and when he expects to make an announcement and place a copy of the report in the Library.

  Mr. Channon
  The consultants are finalising their report and expect to submit it soon. An announcement will be made when the report has been considered. I have already undertaken to place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Town Police Clauses Act 1847
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek to amend the Traffic Act 1985 in order to repeal clause 57 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, in relation to police powers in relation to taxi drivers.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have no such plans at present but I am reviewing taxi and hire car legislation and if my hon. Friend has a specific problem in mind I shall be pleased to hear from him.

  A27 Arundel Bypass
  Mr. Michael Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he hopes to make an announcement regarding the choice of route for the A27 Arundel bypass; and if, in the light of recent road accidents, he will take into account the need for urgent provision of safe crossing facilities for north and south traffic at the Avisford/Walberton/Slindon interchange.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We hope to announce the preferred route by about the middle of next year. The subsequent detailed design will include a new B2132 junction.

  In view of the recent accidents near the junction the Department are investigating possible accident prevention measures, for the period before the bypass is built.

  Microlight Aircraft
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the legislation and regulations which control and regulate the flying and safety of microlight aircraft.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I will write to the hon. Member with the information as soon as possible.

  M1 Luton
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the maximum amount of traffic that can be handled in safety on the M1 south of Luton; and what are the present levels.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Accidents may be associated with any volume of traffic. As traffic increases on any particular section of road there is a steady lowering of the level of service and an increase in congestion. Particular local design features, together with driver behaviour, are much more significant in determining the risk of accident.

  The average number of vehicles using the M1 south of Luton in 1988 was 122,000 per day.

  Consulting Engineers
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the number of times that 708
  a second firm of consulting engineers have been employed to report on the performance of the consulting engineers employed on a road building scheme; if he will give details of the circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 9 March 1989]: The case where a second firm has been appointed to report, in part, on the performance of a consulting engineer commissioned for a road building project is the Chapel-en-le-Frith and Whaley bridge bypass which was the subject of the hon. Member's questions on 2 March. I cannot yet add to the answers that I gave then.

  Second firms are frequently used to consider specialist matters which arise in and from the development of highway projects. An independent design check in relation to certain categories of structures is a standard quality assurance requirement in all cases.

  Civil Servants (EC)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of civil servants in his Department whose main task is work related wholly or mainly to the European Economic Community; and what is the gross annual cost of travel and accommodation to and from Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg in connection with this work.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 15 March 1989]: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.

  British Rail (Disciplinary Procedure)
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British Rail train drivers were disciplined for taking trains through red danger signals in each of the years 1980 to 1988; and what assessment he has made of the implications for safety.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: The chief inspecting officer of railways drew attention in his annual report for 1986 to the growing problem of signals passed at danger and the studies being carried out by British Rail. As my right hon. Friend reported to the House at column 757, in his statement on the accident at Bellgrove, British Rail has now decided to carry out trials of an automatic train protection system as a possible way of dealing with this problem. Detailed figures for the years 1980–88 are not available since BR has not in the past been required to report these incidents to the railway inspectorate. Arrangements to do so in future are being discussed as part of the follow up to the review of the railway inspectorate which I announced on Tuesday 21 March in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway).

  Bridge Inspections (Divers)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland, 15 March, Offical Report. column 118, on what bridges inspections are being carried out by divers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: Inspection by divers of three bridges on the Inverness-Wick/Thurso railway line—Beauly viaduct,

  709
  Evanton and Alness viaduct—has been satisfactorily completed. The inspection at Conon viaduct is continuing, but is being hampered by high flows of water. Work already carried out there has indicated a need for remedial action and the Conon viaduct has therefore been temporarily closed. I understand that BR's target date for completion of repairs is May.

  Plutonium (Air Transport)
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his current estimate of the number of annual flights that will be necessary to transport plutonium reprocessed at Sellafield back to customers once the THORP facility is opened.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: On present information it is estimated that around 30 flights per year will be needed.

  Unadopted Streets
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport under which provisions public funds have been made available towards the costs of making up unadopted streets.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: Under section 236 of the Highways Act 1980 local authorities having responsibility for highways can, if they wish, meet some or all of the costs of making-up

  Manufacturing output per head

  United Kingdom

  France

  FR Germany

  Italy

  USA

  Japan

  Canada

  £'000

  '000 FFr

  '000 DM

  mn lire

  $'000

  mn yen

  Can $'000

  1979

  6·7

  117

  52·5

  n.a.

  14·1

  4·7

  31·2

  1980

  7–6

  127

  53·6

  18–4

  15·2

  5·0

  34·1

  1981

  8·8

  142

  55·7

  21·7

  16·9

  5·2

  38·0

  1982

  10·1

  161

  59·3

  25·2

  18·2

  5·5

  39·3

  1983

  11·2

  180

  64·4

  28·9

  19·5

  5·6

  37·6

  1984

  12·3

  198

  67·9

  33·6

  20·8

  6·0

  45·7

  1985

  13·5

  222

  71·7

  37·5

  21·7

  6·3

  —

  1986

  14·9

  244

  77·7

  41·4

  22·6

  6·5

  —

  1987

  16·6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  n.a. = Not available.

  Note: Based on current price data.

  Sources: UK National Accounts, OECD National Accounts.

  Gross expenditure on research and development as percentage of GDP

  United Kingdom

  France

  FR Germany

  Italy

  USA

  1Japan

  Canada

  1979

  2—

  1·8

  2·4

  0·7

  2·3

  2·1

  1·1

  1980

  n.a.

  1·8

  n.a.

  0·9

  2·5

  2·2

  1·1

  1981

  2·4

  2·0

  2·4

  1·0

  2·4

  2·3

  1·2

  1982

  n.a.

  2·1

  n.a.

  0·9

  2·5

  2·4

  1·4

  1983

  2·3

  2·1

  2·5

  1·0

  2·6

  2·6

  1·3

  1984

  n.a.

  2·2

  n.a.

  1·0

  2–7

  2·6

  1·4

  1985

  2·3

  2·3

  2·7

  1·1

  2·8

  2·8

  1·4

  1986

  2·4

  2·3

  n.a.

  1·1

  2·7

  2·8

  1·4

  Source: OECD.

  n.a. = Not available.

  1Figures for Japan based on different definition of R and D—this may result in some overstatement.

  2Not available—figure for 1978 is 2·2.
  710
  unadopted streets. Normally, however, the costs are apportioned between the owners of properties fronting the street involved.

  Under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 central Government can give grants both to private sector developers and to local authorities towards providing road access for new industrial development in assisted areas including making up unadopted roads.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Statistics
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each quarter since the first quarter of 1979 (a) British manufacturing investment as a proportion of GDP expressed as a percentage of the G7 average; (b) British spending on civil research and development as a proportion of gross domestic product expressed as a percentage of the G7 average, (c) British manufacturing output per head as a percentage of the G7 average and (d) Britain's share of world trade as a percentage of the G7 share of world trade.

  Mr. Atkins
  Differences in definitions between countries and problems with different currencies make it inappropriate to express the United Kingdom data as a percentage of the G7 average. Much of the information is not available on a quarterly basis. The available annual information for each of the G7 countries is given in the following tables:
  711

  Manufacturing investment as a proportion of GDP—Percentage

  United Kingdom

  France

  FR Germany

  Italy

  USA

  Japan

  Canada

  1979

  3·6

  3·7

  3·8

  3·1

  2·7

  3·4

  2·6

  1980

  3·2

  3·5

  4·0

  3·3

  2·8

  3·9

  3·1

  1981

  2·5

  3·3

  3·9

  3·0

  2·7

  4·0

  3·5

  1982

  2·4

  3·0

  3·5

  2·5

  2·5

  3·8

  3·0

  1983

  2·3

  2·9

  3·5

  2·1

  1·9

  3·6

  2·1

  1984

  2·6

  2·9

  3·4

  2·3

  2·1

  4·0

  1·9

  1985

  2·9

  3·0

  3·8

  n.a.

  2·1

  4·1

  n.a.

  1986

  1·6

  3·0

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1·9

  3·7

  n.a.

  1987

  2·7

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a. = Not available.

  Note: Based on current price data.

  Sources: OECD National Accounts, OECD Economic Survey of Japan.

  Percentage shares of world trade in manufactures—value

  United Kingdom

  France

  FR Germany

  Italy

  USA

  Japan

  Canada

  1979

  9·1

  10·5

  20·9

  8·4

  16·0

  13·7

  4·2

  1980

  9·7

  10·0

  19·9

  7·9

  17·0

  14·9

  4·0

  1981

  8·5

  9·2

  18·4

  7·7

  18·6

  17·9

  4·6

  1982

  8·4

  9·0

  19·7

  7·9

  17·6

  17·3

  4·9

  1983

  7·9

  8·9

  19·0

  8·1

  16·9

  18·5

  5·5

  1984

  7·6

  8·5

  18·1

  7·7

  17·2

  20·1

  6·3

  1985

  7·9

  8·5

  18·7

  7·8

  16·7

  19·7

  6·3

  1986

  7·6

  8·8

  20·7

  8·2

  14·0

  19·4

  5·4

  1987

  8·1

  9·0

  21·5

  8·4

  13·7

  18·1

  4·9

  Source: Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics.

  Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will provide figures for spending on(a) regional selective assistance and (b) regional development grant for (i) Scotland, (ii) England, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland for each year from 1978–79 to 1989–90 in cash and at 1987–88 prices.

  Expenditure (£ million)

  At current prices

  At constant prices(1987–88=100)

  Forecast outturn1988–89

  Supply estimates1989–90

  Forecast outturn1988–89

  Supply estimates1989–90

  (a) Regional selective assistance

  England

  136

  147

  127

  130

  Scotland

  44

  58

  41

  51

  Wales

  43

  53

  40

  47

  (b) Regional development grants

  England

  154

  133

  144

  117

  Scotland

  76

  64

  71

  56

  Wales

  58

  64

  54

  57

  Notes:

  1. All figures are gross of domestic receipts and receipts from the European Regional Development Fund.

  2. RSA includes expenditure on industrial and training grants, Business Improvement Services and the Exchange Risk Guarantee Scheme.

  Arms Contracts
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the arms contracts for 1987 and 1988 in which the Export Credits Guarantee Department has had to fund losses; and if he will give the losses in each case.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose information about individual cases.
  712
  Mr. Forth
  For gross expenditure on regional development grants and regional selective assistance in England, Scotland and Wales in the financial years 1978–79 to 1987–88 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 25 January at columns 566–68.

  The information requested in respect of 1988–89 and 1989–90 is as follows. Regional development grant and regional selective assistance schemes do not operate in Northern Ireland.

  Oftel
  Sir Neil Macfarlane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the level of funding for Oftel in 1988 and 1989; what were the Oftel staffing levels in 1987, 1988 and 1989; how many staff have been seconded from his Department; and if he will make a statement about Oftel's budget for 1990.

  Mr. Atkins
  The funding and staffing of Oftel is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications in
  713
  consultation with the Treasury. One hundred and twenty-one full-time posts and one part-time post at Oftel are currently filled by secondees from my Department.

  Tornado Aircraft
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what consultations he has had with his West German and Italian counterparts concerning the provision of credit support for the export of Tornado aircraft to Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I have had no such consultations.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any credit was extended to cover that part of the contract to sell Tornado aircraft to Jordan that related to the cost of negotiating the contract.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It has been the practice of successive Governments not to disclose information about individual cases.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the Internal Market Council held on 13 March.

  Mr. Maude
  The Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, reached broad agreement on an important directive to break down barriers to the free flow of television programmes across frontiers within the Community. The Council also adopted a directive on the permissible sound level and exhaust system of motor cycles.

  Companies House Executive Agency
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what targets have been set for the Companies house executive agency.

  Mr. Maude
  Companies house's creation as an executive agency on 3 October last year built on the very considerable progress that has been made in the organisation in recent years. The activities of Companies house in making available information about companies promote enterprise and contribute substantially to open and informed markets. Its first few months as an agency confirm that this new status will enable Companies house to provide a still better service to its many customers, and to increase its efficiency.

  My right hon. and noble Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has today set the chief executive the following targets for improvements in the quality of service and financial performance over the next two years:
  10 per cent. reduction in the proportion of companies which have not filed all the accounts and annual returns required by the Companies Act, so that by June 1991 the compliance rate will be increased to 83 per cent;
  20 per cent. reduction in the time taken to process documents, so that by April 1991 documents are on average available to the public within 18 working days of being delivered to Companies House;
  12 per cent. increase in output per member of staff;
  7 per cent. decrease in unit costs in real terms.

  In addition my right hon. and noble Friend has emphasised to the chief executive the need to provide a standard of service over the whole range of Companies
  714
  house operations which meets the needs of his customers. As well as maintaining his efforts to improve the quality of existing services, we expect the chief executive shortly to announce new services in response to customer demands to enhance the accessibility of the information he holds.

  My right hon. and noble Friend is also glad to announce that there will be no increase in the level of statutory fees for Companies house services in the 1989–90 financial year.

  Bradford Task Force
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) from which subhead of his Department's vote the Bradford inner city task force will be funded; what annual budget has been allocated to the Bradford task force; what operating budget the task force will disburse; what are the immediate objectives of the task force; how the task force will assess applications made to it for funding; and by what criteria the task force will consider applications made to it for funding and other support;

  (2) if he will consider urgently how he might assist through the inner city task force, those voluntary organisations in Bradford providing training for the unemployed and child care enabling women to undertake employment outside the home;

  (3) how many officials he has appointed to the Bradford inner city task force announced on 9 March; what is the salary range of those officials; from which departments they have come; whether any of these officials have belonged to other inner-city task forces; what office accommodation the task force will occupy; and what is the estimated annual cost of renting that accommodation;

  (4) if he will direct the Bradford inner-city task force to examine urgently possible funding for voluntary organisa-tions which are now threatened with closure or severe cuts in their funding.

  Mr. Forth
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced on 9 March that he intended to establish an inner-city task force in Bradford. I expect it to be operational by the autumn. The expenditure of all inner-city task forces comes from the same vote subheads. Running costs are funded from class V vote 3 subhead B.01, and programme expenditure from class V vote 2, subheads G.01 and I.02. When the Bradford task force is established it will share in the £17 million provided for task force programme expenditure in 1989–90. It will also share the common objectives of task forces which can be summarised as enhancing the enterprise and employability of residents of their areas. No budget can be set, nor more detailed operational objectives established nor other matters determined until the task force has been set up.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Forestry (Yorkshire)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all woodlands in the three counties of Yorkshire either sold or proposed for sale by the Forestry Commission since the passage of the Forestry Act 1981; if he will state for each such woodland(a) the acreage, (b) the map reference and (c) the species composition; and if he will make a statement.
  715
  Mr. Ryder
  The information is given in the following tables:

  Year

  Name

  Area (hectares)

  Grid reference

  Species1

  Woodlands sold in South Yorkshire

  1983

  Huthwaite Wood

  13·3

  SE 282 002

  C

  1983

  Land at Silkstone

  1·0

  SE 295 058

  B

  1984

  Land at Silkstone

  1·0

  SK 295 058

  B

  1984

  Swinston Hill Wood

  20·0

  SK 540 845

  B

  1984

  Swinston Hill Package

  59·0

  SK 540 845

  B

  1984

  Swinston Hill Package

  16·0

  SK 540 845

  B

  1985

  Cannon Hall Estate

  10·4

  SE 270 094

  B

  1985

  Lowe Wood Wentworth

  17·8

  SE 317 035

  B

  1987

  Cantley Estate

  10·5

  SE 622 030

  C

  1988

  Coumbes Vale Wood

  15·2

  SK 295 929

  B

  Woodlands sold in West Yorkshire

  1982

  Stubbs Wood

  4·1

  SE 369 158

  C

  1983

  Bearnshaw Tower

  98·1

  SD 895 255

  U

  1984

  Browsholme Blocks

  47·0

  SD 685 455

  C

  1987

  Blakey Wood

  4·9

  SE 094 402

  C

  1987

  Land held from Yorkshire Water Authority

  434·5

  SD 000 225

  C

  1988

  Coburnhill Wood

  23·7

  SE 450 348

  C

  1989

  Higher House and Land

  62

  SE 001 225

  B

  Woodlands sold in North Yorkshire

  1981

  Crooked Hill North Bank and Spring Wood

  49·0

  SE 522 895

  C

  1982

  Brafferton Spring

  95·0

  SE 455 715

  C

  1982

  New Park Plantations

  33·0

  SE 550 633

  C

  1982

  Scotton Banks

  22·2

  SE 332 579

  C

  1983

  Big Ings Wood

  8·5

  SE 556 679

  C

  1983

  Broxa Moor and Harwood Dale

  65·0

  SE 948 926

  C

  1983

  Clark Wood

  30·0

  SE 447 745

  C

  1983

  Grass Wood

  65·4

  SD 985 655

  C

  1983

  Knotts Plantation

  4·4

  SE 122 702

  C

  1983

  Land at Flask

  1·0

  NZ 930 000

  B

  1983

  Riffa Wood

  19·1

  SE 255 470

  C

  1983

  Westow and Storth Wood

  14·8

  SE 478 864

  C

  1984

  Bishopwood Main Line Diversion

  3·3

  SE 549 328

  B

  1984

  Burnt Yates Wood

  9·2

  SE 236 608

  B

  1984

  Hawkshaw Gill and Clark's Carrwood

  65·4

  SE 182 634

  C

  1984

  Jackal Wood

  6·2

  SE 253 490

  C

  1984

  Juniper and Potgate Woods

  13·0

  SE 278 750

  B

  1984

  Leppington Wood

  8·6

  SE 768 616

  C

  1984

  Peep 0 Day Wood

  4·9

  SE 522 720

  C

  1984

  Scardale Package

  52·9

  SE 895 748

  B

  1984

  Sherbum and Butterwick Whins

  17·0

  SE 972 728

  B

  1984

  Southwold

  31·5

  SE 875 711

  B

  1984

  Swinton Estate

  286·0

  SE 190 810

  C

  1984

  Swinton Estate

  183·3

  SE 190 810

  C

  1984

  The Avenue

  6·5

  SE 453 726

  C

  1984

  Warren Slack

  17·0

  SE 990 744

  C

  1984

  West Moor Plantation

  2·9

  SE 450 733

  C

  1984

  West Wood

  8·5

  SE 136 680

  C

  1984

  Wragby Plantations

  21·0

  SE 930 000

  C

  1985

  Hornby Leasehold

  16·1

  SE 223 935

  C

  1985

  Ingleby Greenhow (Church Plantation)

  1·6

  NZ 580 065

  B

  1985

  Levisham Block

  68·5

  SE 826 895

  B

  1985

  Moor Covert Plantation

  11·3

  SE 780 657

  C

  1985

  Newton Mulgrave

  43·3

  NZ 783 130

  C

  1985

  Oxdale, Dargo and Laurel

  18·2

  SE 884 837

  C

  1985

  Raindale Head

  2·5

  SE 802 939

  C

  1985

  Scardale Package

  193·2

  SE 895 735

  B

  1986

  Broxa: Spring Wood East

  17·5

  NZ 952 919

  C

  1986

  Crookrise and Gargrave (Lot 4)

  3·0

  SD 980 541

  B

  1986

  Crookrise and Gargrave (Lots, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6)

  243·9

  SD 956 542

  C

  1986

  Crookrise/Gargrave Part (Sawley)

  7·1

  SE 988 555

  C

  1986

  Croomdale Plantation

  33·0

  SE 945 672

  B

  1986

  Everley Banks Plantation

  34·5

  SD 984 899

  C

  1986

  Fewler Gate Wood

  11·6

  SE 948 922

  C

  1986

  Irton Moor (Whin Covert and Black Rigg)

  39·0

  SE 996 868

  C

  1986

  Little Beck Wood

  16·2

  NZ 883 046

  C

  1986

  Quarry Wood

  2·7

  SE 247 692

  C

  1986

  Stapleton Park (Brockadale)

  28·0

  SE 504 175

  B

  1986

  Staxton brow

  38·0

  TA 020 785

  C

  1986

  Sunny Bank

  9·3

  SE 238 696

  C

  1986

  Wilstrop Wood

  24·7

  SE 490 540

  C

  1987

  East and West Belts and Ramshaw Quarry

  27·8

  SE 154 838

  C

  716

  717

  Year

  Name

  Area(hectares)

  Grid reference

  Species1

  1987

  Elslack

  66·5

  SD 939 480

  C

  1987

  Harewood Whin

  8·6

  SE 541 522

  C

  1987

  Longside Plantation

  88·5

  SE 118 724

  C

  1987

  Witton Fell

  107·0

  SE 137 849

  C

  1988

  Grinkle Park

  35·8

  SE 763 178

  C

  1988

  Grinkle Park

  134·5

  SE 751 169

  B

  1988

  Skipster Hagg Wood

  10·0

  SE 732 867

  C

  1The species composition is not available in any more detail than B for mainly broadleaves, C for mainly conifers and U for unplanted.

  Woodlands proposed for sale

  Name

  Area (hectares)

  Grid reference

  Species1

  South Yorkshire

  Cantley Estate

  106·1

  SE 676 047

  C

  Hollins Plantation

  23·0

  SE 097 399

  C

  Owston Wood and Duck Holt

  65·7

  SE 571 102

  B

  West Yorkshire

  Haw Park

  7·3

  SE 365 151

  B

  Home Styes Wood

  136·7

  SE 105 045

  C

  Kippax Estate

  22·0

  SE 453 335

  B

  Kippax Estate

  22·0

  SE 452 325

  C

  Kippax Estate

  4·0

  SE 453 344

  B

  North Yorkshire

  Stapleton Park

  75·0

  SE 504 180

  B

  Stapleton Park

  27·0

  SE 514 185

  B

  Stapleton Park

  11·0

  SE 504 181

  B

  Stapleton Park

  12·0

  SE 496 194

  B

  Stapleton Park

  26·0

  SE 498 185

  C

  Back Plantation

  12·6

  SE 030 513

  C

  Bullen Wood

  17·1

  SE 457 383

  B

  Faceby and Sonny Cliff Wood

  61·0

  NZ505 018

  C

  Hollin Head and Piney Moor

  29·9

  SE 273 733

  C

  Micklefield Woods

  48·0

  SE 452 334

  B

  Camblesforth Estate

  48·0

  SE 625 272

  B

  Goathland Package

  209·0

  NZ820 020

  C

  Hornby Castle

  56·1

  SE 212 927

  C

  Gateforth Woods

  29·0

  SE 569 284

  B

  1 The species composition is not available in any more detail than B for mainly broadleaves and C for mainly conifers.

  Slaughtering
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied that the practice of paying slaughtermen by piece work is not causing animals to be stunned for less than the obligatory seven seconds.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Slaughterhouses Act 1974 requires that when animals are stunned they must be instantaneously rendered insensible to pain until death supervenes. Minimum periods for effective stunning by electricity are not prescribed by law and will vary according to the equipment employed and the size and species of the animal. At a time when only low frequency stunners were available, a minimum application period of seven seconds was recommended by the Ministry in guidance to local authorities. Some equipment now available is capable of achieving the required effect in two to four seconds.

  Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the legislation which must be observed whatever practices are followed in the plant.

  Toxic Pesticides
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is taking place to ensure 718
  that toxic pesticides that bond with cereals can be detected; when he will publish all of his Department's pesticide residue tests, including those on fish; what percentage of the cereals stored in the United Kingdom are held by the Government; and if he will make a statement on the consequences in terms of possible toxicity or long-term chronic effects on the consumer, human or animal, and also for the food processing industry.

  Mr. Ryder
  I am able to reassure the hon. Member that "bound" residues in cereals can be detected and identified. The ADAS central science laboratory at Slough has already carried out some successful work and is continuing research in this area. The results of Government monitoring for pesticide residues are published. The latest report—Food Surveillance Paper No. 25—was published on 13 March this year. It includes results of a survey of freshwater eels; results of studies of marine fish are published separately by MAFF's directorate of fisheries research.

  At 31 October 1988 (the latest date for which information is available) about 12 per cent. of United Kingdom cereal stocks were held in intervention. The published results of monitoring for pesticide residues have been considered by the advisory committee on pesticides and the committee on toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment who were satisfied that residues in cereals do not represent a hazard to consumers.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by location all the abattoirs within the three counties of Yorkshire showing which have a licence to export meat to the European Economic Community, which have had their export licence revoked and which can still provide meat to be consumed by British nationals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 18 January at column 213 to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins). The list of all slaughterhouses in England and Wales placed in the Library of the House identifies those which are export approved.

  Two non-export approved slaughterhouses in Yorkshire formerly were so approved but it would not be appropriate to list their names. There can be many reasons for the withdrawal of export approval, including changing business requirements. There is no reason to assume that hygiene standards in slaughterhouses which were once export approved are no longer satisfactory or are below those in other slaughterhouses whether or not they are export approved. The legislation governing the supply of meat for consumption in England and Wales is enforced

  719
  by local authorities who appoint environmental health officers for supervision. The professional status of environmental health officers is of the highest order.

  Salmonella
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further measures will be taken to prevent the introduction into Great Britain of salmonella in animal protein intended for use as animal feedingstuffs.

  Mr. Ryder
  Amended conditions for the importation of animal protein have been introduced over recent months and action will be completed by I May.

  The new conditions include the position of veterinary certification of heat treatment to destroy salmonellae in consignments, originating from countries from which animal protein has, within the last two years, been found to be contaminated when sampled at the port and landing. Samples will be obtained from consignments on arrival and tested for salmonellae. Subsequent action will depend on the results obtained.

  In the case of consignments of fishmeal not shipped direct from the country of origin, transhipment will be authorised only through a limited number of ports in the Federal Republic and Germany and the Netherlands, since transhipment will be supervised by the veterinary authorities in those countries.

  Animal Mutations
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is being(a) undertaken by his Department or (b) commissioned by him into animal mutations following the Chernobyl accident; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  The incidence of congenital defects in grazing animals is constantly kept under review, and no difference is observed between areas of high and low deposition of Chernobyl fallout. No specific research into animal mutations caused by fallout from the Chernobyl accident is therefore being undertaken by my Department, nor has any been commissioned.

  Radioactive Monitoring
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the locations of the slaughterhouses where he is carrying out a trial of the feasability of radioactive monitoring of sheep; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  The feasibility trial is being carried out at three slaughterhouses in Cumbria and three in Lancashire, which in normal circumstances will be processing animals from the Cumbrian restricted area.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is considering monitoring other animals for radioactivity prior to slaughter in abattoirs.

  Mr. Ryder
  I currently have no plans to do so.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who carries out on his behalf monitoring of sheep for radioactivity in slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement.
  720
  Mr. Ryder
  Monitoring of sheep for radioactivity in slaughterhouses is carried out by Ministry staff based in the area.

  Sheep
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to lift the post-Chernobyl restrictions on the movement of sheep; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  We shall remove restrictions as soon as it is possible to do so without compromising food safety. The broad trend in radioactivity within the Cumbria restricted area in 1988 compared with 1987 was downwards and this is encouraging. However all the while there are sheep above the 1,000 bq/kg limit, restrictions will have to remain in place.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the incinerators by name and district which may be used for the disposal of sheep from restricted areas.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Casualty sheep from the post-Chernobyl restricted area in Cumbria may be buried or cremated by farmers on their own land or, where this is not possible, farmers may make arrangements for disposal of the carcases at a county council refuse tip or incinerator. The location and availability of incinerators is a matter for the local authorities.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the incinerators by name and district used for the disposal of bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected cattle or parts of the same;

  (2) if he will list the incinerators by name and county which may be used for both the disposal of bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected cattle and sheep from restricted areas.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Cattle suspected of having BSE are disposed of at the following incineration facilities:Ministry Veterinary Investigation Centres at Carmarthen; lichen Abbas, Winchester; Langford, Bristol; Longbenton, Newcastle upon Tyne; Merrythought, Penrith; Riseholme, Lincoln; and Sutton Bonnington, Loughborough;
  Scottish Agricultural Colleges' Veterinary Investigation Centres at Auchincruive, Ayr; Bucksburn, Aberdeen; Edinburgh; Perth; and St. Boswells, Galashiels;
  Shetland Islands Council incinerator at Rova Head, Lerwick; and at private incinerators at Royston, Herts; and Wrexham.

  As regards the disposal of sheep from infected areas, I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply.

  Radioactivity (Cumbria)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the restricted area of Cumbria was covered by the aerial survey for radioactivity in 1988.

  Mr. Ryder
  Although the aerial survey was set up to cover all of the restricted area in Cumbria, due to unseasonably bad weather, only 80 per cent. of the area was surveyed.

  Sheep Dip
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of his staff are currently working on the problems of the link between sheep dip and human health.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  A precise number cannot be readily estimated but all my staff whose work relates to licensing or use of sheep dips ensure that the precautions needed to avoid hazards to human health are identified and understood.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what research he is conducting into the run-off of sheep dip into the Rivers North Tyne and South Tyne and its tributaries;

  (2) what research he is conducting into the run-off of sheep dip into water courses.

  Mr. Ryder
  None. However, because sheep dip is potentially a serious pollutant my Department issued a press notice on 20 September 1988 to reinforce the guidance in ADAS booklet 2198 and to remind farmers and others of the need to take the greatest care in disposal. I am placing a copy of the press notice and booklet in the Library of the House.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he gives to farmers about the siting of sheep dip facilities on the edge of water courses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Department's code on good agricultural practice, the free guide to the code, ADAS pamphlets p 593 and p 2332 and ADAS booklet 2198 all give advice on safe dipping and recommend farmers to seek guidance from local water authorities on the siting and construction of dip baths and soakaways.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he is conducting into the effects on human health of organochlorine compounds in sheep dip; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  None. No currently licensed sheep dips contain organochlorine compounds.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he is conducting into the effects of organophosphorous compounds in sheep dip on human health; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  My Department, with the Department of Health and the Health and Safety Executive, assesses all available data on the risks to human health from organophosphorus compounds which are the subject of applications for veterinary medicinal product licences. In addition, the HSE will be undertaking a study during the compulsory sheep scab dipping period this autumn. My Department also records and investigates all suspected adverse reactions to veterinary medicinal products, including sheep dips.

  ADAS (Staff)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many staff are currently employed in the agricultural development advisory service and how many he expects to be in post on 1 January 1990.
  722
  Mr. Ryder
  There are 3,823 professional, scientific, technical and industrial staff (excluding temporary staff) currently in post in ADAS. Future staffing levels will need to reflect the proposals and other matters dealt with in the Minister's reply of 21 March to the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on agricultural and food research and development, as well as future demands for ADAS chargeable and other services.

  Central Veterinary Laboratory
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many staff at the Central Veterinary Laboratory are qualified veterinarians; and how many such qualified veterinarians he expects to be in post on 1 January 1990;

  (2) how many staff are currently employed at the Central Veterinary Laboratory; and how many he expects to be in post on 1 January 1990.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The number of permanent staff in the professional, scientific, technical, industrial and administrative grades currently employed at the Central Veterinary Laboratory is 573½. Of these, 46 are qualified veterinarians. Some additional posts are being created to deal with work on salmonellosis, but future staffing levels will need to reflect the proposals and other matters dealt with in my reply of 21 March to the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on agricultural and food research and development, as well as future demand for ADAS chargeable services.

  Experimental Husbandry Farms
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many experimental husbandry farms there are in his Department; and how many he intends to close.

  Mr. Ryder
  There are at present 11 experimental husbandry farms in my Department. I refer the hon. Member to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 21 March in which the Minister outlined a proposal to close one of these farms.

  Laboratories
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many laboratories there are within his Department; and how many he plans to close.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary on 16 March at columns 349–50 and to the reply that the Minister gave on 21 March at column 515 to the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell).

  Horticultural Stations
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many experimental horticultural stations are in his Department; and how many he intends to close.

  Mr. Ryder
  There are at present seven experimental horticulture stations in my Department. The closure of one of these (Lee Valley) has already been announced and will take place on 31 March 1989. I refer the hon. Member to the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 21 March 1989 in which the Minister outlined a proposal to close a further three stations.

  Woodlands
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions the Forestry Commission awarded grants under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme in England between its inception and closure; and on how many occasions the grant of £100 for obtaining professional advice in the preparation of a plan of operations under the BWGS was awarded.

  Mr. Ryder
  To date, the Forestry Commission has approved 5,156 applications for grant under the broadleaved woodland grant scheme in England. The grant of £100 has been paid on 819 of these applications.

  Butter
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether additions to the list of free EEC butter distributors are being made; what is the criteria for an organisation to be eligible; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) announced to the House that 127 organisations had been designated to distribute produce to the most needy. These organisations were designated to participate for the two years 1988 and 1989. The conditions with which they had to comply were outlined in my reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Rev. Martin Smyth) on 19 October 1988. We are currently consulting designated organisations about their allocation of produce for 1989 but only in exceptional circumstances could we consider making any additions to the list of those organisations.

  Veterinary Products Committee
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of his officials attend meetings of the Veterinary Products Committee; and when he last received a report on the committee's activities.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The level of attendance at meetings of the Veterinary Products Committee by the Departments concerned depends on the subject matter and the needs of the committee. The committee periodically draws matters to my attention as well as providing me with an annual report of its work, which is published.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place copies of the minutes of all meetings since June 1987 of the Veterinary Products Committee in the Library.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  No. Much of the information provided to the Veterinary Products Committee and the committee's consideration of it are confidential.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he sees minutes of meetings of the Veterinary Products Committee.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Veterinary Products Committee provides me with specific advice rather than with the minutes of its meetings.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ban the use of pesticides manufactured before 1965 until after the completion of his review on safety.

  Mr. Ryder
  At the present time no risk to health is suggested which would warrant an immediate ban on pesticides which were approved before 1965. The routine review programme announced on 16 March will enable the independent advisory committee on pesticides (ACP) to re-evaluate the available data and if necessary require additional or updated data from companies. The ACP will then be in a position to make any recommendations it considers necessary.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects his review of the safety of pesticides manufactured before 1965 to be completed.

  Mr. Ryder
  The completion date for the review of pesticides approved prior to 1965 cannot be estimated until all relevant data sheets have been prepared and ranked in priority order for consideration by the advisory committee on pesticides. In addition, the time taken for each review of an active ingredient will vary.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are his estimates for the number of staff he will employ in evaluating old and new pesticides in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) how many staff he has employed to evaluate old and new pesticides since 1985; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  Staff at the Ministry's pesticides data evaluation unit are involved in the evaluation of pesticides for agricultural use. The number of scientific posts are as follows:

  Number

  1985

  22·5

  1986

  32·5

  1987

  32·5

  1988

  43·0

  1989

  52·0

  1989–94

  1

  1 Staffing levels are under review.

  Of these, there is a core of staff engaged full-time on new active ingredients and the review programme and these will be supplemented by other technical experts in the unit, those in other Government Departments and by the independent experts on the advisory committee on pesticides and its scientific sub-committee.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what monitoring he carries out of pesticide incidence in wildlife; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 20 March 1989]: My Department operates two schemes in England and Wales. The ADAS wildlife incident investigation scheme responds to reports of the deaths or illness of companion animals (chiefly cats and dogs), wildlife (mammals and birds) and honeybees, and to the discovery of possible poisoned baits.
  725
  Information resulting from these investigations is made available to the advisory committee on pesticides, to be used in the course of making recommendations concerning pesticide registration. If there is evidence that incidents have involved misuse of pesticides, in contravention of the Control of Pesticides Regulations or other legislation, further investigations may be conducted to obtain evidence for use in enforcement action.

  Surveys of pesticide residues in wildlife are undertaken periodically by the working party on pesticide residues.

  In addition, my Department has recently completed a seven year field study at Boxworth experimental husbandry farm into the environmental impact of different pesticide strategies on winter wheat. Annual reports have been prepared, summarising the results of this in-depth ecological study and the full account of our findings are now being prepared for publication.

  Lindane
  Mr. Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take immediate steps to ban the manufacture and import of the pesticide Lindane.

  Mr. Ryder
  No. Lindane is currently under review by the independent advisory committee on pesticides. Any necessary action will be taken on the basis of the Committee's recommendations to Ministers.

  Levies
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the levy paid per litre by farmers who pasteurise their own milk and then sell it retail;

  (2) what assessment he has made of whether the producer processor levy, the retail processor levy and the farm pasteurising levy are compatible with the payment of FEOGA refunds.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Producer retailers currently pay a contribution of 3·369 pence per litre to the Milk Marketing Board. I do not regard these arrangements (or the similar producer processor arrangements) as having any bearing on the payment of FEOGA refunds.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what basis he instructed the Milk Marketing Board to withdraw the farmhouse cheese makers levy in 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Milk Marketing Board's decision to end the farmhouse cheesemakers' scheme (FCS) on 28 February 1987. The board's decision reflected my concern that the FCS milk pricing and allocation system risked distortion of competition between cheesemakers, and might therefore be regarded as contrary to the Community rules governing our milk marketing arrangements.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list all appeals against the Veterinary Products Committee's rejection of a product licence for BST to be heard in the next three months; and if he will make a statement.
  726
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I shall in due course receive the Veterinary Products Committee's recommendations on applications for product licences for BST. Decisions on licences are a matter for the licensing authority.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Chemical Weapons
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has of plans by Egypt to construct a chemicals plant capable of producing chemical warfare agents, at Abu Zaabal, near Cairo; and if he has consulted with his counterpart in the United States Government over this matter.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have no information to indicate that the plant at Abu Zaabal is intended to produce chemical warfare agents. We are in regular contact with the United States and other allies to discuss CW proliferation worldwide.

  Israel
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to have discussions with the Israeli Foreign Minister; and on what subjects.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend expects to visit Israel this summer, and looks forward to discussing bilateral and regional issues with Professor Arens then.

  Tibet
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the subject of human rights abuses in Tibet.

  Mr. Eggar
  Expressions of concern about events in Tibet have been received from hon. Members, Members of the House of Lords and from members of the public

  E1 Salvador
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet representatives of the new El Salvadorean Government.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to meet representatives of the new Government of El Salvador.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues he intends to raise at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The usual forecast was deposited in the House earlier today. At present six meetings of the Council of Ministers are planned for April.
  727
  The Social Affairs Council, meeting on 5 April, is expected to hear a Commission report on a draft charter of social rights; consider with a view to agreeing common positions health and safety directives on the workplace, work equipment and personal protective equipment; and consider a draft resolution on continuing vocational training, a regulation on measures to help redundant shipbuilding workers and an amendment to the regulation on family allowances for migrant workers.

  The internal market council on 13–14 April will discuss a number of measures relevant to the completion of the single market.

  The Agriculture Council will meet on 17, 18 and possibly 19 April to discuss 1989 price-fixing proposals, the forestry action programme and possibly conversion schemes.

  The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 17 April to consider the Commission's proposals for harmonising the taxation of savings and discuss direct taxation of companies. It will consider a progress report by the Presidency on tax approximation and discuss the 18th VAT Directive concerning the ending of various derogations available to the member states under the terms of the 6th VAT Directive. The Council is also due to complete the process of conciliation with the European Parliament on two regulations associated with the establishment and making available of own resources by member states to the Commission.

  The Foreign Affairs Council on 24–25 April may discuss a Commission proposal for a financing facility to enable developing countries to import food products from the European Community on concessionary terms, and a linked proposal to harmonise export credits available for exports of agricultural products from member states. Other possible subjects for discussion are food aid, and the Uruguay Round, on which the Commission may report on the outcome of the meeting of the GATT trade negotiations committee in Geneva. An EC-Morocco Co-operation Council will be held in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council.

  The Telecommunications Council on 27 April will consist of a general discussion on Open Network Provision with the likelihood that ISDN and standardisation in telecoms will be adopted. There will also be detailed consideration on the draft proposed Council decision on HDTV. There may also be a discussion on the second phase directive on mutual recognition of type approval.

  Immigration
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the speed at which entry clearance cases are now being dealt with when referred to his Department.

  Mr. Eggar
  Cases referred by entry clearance officers in Commonwealth countries, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia are sent by posts direct to the immigration and nationality department of the Home Office. All other referrals are channelled via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The time taken to deal with referred applications varies from case to case and average times cannot be given.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he is going to take decisions on the applications made at the post in 728
  Islamabad, by Abdul Sattar, date of birth 30 June 1978, Abdul Ghaffar, 11 January 1972, Safeena Kausar, 7 March 1982, and Fareeda Kausar, 28 August 1980, to enter the United Kingdom; when their applications were made; what inquiries have been made into their applications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  All four applications were lodged on 2 July 1987 and are still under consideration. In view of the compassionate circumstances the applicants were given a priority interview on 28 August 1988.

  Following that interview the entry clearance officer at Islamabad was not satisfied as to the claimed family relationship of the applicants and deferred a decision for local inquiries to be made. These inquiries have however proved inconclusive and on 22 March 1989 the entry clearance officer referred the applications to the Home Office for further consideration.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Mr. Nadeem Mumtaz, date of birth 9 December 1965, was refused a visa to visit the United Kingdom by the post in Karachi; and if he will reconsider this case in the light of Mr. Mumtaz's four previous visits.

  Mr. Eggar
  Mr. Nadeem Mumtaz was refused entry clearance on 16 February 1989 as the entry clearance officer at Karachi was not satisfied, as he is required to be under paragraph 17 of HC 169, that Mr. Mumtaz was a genuine visitor who would leave the United Kingdom at the end of his permitted stay. Mr. Mumtaz sought a two months stay to visit a relative in this country. The entry clearance officer was aware that Mr. Mumtaz had made previous visits to the United Kingdom, but his application for a visa had to be considered afresh and in the light of Mr. Mumtaz's present circumstances.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Mr. Nazar Hussein, reference No. V/3428/89, was refused a visa by the post in Islamabad to visit the United Kingdom; and if he will reconsider this case.

  Mr. Eggar
  Mr. Nazar Hussein was refused entry clearance on 23 February 1989 as the entry clearance officer at Islamabad was not satisfied, as he is required to be under paragraph 17 of HC 169, that Mr. Hussein was a genuine visitor who would leave the United Kingdom at the end of his permitted stay. Mr. Hussein sought a two to three months stay to visit his brother who lives in this country. Mr. Hussein has a statutory right of appeal to an independent appellate authority within three months of the date of refusal. No such appeal had been lodged up to 22 March 1989.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will describe the procedure adopted by the relevant immigration authorities when an appeal against entry clearance refusal has been upheld by an adjudicator; and if it is the practice to grant entry clearance when an appeal is so upheld;

  (2) in what circumstances entry clearance will not be issued by the relevant immigration authorities once an appeal against refusal has been upheld on adjudication.

  Mr. Eggar
  Entry clearance officers (ECOs) have a statutory duty to comply with any written or oral
  729
  directions given by the appellate authorities in giving effect to a determination; where directed they will issue entry clearance immediately unless, in the case of an adjudicator's direction, it is subject to further appeal. Where, however, an adjudicator allows an appeal but gives no directions, the ECO will reconsider the application within the spirit of the adjudicator's determination and will issue entry clearance if the appellant meets the requirements of the immigration rules. If, because of changed circumstances, the appellant does not meet the requirements of the immigration rules, his application will be refused with a further right of appeal to the appellate authorities.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances an appellant whose appeal against entry had been upheld would be required by the immigration authorities to produce further documentary evidence; and in how many cases in 1987 and 1988 this was required.

  Mr. Eggar
  Where an adjudicator allows an appeal but gives no directions, an entry clearance officer (ECO) may call for further documentary evidence to satisfy himself, within the spirit of the adjudicator's determination, that, notwithstanding changed circumstances, the appellant meets the requirements of the immigration rules. Details are not available of the number of cases in which this proved necessary.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average time which elapses between an appeal against entry clearance being upheld by an adjudicator and entry clearance being issued by the relevant immigration authorities; and if he has taken steps to ensure that minimal delay occurs in successful appeal cases.

  Mr. Eggar
  Appeal determinations not subject to further appeal are normally sent by the Home Office to overseas posts within a maximum of two weeks of receipt from the appellate authorities. On receiving a determination the entry clearance officer (ECO) informs the appellant and, where directions are given by an adjudicator, entry clearance is issued as soon as the appellant presents his passport. I am satisfied that existing procedures ensure minimal delay.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criticisms have been made by the immigration appeals tribunal over delays in appeals against entry clearance being upheld in the United Kingdom and the actual granting of entry clearance to successful appellants; and what steps have been taken to rectify such delays.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. Where directed by an adjudicator an entry clearance officer (ECO) will issue entry clearance immediately. Where no directions are given an ECO will issue entry clearance as soon as he has satisfied himself, if necessary after further inquiries, that the appellant meets the requirements of the immigration rules.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will call in the Ethiopian ambassador to seek the considered response 730
  urged by the head of the United Kingdom delegation at the 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva on 7 March.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have urged the Ethiopian Government to give a considered response. We now await this. We have raised our human rights concerns with them on numerous occasions and will continue to do so on all appropriate occasions.

  Chemical Products (Regulation)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his decision to agree to the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 February adopting a regulation on the control of certain chemical products prior to completion of parliamentary scrutiny.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The proposal for a regulation requiring national controls on the export of eight key chemical weapons precursors arose at very short notice, and discussion at the European political co-operation ministerial meeting in Madrid on 14 February revealed a strong concensus for urgent Community action. Given our firm stand against proliferation of chemical weapons and our wish to see existing export controls in Community countries applied more effectively, we took the view that an immediate decision on the regulation would be appropriate. That is why we did not oppose the adoption of the regulation at the Foreign Affairs Council on 20 February, on which I reported in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath (Mr. Townsend) on 22 February, even though it was clearly not possible in the very short time available to complete parliamentary scrutiny. The Chairman of the European Legislation Committee was, of course, kept fully informed throughout.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Attendance Allowance
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance his Department issues on the definition of the term terminally ill with regard to the determination of eligibility for attendance allowance.

  Mr. Needham
  No guidance is issued as the term does not occur in the legislation governing entitlement to attendance allowance.

  Special Diets
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps his Department has taken to assess the cost of special diets in Northern Ireland for people receiving state benefits; and what is his estimate of the number of such people who require special diets for (i) epilepsy and (ii) diabetes.

  Mr. Needham
  As the benefits system does not make specific provision for special dietary needs, the cost has not been assessed nor is an estimate of the numbers mentioned available.

  Comber (Bypass)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the proposal for a bypass at Comber.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has a scheme to extend the existing Comber bypass from Killinchy street to Newtownards road.

  This scheme is included in the current major works programme 1989–90 to 1993–94 and detailed design work is under way. It is not possible to indicate a start date since this will depend on the completion of the statutory processes and the availability of finances at the time.

  Urban Development Grants
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for which urban areas in Northern Ireland urban development grants are presently available.

  Mr. Needham
  Urban development grant, funded by the Government, is available in Belfast and Londonderry. Similar grants under the first urban development programme funded by the international fund for Ireland and administered by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland were available in 22 district towns, and in the urban areas of Castlereagh and Newtownabbey. Under the second urban development programme announced in November 1988 grants in addition may be offered to exceptional projects in other urban areas.

  Social Security Payments
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many families in Northern Ireland are in receipt of family credit.

  Mr. Needham
  A total of 14,176 at 15 March 1989.

  Married Teachers
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek to introduce appropriate legislation to ensure that the widows and widowers of married teachers will receive equal benefits and pensions in cases where equal contributions from salary have been made by teachers for pension and benefit purposes.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  I have no such plans. Woodlands

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the estimated area of broadleaved woodland in Northern Ireland in 1968, 1978, 1983 and 1988.

  Mr. Viggers
  Although figures are not available for the years in question estimates carried out in 1986–87 indicated

  District

  1986–87 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1987–88 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1988–89 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1989–90 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1 Antrim

  45·75p

  8·93

  48·50p

  6·01

  51·00p

  5·15

  53·00p

  3·92

  2 Ards

  53·00p

  6·00

  53·00p

  nil

  54·00p

  1·89

  57·50p

  6·48

  3 Armagh

  38·00p

  10·14

  38·00p

  nil

  41·00p

  7·89

  44·00p

  7·32

  4 Ballymena

  38·00p

  4·54

  39·85p

  4·87

  42·85p

  7·53

  44·00p

  2·68

  5 Ballymoney

  42·25p

  7·10

  46·00p

  1·66

  47·00p

  2·17

  50·25p

  6·91

  732
  that there were 8,100 hectares of pure broadleaved woodland and 6,500 hectares of mixed broadleaf conifer woodland in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Northern Ireland forestry service will carry out a review of the broadleaved woodland grant scheme in parallel with that being done by the Forestry Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  The broadleaved woodland grant scheme was closed for applications in March 1988. Accordingly, no review of the scheme is contemplated.

  Felling
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the provision made for felling licensing in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Viggers
  There is no provision for felling licences in Northern Ireland.

  Objective 1 (EC)
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made in making arrangements for Northern Ireland to benefit as an objective 1 region within the European Community.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Under the new arrangements governing the Community"s structural funds, objective 1 regions such as Northern Ireland are required to forward to the European Commission a "regional development plan" from which will be derived future claims for assistance. The preparation of the Northern Ireland plan has now been completed and the document will be submitted to the Commission before the end of the month as required. The document, which reflects Government policy in the main development areas, has been prepared in consultation with the Commission and with relevant local interests, as required by the EC regulations. I am confident, therefore, that the Northern Ireland develop-ment plan will provide a sound basis for the European Community to continue to contribute to development in the Province, in particular through its financial support from the structural funds for projects to be included in earning measures.

  Rates
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, for each district council in Northern Ireland, the local district rate in actual and percentage terms for each of the years from 1986–87 to 1989–90.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 20 March 1989]: The table showing for each district council in Northern Ireland the local district rate in actual and percentage terms from each of the years 1986–87 to 1989–90 is as follows:
  733

  District

  1986–87 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1987–88 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1988–89 district rate

  Percentage increase

  1989–90 district rate

  Percentage increase

  6 Banbridge

  47·97p

  6·77

  50·98p

  6·27

  50·98p

  nil

  50·90p

  nil

  7 Belfast

  76·36p

  10·60

  80·03p

  4·81

  83·96p

  4·91

  83·96p

  nil

  8 Carrickfergus

  57·50p

  4·55

  59·41p

  3·32

  62·50p

  5·20

  65·75p

  5·20

  9 Castlereagh

  39·08p

  18·42

  41·00p

  4·91

  39·90p

  -2·68

  37·90p

  -5·01

  10 Coleraine

  49·00p

  8·89

  50·00p

  2·04

  53·00p

  6·00

  55·00p

  3·77

  11 Cookstown

  39·75p

  10·88

  43·00p

  8·18

  42·75p

  -0·58

  47·75p

  11·70

  12 Craigaven

  60·21p

  9·61

  63·35p

  522

  63·35p

  nil

  67·47p

  6·50

  13 Derry

  67·00p

  12·62

  69·50p

  3·73

  72·55p

  4·39

  76·80p

  5·86

  14 Down

  53·00p

  17·78

  60·00p

  13·21

  65·00p

  8·33

  68·00p

  4·62

  15 Dungannon

  41·50p

  9·21

  44·00p

  6·02

  44·00p

  nil

  44·00p

  nil

  16 Fermanagh

  48·75p

  14·04

  50·75p

  4·10

  53·50p

  5·42

  55·50p

  3·74

  17 Larne

  49·25p

  9·44

  52·55p

  6·70

  55·75p

  6·09

  56·75p

  1·79

  18 Limavady

  39·00p

  11·43

  40·95p

  5·00

  43·50p

  6·23

  47·00p

  8·05

  19 Lisburn

  48·80p

  5·54

  49·75p

  1·95

  53·57p

  7·68

  53·57p

  nil

  20 Magherafelt

  36·56p

  10·65

  41·05p

  12·28

  43·50p

  5·97

  46·34p

  6·53

  21 Moyle

  66·75p

  10·04

  65·75p

  nil

  65·50p

  -0·38

  68·40p

  4·43

  22 Newry and Mourne

  54·30p

  10·82

  59·70p

  9·94

  59·70p

  nil

  58·00p

  -2·85

  23 Newtownabbey

  55·11p

  4·77

  57·24p

  3·86

  60·06p

  4·93

  64·10p

  6·73

  24 North Down

  56·90p

  10·49

  60·90p

  7·03

  63·70p

  4·613

  65·85p

  3·38

  25 Omagh

  47·00p

  9·30

  51·65p

  9·89

  55·00p

  6·49

  58·50p

  6·36

  26 Strabane

  50·50p

  16·09

  54·00p

  6·93

  57·00p

  5·56

  60·75p

  6·58

  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will indicate in actual and percentage terms both the Northern Ireland regional rate and the total Northern Ireland rate for each year from 1986–87 to 1989–90.

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Regional rate

  110·38p

  113·53p

  122·59p

  138·07p

  Percentage change from previous year

  +9·4

  +2·9

  +7·98

  +12·63

  Total rate (i.e. regional rate plus average district rate)

  167·6p

  173·6p

  185·21p

  202·18p

  Percentage change from previous year

  +9·54

  +3·58

  +6·69

  +9·16

  Housing Executive Properties
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of housing applications received by each Housing Executive district office in(a) the past eight months and (b) between 1 April 1987 and 31 March 1988 from home owners experiencing financial hardship with mortgage repayments; how many such applicants were deemed to be in financial hardship; and what priority such applications were awarded.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 21 March 1989]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by the chief executive that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Loans and Grants
  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what percentage of budgeting loans were awarded to each of the 15 client groups defined by his Department since the introduction of the social fund in Northern Ireland;

  (2) what percentage of community care grants were awarded to each of the 15 client groups defined by his Department.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 March 1989]: The information requested is as follows:
  734
  Mr. Ian Stewart
  [holding answer 20 March 1989]: The information is as follows:

  Percentage of budgeting loans and community care grants awarded by client group for the period 11 April 1988 to 28 February 1989

  Client group

  Budgeting loans per cent.

  Community care grants per cent.

  Over 80—with higher pensioner premium

  0·23

  5·77

  Aged 69 to 70—disabled, higher pensioner premium

  0·47

  4·27

  Aged 60 to 79—with ordinary pensioner premium or over 60 without pensioner premium

  3·26

  19·80

  One parent—with disability premium

  0·41

  0·90

  Family with disability premium

  5·69

  4·41

  Other—with disability premium

  2·03

  8·07

  Lone parent—without disability premium

  29·95

  23·12

  Quarterly signer—with family premium

  0·79

  0·90

  Quarterly signer—without family premium

  1·93

  1·25

  Signing unemployed or with training allowance—with family premium

  20·98

  11·53

  Signing unemployed or with training allowance—without family premium

  26·29

  11·68

  Others—with family premium

  1·53

  2·24

  Others—without family premium

  7·13

  5·16

  Involved in a Trade Dispute

  0·01

  —

  Applicant not in receipt of Income Support

  1

  0·72

  1 Not applicable.

  Loans and Grants
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what percentage of the total number of applications made for budgeting loans were (i) full awards, (ii) partial awards and (iii) nil awards;

  (2) what percentage of the total number of applications made for community care grants in Northern Ireland were (a) full awards, (b) partial awards and (c) nil awards.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 March 1989]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, during the period 11 April 1988 to 28 February 1989, applications were decided as follows:

  Percentage allowed in full or in part

  Percentage refused

  Budgeting loans

  67·14

  32·86

  Community care grants

  67·21

  32·79

  Social Fund
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what statistical information he has as to the different reasons given by social fund officers for negative decisions to claimants on(a) budgeting loans and (b) partial awards;

  (2) what statistical information he has as to the different reasons given by social fund officers to claimants for nil award decisions for (a) community care grants and (b) partial awards.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 17 March 1989]: The reasons for refusing social fund applications during the period 1–28 February 1989 (the latest month for which information is available) are as follows:

  Northern Ireland housing executive—Voluntary sales scheme Properties sold for housing executive district since October 1979

  District

  1October 1979 to March 1981

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  April 1988 to December 1988

  Total

  Belfast region

  Belfast 1

  114

  209

  128

  128

  186

  218

  100

  113

  95

  1,291

  2

  118

  121

  23

  76

  93

  73

  68

  67

  34

  673

  3

  17

  55

  92

  43

  57

  47

  44

  60

  54

  469

  4

  121

  144

  59

  26

  69

  32

  57

  75

  42

  625

  5

  52

  82

  53

  61

  78

  105

  60

  51

  17

  559

  6

  47

  94

  40

  52

  86

  48

  51

  32

  22

  472

  7

  51

  94

  40

  50

  95

  43

  77

  65

  53

  568

  REGIONAL TOTAL

  520

  799

  435

  436

  664

  566

  457

  463

  317

  4,657

  North-East region

  Antrim

  37

  267

  188

  228

  285

  195

  188

  116

  108

  1,612

  Ballymena

  51

  243

  173

  158

  171

  178

  113

  54

  113

  1,254

  Carrickfergus

  64

  343

  170

  192

  193

  132

  161

  104

  65

  1,424

  Larne

  112

  203

  160

  172

  147

  87

  91

  81

  no

  1,163

  Newtownabbey 1

  34

  248

  149

  139

  166

  125

  97

  82

  77

  1,117

  Newtownabbey 2

  20

  178

  165

  236

  222

  152

  121

  87

  85

  1,266

  Ballymoney

  47

  129

  100

  75

  54

  77

  60

  39

  59

  640

  Ballycastle

  12

  61

  58

  29

  49

  29

  34

  28

  22

  322

  REGIONAL TOTAL

  377

  1,672

  1,163

  1,229

  1,287

  975

  865

  591

  639

  8,798

  North-West region

  Londonderry 1

  14

  40

  37

  50

  49

  64

  32

  37

  25

  348

  Londonderry 2

  24

  175

  157

  130

  108

  47

  35

  44

  43

  763

  Londonderry 3

  25

  52

  32

  60

  69

  46

  27

  29

  21

  361

  Limavady

  71

  147

  65

  104

  74

  104

  52

  60

  31

  708

  Strabane

  22

  80

  111

  110

  86

  69

  60

  78

  70

  686

  Coleraine

  30

  141

  70

  101

  55

  93

  43

  40

  55

  628

  736

  Reasons for refusal as percentage of total applications processed

  Budgeting loans (per cent.)

  Community care grants (per cent.)

  Savings over £500 sufficient to meet cost

  0·01

  0·22

  Not in receipt of income support

  2·68

  n/a

  Not in receipt of income support for 26 weeks

  10·23

  n/a

  Not in receipt of income support at present and unlikely to qualify

  n/a

  2·97

  Excluded items

  1·10

  0·97

  Excluded persons

  0·14

  3·30

  Amount less than £30, not travelling expenses

  0·41

  0·20

  Adjusted amount less than £30, not travelling expenses

  0·22

  0·05

  Total debt of £1,000

  0·01

  n/a

  Previous application and social fund officer decision for this item

  2·01

  2·03

  Inability to repay

  2·02

  n/a

  Help available from another source

  0·22

  0·22

  Insufficient priority

  4·69

  2·58

  Suitable alternative available

  0·04

  0·18

  Loan refused—community care grant awarded

  2·12

  n/a

  Others

  2·14

  16·30

  n/a = Not appropriate.

  Housing Executive Properties
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of Housing Executive properties sold to tenants in each year since the introduction of the policy, by district.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 21 March 1989]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by the chief executive that the number of properties sold each year in each Housing Executive district since the introduction of its voluntary house sales scheme in October 1979 are as follows:
  737

  District

  1 October 1979 lo March 1981

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  April 1988 to December 1988

  Total

  Magherafelt

  59

  57

  69

  93

  85

  93

  52

  49

  60

  617

  REGIONAL TOTAL

  245

  692

  541

  648

  526

  516

  301

  337

  305

  4,111

  South region

  Armagh

  69

  248

  314

  186

  174

  125

  104

  85

  49

  1,354

  Banbridge

  28

  147

  110

  103

  88

  56

  51

  56

  41

  680

  Craigavon

  29

  146

  63

  132

  310

  56

  28

  20

  42

  826

  Kilkeel

  32

  91

  77

  63

  54

  55

  47

  29

  15

  463

  Lurgan

  92

  449

  294

  324

  301

  129

  87

  50

  25

  1,751

  Newry 1

  29

  96

  148

  214

  153

  138

  102

  135

  100

  1,115

  Newry 2

  70

  203

  244

  180

  153

  149

  131

  108

  71

  1,309

  Portadown

  34

  239

  190

  194

  149

  88

  50

  29

  26

  999

  REGIONAL TOTAL

  383

  1,619

  1,440

  1,396

  1,382

  796

  600

  512

  369

  8,497

  South-East region

  Lisburn 3

  Nil

  10

  30

  51

  25

  19

  16

  18

  6

  175

  Lisburn 1

  15

  190

  181

  170

  176

  155

  81

  70

  49

  1,087

  Lisburn 2

  1

  194

  179

  140

  127

  97

  52

  48

  54

  892

  Bangor

  9

  196

  183

  174

  123

  108

  83

  92

  58

  1,026

  Castlereagh 1

  27

  273

  164

  190

  148

  94

  73

  56

  33

  1,058

  Castlereagh 2

  41

  334

  195

  168

  188

  105

  94

  63

  64

  1,252

  Downpatrick

  34

  234

  236

  195

  215

  136

  117

  110

  77

  1,354

  Newtownards 1

  56

  248

  174

  153

  155

  131

  119

  104

  53

  1,193

  Newtownards 2

  52

  87

  109

  99

  85

  80

  73

  71

  50

  706

  REGIONAL TOTAL

  235

  1,766

  1,451

  1,340

  1,242

  925

  708

  632

  444

  8,743

  West region

  Omagh

  35

  194

  135

  102

  65

  82

  53

  52

  66

  784

  Dungannon

  8

  228

  166

  89

  71

  116

  75

  96

  103

  952

  Enniskillen

  15

  157

  156

  120

  93

  94

  81

  78

  110

  904

  Cookstown

  12

  79

  67

  80

  63

  62

  44

  46

  50

  503

  REGIONAL TOTAL

  70

  658

  524

  391

  292

  354

  253

  272

  329

  3,143

  1 Annual breakdown not available.

  These figures include some vacant properties to non-tenants in areas where housing need has been met.

  Social Security Payments
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide figures for(a) the total social fund allocation for 1989–90 and the total for each office, (b) the total community care grant allocation for 1989–90 and the total for each office, (c) the total budget loan allocation for 1989–90 and the total for each office, (d) the total crisis loan allocation for 1989–90 and the total for each office, (e) the current number of claimants

  Table 1

  Social Fund Budget 1989–90

  Social Security Office

  Loans £

  Grants £

  Total £

  Income support caseload at 28 February 1989

  Per Capita(Loans and Grants) £

  Per Capita (Grants) £

  Andersonstown

  906,010

  442,394

  1,348,404

  7,219

  187

  61

  Antrim

  436,917

  225,670

  662,587

  5,268

  126

  43

  Armagh

  318,737

  169,258

  487,995

  4,730

  103

  36

  Ballymena

  385,109

  197,790

  582,899

  5,841

  100

  34

  Ballymoney

  268,617

  138,228

  406,845

  4,418

  92

  31

  Ballynahinch

  44,710

  25,029

  69,739

  1,490

  47

  17

  Banbridge

  160,814

  86,686

  247,500

  3,152

  79

  28

  Bangor

  187,166

  104,295

  291,461

  4,408

  66

  24

  Carrickfergus

  171,258

  92,526

  263,784

  2,887

  91

  32

  Coleraine

  427,065

  223,561

  650,626

  5,989

  109

  37

  Cookstown

  257,932

  145,324

  403,256

  3,517

  115

  41

  Corporation Street

  1,065,039

  554,510

  1,619,549

  11,966

  135

  46

  Downpatrick

  168,476

  87,131

  255,607

  2,281

  112

  38

  Dungannon

  406,060

  215,442

  621,502

  5,964

  104

  36

  738
  registered at each office and in total, (f) the social fund allocation for 1989–90 to each office as a sum per head for claimants of each office, (g) the social fund grant allocation for 1989–90 to each office as a sum per head of claimants registered with each office, (h) the expenditure for each individual office on single payments for 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87 and (i) the expenditure by each office to date for 1988–89 on (i) grants, (ii) crisis loans, (iii) budget loans and (iv) the total.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 15 March 1989]: Details of social fund expenditure for 1988–89 are available in the Library. Social fund allocations for 1989–90 are as follows:
  739

  Social Security Office

  Loans £

  Grants £

  Total £

  Income support caseload at 28 February 1989

  Per Capita (Loans and Grants) £

  Per Capita (Grants) £

  Enniskillen

  311,496

  177,326

  488,822

  8,185

  60

  22

  Falls Road

  770,139

  377,447

  1,147,586

  8,679

  132

  43

  Holywood Road

  504,299

  274,270

  778,569

  8,051

  97

  34

  Kilkeel

  59,062

  32,365

  91,427

  1,391

  66

  23

  Knockbreda

  266,805

  148,627

  415,432

  6,201

  67

  24

  Larne

  170,264

  86,575

  256,839

  2,716

  95

  32

  Limavady

  152,072

  83,371

  235,443

  3,147

  75

  26

  Lisburn

  698,751

  363,379

  1,062,130

  5,901

  180

  62

  Londonderry

  1,160,923

  619,379

  1,780,302

  15,396

  116

  40

  Lurgan

  794,217

  416,837

  1,211,054

  5,300

  229

  79

  Magherafelt

  413,409

  241,428

  654,837

  5,204

  126

  46

  Newcastle

  78,413

  41,673

  120,086

  1,854

  65

  22

  Newry

  679,813

  365,701

  1,045,514

  8,764

  119

  42

  Newtownabbey

  287,105

  143,676

  430,781

  5,188

  83

  28

  Newtownards

  153,776

  86,183

  239,959

  4,074

  59

  21

  Omagh

  394,289

  206,030

  600,319

  5,553

  108

  37

  Portadown

  214,415

  117,649

  332,064

  3,751

  89

  31

  Shaftesbury Square

  584,744

  297,163

  881,907

  6,113

  144

  49

  Shankill

  397,224

  204,608

  601,832

  5,206

  116

  39

  Strabane

  405,014

  208,561

  613,575

  5,902

  104

  35

  Totals

  13,700,140

  7,200,092

  20,900,232

  185,706

  Separate amounts are not allocated for budgeting and crisis loans. A paper containing details of the basis of the

  Table 2

  Single payments

  Social Security Office

  11 April 1984 to 9 April 1985

  10 April 1985 to 8 April 1986

  9 April 1986 to 7 April 1987

  Andersonstown1

  736,226·60

  2,083,322·73

  2,026,087·04

  Antrim

  1,113,871·38

  1,377,790·29

  1,109,842·60

  Armagh

  529,527·20

  779,983·89

  869,392·31

  Ballymena

  449,758·71

  538,339·15

  650,163·58

  Ballymoney

  384,891·76

  566,299·81

  704,997·40

  Ballynahinch

  48,486·67

  101,011·30

  102,232·08

  Banbridge

  211,318·58

  319,642·20

  411,106·84

  Bangor

  259,130·32

  349,428·56

  392,299·28

  Carrickfergus

  424,221·14

  401,983·58

  457,043·84

  Coleraine

  743,091·50

  781,873·07

  953,407·46

  Cookstown

  793,773·32

  871,614·16

  827,789·36

  Corporation Street

  1,703,687·50

  2,616,027·96

  2,932,467·67

  Downpatrick

  231,632·74

  512,341·21

  474,675·40

  Dungannon

  1,240,385·98

  1,452,232·35

  1,234,932·09

  Enniskillen

  613,539·23

  718,960·34

  829,761·87

  Falls Road

  1,797,840·01

  2,119,113·19

  2,097,269·87

  Holywood Road

  839,125·84

  1,408,628·92

  1,360,904·07

  Kilkeel

  92,032·11

  112,376·32

  118,439·31

  Knockbreda

  357,149·04

  594,729·98

  579,023·77

  Larne

  291,008·87

  354,012·55

  483,425·68

  Limavady

  321,746·14

  531,214·46

  496,338·88

  Lisburn

  1,598,466·31

  1,724,662·57

  1,964,410·64

  Londonderry

  2,106,931·93

  2,847,444·30

  3,421,316·13

  Lurgan

  1,123,598·17

  1,643,531·75

  1,717,287·45

  Magherafelt

  569,388·79

  846,385·66

  1,760,944·38

  Newcastle

  157,751·84

  223,439·33

  280,498·79

  Newry

  1,317,709·57

  1,759,619·51

  1,722,121·04

  Newtownabbey

  994,825·05

  890,028·04

  938,195·76

  Newtownards

  317,451·06

  315,620·57

  316,442·37

  Omagh

  746,152·32

  1,086,299·53

  1,217,556·30

  Portadown

  389,125·75

  689,985·33

  714,763·75

  Shaftesbury Square

  689,953·00

  1,138,359·98

  1,517,422·73

  Shankill

  610,972·41

  710,471·61

  951,914·71

  Strabane

  1,639,291·94

  1,786,133·88

  1,366,861·44

  Totals

  25,444,062·78

  34,252,828·08

  37,001,335·89

  1 Andersonstown Social Security Office opened on 26 September 1984.

  740
  allocations is being placed in the Library. The available information about expenditure on single payments is as follows:

SCOTLAND

  Queens University
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students attending Queens university, Belfast, are involved in courses of study of less than 21 hours per week.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Scottish Assembly
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last made an assessment of the running costs of a Scottish assembly.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The Government believe that the present constitutional arrangements provide for Scotland's interests to be fully respected and recognised and we therefore have no plans to introduce legislation to create a Scottish Assembly. Accordingly, I have made no assessment of the running costs of an Assembly. The 1978 scheme of devolution, however, was estimated to cost £13 million at November 1977 prices. Any new scheme would clearly cost very considerably more than that.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 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 those sources in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The only count made of unemployed people with disabilities is of those who choose to register for work at jobcentres and careers offices. The latest figures available for Scotland show that on 6 January 1989 there were 7,257 unemployed people with disabilities registered for work at jobcentres and careers offices. There is no count made of the total number of people of working age with disabilities.

  Bathing Waters
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will issue the Scottish results of the 1988 survey of the quality of the United Kingdom bathing waters.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I expect to announce the results early in April.

  Sentencing
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider reforms to confer upon the Crown a right of appeal against sentence; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to introduce reforms of this nature.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the law of sentencing with regard to the sentencing of sexual offenders in the light of the admonition of the accused in the case PF v. Gordon, Glasgow Sheriff Court, 30 August 1988; and if he will make a statement.
  742
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to conduct a review of the law of sentencing.

  Dampness
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dwellings in Scotland were affected by damp in 1978, 1979, 1987 and 1988, respectively; and how many people lived in them.

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

  Housing (Amenities)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many dwellings lacking one or more basic sanitary amenity there were in Scotland in 1978, 1979, 1987 and 1988; and how many people occupied them;

  (2) how many people in Scotland lived in dwellings unfit for human occupancy in 1978, 1979, 1987 and 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is set out in the following table. Comparable figures were not collected for 1978.

  Dwellings below tolerable standard at 31 March, Scotland1

  Thousands

  1979

  1987

  1988

  Dwellings below tolerable standard

  121

  56

  257

  Lacking one or more standard amenity (sink, hot water and inside WC)34

  71

  31

  27

  Lacking a fixed bath or shower34

  73

  29

  24

  No information is available on how many people occupied these dwellings.

  1 Including most recent year's figure for those authorities whose returns are outstanding.

  2 Increase in 1988 figure due to change in the basis of compilation of Glasgow district council's return.

  3 Some local authorities were unable to provide information on dwellings in this category.

  4 A dwelling may be recorded in both these categories and there is therefore an element of double-counting.

  NHS (Repairs)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the capital repairs backlog in the Scottish National Health Service in current prices in each year from 1978–79 to 1987–88.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is not available centrally in the form requested.

  Schools (Capital Spending)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total capital spending in Scottish schools in current prices in each year from 1978–79 to 1987–88.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 16 January at column 69 which gave details of capital expenditure from 1979–80 to 1987–88. In 1978–79 the capital expenditure on local authority primary and secondary schools was £49·72 million (at outturn prices) and £102·021 million (at 1987–88 prices).

  House Repossessions
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the total number of house repossessions in Scotland in 1979, 1987 and 1988, respectively.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Building Societies Association publishes statistics on the number of repossessions by building societies in the United Kingdom as a whole, but no corresponding information is available for Scotland only. No information is held centrally on other mortgage lenders.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the annual crime detection rates for all crimes and for violent crimes for each year since 1978.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  Clear-up rate (percentage)

  Year

  Total crimes

  Violent crimes1

  1978

  29·7

  53·2

  1979

  30·0

  55·3

  1980

  32·6

  61·6

  1981

  31·2

  62·3

  1982

  29·8

  61·7

  1983

  30·9

  63·2

  1984

  30·8

  61·6

  1985

  33·6

  65·4

  1986

  34·2

  67·5

  1987

  34·9

  66·4

  21988

  34·0

  66·7

  1Comprises group 1 (non-sexual crimes of violence) and the sexual assault category from group 2 (crimes of indecency) of the Scottish Home and Health Department classification of crimes and offences.

  2 Provisional.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were(a) the total number of crimes and (b) the number of violent crimes committed in Scotland annually from 1978.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  Number recorded

  Total crimes

  Year

  Violent crimes1

  1978

  334,957

  11,222

  1979

  346,680

  11,279

  1980

  364,587

  12,347

  1981

  408,204

  13,418

  1982

  435,081

  13,221

  1983

  448,260

  14,285

  1984

  474,913

  15,178

  1985

  461,970

  16,487

  1986

  463,837

  17,008

  1987

  481,230

  19,733

  21988

  469,986

  19,193

  1 Comprises group 1 (non-sexual crimes of violence) and the sexual assault category from group 2 (crimes of indecency) of the Scottish Home and Health Department classification of crimes and offences.

  2 Provisional.

  Housing Repairs
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many dwellings in(a) the public sector and (b) the private rented sector were in need of repair in (i) 1978–79 and (ii) 1987–88.

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

  Overcrowding
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many households lived in overcrowded conditions in 1978, 1979, 1987 and 1988.

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

  Manufacturing
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of people in employment in manufacturing in Scotland in the first quarter of 1979, and the last quarter of 1988.

  Mr. Lang
  The seasonally adjusted number of employees in employment in Scottish manufacturing in the first quarter of 1979 was some 606,000. Figures for the last quarter of 1988 are not yet available. The number in the third quarter is provisionally estimated at around 399,000. The latter estimate may be revised when the results of the 1987 census of employment become available.

  Capital Formation
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the Scottish gross domestic fixed capital formation in current prices in(a) education, (b) health and social services, (c) housing and (d) community development in 1978–79 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Ian Lang
  Estimates of gross domestic fixed capital formation in Scotland by function of government are prepared annually by the Central Statistical Office. The estimates relate to calendar years and do not separate housing from community development. The latest available estimates are:

  Gross domestic fixed capital formation in Scotland by certain functions of Government

  £ million

  1978

  1986

  Education

  64

  72

  Health and social services

  62

  119

  Housing and community development

  270

  411

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total gross domestic capital formation in current prices in total and per head in Scotland for 1978–79 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Lang
  Estimates of gross domestic fixed capital formation (GDFCF) for Scotland are available only for certain sectors: agriculture, forestry and fishing; energy and water supply; manufacturing; transport and communication (excluding shipping and air transport); and dwellings. In 1986 these sectors accounted for 57 per cent. of United Kingdom GDFCF (excluding the continental shelf region).
  745
  The estimates are prepared by the Central Statistical Office and relate to calendar years, the latest available being 1986. The figure for 1978 is on a slightly different basis, but the changes are likely to have affected the estimates by under 1 per cent.

  Gross domestic fixed capital formation in certain industries and dwellings: Scotland

  1978

  1986

  £ million, current prices

  2,071

  3,094

  £ per head of population

  400

  600

  Children
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of Scottish children living in families where the head of the household was unemployed annually from 1978.

  Mr. Lang
  The estimated number of dependent children aged 18 years or under in households in Scotland where the head was unemployed is 120,000 in 1988, according to preliminary results from the spring 1988 labour force survey. The equivalent estimate for spring 1981 was 136,000. These estimates are subject to sampling errors.

  Estimates are not available from the 1979 survey and could be obtained for the remaining years for which there were surveys only at disproportionate cost.

  Housing Construction
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of housing starts and completions in the public and private sector in Scotland in 1979, 1987 and 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested on housing starts and completions for 1979 and 1987 was published in tables 4 and 3 respectively of Scottish Development Department Statistical Bulletin HSU No. 5, Housing Trends in Scotland quarter ended 30 June 1988, which was issued on 15 March 1989. Returns for 1988 are not yet complete.

  School Leavers
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many school leavers in Scotland in total and in percentage terms entered(a) further and (b) higher education in 1979, 1987 and 1988;

  (2) how many school leavers in Scotland have entered full-time employment annually in total and percentage terms for each year from 1978.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information for each year since 1978 is not readily available. The most recent information from the biennial Scottish young people's survey relating to the destination of school leavers was published by the Scottish Education Department in its statistical bulletin school leavers' destinations (No. 12/E1/1988) published in December 1988 which is available in the Library.

  School Books
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the spending on books(a) per primary pupil and (b) per secondary pupil in Scotland in current prices for 1978–79 and 1987–88.
  746
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 16. January at columns 67–70 and the corrected tables accompanying my letter to him of 9 March.

  Annex A

  Table 1

  Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools, equipment and materials at outturn prices

  (£)

  Books

  Educational tools, equipment and materials

  Primary

  Secondary

  Primary

  Secondary

  1978–79

  4·54

  8·31

  n/a

  n/a

  1979–80

  5·49

  9·61

  n/a

  n/a

  1980–81

  5·84

  9·29

  n/a

  n/a

  1981–82

  6·54

  9·77

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  7·03

  10·03

  8·18

  27·33

  1983–84

  8·99

  13·35

  7·28

  25·36

  1984–85

  9·55

  13·83

  8·91

  30·09

  1985–86

  8·91

  13·47

  8·33

  30·26

  1986–87

  10·93

  16·67

  8·92

  33·85

  1987–88

  9·25

  12·93

  11·71

  44·42

  Table 2

  Expenditure per pupil on text and library books and on educational tools, equipment and materials adjusted to 1987–88 prices using the GDP deflator

  (£)

  Books

  Educational tools, equipment and materials

  Primary

  Secondary

  Primary

  Secondary

  1978–79

  9·32

  17·05

  n/a

  n/a

  1979–80

  9·64

  16·87

  n/a

  n/a

  1980–81

  8·66

  13·77

  n/a

  n/a

  1981–82

  8·83

  13·20

  n/a

  n/a

  1982–83

  8·85

  12·63

  10·30

  34·42

  1983–84

  10·83

  16·08

  8·77

  30·55

  1984–85

  10·95

  15·86

  10·22

  34–50

  1985–86

  9·69

  14·65

  9·06

  32·92

  1986–87

  11·51

  17·55

  9·39

  35·64

  1987–88

  9·25

  12·93

  11·71

  44·42

  Table 3: Expenditure per pupil on text and library books at outturn prices expressed as an index with 1978–79= 100

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  1978–79

  100·0

  100·0

  1979–80

  120·9

  115·6

  1980–81

  128·6

  111·8

  1981–82

  144·1

  117·6

  1982–83

  154·8

  120·7

  1983–84

  198·0

  160·6

  1984–85

  210·4

  166·4

  1985–86

  196·3

  162·1

  1986–87

  240·7

  200·6

  1987–88

  203·7

  155·6

  Table 4: Expenditure per pupil on text and library books adjusted to 1987–88 prices using the GDP deflator, expressed as an index with1978–79= 100

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  1978–79

  100·0

  100·0

  1979–80

  103·4

  98·9

  1980–81

  92·9

  80·8

  1981–82

  94·7

  77·4

  1982–83

  95·0

  79·9

  1983–84

  116·2

  94·3

  1984–85

  117·5

  93·0

  1985–86

  104·0

  85·9

  86–87

  123·5

  102·9

  1987–88

  99·2

  75–8

  747

  Annex B

  Expenditure on text and library books

  Year

  Primary

  Secondary

  Primary

  Secondary

  at outturn prices

  at 1987–88 prices

  1978–79

  2·584

  3·411

  5·302

  6·999

  1979–80

  2·994

  3·944

  5·257

  6·925

  1980–81

  3·026

  3–790

  4·486

  5·618

  1981–82

  3·222

  3·953

  4·348

  5·334

  1982–83

  3·290

  4·004

  4·444

  5·043

  1983–84

  4·027

  5·214

  4·851

  6·281

  1984–85

  4·178

  5·173

  4·791

  5·931

  1985–86

  3·882

  4·857

  4·223

  5·284

  1986–87

  4·734

  5·740

  4·984

  6·043

  1987–88

  3·986

  4·230

  3·986

  4·230

  Forestry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total area of applications for forestry grants and the area of that relating to new afforestation since 1 July 1988; and what is the total area of forestry grant applications for which environmental assessment has been requested since that date.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  From 21 June 1988, when the scheme opened to applications, to 28 February 1989, the Forestry Commission received applications for entry to the woodland grant scheme covering 49,297 hectares, of which 29,271 hectares were for new planting.

  The environmental assessment provisions came into force on 15 July 1988. Since then, the Forestry Commission has requested environmental assessments on about 3,100 hectares of applications for new planting.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the area of land approved for grant aid for afforestation in each Forestry Commission conservency under(a) the forestry grant scheme, (b) the broadleaved woodland grant scheme and (c) the woodland grant scheme in the year beginning 1 April 1987 and the period 1 April to 31 December 1988; and if he will instruct the Forestry Commission henceforth to publish such figures in its annual reports.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is given in the following tables. I have asked the Forestry Commissioners to consider whether more detailed information on private planting might reasonably be provided in their annual reports.

  Period 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988

  Area approved for new planting (hectares)

  Conservancy

  Forestry grant scheme

  Broadleaved woodland grant scheme

  North England

  2,588

  297

  East England

  174

  512

  West England

  6

  676

  Wales

  557

  333

  North Scotland

  13,638

  298

  Mid Scotland

  5,898

  397

  South Scotland

  12,660

  465

  Total

  35,521

  2,978

  748

  Period 1 April 1988 to 31 December 1988

  Area approved for new planting (hectares)

  Conservancy

  Forestry grant scheme

  Broadleaved woodland grant scheme

  Woodland grant scheme

  North England

  15

  15

  550

  East England

  23

  34

  829

  West England

  74

  103

  577

  Wales

  18

  24

  505

  North Scotland

  2,406

  51

  2,828

  Mid Scotland

  437

  84

  1,489

  South Scotland

  2,412

  77

  1,561

  Total

  5,385

  388

  8,339

  Crofters (Tree Growing)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he will take to enable crofters to grow trees on common grazings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 March at column 486 to a question tabled by the hon. Member for Argyll and Bute (Mrs. Michie).

  Road Bridge (Dornoch Firth)
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the anticipated start date for construction of the road crossing of the Dornoch Firth; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Owing to unforeseen difficulties with soil condition, work is not now expected to start on the actual bridge construction until mid-summer, although preparatory works are continuing.

  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the nature of the technical difficulties delaying determination of the final design of the foundations of the road bridge over the Dornoch Firth.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Soil investigation by the contractor indicated that further verification of the load carrying capacity of soils is required. This may result in some refinement and development of the foundation design.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the number of children who received compensation from the Scottish Criminal Injuries Compensation Board for physical or psychological injuries suffered in cases of physical or sexual abuse in each of the past seven years; what was the range of the sums of compensation; and what was the average amount awarded to children following such cases;

  (2) what consultations he proposes to undertake to ensure that any regulations made in terms of rule 14 of schedule 7 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 go as far as possible to facilitate the success of applications on behalf of children who have suffered physical or sexual abuse and whose parents are either unwilling or unable to act on their behalf; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he has drafted regulations using his power under rule 14 of schedule 7 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 to prescribe the circumstances and method by which one person may act for another in relation to a claim for

  749
  compensation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to manage the payment and investments of awards to persons below the age of 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since the criminal injuries compensation scheme operates on a Great Britain basis, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

  Boundary Commission (Members)
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who are the present members of the Boundary Commission for Scotland; and for what terms they have been appointed.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The members of the Boundary Commission for Scotland are:Mr. Speaker, ex-officio, Chairman
  The honourable Lord Davidson—appointed by the Lord President of the Court of Session on 25 September 1985 and subsequently re-appointed.
  Professor Urlan A. Wannop—appointed by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 6 June 1983 and subsequently re-appointed.
  Mr. Adam R. Napier—appointed by the Secretary of State on 2 May 1985 and subsequently re-appointed.

  The appointed members' terms of office expire on 31 December 1993.

  Electricity Boards
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has agreed a financial target for 1989–90 for the Scottish electricity boards.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have agreed with the Scottish electricity boards that the financial target for 1989–90 is for the boards jointly to achieve a return of 2·7 per cent. on net assets valued on a current cost basis. This compares with a target of 2·8 per cent. for 1988–89. The target has been set for the boards jointly to reflect their shared responsibility for nuclear generation.

  Health Boards
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial allocations he has made to health boards for 1989–90.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has allocated £1,875 million to health boards to meet their gross recurrent expenditure commitments on hospital and community health services in 1989–90. This figure includes £38 million allocated for specific commitments, including cardiac surgery and AIDS. After expected income is taken into account, the net cash limited allocations to individual health boards are as follows:

  1989–90 recurrent expenditure (net)

  Health board

  £ million

  Argyll and Clyde

  132·025

  Ayrshire and Arran

  102·420

  Borders

  29·605

  Dumfries and Galloway

  48·956

  Fife

  94·488

  Forth Valley

  89·024

  Grampian

  170·364

  Greater Glasgow

  473·907

  750

  Health board

  £ million

  Highland

  71·779

  Lanarkshire

  151·699

  Lothian

  294·977

  Orkney

  5·466

  Shetland

  6·464

  Tayside

  170·703

  Western Isles

  9·774

  Total

  1,851·651

  Hospital and Community Health Services Capital
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the proposed distribution of the hospital and community health services capital for 1989–90.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has allocated £148·8 million to health boards to meet their gross capital expenditure commitments on hospital and community health services in 1989–90. This includes £35·7 million specifically for the improvement and upgrading of the NHS estate.

  The allocations to individual health boards are as follows:

  Capital allocation

  Health boards

  £ million

  Argyll and Clyde

  8·600

  Ayrshire and Arran

  18·300

  Borders

  2·000

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2·250

  Fife

  3·300

  Forth Valley

  7·800

  Grampian

  12·900

  Greater Glasgow

  28·350

  Highland

  3·600

  Lanarkshire

  9·000

  Lothian

  32·800

  Orkney

  0·975

  Shetland

  1·575

  Tayside

  12·000

  Western Isles

  5·350

  Total

  148·800

  This is an increase of 35 per cent. over comparable figures for the current financial year and confirms the Government's commitment to maintaining the biggest ever hospital building programme in the NHS.

  Parole
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the report of the committee on parole and related issues in Scotland, chaired by Lord Kincraig, is to he published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The report of Lord Kincraig's committee was published this morning and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. We are all indebted to Lord Kincraig and the other members of his committee for producing such a clear and balanced report within a year of their first meeting.

  The Kincraig committee recommend the retention of a parole system, because parole recognises the possibility of change in an individual or his circumstances over time, and enables long-term prisoners to be released selectively on this basis. They recommend, however, that the scope of parole should be restricted to those serving over five years,

  751
  and that prisoners should be eligible for consideration only after serving one half of their sentences, instead of one third, as at present. All long-term prisoners would be liable to supervision on release. Prisoners serving five years or less would no longer be eligible for parole, but instead a system of conditional early release would apply to them. Under this system they would be released after serving half of their overall sentence, but would be automatically recalled to prison to serve the outstanding balance of their sentence if they were reconvicted.

  The committee has also recommended changes in parole procedures, which are intended to make the process less cumbersome and more open. Parole applicants would have the chance to put their case to a panel of three parole board members, and would be entitled to be given reasons for a refusal of parole.

  The committee was also asked to look at a number of related issues. The committee recommended no change in the formal role of the Secretary of State in the parole system; no alteration in the present arrangements for supervision for released prisoners by local authority social workers; and funding of the supervision of released prisoners by central Government on an agency basis. Their recommendations on life sentence prisoners will fall to be considered in the light of the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Murder and the Release of Life Sentence Prisoners, now in session. They recommend against the introduction of suspended or part-suspended sentences into Scots law but (by majority) recommend that all custodial sentences should be backdated to the date when the offender was first remanded in custody, unless there are special reasons for not doing so.

  The report raises issues of considerable public importance, and before deciding on what action might be taken to implement it, I would be glad to receive views on the report which interested parties may wish to put to me. These should be submitted to me by 30 June.

  Schools (Self-Government)
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations and individuals who have responded to the consultative paper on self-governing schools; and how many of these have indicated support for the proposals.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Seventy-five organisations and individuals have commented on our explanatory paper as at 15 March.

  Education Authorities

  Borders

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Grampian

  Highland

  Lothian

  National Bodies

  Association of Directors of Education in Scotland

  Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

  Commission for Racial Equality

  Educational Institute of Scotland

  General Teaching Council for Scotland

  Moray House College

  Professional Association of Teachers

  Scottish Association of Children's Panels

  Scottish Consumer Council

  Scottish Examination Board

  Scottish Parent Teacher Council

  Scottish Secondary Teachers Association

  752

  Scottish Spina Bifida Association

  Scottish Trades Union Congress

  Society of Information Technology Managers

  Local Organisations

  Auchenblae School PTA (Laurencekirk)

  Avoch School Association (Fortrose)

  Bearsden Primary School PTA

  Borders Federation of Parents and Teachers

  Boroughmuir School Council

  Central Mainland School Council (Shetland)

  Charleston Academy School Council

  Coldstream Primary PTA

  Corstorphine Primary PTA

  Crombie School PTA (Aberdeen)

  Currie High School Council

  Deans Community High School Council (Livingston)

  Dunbar School Council

  Ferryhill School PTA (Aberdeen)

  Fort Augustus Secondary School Council

  Glenrothes School Council

  Glen Urquhart High School Council

  Grampian Community Relations Council

  Hamilton Schools Council

  Hillhead PTA (Glasgow)

  Hyndland Secondary School EIS (Glasgow)

  Inveralmond Community High School (Livingston)

  Inverness Royal Academy School Council

  Islay and Jura School Council

  Kincardine and Deeside Social and Liberal Democrats

  Kingussie High School Council

  Lerwick, Bressay and Quarff School Council

  Linlithgow Academy School Council

  Lorn Coll and Colonsay Schools Council

  Mid Argyll Schools Council

  Peebles School Council

  Plockton High School College Council

  Royal High School Council

  St. Andrews School Council

  St. Patricks Primary PTA (Dumbarton)

  South Morningside Primary PTA

  Tomnacross PTA (Inverness-shire)

  Torphins PTA

  Wester Hailes Education Centre Council

  Westhill Academy PTA (Aberdeen)

  Westhill Primary PTA (Aberdeen)

  The paper sought comment on the mechanics of implementation rather than the principle of self-governing status, which will be for individual schools to determine.

  Birds (Shetland)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what information he has of the level of breeding success for the red-throated diver, Arctic skua, great skua, puffin and kittiwake in Shetland in 1988; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what was the total population size of Arctic terns in Shetland in 1980; and what proportion this represents of the British and EEC populations, respectively;

  (3) what information he has on research conducted or commissioned to identify the key factors that have influenced the breeding success of Arctic terns in Scotland; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) if he will list the estimated number of young that the Shetland Arctic tern population has successfully reared in each of the last five years; and what the breeding success of this bird has been in other areas in the United Kingdom over the same period.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 February 1989]: The Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) commissioned Durham university to conduct a short preliminary study on arctic terns in Shetland in 1985. This found some evidence of breeding failure. In 1986, NCC and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds jointly

  753
  commissioned Glasgow university to carry out further studies on arctic terns in Shetland, and specifically to examine the role of food supply in breeding performance. This project is still in progress, but results indicate that there has been a shortage of a specific size class of sandeel in surface waters of Shetland during a crucial phase of the Arctic tern breeding cycle.

  The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are collaborating with other interested parties on co-ordinated research to investigate sandeel mortality and factors affecting the availability of sandeels for food. They are to increase substantially their effort on sandeel research in 1989–90 including, exceptionally, three research ship cruises.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total population size of Arctic terns in Shetland in 1980; and what proportion this represents of the British and EEC populations, respectively.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 February 1989]: According to the Nature Conservancy Council the population was about 32,000 pairs. This represented some 43 per cent. of the British population and some 37 per cent. of the EEC population.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what information he has of the level of breeding success for the red-throated diver, Arctic skua, great skua, puffin and kittiwake in Shetland in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 February 1989]: The Nature Conservancy Council has supplied the following information:

  Red-throated diver—poor breeding success

  Arctic skua—poor breeding success

  Great skua—poor breeding success

  Pulfin—mixed breeding success

  Kittiwake—very poor breeding success

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list the estimated number of young that the Shetland Arctic tern population hs successfully reared in each of the last five years; and what the breeding success of this bird has been in other areas in the United Kingdom over the same period.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 9 February 1989]: The Nature Conservancy Council has advised me that, on the basis of sample monitoring of Shetland Arctic tern colonies between 1984 and 1988, a low breeding success has been achieved. The species' breeding success in other areas in the United Kingdom over the same period was mixed.

DEFENCE

  "World in Action" Programme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek from the producers of Granada Television's "World In Action" programme on Aldermaston, broadcast on 20 February 1989, a copy for his Department's library of a videotape and transcript of the programme.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Chemical Weapon Agents
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West, 9 February,Official Report, column 765, he will set out the reasons for the policy of the non-disclosure of locations of chemical weapon agents held in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  MOD does not disclose such information for security reasons.

  Nuclear Plant (Clean-up)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West, (Mr. Jones) 9 February,Official Report, column 764, on the financial costs of environmental clean-up at Springfields, Capenhurst, Sellafield, Aldermaston, Burghfield and Caerwent, if he will state the annual cost of clean-up for each of the plants operated for his Department, and the proportion of the contractual finances paid to British Nuclear Fuels for nuclear materials processing comprised by the component for environmental clean-up;

  (2) if he will give consideration to the publication of a report on all Ministry of Defence, Atomic Weapons Establishment or British Nuclear Fuels contracted establishments involved in the production and processing of military nuclear materials in regard to the costs of environmental clean-up similar to that produced by the United States Department of Energy and Senator Glenn for the United States military nuclear facilities in 1988.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. For reasons of national security, it has not been our custom to disclose costs of the procurement and processing of defence nuclear materials, either in part or in aggregate.

  Plutonium and Tritium
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any(a) plutonium or (b) tritium was exported on 21 February under agreement or order of his Department from Barrow on the PNTL ship Pacific Sandpiper destined for Hampton Rhodes, in Virginia, and thereafter Baltimore in the United States of America.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It has been the practice of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny the presence of defence special nuclear materials at any particular place or time, nor to reveal details of the kind requested.

  Bird Strikes
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of bird strikes suffered by military aircraft in 1988, updating the figures provided in his answer to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire on 18 July 1988,Official Report, columns 501–02.

  Mr. Neubert
  The information requested is as follows:

  1988

  Royal Air Force

  746

  Army

  41

  Royal Navy

  39

  Procurement Executive

  10

  Total

  836

  Skyguard
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations and dates of deployments of the Skyguard radar system in the Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency since 1987.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Skyguard radar system has not been deployed in the Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the reasons for the increases in the proportion of United Kingdom low flying which took place over southern Scotland, listed in his replies to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire on 13 July 1988,Official Report, columns 238–39, and 6 February 1989 Official Report, column 512; and if these trends are planned to continue.

  Mr. Neubert
  The amount of flying activity in particular areas is influenced by several factors, some of which are unpredictable. These include the weather, the location of major exercises and the availability of range and other facilities. The aim is to spread low flying training as widely and evenly as possible throughout the entire country to ensure that, as far as is practicable, no area receives an undue share of the training.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire on 6 February 1988,Official Report, column 512, if he will now publish figures for low flying movements in, and complaints from southern Scotland, including those within low flying area 13, for each calendar year from 1979 to 1988.

  Mr. Neubert
  No, the major part of low flying area 13 falls within northern England.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-level flights were conducted over the United Kingdom by aircraft of the Federal German armed forces not normally based in the United Kingdom in(a) 1987 and (b)

  Mr. Neubert
  The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate effort. However, over 98 per cent. of low flying training in the United Kingdom is carried out by British military or United Kingdom based USAF aircraft, with under 2 per cent. being carried out by other NATO allies.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made with the Federal German authorities since September 1988 for the transfer of low flying by Federal German military aircraft to Britain.

  Mr. Neubert
  None.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had during 1988 with his Belgian counterpart, Monsieur Guy Coëme, on the subject of low flying.

  Mr. Neubert
  My right hon. Friend has had no such discussions.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements were reached on the reduction of 756
  low flying over West Germany during his discussions with his West German counterpart, Dr. Rupert Scholz, on 30 January.

  Mr. Neubert
  None. Discussions did, however, take place on ways in which it might be possible to ease the impact of low flying training on the population.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many low-flying sorties took place in 1988 and 1989 to date which originated or terminated at RAF Finningley;

  (2) how many low-flying sorties took place over the county of Yorkshire in 1988; how many have taken place in 1989 to date; and how many of these sorties originated or terminated their sorties from airfields in Yorkshire.

  Mr. Neubert
  Central records are not held in a form which would enable the information requested to be provided.

  Armoured Personnel Carriers (Vauxhall)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the reasons for two armoured personnel carriers or similar vehicles being at Vauxhall at 5.15 pm on Sunday 19 March.

  Mr. Neubert
  The vehicles referred to are from a TA unit based in London. The two APC's were returning to their unit lines in Westminster on return from weekend training.

  Tornado Sales
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) to what extent the cost of purchasing Saudi Arabian oil under Ministry of Defence sponsored arrangements are used in payment for Tornado aircraft by the Saudi Arabian Government;

  (2) to what extent costs to the Jordanian Government of Tornado aircraft in excess of that price being paid by the United Kingdom Government for Tornado are supported by official credit support facilities from the ECGD;

  (3) what arrangements are or will be maintained by the Ministry of Defence for programming payments to British Aerospace for the purchase of Tornado aircraft and other defence equipment by the Jordanian and or the Saudi Arabian Government.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It has never been the practice of this or previous governments to publish details of individual defence exports for reasons of commercial and customer confidentiality.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, following upon or during discussions representatives of Her Majesty's Government or Ministers have had on the sale of Tornado aircraft to Jordan or Saudi Arabia, he has received information as to the level of commission payments being paid in the supply of Tornado aircraft to those countries.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has been informed by the West German Government as to what extent commission payments to citizens of Saudi Arabia or Jordan have
  757
  influenced the decision by the West German Government not to provide more than 23 per cent. of official credit support towards the construction of Tornado and other defence equipment for supply to the Jordanian or Saudi Government.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work was undertaken by the Defence Export Services Organisation in support of the negotiations for the sale of Tornado and other aircraft to(a) Saudi Arabia and (b) Jordan.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The negotiation of Government-to-Government agreements in connection with the sale of defence equipment are undertaken by staff of the Defence Export Services Organisation. This practice was followed for the sale of Tornado and other aircraft to Saudi Arabia and the prospective sale of Tornado to Jordan.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he had with his West German and Italian counterparts relating to the sale of Tornado and other aircraft to(a) Saudi Arabia and (b) Jordan.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  As with any collaborative project my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has naturally had occasion to have discussions with collaborative partners; in the case of Tornado with the Federal Republic of Germany and Italy in connection with prospective sales to third parties.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what payments were made to cover the cost of negotiating the sale of Tornado and other aircraft to Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The only costs incurred by the Ministry of Defence in the negotiation of the sale of Tornado and other aircraft to Saudi Arabia and the prospective sale to Jordan were the salaries, travel and related costs of the MOD staff involved in the Government-to-Government negotiations.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total amount of expenditure incurred by the Defence Export Services Organisation in promoting the sale of Tornado aircraft and other defence equipment to middle eastern countries in(a) 1985, (b) 1986, (c) 1987 and (d)

  Mr. Sainsbury
  DESO costs are not apportioned to individual sales prospects. However, the annual costs of the regional marketing division responsible within DESO for the middle east are approximately £400,000.

  US Forces (Deployment)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what representations his Department has received from his United States counterpart, or any service or agency responsible thereto, regarding possible deployment of(a) European distribution system warehousing facilities or (b) aircraft from the United States Air Force 10th Military Airlift Squadron or similar unit at RAF Greenham Common;

  (2) what representations his Department has received from his United States counterpart, or any service or
  758
  agency responsible thereto, regarding possible redeploy-ment of warehousing or maintenance facilities from RAF Kemble to RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Neubert
  RAF Greenham Common has been designated as a NATO stand-by operating base for many years and we envisage that this role will continue after the cruise missiles have been withdrawn. No decisions have yet been taken on additional roles thereafter, though we anticipate that the base will remain available to the United States authorities for military use. It is not our practice to speculate on alternative future uses for military installations.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has received from his United States counterpart, or any service or agency responsible thereto, regarding possible deployment of United States Air Force C-130 aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  United States Air Force C-130 aircraft are stationed at RAF Mildenhall. These and other C-130 aircraft deploy to and from the United Kingdom routinely. The hon. Member may be referring to the forthcoming Air National Guard exercise Volant Golpher, which has recently been approved by the Ministry of Defence. This will take place between 4–17 June, when 9 C-130 aircraft of the 109th tactical airlift squadron will deploy to RAF Abingdon.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations his Department has received from his United States counterpart, or any service or agency responsible thereto, regarding possible deployment of United States Air Force RF-4Cs at RAF Alconbury.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Ministry of Defence has recently approved the planned deployment of 12 United States Air Force (USAF) RF-4C aircraft to RAF Alconbury during the period 8–11 April for exercise Coronet Hoop. This exercise is part of the annual programme of short term deployments designed to provide experience to USAF reservist aircrew of locations in which they might operate in time of war.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has about whether the maintenance facilities for RF-4Cs at RAF Alconbury were dismantled when the 10th tactical reconnaisance wing of the United States Air Force at RAF Alconbury ceased using these aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  I understand that the maintenance facilities at RAF Alconbury used to support the RAF-4CE. of the 10th tactical reconaissance wing were removed after the wing left the base in 1987.

  Military Lands
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will specify the dates that(a) the Lydd Camp and Lydd Range Byelaws 1988, (b) the RAF Edzell Byelaws 1988, (c) the RAF Welford Byelaws 1988 and (d) the RNAS Yeovilton and Merryfield Airfield Byelaws 1988 were (i) made and (ii) came into operation; and when the signs were placed around the affected areas stating that the byelaws were in force;

  (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the byelaws listed in the answers of 18 May 1988, Official

  759
  Report, column 509, 29 July 1988, Official Report, column 577–8 and 3 March 1989, Official Report, column 358, together with any other byelaws not listed in these answers in force on 1 March 1989.

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

  RAF Sculthorpe (Air Traffic Zone)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the military air traffic zone around RAF Sculthorpe is to be activated later in the current year.

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

  USAF Vehicles (Salisbury Plain)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why United States air force vehicles, based at RAF Greenham Common, in transit to Salisbury plain in the early hours of the morning of 14 March in the current year were carrying neither a registration number nor a distinctive nationality mark, as required by article V of the NATO status of forces agreement 1951.

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

  Visiting Forces (Markings)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he proposes to take to ensure that all vehicles belonging to visiting forces and civilian components thereof that are stationed in the United Kingdom, including those of the United States, are carrying(a) a registration number and (b) a distinctive nationality mark, as required by article V of the NATO status of forces agreement 1951.

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

  Peace Symbols
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each of the last five years any recorded incidents in which symbols of peace displayed by members of the public have caused harassment, alarm or distress to members of the armed forces, including members of visiting forces.

  Mr. Neubert
  There have been numerous incidents over the last five years in which symbols of peace have been displayed by members of the public. I am not aware of any records as to whether they caused harassment, alarm or distress to members of the United Kingdom armed forces or members of visiting forces. If the hon. Member has any particular incident in mind, I should be happy to investigate.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will seek powers to exempt RAF personnel who are posted, without families, to Scotland for less than six months from paying the community charge.

  Mr. Neubert
  I do not anticipate that married service personnel serving unaccompanied in Scotland for periods of less than six months, while retaining a family home elsewhere, will be regarded as having their sole or main residence in Scotland. They will therefore not be liable to pay the personal community charge there.

  Small Arms (Price)
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the current purchase costs of the following(a) one infantry pistol automatic L9A1 with one 13-round magazine, (b) one 7·65 mm pistol automatic Walther type PP Z447E1 and one 8-round magazine, (c) one 5·56 mm M16 rifle and 30-round magazine, and (d) one 7·62 mm L3 0A1 rifle and 10-round magazine.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is no longer our practice to publish unit production costs.

  Aldermaston and Burghfield (Audit)
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, pursuant to his reply of 16 February,Official Report, column 335, any information on the status at that time of the four major projects under review was provided by the BNFL team carrying out the programme audit at Aldermaston and Burghfield (a) in the course of the eight meetings between the team and his officials and (b) at any time in the month of January 1986.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Barracks (Security)
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times in the last 10 years security has been tested and evaluated at(a) Tern Hill barracks, (b) Aldershot barracks, (c) Colerne barracks, (d) Driffield barracks and (e) Leconfield barracks.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Perimeter Fencing
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual capital expenditure on perimeter fencing at all Ministry of Defence establish-ments in England, Wales and Scotland for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Neubert
  I have nothing to add to the answer that my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces gave the hon. Member on 23 February at column 760.

  Private Security Guards
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the number of private security guards employed at Ministry of Defence establishments, in each year between 1979–80 and 1985–86, inclusive.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No figures are available for the years 1979 to 1985–86. I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall) on 1 March at column 222 for the figures for later years.

  MOD Police
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the strength of the Ministry of Defence police in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Over the last 10 years the strength of the Ministry of Defence police was as follows:
  761

  Numbers

  October 1979

  4,121

  October 1980

  4,221

  October 1981

  4,080

  October 1982

  3,958

  October 1983

  3,836

  October 1984

  4,003

  October 1985

  4,255

  October 1986

  4,681

  December 19871

  4,841

  December 1988

  4,706

  1 Strengths are taken from the chief constable's annual reports, which from 1987 relate to calendar years.

  The figures shown include manpower provided to repayment users but exclude civilians employed in support of the Ministry of Defence police.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual expenditure on pay and pensions for the Ministry of Defence police for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Details are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the annual expenditure on training for the Ministry of Defence police for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Details are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mines (Price)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the current purchase costs of the following(a) one M 18A1 (Claymor) anti-personnel mine, (b) one padmine (containing 650 steel projectiles) and (c) one C3A1 non-metallic anti-personnel mine (Elsie).

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is no longer our practice to publish unit production costs.

  ELF Transmitter (Glengarry Forest)
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 March,Official Report, columns 376–37, if he will undertake to place a copy of the notice of proposed development relating to the proposed trial ELF transmitter at Glengarry forest, in the Library as soon as possible after its submission to the Highland regional council.

  Mr. Neubert
  Yes.

ENERGY

  Wave Power
  Mr. Rost
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what support for research and development on wave power is currently under way; and if he has any further proposals under consideration.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  A major element of the Department of Energy's present programme of research and development into small scale wave energy is the development of the shoreline rock gully device invented by Queen's university, Belfast. Over the last two years the Department has funded research and the construction of 762
  an experimental prototype on the island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland. Early test results of the power performance of the device have been encouraging and the next phase of the project will now proceed, subject to contract, on the basis of the data acquired so far.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the annual cost(a) in cash and (b) 1989 pounds sterling of radioactive waste management and disposal for each of the magnox, advanced gas cooled reactor, fast reactor, steam generating heavy water reactor programmes, respectively; and how these costs have been factored into nuclear electricity prices.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The fast reactor at Dounreay and the SGHWR at Winfrith are experimental reactors operated by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. The prices paid by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the Central Electricity Generating Board for electricity produced by these reactors are the result of commercial negotiations and reflect the cost to the boards of other supplies rather than the costs of generation. I have asked the chairman of the CEGB to reply to the hon. Member in respect of the board's Magnox and AGR stations.

  Nuclear Materials (Export)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if export licences were issued under article 2(i) of the Nuclear Installations Act in relation to the export of nuclear materials to Baltimore via Hampton Rhodes, United States of America, from Barrow on the PNTL ship Pacific Sandpiper on 21 February;

  (2) if the nuclear materials exported from Barrow on 21 February on the PNTL ship Pacific Sandpiper destined for Hampton Rhodes in Virginia, United States of America, were covered by bilateral or international safeguards.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The nuclear material exported from Barrow on 21 February 1989 on the PNTL vessel Pacific Sandpiper consisted entirely of irradiated fuel elements. These were all subject to international safeguards. An export licence was issued, but the material fell outside the categories for which approval for disposal is required under section 2(i) of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.

  Civil Plutonium
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to permit publication in the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority journal, Atom, the specific quantities of civil plutonium exported for commercial use under international safeguards, listing utility, date of contract and date of export for all future such exports.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Civil plutonium export data is already published in the Department's annual civil plutonium figures press release.

  Fissile Materials (Export)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list for each year since 1979 the number of requests
  763
  for approval that his Department has received for the export of fissile materials; and if he will further list the consignor and consignee in each case, along with the amount of material permitted in each case.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  It has been the standard practice of successive Governments not to make public the details of export licence applications for the various categories of goods controlled.

  Coal Industry (Productivity)
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what figures he has for the growth in productivity in the coal industry for each of the last three years; and if he will publish the figures for other European coal producing nations.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Productivity, in terms of kilograms per manhour in the coal-producing nations of the European Community over the latest three calendar years for which figures are available, was as follows:

  1985

  1986

  1987

  United Kingdom

  408

  512

  577

  Germany

  593

  602

  616

  France

  392

  427

  503

  Spain

  249

  286

  284

  Belgium

  314

  321

  316

  Nuclear Installations
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last considered the timing and content of the nuclear installations inspectorate's plans to publish regulations on off-site emergency planning for the civil nuclear power industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I am awaiting proposals from the Health and Safety Commission on this matter.

  British Coal
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Coal; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I meet the chairman of British Coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

  Ofgas
  Sir Neil Macfarlane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the level of funding for Ofgas in 1988 and 1989; what are the staffing levels in 1988 and 1989; how many staff have been seconded from his Department; whether Ofgas intend to move to new premises; and if he will make a statement about Ofgas's budget for 1990.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  There are at present 12 staff on secondment from the Department of Energy to Ofgas.

  Ofgas' expenditure, budget, staffing and premises are matters for the Director General of Gas Supply.

  Nuclear Power
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the proportion of electricity which will be generated by nuclear power in Britain in the year 2000.
  764
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 11 May 1988 at column 112.

  Coal (Subsidy)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the average level of Government subsidy per tonne of deep-mined coal each year since 1985 in each European Economic Community country and in the United States of America.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Information requested is as follows. It has been obtained from European Commission publications. The United States of America does not provide financial support to its coal industry.

  £/tonne1 2

  1985

  1986

  19875

  Belgium

  22·0

  35·6

  58·1

  France

  37·6

  46·4

  49·6

  FR Germany

  6·0

  24·2

  58·1

  Portugal4

  —

  —

  6·9

  Spain4

  —

  —

  12·0

  United Kingdom3

  50

  8·1

  6·6

  The Belgium and French coal industries are much smaller than those of FR Germany and the United Kingdom and are currently undergoing substantial contraction which distorts the aid figures. The figures for FR Germany in 1986 and 1987 also include Government aid for supplying coal and coke to its steel industry at world market prices.

  1 It is not possible to make absolute comparisons between the figures from different Member State as the statistical basis may vary.

  2 Figures for all countries represent aid for current production and inherited liabilities only. They do not include social security payments such as pension schemes and insurance contributions since these are not readily comparable.

  3 United Kingdom figures are on a financial year basis for 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88. The others are in calendar years.

  4 Portuguese and Spanish data are not available prior to 1987.

  5 1987 data are the latest published. 1988 figures are not yet available.

HEALTH

  Social Workers (Training)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Central Council for Education and Training of Social Workers has provided additional curriculum advice on mental health matters to courses for social workers.

  Mr. Mellor
  In January 1987, the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW) published its regulations and guidance for the training of social workers to be considered for approval in England and Wales under the Mental Health Act 1983. In December 1987, it produced a report which referred to training issues. Since then, the Council has had a programme of approving training courses for approved social workers in local authorities. To date, some 90 per cent. of local authorities have, in many instances and in
  765
  conjunction with other local authorities, produced a programme of CCETSW approved training for approved social workers. CCETSW is itself shortly to produce an evaluative report on the training provided by these courses, which will include guidance on training matters.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners earn more than £55,000 per annum in England and Wales.

  Mr. Mellor
  The remuneration arrangements for general medical practitioners are conducted on a GB basis and are designed to deliver fees and allowances on an average basis together with some expenses which are reimbursed directly to doctors incurring them. We do not have information centrally in the form requested.

  Coronary Heart Disease
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the most recent figures for the cost to the National Health Service of coronary heart disease including(a) the cost of general practitioner prescriptions, (b) the cost of surgery and (c) the cost of hospital beds.

  Mr. Freeman
  Cost estimates are not available in the exact form requested. However, the following may be of interest:

  (a) The net ingredient cost of pharmaceutical products having an effect on the cardiovascular system, and diuretics, dispensed by retail pharmacists in the Family Practitioner Service in England in 1987 was £360 million.

  (b) Information on the cost of hospital beds is not collected separately from treatment costs. It is estimated that the total cost of hospital in-patient treatment related to coronary heart disease in England a year is £175·5 milion. (1987–88 prices).

  Family Practitioner Committees
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislation to end restrictive practices imposed by family practitioner committees in respect of the use by patients of pharmacies of dispensing doctors.

  Mr. Mellor
  Dispensing by doctors is permitted only as an exception to the general rule that doctors prescribe and pharmacists dispense. This is a sensible rule which ensures that the skills and qualifications of both professions are used to the best effect. I have no plans to change it.

  Schemes

  Regional Health Authorities

  North Western

  Mersey

  Trent

  Yorkshire

  Northern

  East Anglian

  North west Thames

  North-East Thames

  South-East Thames

  South-West Thames

  Wessex

  Oxford

  South Western

  West Midlands

  Completed since 1979

  42

  21

  37

  19

  18

  22

  30

  17

  25

  24

  17

  16

  23

  38

  Under construction

  14

  2

  11

  11

  11

  2

  15

  11

  6

  10

  12

  15

  12

  10

  At planning and design stage

  46

  2

  51

  28

  17

  24

  10

  27

  15

  23

  12

  9

  18

  50

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give within the Trent regional health authority the total number of qualified members of(a) the medical and (b) the scientific staff of his Department dealing with

  Drugs
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the net ingredient cost of drugs per head for each family practitioner committee area and health region for 1986–87 and 1987–88; and if he will give the 1986–87 cost in terms of 1987–88 prices for each area and region.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the national average net ingredient cost of drugs per head for 1986–87 and 1987–88, what is the 1986–87 cost in 1987–88 prices; and what is the percentage variance cost per head of each family practitioner committee area and health service region for the national average.

  Mr. Mellor
  The average net ingredient cost per person for 1986–87 is £31·68 for 1986–87 at 1987–88 prices is £33·36 and for 1987–88 is £35·79. A table showing the percentage variation from the England average has been placed in the Library.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in waiting list lengths in(a) the North West regional health authority and (b) the Mersey regional health authority since 1979.

  Mr. Mellor
  The information is given in the table.

  In-patient waiting lists, Mersey and North Western regional health authorities, 1979 and 1988

  Mersey

  North Western

  Waiting list 31 March 1979

  41,103

  77,368

  Waiting list1 30 September 1988

  32,121

  63,839

  Change

  -8,982

  -13,529

  Percentage change

  -22

  -17

  1 Excludes self deferred cases.

  Hospital Building Schemes
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital building schemes in(a) the North West regional health authority and (b) the Mersey regional health authority have (i) been completed since 1979 and (ii) are under construction or at the planning and design stage; and what are the comparable figures for the other health regions.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information held centrally on schemes each costing over El million is as follows:

  matters related to contamination of drinking water by (i) micro-organisms, (ii) chemicals and (iii) radiation; and where these staff are located within the Trent regional health authority.

  Mr. Mellor
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has primary responsibility for the
  767
  public water supply. The Department of Health does not employ any staff to deal specifically with contamination of drinking water.

  Vaccinations
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under the age of one year were vaccinated in 1988; and what percentage this was of the age group.

  Mr. Mellor
  The available information is not precisely in the form requested. The one year uptake rate of each vaccination is calculated as the number of children who were vaccinated by the end of the year following birth. The latest figures are shown in the table and relate to children born in 1986. Because of the change to collecting data on a financial year basis, the one year uptake rate for this particular cohort of children is calculated as the number of children born in 1986 and vaccinated in either 1986, 1987 or the first quarter of 1988, expressed as a percentage of live births in 1986.

  Vaccination and immunisation: completed primary courses

  Live births 1986

  Vaccinated in 1986 or 1987–88 (numbers)

  Percentage vaccinated by 31 March 1988

  623,609

  —

  —

  Diphtheria

  —

  487,372

  78

  Tetanus

  —

  487,493

  78

  Polio

  —

  484,771

  78

  Whooping Cough

  —

  419,523

  67

  Measles

  —

  401,414

  64

  Environmental Health Officers
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many environmental health officers are employed by his Department; and what are their duties.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department employs three environmental health officers. They advise on and deal with a range of functions related to the work of environmental health officers. Their work is concerned with food hygiene and certain aspects of environmental health.

  Sex Change Operations
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the district health authorities in England and Wales(a) which fund sex change operations and (b) which do not fund such operations;

  (2) how many sex change operations were carried out in each district health authority in 1988.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not available centrally. The number of such operations carried out is so small that no reliable estimates can be made from normal statistical returns. It is, however, unlikely that the number of operations performed in England exceeds 100 a year.

  PACT Information
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how long PACT information has been available to all general practitioners.
  768
  Mr. Mellor
  The new prescribing information system known as "PACT" was introduced in stages beginning in August 1988 and is now generally available to GPs.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the capitation payments to general practitioners in rural areas will continue for temporary residents.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have no plans to make alterations to arrangements for the payment of temporary residents fees to any GPs, except where such alterations are consequent upon the proposals I am putting to the profession's representatives and which are set out in "General Practice in the NHS—A New Contract". For example, I am proposing to extend the period during which a night visit fee may be claimed in respect of permanent patients and consequently in respect of temporary residents.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will be in a position to provide a figure for the substantial extra resources to be devoted to the family practitioner service in relation to any new general practitioner contract.

  Mr. Mellor
  General practitioners' remuneration is determined by the Government acting on advice from the doctors and dentists review body. As part of their evidence to the review body later this year, the Government will consider what additional resources they believe appropriate.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest average income of a general practitioner principal net of all practice expenses.

  Mr. Mellor
  The current intended average net income for general medical practitioners is £28,800 per annum. The Government have accepted the recommendation in the nineteenth report of the doctors and dentists review body that this should be increased to £31,105 per annum from 1 April 1989.

  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether general practitioners who hold practice budgets will be able to create a surplus by sending patients to hospital accident and emergency services.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I expect health authorities to satisfy themselves that referral to A and E Departments is not being used as a substitute for out-patient referral and they will continue to do so in future in the case of all GPs whether practice budget holders or not. I do not expect that GP's would use such a device because of their professional integrity and because such a procedure would cause annoyance to their hospital colleagues and inconvenience and bewilderment to their patients.

  Teenage Pregnancies
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born to mothers aged 16 and 17 years for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  The latest year for which information is available is 1987. The number of births in England and Wales were:
  769

  Age of mother

  Live births

  Stillbirths

  16

  4,398

  31

  17

  10,484

  50

  Stroke Victims
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the number of stroke victims in the United Kingdom as a ratio of the population; how many such victims suffer serious or severe disability; and what assistance is available to them.

  Mr. Freeman
  Centrally collected statistics do not include total numbers of those suffering from "strokes" (acute cerebrovascular disease). However, it is believed that the total number in England and Wales is about 100,000 pa, about 1 in 500 of the population. In broad terms, one third of those who have strokes will suffer disability. After treatment for the acute condition, a range of hospital services is available to stroke victims, including rehabilitation, speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

  Newchurch Hospital, Culcheth
  Mr Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the future of Newchurch hospital, Culcheth, Warrington; and if there are any plans to close it.

  Mr. Freeman
  Newchurch hospital is in the process of retraction as patients are gradually transferred to care in the community schemes. As the numbers of patients reduces consideration will have to be given to the best way of caring for those remaining. We are not, however, aware of any plans to close Newchurch hospital.

  Self-Governing Hospitals
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what impact he estimates his White Paper proposals will make on the quality of medical education in self-governing hospitals.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  We are still considering the detailed arrangements for providing and funding medical education in self-governing hospitals but we shall ensure that hospitals which become self-governing continue to play their part in maintaining the high quality of this education.

  Hospital Computer Systems
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the cost: of setting up hospital computer systems will be funded.

  Mr. Freeman
  In general, the responsibility for deciding how much to spend on hospital computer systems rests with NHS managers. However, hospitals receiving computer based information systems as part of the hospital information and support systems and resource management programmes in 1989–90 will have a substantial part of the cost of those systems met centrally.

  Family Practitioner Committees
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will announce the names of chairmen appointed to family practitioner committees from 1 April.
  770
  Mr. Mellor
  I am placing in the Library a list of the appointments made with effect from 1 April 1989. All appointments are for a period of two years.

  Advisory Committees
  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
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 March 1989, columns 159–60]: I regret that in the list of the Department's advisory committees whose members are subject to the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, an advisory committee on ethics of gene modification therapy in humans was included in error; the Department is still considering whether to establish such a committee.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the membership of the committee on the microbiological safety of food.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  As I announced in the House on 21 February the chairman of the committee is Professor Sir Mark Richmond, vice chancellor of Manchester university. The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I have decided to invite the following to be members:

  Dr. Spence Galbraith, former director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.

  Professor John Arbuthnott, professor of microbiology, Nottingham University.

  Dr. Tony Baird-Parker, microbiologist, Unilever Research Laboratories.

  Mr. "Mac" Johnson, senior lecturer, Royal Veterinary College.

  Mr. John Moffitt, farmer.

  Dr. Roy Spencer, director scientific services, Sainsbury plc. Professor George Glew, professor of catering studies, Huddersfield Polytechnic.

  Professor John Norris, director of research, Cadbury-Schweppes, plc.

  Mr. Brian Denyer, chief environmental health officer, City of Westminster.

  Mrs. Rachel Waterhouse CBE, chairman, Consumers Association.

  Mr. David Clark, food technology manager, Trusthouse Forte plc.

  The Committee will be holding its first meeting shortly.

  Vaccine Damage
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to announce a decision on the request made by the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South for a judical inquiry into whooping cough vaccination and brain damage.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I regret that I am not yet in a position to consider this request because of other current litigation on this matter. I have written to the right hon. Member explaining the reason in more detail.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis there has been of the vaccine damage payment cases which would indicate the incidence per hundred thousand vaccinations of damage such as to cause a payment.
  771
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to repy. During the five years 1983 to 1988, the number of vaccine damage awards made averaged 17 per year, and many of these related to vaccinations performed in earlier years. Almost all of the awards were on account of vaccinations performed under the childhood vaccination programme.

  I understand from the Department of Health that over the same period, an average of around 500,000 children per year have completed the primary courses of vaccination against each of diptheria, tetanus and polio, and 420,000 againts whooping cough; 440,000 have been vaccinated against measles and 300,000 against rubella. Since the primary course for diptheria, tetanus, polio and whooping cough is three doses, this means that around 7 million doses of vaccine are administered to children each year in the primary vaccination programme. A further 2·5 million reinforcing doses are also administered.

  The incidence of vaccine damage such as to cause an award to be made is therefore less than 2 per million doses of vaccine administered.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vaccine damage payments were made in 1988; and if he will categorise these according to the age of the child, when the vaccination took place, the year of the vaccination and the nature of the vaccination.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  Four payments were awarded in 1988 under the provision of the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979. Details are in the table.

  Vaccine damage Payments scheme Awards made in 1988 by age of child at date of vaccination Year of vaccination and type of vaccination

  Age at date of vaccination (months)

  Year vaccination was given

  Type of vaccination cited of claim form

  1. 3–6

  1959

  Triple/polio

  2. 3–6

  1986

  Polio

  3. 6–9

  1972

  Pertussis

  4. 6–9

  1980

  Pertussis

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the application form for a vaccine damage payment asks for(a) the date of vaccination alleged to have caused the damage, (b) the type of vaccination and (c) the age of the person when the vaccination took place.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The vaccine damage payment claim form asks for the date of vaccination, the type of vaccination received and the date of birth of the vaccinated person. From this information, the age of the vaccinated person when the vaccination took place can be determined.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many claims for vaccine damage payments have been made in each year since the scheme began; and what proportion in each year resulted in a payment.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information requested is not available. The information which is available is in the table.
  772

  Vaccine damage payments scheme Claims received and awards made in each year since the scheme began

  Year

  Claims received

  Awards made1

  19782

  1,988

  —

  1979

  551

  349

  1980

  131

  255

  1981

  72

  74

  1982

  89

  43

  1983

  93

  42

  1984

  156

  29

  1985

  76

  26

  1986

  78

  15

  1987

  66

  10

  1988

  39

  4

  19893

  9

  —

  1 Awards recorded for a particular year may be the outcome of claims made in earlier years. To analyse for each year's claims the number that were eventually successful would be disproportionately costly.

  2 Although the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 took effect from 22 March 1979, claims were invited when the scheme was announced in 1978.

  3 To 28 February 1989.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if there has been any change in his departmental policy regarding the payment of vaccine damage payments following the case of Loveday v. Renton.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  There has been no change in our policy of making a vaccine damage payment in every case where the qualifying criteria are satisfied. Whether these criteria are satisfied where pertussis vaccine is involved remains a matter for decision in each individual case.

ENVIRONMENT

  Rural Villages (Sewerage System)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the rural villages within the Don Valley constituency that are not connected to a main sewerage supply system; what proposals he has made to ensure that these villages are connected to such a system before the water industry is privatised; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I understand that the following villages in the hon. Member's constituency are not connected to the public sewerage system: Hooton Pagnell (part), Hampoles, Skelbrooke, Brodsworth, Pickburn, Moorhouses, Marr (part), Stainton (part) and Tickhill.

  Responsibility for sewerage services rests with the Yorkshire and Severn-Trent water authorities. It would be for them to provide main sewerage for the villages if they considered this necessary for effectually draining their areas.

  The Water Bill provides for the general duty of sewerage undertakers to be spelt out in more detail and for the re-enactment with improvements of the provisions under which local authorities and others can requisition public sewers. Grants under the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Acts will continue to be available.

  Fluoridation
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what other countries in the European Community fluoridate their public drinking water.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Fluoridation of public water supplies is permissible in a number of European Community countries and is mandatory in Ireland. It is carried out in the United Kingdom, Spain and Ireland.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who will monitor the safety of fluoride levels in the public drinking water after privatisation.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Water undertakers will continue to monitor fluoride levels in drinking water. The drinking water inspectorate to be established under the Water Bill will ensure that water undertakers are monitoring water quality consistently and satisfactorily and are complying with the standards set down in regulations made under the Bill. Where fluoride is added to the supply at the request of health authorities, the health authorities will continue to liaise with water undertakers to ensure compliance with the terms of the agreement between them.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities which have indicated to water authorities opposition to the proposals to fluoridate the public drinking water in their area.

  Mr. Moynihan
  This information is not held by the Department.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which water authorities have reduced the fluoridation of their water supplies since the Water Fluoridation Act 1985.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Severn Trent water authority has stopped fluoridating water supplies in the South Derbyshire area because of technical difficulties in the operation of its plants.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which water authorities have firm proposals to fluoridate their water; and what proportion of the total population will be served as a result.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I am not aware of any water authorities which currently have firm proposals to fluoridate their water.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which water authorities are currently fluoridating their drinking water supplies; and what proportion of the population now drinks fluoridated water.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The water authorities that are currently fluoridating one or more of their drinking water supplies are: Northumbrian, North West, Yorkshire, Severn Trent, Anglian, Thames and Welsh. Approximately 10 per cent. of the population of England and Wales receives fluoridated water. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has supplied information in respect of the Welsh Water Authority.

  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the results of the Water Fluoridation Act 1985.
  774
  Mr. Moynihan
  The Water Fluoridation Act 1985 is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health. My Department has made no assessment of the results of the Act.

  Housing Co-operatives
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the result of his Department's review of policy on housing co-operatives; when part IV of the Housing Act 1988 will come fully into force; and when section 124 of the Housing Act 1988 will come into force.

  Mr. Trippier
  I expect to receive the report of the housing co-operative review committee shortly. Part IV of the Housing Act 1988 will come fully into force on 5 April 1989. Section 124 of the Housing Act 1988 came into force on 10 March 1989, and I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes) on 10 March at column 699.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the benefits to the United Kingdom of the import of hazardous and toxic wastes for processing or disposal.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The import of difficult wastes for specialist treatment and safe disposal provides employment and helps our balance of payments. Such imports often also result in a global environmental advantage, for example if there is no suitable treatment facility in the country where the waste originates.

  Departmental Estates (VAT)
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the additional cost to be borne by each Department of state in respect of unrecovered value added tax on rents paid by its commercial or industrial estate (a) from 1 August 1989 to 4 April 1990 and (b) for the fiscal year 1991–92.

  Mr. Chope
  Landlords have not yet decided whether or not to exercise their option to tax rents, so it is therefore impossible to offer meaningful estimates of any additional costs which might be borne by Departments.

  Water Charges
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what communications he has had with the chairman of the Yorkshire water authority about the increase in its charges to consumers which come into effect from the 1 April and about the derogations of legislation regarding sewage; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  None.

  Common Land
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will bring forward legislation to safeguard common land on the basis of the proposal of the common land forum.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 8 March, at column 523.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the water supplies in England and Wales that are in breach of the EEC directive on water quality in respect of safety limits on lead in drinking water; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  No water leaving water mains in England breaches the EC directives standard for lead. However, certain types of water can dissolve lead from lead service pipes and plumbing in properties. In areas where such water is supplied water undertakers investigate whether additional water treatment would reduce lead levels significantly. In most of these areas action has already been successfully taken, but in the following areas action is still being investigated:

  Water Authority

  Area

  Anglian Water Authority

  Eriswell

  Yorkshire Water Authority

  Haisthorpe East Hull

  North West Water Authority

  Swinden Crosby Parts of Greater Manchester and Lancashire (served by Lake District supplies)

  Longridge and Ribchester (served by Dilworth source) Preston (served by White Bull Treatment Works)

  Parts of Blackpool and Wyre (Barnacre source)

  Blackburn, parts of Blackpool and Flyde (fed from H odder Treatment Works)

  Rainhill (Vyrnwy source)

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number and location of breaches in the precautionary standard for pesticides in drinking water in 1988 for each division in supplies provided by the Severn-Trent water authority; and if he will list by location how much these breaches exceeded the standard laid down.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I am informed that during the period December 1987 to November 1988 there were breaches of standard of 0.1 microgram per litre for pesticides, specified in the EC drinking water directive, in water supplies leaving the following treatment works of the Severn Trent water authority: Barbourne, Mitcheldean, Mythe, Witcombe, Campion, Strensham, Rugby, Melbourne, Hallgates, Nanpanton, Wing, Church Wilne, Whitacre, Trimpley, Costford, Bomere, Ford, Meolfre, Astley, Norton, Elkesley, Far Baulker, Farnsfield and Fishpool. I understand that Witcombe is now not used for public supply and that breaches of the standard at Bomere, Ford, Moelfre, Astley, Norton, Elkesley, Far Baulker, Farnsfield and Fishpool were transient and that most samples from these works complied with the directive.
  776
  The levels of pesticides in these supplies were below those which would be considered a risk to health.

  Seal Skins
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will investigate the illegal import of blueback or whitecoat skins which have been illegally imported into the United Kingdom in contravention of EEC directive 85/444.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 6 March 1989 at column 426.

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure maintenance of standards after the change to a system of self regulation of air pollution in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no plans to change to a system of self-regulation of air pollution in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure conformity to EEC guidelines on air pollution, within the proposed restructuring of the air inspectorate.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Regulations have been laid which come into force on 31 March and will give formal effect to the air quality standards set in three EC directives.

  The present restructuring proposals for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will have no adverse effect upon the ability of the United Kingdom to conform with these or any other EC requirements concerning air pollution.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether any agreement has been reached within Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to guarantee employment conditions during restructuring of the air pollution inspectorate;

  (2) if he will give a breakdown of the geographical and industrial remits proposed for Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution air inspectorate.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Proposals are being developed for the reorganisation of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in order to integrate its responsibilities for air pollution control, radioactive substances, water pollution and other wastes on a regionalised basis related to industry groupings. Three regions are proposed to cover the north, south west and south east and it is proposed to retain the existing air district offices as outstations. Consultations are continuing with staff representatives on the management implications of the proposals.

  Repossessions
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total number of private dwelling repossessions for the second half of 1988; what was the comparable figure for 1987; and if he will make a statement.
  777
  Mr. Trippier
  The information asked for is given in the table. I draw the attention of the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle) on 10 March at column 698.

  Number of properties taken into possession by building societies

  Number

  Second half 1988

  6,380

  Second half 1987

  11,230

  Number of propeties taken into possession by local authorities

  Number

  1987–88

  330

  1986–87

  490

  Global Environmental Declaration
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the global environmental declaration made by 24 Governments at the Hague conference on 11 March.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are considering the declaration of 11 March.

  Radon
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy,Official Report, 9 February, column 769, on the former Medical Research Council radon source radioactive wastes at Barton-leClay, Bedfordshire, he has yet received confirmation sought of the Medical Research Council that no radioactive residues remain at the Barton-le-Clay caves.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Yes.

  Barium Sulphate Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy,Official Report, 8 March, column 524, on radioactive barium sulphate waste at Amersham, when he expects the site effluent treatment plant to be decommissioned.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Amersham International plc intend to start decommissioning the existing site effluent treatment plant at Amersham in 1992.

  Hinkley C (Inquiry)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made any evaluation of the evidence presented to the Hinkley C nuclear inquiry by the Irish Sea Project and Ms. Penelope Boyce on radioactive liquid waste discharges from United Kingdom nuclear plants.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has considered those parts of the evidence submitted to the inquiry by the Irish sea project and Ms. Penelope Boyle that are relevant to the Department's interests.

  Home Improvement Grants
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of applications for 778
  home improvement grants and the number accepted for each year since 1979 by metropolitan districts in the north-west of England at constant prices.

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

  Fee Competition
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department now uses fee competition in seeking tenders for professional services from the private sector.

  Mr. Ridley
  The Property Services Agency, which is part of my Department, has operated fee competition arrangements for professional services on major works projects since July 1984. Fee bids are now sought for all projects of £1 million value and over. The introduction of these arrangements has resulted in substantial initial fee savings.

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

  Mr. Ridley
  My Department consults widely on its work and decisions including the issue of over 40 consultation papers in 1988.

  Wildlife Poisoning
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each of the last five years the number of cases of wildlife poisoning in England caused by the illegal use of pesticides or poisons; and if he will identify the species involved; and if possible the poison or pesticide involved.

  Mr. Ryder
  I have been asked to reply.

  Incidents involving the poisoning of wild birds and mammals by pesticides are investigated through my Department's Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme. The number of incidents (and the chemicals involved) in England, during the period 1984–88, in which the deaths of wild birds and mammals were attributed to the deliberate abuse of agricultural pesticides are listed in Table one.

  However, it should be noted that it is not always possible to determine whether incidents were due to accidental misuse of deliberate abuse.

  The species involved in these incidents were:
  Mallard, Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Kestrel, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Moorhen, Wood Pigeon, Stock Dove, Feral Pigeon, Turtle Dove, Barn Owl, Tawny Owl, Little Owl, Raven, Carrion Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay, Blackbird, Robin, Starling, House Sparrow, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Yellow Bunting.
  Fox, Badger, Hedgehog.

  Table one

  Pesticide

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  19881

  Mevinphos

  12

  12

  20

  10

  10

  Alphachloralose

  18

  11

  18

  12

  13

  Strychnine

  4

  4

  3

  3

  4

  Endrin

  4

  2

  0

  1

  0

  Rodenticides

  2

  0

  4

  2

  7

  Aldrin

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Demeton-S-methyl

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  779

  Pesticide

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  19881

  Triazophos

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  Total

  41

  30

  43

  27

  33

  1 Data provisional as some incidents still being investigated.

  Housing Transfers
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many approvals he has given to date for the transfer of local authority housing stock to another landlord under the tenants' choice provisions of the Housing Act 1988; and if he will list the local authority areas where such approvals have been given.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Barnsley, East (Mr. Patchett) on 22 March 1989.

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 15 February,Official Report, column 280, which of the consultants' reports on the proposed housing action trust areas he has received to date; and when he intends to publish them and announce his conclusions.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on 16 March 1989 at column 322.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 15 February,Official Report, column 280, what is the total aggregate cost of the consultants' reports commissioned by his Department on the six areas proposed for housing action trusts.

  Mr. Trippier
  The final costs of the reports will not be known until all the contractors' claims have been submitted to the Department. We expect the total cost to be about £900,000 including VAT. This covers the cost of producing copies of reports for local councils, tenants associations and local libraries.

  No. 1, Poultry
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to preserve No. 1, Poultry, City of London, in its present form.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No. 1 Poultry and associated buildings are currently the subject of listed buildings and planning appeals, which are before my right hon. Friend for decision.

  In the circumstances, it would be inappropriate for any comment to be made at this stage.

  Local Labour Clauses
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now reconsider his rejection of the use of local labour clauses in the light of the European Court of Justice's ruling in the case 31/87 Beentyes v. State of Netherlands; and if he will make a statement.
  780
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Discussions are currently taking place in Brussels on the issues raised by the European Court of Justice's judgment in the Beentyes case. The European Commission has expressed the preliminary view that contract clauses requiring a contractor to employ a given number or percentage of persons resident in the area in question appear to be discriminatory and contrary to the treaty of Rome. At this stage, the Government do not see any reason to alter their policy on the use of local labour clauses.

  Cabinet War Rooms
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the future of the Cabinet war rooms.

  Mr. Chope
  Since 1948 the Department has maintained the more important of the Cabinet war rooms as they were used during the war, in accordance with an undertaking given at that time by the then Minister for Works. In 1984 the rooms were opened to the public generally and the trustees of the Imperial War museum agreed to manage them as a museum under a short term agreement on behalf of the Department.

  The initial five year term of this management agreement is now approaching its end and officials of the Department and others concerned were asked to review, in consultation with the Imperial War museum, the future arrangements for managing the Cabinet war rooms.

  On the basis of their report, the Government have concluded that it would be inconsistent with the future commercial development of the Property Services Agency which I announced last May at column 333 for it to retain a direct responsibility for managing the rooms. Furthermore, we feel that my predecessor's commitment as to the preservation of this important historic site will be best discharged by giving full responsibility to those professionally concerned with museum management.

  The Government are therefore pleased to accept an offer from the trustees of the Imperial War museum to take on direct responsibility for the Cabinet war rooms and for honouring the commitment given in 1948. A number of the artefacts currently displayed in the rooms are from the museum's collection or are on loan from the Churchill family. We are now transferring ownership of all the rooms' other contents, including all documents, photographs equipment and furniture as well as all fixtures and fittings, to the trustees of the Imperial War museum. The rooms themselves form part of a Government office building and will be leased to the trustees of the Imperial War museum on an agreed basis from 1 April 1989.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department will make constituency or local authority assessments of the number of losers and gainers under the poll tax.

  Mr. Gummer
  No.

  As I said in my answer to the hon. Member on 16 March, the Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax. We cannot estimate the numbers of gainers and losers in each local authority or constituency as a result of the introduction of the community charge.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the
  781
  deductions to be made under a community charge attachment of earnings order for (a) weekly earnings, (b) monthly earnings and (c) daily earnings.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 13 March 1989]: Tables showing the deductions to be made under attachment of earnings orders are contained in schedule 4 to the Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No. 438) which were laid before the House on 17 March.

  Private Landlords
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the percentage of the housing stock let by private landlords for each year since 1979;

  (2) what is his estimate of the percentage of the housing stock which is likely to be let by private landlords during 1989, 1990 and 1991.

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

  Director General of Water Services
  Mr. Bevan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment where the office of the Director General of Water Services will be located.

  Mr. Howard
  After considering the nature of the work and the number of posts involved, it has been decided that, subject to parliamentary approval of the Water Bill, the headquarters of the Water Services Offices should be located in Birmingham.

  This location reflects the Government's policy of locating civil service work in areas offering advantages in

  Local authority current expenditure1 on housing, personal social services and education and science.>

  1983–84 outturn

  1984–85 outturn

  1985–86 outturn

  1986–87 outturn

  1987–88 outturn

  1988–89 outturn

  1989–90 plans

  1990–91 plans

  Local authority current expenditure (£ million)on:

  Housing

  787

  737

  728

  697

  758

  684

  657

  680

  Personal social services

  2,535

  2,694

  2,817

  3,112

  3,502

  3,828

  3,969

  4,100

  Education and Science

  13,113

  13,618

  14,044

  15,388

  16,842

  18.087

  18,122

  18,720

  Local authority spending on each service as a percentage of total local authority current expenditure

  Housing

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  2

  1

  1

  Personal social services

  8

  8

  8

  8

  9

  9

  9

  9

  Education and science

  40

  39

  40

  41

  41

  42

  41

  41

  Local authority spending on each service as a percentage of general

  Government expenditure1 on each service

  Housing

  66

  61

  57

  51

  55

  50

  50

  50

  Personal social services

  96

  96

  96

  96

  96

  96

  96

  96

  Education and science3

  84

  84

  84

  85

  85

  84

  80

  80

  1 The figures given are consistent with those published in "The Government's Expenditure Plans, 1989–90 to 1991–92" (Cm 601–621). They exclude central Government and local authority finance for public corporations.

  2 ie Central Government plus local authority expenditure.

  >3 The fall in this percentage between 1988–89 and 1989–90 reflects the transfer of responsibility for funding polytechnics and colleges from local authorities to central Government.

  782
  terms of accommodation costs and labour supply conditions, including where appropriate areas which are the focus of regional and urban policies.

  This new, non-ministerial Government Department is expected to employ some 80 civil servants, including the secretariats of the ten regionally based customer services committees proposed in the Water Bill.

  County Hall, London
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, how much money either through his Department or through the London residuary body has been or is expected to be spent on(a) the High Court hearing in relation to the previous planning application for development of the former Greater London council headquarters and (b) the taking of the same case to the court of appeal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: The information is not available.

  Local Government Expenditure
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a table showing local authority current expenditure for each year since 1975–76 to 1990–91 on(a) housing, (b) personal social services and (c) education and science; and what proportion each makes up of (i) central Government current expenditure on the same areas of expenditure and (ii) total local authority current expenditure.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: The information requested for the years 1983–84 to 1990–91 is given in the table. Corresponding information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Water Quality
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his answer of 13 March, he will provide technical details of the more stringent basis upon which designated British bathing waters were evaluated in 1988 in relation to that upon which they were evaluated in 1987.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: The results of the 1988 survey have been reported on the basis of the strict requirements for 95 per cent. compliance specified by the directive. On this basis, a water is assessed as complying with the directive providing that no more than one sample in 20 exceeds the mandatory coliform standards. Previously, with our relatively short bathing season and the minimum sampling frequency specified in the directive, authorities generally took about 12 samples and we allowed one failure before a water was assessed as failing. The European Commission indicated that the strict interpretation of 95 per cent. compliance should be adopted. To this end, the Department asked that authorities increase their sampling frequency to ensure that a water did not fail merely because of a single high sample.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Low-income Families
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to paragraphs 2·23 and 3·17 of Cmnd. 9756, if he will publish in the Official Report details showing how the undertaking to give substantial and well targeted extra help for low income families in work has been implemented; and at what cost to the Exchequer.

  Supplementary Benefit Live Load

  1E.A.P.

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Doncaster East

  E

  2,410

  3,782

  4,640

  4,814

  5,204

  5,285

  5,261

  4,854

  A

  1,471

  1,713

  2,024

  2,598

  3,000

  3,296

  3,552

  3,726

  P

  2,724

  2,789

  2,882

  2,857

  2,877

  2,917

  2,993

  3,132

  Doncaster West

  E

  2,895

  4,874

  5,808

  5,945

  6,671

  6,711

  6,969

  6,257

  A

  1,965

  2,268

  2,821

  3,073

  3,922

  4,019

  4,511

  4,731

  P

  3,511

  3,588

  3,757

  3,615

  3,600

  3,458

  3,651

  3,571

  Wath-On-Dearne

  E

  1,807

  2,806

  3,020

  3,174

  3,479

  3,747

  3,666

  3,194

  A

  1,232

  1,358

  1,613

  1,957

  2,398

  2,368

  2,554

  2,639

  P

  1,892

  1,924

  2,005

  2,041

  2,014

  1,958

  2,011

  2,046

  1 E = unemployed claimants.

  A = Claimants not required to register for work.

  P= pensioners.

  Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action, which include a number of cases where benefit payment has ceased but other action is continuing.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the years 1980 to 1988 the number of claimants and the number of dependants and the percentage take-up of family income support for each of the two local offices in Doncaster and the local office in Wath-on-Dearne that covers Mexborough.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that this information is not available on a local basis for either family income supplement (family credit since April 1988) or income support (supplementary benefit prior to April 1988).
  784
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Family credit was introduced in April 1988 as part of the reform of social security. In 1988/89 it will provide about double previous expenditure on family income supplement and free school meals and free milk. Estimated expenditure for 1988/89 is £422 million and the estimated caseload is 285,000. Average awards are at present around £25 per week. About 60 per cent of present recipients get £20 a week or more and over 35 per cent. get £30 or more. A major advertising campaign will begin in April to encourage claims from those who may not realise that they are eligible. Over and above the prices uprating, the income support and housing benefit applicable amounts for children and the family credit child credit rates have been increased by an additional 50 pence from this April. In the case of family credit, the extra provision is over and above what is required to compensate for the standstill in child benefit. The reformed structure of benefits helps alleviate the unemployment trap by aligning the assessment rules for income-related benefits. Generally, people on the same income levels are now treated equally whether they are fully employed or out or work. Furthermore, under this new system, net income increases when gross earnings increase. This eliminates the possibility that less income-related benefit can mean a lower net income when gross earnings rise.

  Local Offices
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the live load figures of supplementary benefit for(a) unemployed claimants, (b) claimants not required to register for work and (c) pensioners, for each of the two local offices in Doncaster and the local office in Wath-on-Dearne that covers Mexborough, for each of the years April 1980 to April 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information is as follows:

  Benefit Take-up
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give an estimate of the number of people who would qualify for invalid care allowance or severe disablement allowance but who have not claimed those benefits in(a) Great Britain, (b) Scotland and (c) Lothian region.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that it is not possible to provide this information. The OPCS surveys of disabled people have collected data about the incidence of different types and degrees of disability and also about receipt of benefits. They do not, however, provide enough information about
  785
  the circumstances of carers to identify with sufficient certainty the total number who would qualify for invalid care allowance if they made a claim. It should also be remembered that there has been a tenfold increase in the number of recipients of the allowance since the survey data were collected in 1985.

  The main difficulty with severe disablement allowance is in identifying clearly the number who would satisfy the primary qualifying condition of being incapable of work.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were in receipt of housing benefit in 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The available information is in the table. Figures are not held for 1978–79.

  Estimated numbers receiving assistance with housing costs

  (000)

  1979–80

  3,065

  1987–88

  6,875

  Notes:

  1. Assistance with housing costs in 1979–80 was through the supplementary benefit scheme administered by the Department and the rent and rate rebate and rent allowance scheme run by the Department of Environment. The figure of 3·065 million represents the estimated number of people receiving assistance through the Department of Environment scheme only. Information about the numbers also receiving help through supplementary benefit is not available.

  2. The information for 1987–88 represents the estimated number of people receiving assistance with housing costs through the unified housing benefit scheme introduced in November 1982.

  Source: 1979–80 Local authority returns to Department of Environment.

  1987–88 Housing benefit subsidy claims from local authorities

  Children
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of Scottish children(a) in total and (b) as a percentage dependent on supplementary benefit and income support in each year from 1978–79.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The latest information is in the table.

  Children in Scotland

  Date

  Total1

  Dependent on Supplementary Benefit2

  Percentage

  November 1978

  1,285,600

  120,000

  9·30

  November 1979

  1,254,400

  109,000

  8·71

  December 1980

  1,222,200

  119,000

  9·76

  December 1981

  1,188,400

  154,000

  12·97

  December 1982

  1,151,400

  183,000

  15·75

  December 1983

  1,132,700

  177,000

  15·52

  December 1984

  1,106,100

  195,000

  17·66

  February 1986

  1,062,200

  212,000

  20·00

  May 1987

  1,042,900

  216,000

  20·71

  1Total number of children in Scotland supplied by OPCS from mid-year population estimates.

  2 Number of children in Scotland dependent on supplementary benefit, from annual statistical inquiries.

  Social Fund
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average time taken by social fund officers to reach a decision on crisis or budgeting 786
  loans or community care grants (a) nationally, (b) in the northern region, (c) in south Tyneside, (d) in Gateshead, (e) in Newcastle, (f) in Sunderland and (g) in north Tyneside, respectively.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information available is shown in the table.

  Average clearance time (in whole working days)

  Crisis Loans

  Budgeting Loans

  Community Care Grants

  National

  1

  7

  7

  North Eastern Region

  1

  6

  7

  North Tyneside

  Gateshead

  1

  5

  3

  Newcastle St. James

  1

  2

  3

  Newcastle East

  1

  2

  5

  Newcastle West

  1

  2

  3

  Wallsend

  1

  5

  5

  South Tyneside

  Houghton le Spring

  1

  2

  3

  Jarrow

  1

  6

  7

  North Shields

  1

  13

  2

  South Shields

  1

  11

  11

  Sunderland North

  1

  8

  10

  Sunderland South

  2

  11

  10

  All figures are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Teenage Pregnancies
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will include in his Department's leaflet FB23, "Young People's Guide to Social Security", information about eligibility for income support in the last 11 weeks of pregnancy among 16 to 17-year-olds.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Arrangements will be made to include this information in the leaflet.

  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pregnant 16 to 17-year-olds are in receipt of income support.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects his Department to conclude its consideration of the application for attendance allowance submitted on 25 October 1988 by Mr. Andrew Purves of 21 Park road, Ormiston, East Lothian.

  Mr. Scott
  The application for attendance allowance made in October 1988 was disallowed on 10 November 1988 and Mr. Purves notified accordingly. An application for a review of that decision was received on 23 November 1988. The attendance allowance board has now completed its review and its decision will be sent within the next few days. I am writing to the hon. Member.

  Pensions, Benefits and Allowances
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state the value in real terms, both in
  787
  absolute figures and as a percentage, of retirement and other state pensions and all other welfare and national insurance benefits and allowances paid in November 1979 in relation to those to be paid from April 1989; and if he will indicate the actual figure for each benefit in each year.

  Mr. Scott
  I regret that it will only be possible to carry out the comparisons requested once the April 1989 retail prices index figure is available.

  Income Support
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what income support is provided for a single dependent young person, the only child of a one-parent family, in full-time study for forthcoming A-level examinations who becomes 19 during his final months at school; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Income support is provided for a dependent young person in full-time non-advanced education until he or she reaches age 19. As a full-time student the young person is not eligible for income support but local education authorities have discretionary powers to award educational maintenance allowances to help such young people complete their education.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost to his Department of income support for maintaining persons aged 65 years and over in private residential homes in the latest year for which statistics are available; and what was the average cost per person.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information is not available in the precise form requested.

  However, in August 1988, the annual income support expenditure on people in independent residential care and nursing homes as a whole in Great Britain was estimated to be £890 million, based on an average payment of £115 per week.

  Lone Parents (Benefit)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what conclusion was arrived at by the lone parents receiving benefit pilot study carried out at Leicester and Sittingbourne benefit offices which ended on 24 February; if he will list the location of the 44 benefit offices that will be involved in the national study due to commence in April 1989; and when this will be completed.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The pilot study carried out at Leicester and Sittingbourne was intended to test the effectiveness of the sampling method and questionnaire proposed for the main study. As a result of the experience of the pilot the researchers are considering some minor alterations to the questionnaire. The social security offices participating in the main study are listed as follows. The final report is due in May 1990.

  North West Region

  Bury ILO

  Chester ILO

  Liverpool (Huyton) ILO

  Manchester (Failsworth) ILO

  Sale ILO

  Warrington ILO

  Scotland

  Bellshill ILO

  788

  Clydebank ILO

  Edinburgh East ILO

  Galashiels ILO

  Glasgow (Anniesland) ILO

  Greenock ILO

  Midlands

  Birmingham (South Yardley) ILO

  Boston ILO

  Derby (London Road) ILO

  Nottingham (Station Street) ILO

  Nuneaton ILO

  Worcester ILO

  London North

  High Wycombe ILO

  London (Hackney)ILO

  (Leytonstone) ILO

  (Wood Green) ILO

  Norwich (Mountergate) ILO

  Oxford AO

  Wales and South West

  Bath ILO

  Barnstaple ILO

  Cwmbran ILO

  Llanelli ILO

  Torbay ILO

  Wrexham

  London South

  Basingstoke ILO

  Brighton ILO

  Canterbury AO

  Crawley ILO

  London (Bloomsbury) ILO

  (Camberwell) ILO

  (Wandsworth) ILO

  North East

  Eston ILO

  Northallerton ILO

  Leeds North West ILO

  Peterlee ILO

  Rotherham South ILO

  Scarborough ILO

  Sheffield South East ILO

  Supplementary Benefit and Income Support
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children under 16(a) in total and (b) as a percentage of all children were living in households dependent on supplementary benefit and income support for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The latest available figures are:

  Number of children under 16 in Great Britain

  Total

  Dependent on supplementary benefit

  Percentage

  November 1977

  13,059,400

  1,122,000

  8·59

  November 1978

  12,798,000

  1,048,000

  8·19

  November 1979

  12,575,100

  923,000

  7·34

  December 1980

  12,343,700

  1,088,000

  8·82

  December 1981

  12,098,600

  1,493,000

  12·34

  December 1982

  11,856,700

  1,721,000

  14·52

  December 1983

  11,637,400

  1,790,000

  15·38

  December 1984

  11,462,300

  1,949,000

  17·00

  1985

  No figures available

  February 1986

  11,250,700

  2,123,000

  18·87

  May 1987

  11,148,800

  2,111,000

  18·94

  Funeral Expenses
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many relations have claimed funeral expenses for the latest available period; and what studies he has commissioned in the use of these funds.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A social fund funeral payment may be claimed by anyone responsible for the costs of a funeral. No statistics therefore exist to indicate the number of claims made by relatives. In the period April to November 1988, 28,950 payments were made. We have commissioned no studies into the use made of these payments which are made to cover the cost of simple funerals.

  Cold Weather Payment
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the total cost of a week's cold weather payment to all those who were eligible if the capital limit was(a) raised to £6,000 and (b) abolished.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  If the capital limit were to be increased to £6,000 or abolished and all those eligible received a payment, the cost of one week's cold weather payments would be £13 million. No one with capital of more than £6,000 can qualify for income support and since this benefit acts as a passport to cold weather payments, to abolish the capital limit would admit no more people to the scheme than would raising the limit to £6,000.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will take steps to ensure that information relating to applications for housing benefit transitional protection will be made available, broken down by local authority area.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Yes. The computer system at the transitional payments unit has been designed to produce information in the form requested. However, it is currently working at maximum capacity to handle the payments that are being made and to deal with the process of renewing awards of transitional payments. We expect computer time to become available to produce the information requested later this year.

  Sick Pay
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of people in receipt of statutory sick pay since 1983.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I regret that the information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of recorded payments of SSP in each year since its introduction is as follows:

  Tax year

  Number of SSP payments (million)

  1983–84

  5

  1984–85

  5·7

  1985–86

  5·9

  790

  Tax year

  Number of SSP payments (million)

  1986–87

  5·7

  1987–88

  5·8

  Note: These figures relate to employments not people. Where a person has had spells of SSP with more than one employer in a tax year, the spells with each employer will be recorded in the table. Thus the number of people receiving SSP will be less than the figures shown above.

  Benefit Changes
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the occasions on which benefits have been increased in any year since 1979 by more than the rise in prices.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: In November 1979, November 1980 and November 1982, when the forecast method of uprating was used. benefits were increased by more than the actual rise in the retail prices index.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table listing each change in social security benefits in 1988–89 and those planned for 1989–90 and the expenditure and savings resulting from each change.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 22 March 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 17 March at columns 394–96. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced to the House on 14 March at columns 307–08 that we propose to abolish the pensioners' earnings rule with effect from 1 October 1989. This will give more choice and flexibility for older people who want to carry on working. The estimated benefit cost will be about £190 million in 1989–90 and about £375 million in 1990–91. Additional revenue from income tax and national insurance contributions will reduce the net Exchequer cost which will be met from the reserve.

  Benefits
  Mr. John Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following his answer to the hon. Member for Leeds, West on 22 February,Official Report, column 679, he will break down the real increases or decreases in expenditure for each benefit showing what amount and proportion is attributable to (a) a rise or fall in the real level of benefit, (b) a rise or fall in the numbers claiming benefit and (c) other factors.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 16 March 1989]: An analysis of family support distinguishing between the effects of changes in the average amount of benefit paid and changes in numbers of beneficiaries between 1978–79 and 1988–89 is set out in the table.
  791

  Family Support 1978–79 to 1988–89

  (£ million)

  Changes in average amounts paid

  Changes in expenditure caused by numbers of beneficiaries

  Total change

  Child Benefit

  1,067

  -417

  650

  One Parent Benefit

  62

  64

  126

  FIS/Family Credit

  256

  114

  370

  Maternity Grant/Maternity Allowance

  -42

  -195

  -237

  Supplementary Allowance/Income Support and Housing Benefit1

  83

  1,525

  1,608

  Social Fund

  —

  —

  49

  Child tax allowances

  —

  —

  -1,000

  Additional personal tax allowance (lone parent)

  —

  50

  50

  Statutory Maternity Pay

  —

  —

  240

  Total

  —

  —

  1,856

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

  Pensioners
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for York (Mr. Gregory) of 26 January,Official Report, columns 709–10, if he will re-calculate the figures to show the effects of increased rents and rates on the growth of real disposable incomes defined as net incomes less housing costs between 1979 and 1986, distinguishing between (a) all pensioners and (b) pensioners mainly dependent on state benefits.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 2 March 1989]: The increases are (a) 22 per cent. and (b) 14 per cent. respectively.

  Note: "Mainly dependent on state benefits" are those pensioners dependent on state benefits for three-quarters or more of gross income.

  Household Incomes
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will publish a table showing the rise in real household income between 1979 and 1985 for all decile groups broken down by family status in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South, 29 July 1988,Official Report, columns 819–20;

  (2) what was the percentage rise in real household income for the average, broken down by family type, between 1979 and 1985, shown in the manner of his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South, 29 July 1988, Official Report, columns 819–20.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A table providing this information has been put in the Library. It should, however, be noted that the principal objective of the "Households Below Average Income" statistics is to measure improvements in living standards in different parts of the income-distribution for the population as a whole. The tables are not designed to measure the living standards of individual family types within each decile of the population. Although com-positional figures by family type are included in the main "Households Below Average Income" statistics, the hon. Member is advised that the information on real income increases for individual family types within each decile provided in reply to this question does not provide a meaningful guide to improved living standards.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people would gain and what would be the average gain as a result of raising the level of savings under which housing benefit is payable to £10,000 on the assumption that(a) the rules for other benefits are unaltered, (b) the interest actually received on savings and not an arbitrarily assumed return is used in assessing benefit and (c) no change is made to the rule that those with savings of under £3,000 receive benefit in full;

  (2) what would be the cost of raising the level of savings under which housing benefit is payable to £10,000 (a) in 1989–90 and (b) in a full year on the assumption that (i) the rules for other benefits are unaltered, (ii) the interest actually received on savings and not an arbitrarily assumed return is used in assessing benefit and (iii) no change is made to the rule that those with savings of under £3,000 receive benefit in full.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [pursuant to his reply, 28 February 1989]: We estimate that increasing the housing benefit capital limit from £8,000 to £10,000 would cost roughly £25 million. Generally speaking, current recipients with capital holdings between £3,000 and £6,000 would lose more as a result; those with savings between about £6,000 and £10,000 would gain. An additional, 45,000 people who do not currently qualify would become entitled to benefit of, on average, £10 a week.

  Equal Opportunities
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of officers in each grade and overall in his Department are(a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [pursuant to the reply 1 March 1989, columns 243–244]: I regret that the reply given has been found to contain an error. The amended figures are as follows:

  Information in the form required is not available because records are held on a combined basis with the Department of Health.

  Information for both Departments is given in the following table:
  793

  Female staff

  1Ethnic minorities staff

  Total staff

  Numbers

  Per cent.

  Numbers

  Per cent.

  Grades 1 to 7

  1,773

  320

  18·0

  62

  3·5

  SEO and HEO

  6,885

  2,195

  31·8

  63

  0·9

  EO

  23,245

  13,543

  58·2

  534

  2·3

  AO and below

  61,749

  46,221

  74·8

  2,752

  4·4

  Others

  2,752

  676

  24·6

  75

  2·7

  Total

  96,404

  62,955

  65·3

  3,486

  3·6

  1Ethnic minorities figures are based on questionnaires voluntarily completed by staff. (75 per cent. response rate to date).

EMPLOYMENT

  Holidays (ABTA)
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to what percentage of 1988 holidays booked in the United Kingdom were booked through official ABTA travel agents.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available.

  Inflation
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each quarter since the first quarter of 1979 Britain's inflation rate as a percentage of the G7 average.

  Mr. Lee
  The table shows the inflation rate for the United Kingdom and the G7 average since the first quarter of 1979:

  Annual Rate of Inflation

  Percentage

  United Kingdom

  OECD G7

  1979

  Q1

  9·6

  7·9

  Q2

  10·6

  8·7

  Q3

  16·0

  9·7

  Q4

  17·3

  10·8

  1980

  Q1

  19·1

  12·5

  Q2

  21·5

  12·9

  Q3

  16·4

  12·0

  Q4

  15·3

  11·7

  1981

  Q1

  12·7

  10·6

  Q2

  11·7

  9·7

  Q3

  11·2

  10·2

  Q4

  11·9

  9·7

  1982

  Q1

  11·1

  8·4

  Q2

  9·4

  7·5

  Q3

  8·0

  6·7

  Q4

  6·2

  5·6

  1983

  Q1

  4·9

  4·9

  Q2

  3·8

  4·6

  Q3

  4·6

  4·0

  Q4

  5·0

  4·3

  1984

  Q1

  5·2

  4·9

  Q2

  5·2

  4·6

  Q3

  4·7

  4·3

  Q4

  4·8

  4·2

  1985

  794

  United Kingdom

  OECD G7

  Q1

  5·5

  3·9

  Q2

  7·0

  4·2

  Q3

  6·3

  3·8

  Q4

  5·5

  3·6

  1986

  Q1

  4·9

  3·0

  Q2

  2·8

  1·7

  Q3

  2·6

  1·6

  Q4

  3·4

  1·3

  1987

  Q1

  3·9

  1·8

  Q2

  4·2

  2·9

  Q3

  4·3

  3·1

  Q4

  4·1

  3·4

  1988

  Q1

  3·4

  3·0

  Q2

  4·2

  3·0

  Q3

  5·5

  3·2

  Q4

  6·6

  3·5

  Training
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what Government spending has been per head of the labour force on training in the north-west in each of the last three years; and what was the national average in each of those years.

  Mr. Cope
  The information is shown in the Training Commission (formerly Manpower Services Commission) annual report in the House of Commons Library.

  The figures are available only for the financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88. The figures for 1986–87 include expenditure by the employment and enterprise group, most of which was transferred to the Department of Employment on 26 October 1988 and now forms part of the employment service.

  The expenditure per head of the labour force was as follows:

  North-West

  National

  £

  £

  1986–87

  131

  107

  1987–88

  126

  102·5

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the level of youth unemployment in the north-west in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Lee
  The table shows the number of unemployed claimants aged 16 to 24 years in the north-west for each January from 1987 to 1989 together with the percentage
  795
  change in each year. 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 coverage from September 1988 due to the introduction of new benefit regulations affecting those aged under 18.

  Unemployed claimants aged 16–24—North West

  Total

  Percentage change over 12 months

  January 1987

  157,837

  -10·0

  January 1988

  128,998

  -18·3

  January 1989

  92,951

  -27·9

  Dock Workers
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many registered dock workers have been recruited in the last 12 months by each of the dock labour scheme ports in Britain.

  Mr. Nicholls
  A total of 76 registered dock workers were directly recruited by scheme ports during the whole of 1988, the latest period for which figures are available.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many dockers were employed by each of the dock labour scheme ports in 1979; and how many are currently employed in these ports.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The number of registered dock workers employed by each of the dock labour scheme ports in December 1979 and March 1989 according to National Dock Labour Board lists are as follows:

  1979 Port/Area

  December 1979

  Newcastle

  62

  Dunston

  —

  North Shields

  73

  South Shields

  66

  Blyth

  41

  Sunderland

  56

  Seaham

  16

  Middlesbrough

  737

  Hartlepool

  102

  Hull

  1,515

  Goole

  275

  Grimsby and Immingham

  777

  Boston

  124

  Wisbech

  21

  King's Lynn

  83

  Yarmouth

  82

  Lowestoft

  26

  Ipswich

  131

  London

  5,197

  Medway and Swale

  631

  Southampton

  1,719

  Poole

  83

  Weymouth

  38

  Plymouth

  59

  Cornwall

  138

  Bristol

  1,059

  Sharpness

  91

  Gloucester

  9

  Newport

  265

  Cardiff

  296

  Barry

  128

  Port Talbot

  60

  Swansea

  202

  Liverpool and Birkenhead

  4,385

  Bromborough

  26

  Garston

  149

  Salford

  510

  Partington

  13

  Ellesmere Port

  118

  796

  1979 Port/Area

  December 1979

  Runcorn

  118

  Western Point

  71

  Preston

  127

  Fleetwood

  87

  Cumbria

  45

  Ayrshire

  62

  Greenock

  144

  Glasgow

  350

  Aberdeen

  116

  Dundee

  107

  Fife

  51

  Grangemouth Leith

  312 191

  Total

  21,144

  1989 Port/Area

  March 1989

  Newcastle

  10

  North Shields

  53

  South Shields

  53

  Blyth

  52

  Sunderland

  31

  Seaham

  16

  Middlesbrough

  488

  Hartlepool

  73

  Hull

  680

  Goole

  165

  Immingham/Grimsby

  720

  Boston

  87

  Wisbech

  12

  King's Lynn

  53

  Yarmouth

  100

  Lowestoft

  30

  Ipswich

  120

  London:

  Surrey

  75

  Tilbury and Northfleet

  1,429

  Royal

  88

  India and Millwall

  11

  Lighterage

  142

  Rochester

  184

  Sittingbourne

  29

  Sheerness

  372

  Southampton

  679

  Poole

  97

  Weymouth

  11

  Plymouth

  30

  Fowey

  44

  Par

  28

  Charlestown

  2

  Falmouth

  7

  Penzance

  8

  Bristol

  484

  Sharpness

  47

  Newport

  204

  Cardiff

  167

  Barry

  65

  Port Talbot

  44

  Swansea

  98

  Liverpool and Birkenhead

  1,297

  Garston

  110

  Salford

  21

  Ellesmere Port

  91

  Runcorn

  33

  Weston Point

  17

  Fleetwood

  44

  Whitehaven

  16

  Workington

  16

  Silloth

  3

  Barrow

  8

  Ayr

  16

  Ardrossan

  15

  Hunterston

  18

  Greenock

  49

  Glasgow

  60

  Aberdeen

  175

  797

  1989 Port/Area

  March 1989

  Dundee

  96

  Methil and Kirkcaldy

  23

  Burntisland

  9

  Grangemouth

  131

  Leith

  102

  Total

  9,438

  Note: National Dock Labour Board lists for 1979 and 1989 use different grouping of dock areas.

  Pesticides
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many inspectors have been employed in the Health and Safety Executive for monitoring pesticide usage on farms in each of the last eight years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive's agricultural inspectors monitor pesticide usage on farms concurrently with their other inspection duties. Since 1981, the number of inspectors employed in Her Majesty's agricultural inspectorate's field force based in area offices is as follows:

  1 April

  Numbers

  1981

  166

  1982

  156

  1983

  149

  1984

  144

  1985

  150

  1986

  150

  1987

  151

  1988

  139

  19891

  142

  1 At 1 March.

  In addition, at 1 March 1989 there were 13 inspectors employed in the agricultural inspectorate headquarters. The executive's objective is to increase numbers in the agricultural inspectorate to 165 inspectors as soon as possible.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many farms have been visited in each of the last eight years by the Health and Safety Executive to monitor pesticide usage; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not separately recorded. However, during the course of their visits to farms, Health and Safety Executive inspectors examine all aspects of health and safety including, where appropriate, pesticide usage.

  Wages Councils
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all(a) employer organisations and (b) other organisations which in response to the Government's consultative document issued on 5 December 1988 have indicated (i) that they oppose the abolition of the wages councils, and (ii) that they favour this action.

  Mr. Cope
  It is not this Department's practice to reveal the content of submissions made by individual organisations. With that exception the information requested is as follows:
  798
  ORGANISATIONS RESPONDING TO CONSULTATION DOCUMENT ON WAGES COUNCILS

  (a) Employer Organisations

  Association of British Chambers of Commerce

  The Association of British Laundry, Cleaning and Rental Services Ltd.

  Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd.

  Association of Independent Businesses

  The Booksellers Association

  The Brewers Society

  The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions

  British Association of Professional Hairdressing Employers

  British Clothing Industries Association

  British Hat Guild

  British Headwear Industries Federation

  The British Hotels Restaurants and Caterers Association

  British Independent Grocers Association

  British Lace Federation

  British Office Systems and Stationery Federation

  British Retailers Association

  The British Scrap Federation

  The British Secondary Metals Association

  British Soft Drinks Association Ltd.

  British Textile Employers' Association

  British Toy and Hobby Manufacturers Association

  The British Waste Paper Association

  The Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association

  Clothing Manufacturers Federation

  Confederation of British Industry

  Co-operative Laundries Society Limited

  Co-operative Union Ltd.

  Cordage Manufacturers Institute

  Drapers Chamber of Trade

  The Employers Association of the Linen and Cotton Handkerchief and Household Goods Wages Council

  Federation of Bakers

  Federation of Merchant Tailors

  Food and Drink Federation

  Forum of Private Business

  The Guild of Hairdressers

  Independent Footwear Retailers Association

  Independent Footwear Retailers Association—Midland Region

  Institute of Directors

  Made-Up Textiles Association

  Mail Order Traders Association

  National Association of Master Bakers, Confectioners and Caterers

  National Association of Multiple Shoe Repairers

  National Chamber of Trade

  National Federation of Fish Friers Limited

  National Federation of Fishmongers Ltd.

  National Federation of Meat Traders

  National Federation of Retail Newsagents

  National Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses Ltd.

  National Hairdressers' Federation

  National Hairdressers' Federation—Devon Branch

  National Hairdressers' Federation—East of Scotland

  National Hairdressers' Federation—Edinburgh Branch

  National Hairdressers' Federation—Fife Branch

  National Hairdressers' Federation—Kilmarnock and District Branch

  National Hairdressers' Federation—Lanarkshire Branch

  National Licensed Victuallers Association

  Radio, Electrical and Television Retailers Association Ltd.

  The Reclamation Association

  Scottish Association of Master Bakers

  Scottish Grocers' Federation

  The Scottish Licensed Trade Association

  Society of Master Shoe Repairers

  Soho Restaurateurs Association

  Union of Independent Companies

  United Kingdom Jute Goods Association Ltd.

  The Wiping Cloth Manufacturers Association

  Voluntary Group Association

  Working Men's Club and Institute Union Ltd.

  (b) Other Organisations

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  799

  Adam Smith Institute

  Aekta Project

  Amalgamated Engineering Union

  Association of Professional Executive Clerical and Computer Staff

  Barnoldswick Women's Group

  Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

  Barton Hill Rights and Advice Centre

  Belgrave Baheno

  Birmingham City Council

  Diocese of Coventry

  Diocese of Durham

  Diocese of Kingston

  Diocese of Knaresborough

  Diocese of Manchester

  Diocese of Ripon

  Diocese of Wakefield

  Blythe Neighbourhood Council

  Borough of Camden—Libraries and Arts Department's Community Information Service

  Borough of Greenwich—Women's Committee

  British Institute of Management

  Bromsgrove and District Trades Council

  Bury South Constituency Labour Party

  Camden Community Law Centre

  Camden Tribunal and Rights Unit

  Campaign Against Poverty

  Campaign for the Homeless and Rootless

  Cardiff Justice and Peace Group

  Cardiff Unemployed Group

  Central Area Basic Skills Unit

  Centre for Policy Studies

  Cheshire County Council

  Child Poverty Action Group

  Church Action on Poverty

  Church Poverty Action Group—Merseyside Branch

  Citizens' Advice Bureau—Chelsea Town Hall

  Citizens' Advice Bureau—Leicester

  Citizens Rights Office

  City of Bristol—Employment and Community Development Committee

  City of Glasgow

  City of Lincoln

  City of Newcastle upon Tyne

  City of Norwich

  City of Salford

  City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

  Civil and Public Servants Association

  Community and Race Relations Unit—British Council of Churches

  Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

  Cumbria Association of Trades Councils

  Derbyshire County Council

  Diocese of Manchester—Board for Social Responsibility

  Diocese of Plymouth—Justice & Peace Commission

  Dudley Metropolitan Council

  Equal Opportunities Commission

  Federation of Managerial Professional and General Associations

  Firth Park Advice Centre

  Furniture Timber and Allied Trades Union

  Gateshead Law Centre

  General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union

  General, Municipal, Boilermakers and Allied Trades Union —Midlands and East Coast Region

  General Synod of the Church of England—Board for Social Responsibility

  Greater Manchester Church Action on Poverty

  Greater Manchester Council for Voluntary Service

  Greater Manchester Low Pay Unit

  Great Grimsby Borough Council

  Greenwich Community Law Centre

  Greenwich Homeworkers Project

  Hackney Council

  Hackney Trades Council and Hackney Trade Union Support Unit

  Hitslink

  Hounslow Community Relations Council

  Hounslow Workers Support Unit and Centre for the Unemployed

  Hull and District TUC Women's Committee

  Hull City Council

  800

  Hull Employment Law Project

  Indian Workers Association (GB)—Leicester Branch

  Industrial Society

  The Institute of Economic Affairs

  Institute of Economic Development Officers

  Institute of Personnel Management

  Jamaica Community Service Group

  Job Change Project

  Kendal and District Trades Council

  Kirklees Metropolitan Council

  Labour Party—Gorton South Branch

  Lambeth Trade Union Resource Centre

  Lancashire County Council

  Leeds City Council

  Leeds City Council—Women's Committee

  Leeds Claimants Union

  Leeds Industrial Mission

  Leicester City Council

  Leicester Rights Centre

  Leicestershire County Council—Welfare Rights Unit

  Lockleaze Community Advice Centre

  London Borough of Camden

  London Borough of Greenwich

  London Borough of Lambeth

  London Borough of Southwark—Employment Development Division

  London Churches Group—Employment Development Unit

  London Steering Group Against Low Pay

  London Voluntary Service Council

  Low Pay Unit

  Northern Low Pay Unit

  Manchester City Council

  Manchester Council for Voluntary Service

  Metropolitan Borough of Bury

  Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale

  Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

  National Council of Women in GB

  National Group on Homeworking

  National Local Government Officers' Association—Grimsby Branch

  National Local Government Officers' Association—Kirklees Metropolitan Branch

  National Local Government Officers' Association—North Eastern District

  National Local Government Officers' Association— Stockport Branch

  National Local Government Officers' Association—South Tyneside Branch

  National Union of Civil & Public Servants

  National Union of Public Employees

  National Union of Tailors and Garment Workers

  Newcastle Central Labour Party Women's Council

  Newcastle upon Tyne—Council for Voluntary Service

  North Humberside Industrial Chaplaincy

  North Tyneside Advice and Information Network

  North Tyneside Council

  Northumbrian Industrial Mission

  Norwich and District Citizens' Advice Bureau

  Oxford Child Poverty Action Group

  Oxford Diocesan Board of Social Responsibility

  Piccadilly Advice Centre

  Plumstead Community Law Centre Ltd.

  Prestatyn Town Council

  Quaker Social Responsibility and Education

  Retail Book Stationery and Allied Trades—Employees' Association

  Rhyl Town Council

  Rochdale Metropolitan Council

  Roehampton Citizens' Advice Bureau

  Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation

  The Salvation Army

  Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

  Scottish Low Pay Unit

  Scottish Trades Union Congress

  Scottish Women's Aid

  Shama—Women's Centre

  Sheffield Industrial Mission

  Sheffield Information Service

  South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

  The Spastics Society

  801

  Stirling Council—Women's Group

  Stockport Trades Council

  Tameside Metropolitan Borough

  Thamesdown Law Centre

  Tooting and Balham Law Centre Ltd.

  Tower Hamlets Law Centre

  Trades Union Congress

  Trades Union Congress—West Midlands Regional Council

  Transport and General Workers' Union

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers— Cheltenham Private Trade Branch

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers— Cumbrian Co-op F20

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers— Leeds Private Trade Branch

  Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers— (North Eastern Division)

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers— West End One Branch

  Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Yorkshire Regional Branch)

  United Road Transport Union

  West Midlands Low Pay Unit

  West Yorkshire Low Pay Unit

  Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

  Women For Change

  York City Council

  Wages (Illegal Underpayment)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to investigate allegations made by the BBC "Watchdog" programme that named employers were paying illegally low rates of pay to employees and falsifying accounts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The wages inspectorate is examining the allegations made in the programme.

  The inspectorate treats all of its inquiries and investigations as confidential and the results are disclosed only to those directly involved.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the characteristics of the two cases of underpayment in the Yorkshire and Humberside area which were prosecuted, and on the action taken over the 629 cases of underpayment not prosecuted.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The cases met the wages inspectorate's criteria for prosecution action. The policy of the inspectorate under all Governments has been to seek compliance by advice and persuasion and to consider prosecution only where an offence is deliberate or repeated and where the evidence is considered adequate to prove a charge in court.

  In the great majority of cases where underpayments are found, the employers are being inspected for the first time and many of them are unaware of the regulations. In these and other circumstances where underpayment occurs, the employer is notified of his obligations and asked to give an undertaking to pay not less than the statutory minimum rate in the future. Where the inspectorate has reason to believe that the underpayment may continue, the establishment is identified for re-inspection.

  Unemployment Benefit
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) since the increase in the maximum number of weeks' suspension of unemployment benefit 802
  from 13 weeks to 26 weeks, how many claims for unemployment benefit have been received at Stockton unemployment benefit office; in how many of these cases benefit has been suspended; in how many of these cases the maximum 26 weeks' suspension has been initially applied by the adjudication officer; in cases where the maximum 26 weeks' suspension has been applied, in how many cases the length of the suspension has been reduced on review of the case; and in how many of the cases where the 26 weeks' suspension has been initially applied, the suspension has been reduced on appeal;

  (2) since the increase in the maximum number of weeks' suspension of unemployment benefit from 13 weeks to 26 weeks, how many claims for unemployment benefit have been received at Billingham unemployment benefit office; in how many of these cases benefit has been suspended; in how many of these cases the maximum 26 weeks' suspension has been initially applied by the adjudication officer; in cases where the maximum 26 weeks' suspension has been applied, in how many cases the length of the suspension has been reduced on review of the case; and in how many of the cases where the 26 weeks' suspension has been initially applied, the suspension has been reduced on appeal;

  (3) since the increase in the maximum number of weeks' suspension of unemployment benefit from 13 weeks to 26 weeks, how many claims for unemployment benefit have been received nationally; in how many of these cases benefit has been suspended; in how many of these cases the maximum 26 weeks' suspension has been initially applied by the adjudication officer; in cases where the maximum 26 weeks' suspension has been applied, in how many cases the length of the suspension has been reduced on review of the case; and in how many of the cases where the 26 weeks' suspension has been initially applied, the suspension has been reduced on appeal,

  Mr. Lee
  The table shows, for the period April 1988 to December 1988, the number of claims for unemployment benefit that were received for the locations requested and for the country as a whole.

  Information is not available on how many of these claims were disqualified by the adjudication officer, nor on the numbers where the maximum period of disqualification had been imposed or reduced on review or appeal.

  Number of claims taken for period April 1988 to December 1988.

  Locations

  Number

  Stockton

  10,312

  Billingham

  3,361

  National

  2,938,226

  Sikhs
  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received concerning the freedom of Sikhs to wear their turbans in all work circumstances.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Commission issued a consultative document in December 1986 containing proposals for regulations to require construction workers to wear head protection. The commission has received a large number of representations in response to the document, both on the proposals as a whole and on their implications for the Sikh community. My colleagues and I have also received letters on the subject.

  Job Release Scheme
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will announce the results of the review of the rates of allowance payable under the job release scheme and the part-time job release scheme.

  Mr. Lee
  Although the job release scheme closed on 31 January 1988, the allowances will continue to be paid to participants for up to five years. Following our annual review, the allowances payable from 10 April 1989 under the job release schemes will be as follows:

  Full-time scheme

  For disabled men who entered the Scheme aged 60, 61, 62, and 63

  those who are married with a dependent wife whose net income from all sources does not exceed £14 a week: £79·25 a week, taxable;

  those who do not have a dependent wife or whose wife's income exceeds £14 a week: £62·25 a week, taxable. For women who entered the scheme aged 59 and men who entered the scheme aged 64:

  those who are married with a dependent spouse whose net income from all sources does not exceed £14 a week: £73·75, tax free;

  those who are married or whose spouses' income exceeds £14 a week: £58·85 a week, tax free.

  Part-time scheme

  The part-time job release scheme closed on 30 May 1986. The new rates of allowance for those still remaining on the scheme will be as follows:

  For disabled men who entered the part-time scheme aged 60, and 61 and men who entered the scheme aged 62 and 63:

  those who are married with a dependent wife whose net income does not exceed £14 a week: £4695 a week, taxable;

  those who do not have a dependent wife or whose wife's income exceeds £14 a week: £39.10 a week taxable.

  Earnings Limit

  The spouses earnings limit which affects whether the higher or lower rate is paid has been raised from £13 to £14 and the participants earnings limit has been raised from £4 to £5.

  Community Insulation Projects
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information his Department has about the number of community insulation projects which were operating in September 1988 and in February of the current year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 14 March 1989]: Although the total number of community insulation projects at those two dates is not known, most community insulation projects are registered with Neighbourhood Energy Action. I understand that 444 projects were registered in September 1988 and 260 in February 1989.

  Health and Safety Inspectors
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest number of(a) factory and (b) agricultural inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive; how many of these are field inspectors; and how many of these inspectors were employed in each of the inspectorate grades.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 20 March 1989]: On 1 March 1989, 608·5 factory and 165 agricultural inspectors were employed in the Health and Safety Executive. Of these, 532·5 factory and 142 agricultural inspectors were employed in the Executive's factory and agricultural inspectorate division's field force based in area offices.
  804
  The breakdown by grade of factory and agricultural inspectors employed in HSE is as follows:

  Number

  (of which in the field force)

  (i) Factory Inspectors

  Chief inspector

  1·0

  (—)

  Deputy chief inspector

  4·0

  (—)

  Senior area director

  4·0

  (2·0)

  Area director

  17·0

  (17·0)

  Superintending inspector

  3·0

  (—)

  Deputy superintending inspector

  38·0

  (24·0)

  Inspector 1A

  163·5

  (124·5)

  Inspector 1B

  275·0

  (262·0)

  Inspector II

  103·0

  (103·0)

  Total

  608·5

  (532·5)

  (ii) Agricultural inspectors

  Chief inspector

  1·0

  (—)

  Deputy chief inspector

  2·0

  (—)

  Deputy superintending inspector

  3·0

  (3·0)

  Principal inspector 1

  7·0

  (6·0)

  Principal inspector

  29·0

  (24·0)

  Inspector

  98·0

  (84·0)

  Assistant inspector

  25·0

  (25·0)

  Total

  165·0

  (142·0)

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Jeremy Bamber
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the recent decision by the Court of Appeal to refuse leave to appeal to Jeremy Bamber in respect of his conviction on five counts of murder, he will now make a statement about the conduct of police investigations in this case.

  Mr. Hurd
  After Mr. Bamber's conviction on 28 October 1986, I asked the then chief constable of Essex, Mr. Robert Bunyard, to submit to me an urgent report on the conduct of the investigation of this case by his force. That report acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the early stages of this investigation and made proposals designed to prevent any recurrence. At my request, Sir Richard Barratt, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, discussed with Mr. Bunyard the issues raised in that report and then, in a separate review, sought to identify lessons from this case which might be applied to the police service generally.

  It is clear that errors were made in the early stages of the police investigation contrary to existing force practice.

  First, the senior investigating officer having assessed the scene of the crime and considered the information provided by Jeremy Bamber, wrongly concluded that Sheila Caffell had taken her own life after shooting her parents and her twin sons. In consequence of this error of judgment, he did not follow normal procedures of potential murder cases and was reluctant to take account of information which challenged his original assessment.

  Secondly, there was inadequate supervision of the senior investigating officer to ensure that the existing force practices were observed and that inquiries took account of the information coming to light.

  It is clear that prompt and effective action to remedy these shortcomings was taken once the chief constable and senior officers were made aware of the misgivings which

  805
  relatives of the Bamber family expressed. Proper procedures were then implemented and they produced the evidence which was then presented to the jury.

  I have today placed in the Library a list of the 18 substantive recommendations made by Sir Richard for adoption throughout the police service. They are designed to reinforce standard procedures and ensure proper management supervision to minimise the risk of prejudicing the outcome of a major inquiry.

  The recommendations do not call for radical changes in police procedures, rather they clarify and confirm existing good practice so that it is consistently followed.

  The recommendations have been forwarded to the Association of Chief Police Officers for their consideration and implementation as necessary.

  Law and Order Services (Spending)
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reached a decision on new arrangements for controlling capital expenditure on the law and order services.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Government's proposals for law and order services were set out in the consultation document "Capital Expenditure and Finance for Home Office Services" issued on 28 October 1988. I remain of the view that capital spending on the police, probation and magistrates courts services should generally be subject to the capital control system applicable to all local authorities proposed in the Local Government and Housing Bill now before the House.

  To meet concerns about the risk of credit approvals being vired away from law and order services, thus jeopardising their capital programmes, I intend, at least initially, that credit approvals should be issued in the form of supplementary credit approvals thereby hypothecating them to those services. I do not intend to recover the specific grant element contained in receipts generated by these services, but to protect the national taxpayer's investment I propose to provide that the reserved part of such receipts should be 75 per cent. I shall also ensure that our support for capital projects is based upon Government priorities and policies through the continuation of a system of project approvals to which payment of grant would be linked. Authorities would be free to spend available resources on projects which do not secure a place in the approved programme but such spending would not attract capital grant.

  I am satisfied that the arrangements I propose for law and order services will meet the objectives of the new local authority capital finance system and that authorities will be able to maintain sufficient levels of capital expenditure on those services, while exercising a strict control on Exchequer support in the form of capital grants.

  Metropolitan Police Manpower
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will authorise increases in Metropolitan police manpower for 1989–90.

  Mr. Hurd
  Under the four-year programme of police manpower increases announced in May 1986, I said that I would be prepared to authorise annual increases in Metropolitan police manpower of up to 300 in the police establishment and 150 in the civil staff ceiling, subject to my being satisfied that earlier increases had been properly 806
  used. In the first three years of the programme I authorised increases totalling 900 in the police establishment, and 450 in the civil staff ceiling.

  Having reviewed the use to which Metropolitan police manpower has been put over the past year, I am satisfied with the progress which has been made. During 1988, almost 600 additional officers were posted to the areas and divisions of the Metropolitan police; the number of man days on foot patrols rose by 16 per cent.; recorded crime reduced and clear-up rates rose. 134 posts were civilianised during the year.

  I have therefore decided to authorise the final increases of 300 officers and 150 civil staff, plus the 100 extra civil staff which I announced in the autumn. Of the 250 civil staff, 200 will be used for civilianisation. This will bring the Metropolitan police establishment to the record level of 28,415 as from 1 April 1989.

  Prison Inspections
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 27 January, columns 769–70, how the inspections by his Department's health and safety officers are validated; and if there are any prison inspections by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Inspections carried out by Home Office health and safety officers are validated by random inspections undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive. These random inspections include prison service establishments.

  Formal hygiene inspections of prisons carried out by Home Office health and safety officers are also subject to random, unannounced validation inspections by an environmental health officer from the Department of Health.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fires there have been in prisons in the last ten years; who is responsible for fire precautions in prisons; and who validates the inspections that take place.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1988, 2,829 fires were reported in penal establishments. Many of these would have been small fires (for example, a lighted rag or newspaper thrown out of a cell windows, and quickly extinguished by prison staff.

  The responsibility for fire precautions in each establishment rests with the governor, who nominates a fire officer from among his staff to be responsible to him for all fire safety matters. Governors and fire officers are encouraged to maintain close contact with their local fire brigade.

  The responsibility for implementing recommendations resulting from fire prevention surveys conducted by local brigades rests with prison service line management, ie, governors, supported by regional directors and ultimately by headquarters, where the advice of Her Majesty's fire service inspectorate is available if any question arises as to the validity of a particular recommendation.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent. South on 27 January.Official Report, column 769–70, how many validating prison

  807
  inspections by environmental health officers from the Department of Health were carried out in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since 1 April 1988, 12 validation inspections have been carried out at prison service establishments by an environmental health officer of the Department of Health.

  Food Poisoning (Prisons)
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, 27 January,Official Report, column 769–70, on how many occasions local authority environmental health officers have been called in to prisons to provide assistance and expertise in tracing the source of food poisoning; and to which prisons they were called.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Since 1984, local authority environmental health officers have been called in to prison service establishments on seven occasions to provide assistance and expertise in tracing the source of food poisoning.

  The establishments involved were:

  1984—Her Majesty's Prison, Leeds

  1985—Her Majesty's Prison, Leeds

  1987—Her Majesty's Prison, Wakefield

  1988—Her Majesty's Prison, Cardiff

  Her Majesty's Prison, Rudgate

  Her Majesty's Prison, Lincoln

  1989—Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institute,

  Hollesley Bay Colony

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South, 27 January,Official Report, column 769–70, he will consider requesting the help of local authority environmental health officers in order to prevent food poisoning outbreaks as well as to investigate them.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We are satisfied that formal hygiene inspections of prison catering facilities by Home Office health and safety officers and Home Office supply and transport catering branch are of a standard comparable to those carried out by local authority environmental health officers. Home Office inspectors have considerable knowledge and experience of food hygiene problems associated with large scale catering operations. Their standards are monitored by random validation inspections undertaken by an environmental health officer from the Department of Health.

  Prison governors and medical officers have authority to invite local authority environmental health officers to visit their establishment in an informal advisory capacity should they consider this appropriate.

  There are no plans to change existing arrangements at present.

  Entry Clearance
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the speed at which entry clearance cases are now being dealt with when referred to his Department.

  Mr. Renton
  Entry clearance applications may be referred to the immigration and nationality department 808
  either for further inquiries to enable the entry clearance officer to reach a decision or for the department to take a decision. In all cases, applications are dealt with as promptly as possible although the need to make inquiries and the volume of work arising from these and on other applications to the Home Office are unavoidable sources of delay. Accordingly, remedies have to be sought not only in respect of entry clearance cases themselves but also in reducing nugatory work wherever possible elsewhere in the control system in order to free resources to be applied to what work remains. Against that background, the following measures are in train or have been taken.

  Many referred entry clearance applications require the sponsors in the United Kingdom to be interviewed. These interviews are carried out by the immigration service and, depending on seasonal commitments at the ports, have been subject to delay. Arrangements are now in hand to streamline the handling of interview requirements to smooth out delays so far as practicable by securing a better balance between interview requests to the immigration service and their available manpower. The objective remains of carrying out interviews within three months of receipt of papers in the United Kingdom.

  We are also introducing on a phased basis arrangements giving entry clearance officers abroad greater delegated authority to decide entry clearance applications locally. We expect that these new arrangements will be fully in place by January 1990 and will make an important contribution to expediting decisions.

  More generally, the Government have taken a number of steps to seek to improve the time taken to process all applications handled by the Department. We introduced immigration rules changes in February 1988 to reduce the amount of nugatory work carried out by the Department and to free resources for resolving essential applications. Wider advertising, improved procedures and the recruitment of part-timers have helped the staffing situation considerably in recent months. Since 1988, a net additional total of 136 staff has been recruited. We are also introducing wherever possible improved working procedures to ensure that applications are processed as promptly as possible.

  We believe that, taken together, these initiatives in the United Kingdom and abroad will significantly improve the overall quality of service including directly or indirectly to entry clearance applicants. Their effect will be kept under review.

  Policing (North Wales)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet the chief constables of Wales to discuss the manning levels of the police forces of the constabularies in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend visited South Wales constabulary on 30 January and plans to visit Dyfed-Powys police later in the year. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State visited North Wales police on 1 February. There were and will be opportunities to discuss police manpower on these and other occasions.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will visit North Wales police headquarters, Colwyn Bay, to discuss with the chief
  809
  constable and the police committee police manning levels and the crime rates peculiar to north Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit the North Wales police. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State visited the force on 1 February. Since the Government took office 51 extra police posts have been approved for North Wales. The police authority has applied for a further 10 posts in 1990–91. This will be considered. It is encouraging to see that recorded crime in north Wales fell by 6 per cent. in 1988.

  Football Attendances
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of arrests at each Football League ground for the current season to date.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The most up-to-date figures available are those given in the reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Mr. Marlow) on 10 January at column 492, as corrected for division 4 in the reply to a question from the hon. Member on 2 February at column 389.

  New Prisons
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there are any plans to open any new prisons(a) in the north-west and (b) in the Warrington area.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  One new prison (Lancaster Farms) is currently under construction in the north-west and three (Kirkham, Rochdale, and Fazakerley) are subject to discussion with relevant planning authorities. There are no plans at present to open a new prison in the Warrington area.

  Mr. Ghulam Mohammed Ismail Tinwala
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to take a decision on the application made at the post in Bombay by Mr. Ghulam Mohammed Ismail Tinwala, date of birth 19 November 1932, to settle in the United Kingdom; and when Mr. Tinwala's application was referred to him.

  Mr. Renton
  Mr. Ghulam Mohammed Ismail Tinwala was interviewed by the entry clearance officer in Bombay on 16 February 1989 and his application was referred to the immigration and nationality department on 20 February. First examination of the application indicates that further information is required from Mr. Tinwala's accountant in the United Kingdom to enable the Department to reach a decision on this case. Once this information is made available the Department will then decide the application without delay. Mr. Tinwala will be notified of the decision direct by the entry clearance officer in Bombay.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consultations he proposes to undertake to ensure that any regulations made in terms of rule 14 of schedule 7 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988, go as far as possible to facilitate the success of applications on 810
  behalf of children who have suffered physical or sexual abuse and whose parents are either unwilling or unable to act on their behalf; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he has drafted regulations using his power under rule 14 of schedule 7 to the Criminal Justice Act 1988, to prescribe circumstances and method by which one person may act for another in relation to a claim for compensation to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and to prescribe the powers of the board to manage the payment and investments of awards to persons below the age of 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The rules provided for in paragraph 14 of schedule 7 to the Act have not yet been drafted. We shall consult the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board and its council and tribunals about the terms of the rules.

  Under the present scheme the board will consider applications on behalf of a minor made by a parent or any other person exercising parental rights, including a local authority or by the Official Solicitor or, in Scotland, a judicial factor appointed by a court. We do not propose to adopt narrower arrangements under the rules and are willing to consider any suggestions about the scope of the rules on this point.

  Child Abuse
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the number of children who have received compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board for physical or psychological injuries suffered in cases of physical or sexual abuse in each of the past seven years; what was the range of sums awarded in compensation; and what was the average amount awarded to children following such cases.

  Mr. John Patten
  The board does not at present collate separately details of claims or awards relating to children, but plans to record from 1 April the number of applications which are based on alleged physical or sexual abuse of children.

  Broadcasting
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, having regard to the proposed exemption of BSB from the Council of Europe convention and to the decision taken at the meeting of EEC Ministers on 13 March, permitting member states to exempt national broadcasting channels with no overspill into other territories from the directive's provisions on the insertion and amount of advertising, he will establish a uniform set of controls for all United Kingdom broadcasters.

  Mr. Renton
  The Council of Europe convention on transfrontier television does not apply to British Satellite Broadcasting, since BSB is not involved in broadcasting across frontiers. Nonetheless, BSB will have to comply with the IBA's rules on advertising. As to the control of broadcast advertising in the longer term, this is a matter which we shall be considering in the light of responses to the White Paper on broadcasting.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many representations have been received by his Department from television companies, in response to the White Paper on the future of broadcasting;
  811
  (2) how many representations have been received from television companies concerning the future of regional television with regard to the White Paper on broadcasting.

  Mr. Renton
  We have so far received nearly 3,000 responses, and a few late ones are still coming in. We have it in mind in due course to place in the Library a list of the main organisations which have responded. The proposals in the White Paper that regional Channel 3 franchises should be required to show regional programming including programmes produced in the region, and that the Independent Television Commission should be responsible for deciding on the geographical division of Channel 3, have been generally welcomed.

  Forensic Pathology
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recommendation contained in the recent report from the Home Affairs Select Committee on the forensic science service that his Department should work with the Departments of Health and Education and Science to secure the long-term future of the forensic pathology profession.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We shall be dealing with this recommendation, together with the others made by the Select Committee on Home Affairs in their report on the forensic science service, in the response which we shall be making to the recommendations of the report.

  Police Chases
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and in which police authorities(a) innocent bystanders, (b) offenders and (c) police officers have been killed as a result of vehicle chases involving the police in the last year, and in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The available information for 1987 is contained in the report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary for that year, a copy of which is in the Library. The information requested for earlier years is not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Immigration Guidelines
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times he has reversed the decisions of the immigration officers under the terms of the new immigration guidelines concerning representations by hon. Members.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to questions from the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 15 March at columns 230–31.

  Immigration Rules
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the new immigration rules.

  Mr. Renton
  We hope to do so in the next few months.

  Safer Cities Scheme
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to extend the safer cities scheme beyond the 14 cities now designated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  Twenty safer cities projects will be established by April 1991. Twelve areas have agreed to take part in the programme, two are currently considering invitations, two more will be approached shortly and four others will be invited in 1990–91.

  Drugs and Arms (Imports)
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to maintain controls to prevent the importation of illegal drugs and arms into the United Kingdom in the light of proposals from the European Community Commission.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend gave an account of his thinking on these and other points in the explanatory memorandum, dated 6 February, on the Commission's communication to the Council (10412/88 (COM)(88) 640) on the abolition of controls of persons at intra-Community borders. Copies of the memorandum are available from the Vote Office.

  Crime Figures
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest crime figures for the Metropolitan police district.

  Mr. Patten
  The information requested is published in table 7 of Home Office statistical bulletin 7/89, a copy of which is in the Library. More detailed figures for each borough in the Metropolitan police district are also available in the Library.

  Immigrant Detainees
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to transfer detainees from Latchmere house to Haslar in Gosport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 13 March at column 9.

  Community Volunteer
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with the Association of Chief Police Officers about the formation of community volunteers schemes.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will estimate the annual cost of running the proposed community volunteer schemes.

  Mr. John Patten
  In the field of crime prevention the Government have not formulated any proposals for community volunteer schemes. Members of the public are already contributing directly to crime prevention schemes by joining neighbourhood watch or crime prevention panels. We encourage those wishing to give more active support to the police to join the special constabulary.

  Football Spectators Bill
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted criminals will be prevented from travelling abroad as a result of part II of the Football Spectators Bill; and how he calculates the figure.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Part II of the Bill enables a court to make a restriction order requiring someone convicted of a football-related offence to report to an agency here on the occasion of designated matches played outside England and Wales. No order may be made unless the court is satisfied that it would help to prevent violence or disorder at or in connection with such matches. The number of people affected will depend on how the courts exercise their powers.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the reported(a) violent crimes and (b) other crimes in Knowsley borough for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is published annually in the report of the chief constable of the Merseyside police.

  Remand Prisoners
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present prison remand population for England and Wales; how many of those remand prisoners belong to an ethnic minority group; and what percentage of those remand prisoners who belong to an ethnic minority are charged with an offence that involves violence, robbery or sex.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The latest readily available information is given in the table. Information on offences is not recorded centrally until the completion of court proceedings.

  Untried and convicted unsentenced population1 of prison service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1988: by type of prisoner and ethnic origin

  Untried

  Convicted unsentenced

  White

  6,970

  1,440

  West Indian, Guyanese, African

  1,020

  130

  Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi

  240

  35

  Chinese, Arab, Mixed origin

  220

  30

  Other, not recorded (including refusals)

  630

  100

  Total

  9,080

  1,730

  1Provisional figures.

  Police Discipline Code
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many complaints as defined under section 84/4 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 were recorded under section 9 in the discipline code in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988; how many of those complaints were formally investigated; and how many of those investigated were substantiated;
  814
  (2) how many internal investigations were carried out by the United Kingdom police forces in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988 which related to section 9 of the discipline code; and how many of those were found to be substantiated.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The available information is as follows:

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Number of complaints

  Recorded1

  83

  197

  180

  220

  Formally investigated

  57

  142

  131

  127

  Substantiated

  0

  4

  4

  5

  1Does not include complaints which were recorded but subsequently withdrawn.

  Information relating to internal investigations which were not based on a complaint under the terms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and to the subsequent disciplinary proceedings is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost

  Prisoners (Suicide Attempts)
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of suicide or self-injury with apparent suicide intent, or other self-injury, occurred among those detained in police cells in 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  During 1988, the number of deaths in police cells resulting from self-inflicted injuries was three. The comparable number for 1987 was four. No central record is kept of incidents of self-inflicted injuries which do not result in death.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that circular instruction 3/1987 on suicide prevention is being properly implemented in prison department establishments.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Compliance by establishments with the procedures set out in CI 3/1987 is monitored by the prison service's regional directors. Establishments which are unable to implement the procedures in section C of the circular instruction because of pressure of numbers at reception have been authorised to make alternative arrangements; otherwise I am satisfied that the circular instruction is being complied with.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons have made arrangements for Samaritans to have access to suicidal prisoners.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Although we have not monitored the progress of this initiative centrally, we are aware that a substantial number of establishments have made arrangements with the Samaritans.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress there has been in implementing the recommendation of the Chief Inspector of Prisons in his report on Her Majesty's remand centre, Risley; and what steps have been taken to implement circular instruction 3/1987 on suicide prevention at that establishment.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  A statement by the Home Secretary setting out the action which was being taken, including the
  815
  full implementation of CI 3/1987, was published on 30 June last year, and a copy has been placed in the Library. The deputy director general of the prison service is responsible for following up the inspection report and will be visiting Risley for this purpose.

  Contracted-out Catering
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those establishments which have contracted-out catering services for inmates and the provision of inmates' canteens to private operators showing in each case who is the private contractor.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:

  Inmates Catering

  Ashford Remand Centre—Sutcliffe Catering South-East

  Downview Prison (to open shortly)—Tappe Catering Services Ltd.

  Inmates Canteen

  Ashford Remand Centre—NAAFI

  DNA Testing
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce proposals to establish a Government DNA scheme to assist those seeking to settle in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  We are considering in what form a centrally organised DNA scheme might be introduced into the entry clearance process. I hope to be in a position to announce our conclusions on this before long.

  Whatton Young Offenders Institution
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether riot equipment was used by either prison staff or police during recent disturbances at Whatton young offenders institution;

  Population of Whatton young offender institutions on 31 December 1988: by offence and sentence length

  Number of inmates

  Offence group

  Up to 4 months

  Over 4 and up to 6 months

  Over 6 up to 12 months

  Total

  Whatton short sentence young offenders institution

  Violence against the person

  16

  1

  —

  17

  Rape

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other sexual offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Burglary

  8

  1

  —

  9

  Robbery

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Theft, handling, fraud and forgery

  19

  —

  —

  19

  Drugs offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other offences

  23

  2

  —

  25

  Offence not recorded

  8

  —

  —

  8

  All offences

  74

  4

  —

  78

  Whatton juvenile young offenders institution

  Violence against the person

  2

  4

  8

  14

  Rape

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other sexual offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Burglary

  12

  6

  28

  46

  Robbery

  2

  1

  2

  5

  Theft, handling, fraud and forgery

  2

  1

  2

  5

  Drugs offences

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Other offences

  6

  3

  7

  16

  Offence not recorded

  —

  —

  —

  —

  All offences

  24

  15

  47

  86

  816
  (2) if he will give details of the type of accommodation currently in use for all prisoners based at the Whatton young offenders institution;

  (3) if he will give details of the age categories of all prisoners detained currently at the Whatton young offenders institution;

  (4) who carries out night security patrols at Whatton young offenders institution;

  (5) if he will give details of recent prison disturbances at the Whatton young offenders institution.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Offenders committed to Whatton young offenders institution fall into two age categories: those aged 14 to 16 and those aged 17 to 20. These age groups are held in separate units, both comprising a mixture of dormitory and cubicular accommodation. In addition, there is a further unit containing a small number of cells. At night, the institution is staffed by a mixture of prison officers and night patrol officers.

  On the night of 28 February/1 March, a short series of incidents occurred at the institution involving a small number of inmates in the younger age group. In one of the incidents, inmates in a dormitory damaged windows, fixtures and fittings. It was necessary for prison staff, using protective equipment, to remove the inmates from the dormitory. Two prison officers suffered bruising and nine inmates minor scratches and abrasions, two requiring stitches for cuts believed to have been caused by flying glass. No police officers were involved.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will supply details of sentences and crimes committed by all prisoners detained at the Whatton young offenders institution.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The latest readily available information is given in the table.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation will be paid to the holders of firearms which chief officers of police will not allow the holders to retain under the terms of the Firearms Amendment Act 1988 on part one firearms certificates.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are no grounds for offering compensation in such cases. A firearm which a chief officer of police will not authorise an individual to hold on a firearm certificate may be sold to a registered firearms dealer or to the holder of a firearm certificate who is authorised to possess or acquire it.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation will be paid to the holders of shotguns which cannot be converted to retain the classification of shotgun under the terms of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are no grounds for offering compensation in such cases. A large magazine smoothbore gun which cannot be adapted to retain the classification of a shotgun under section 2 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988 may be held by its owner on a firearm certificate provided the criteria laid down in the Firearms Act 1968 are met. Alternatively, such a gun may be sold to a registered firearms dealer or to the holder of a firearm certificate authorised to possess or acquire it.

  Women and Children (Offences)
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has issued any circular relating to the trend in the role of women police officers in relation to crime involving women and children, as recommended by the Women's National Commission;

  (2) what circulars he has issued following the Women's National Commission's 1985 recommendation that he issue a further circular, following up H.O. 25/83, on the continued problem of the under-reporting of crimes of rape and sexual assault, and the special needs of victims in relation to rape trauma syndrome.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The deployment of women police officers is an operational matter for chief officers of police in the light of the overall needs of their force and the requirements of equal opportunities legislation. Home Office circular 69/1986, which contains the responses agreed with chief officers to the report of the Women's National Commission on violence against women, recognises the valuable role which women police officers may play, subject to the operational requirements of individual forces.

  The responses to the report also specify measures to ensure that sexual assaults are accurately and fully recorded and confirm the importance of making police officers who are involved in the investigation of serious sexual offences aware of the special needs of victims.

  Domestic Violence
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what improvements in data collection on domestic violence have been made following the Women's National Commission's 1985 recommendation.

  Mr. John Patten
  In 1986, we reminded chief officers of police that the criteria for recording offences of violence in 818
  a domestic setting were the same as in other contexts. Some forces have made arrangements for relevant information, particularly on civil injunctions, to be collected and made readily available to officers attending incidents. The 1983 and 1987 British crime surveys included questions on domestic violence. A Home Office research and planning unit review of research into domestic violence is to be published shortly.

  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent action has been taken following the Women's National Commission's 1985 recommendation that a circular be issued by his Department to give guidance and encouragement to chief constables to review training and procedures on domestic violence.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The recommendations concerning police training and procedures in dealing with domestic violence which were made by the Women's National Commission in its 1985 report "Violence Against Women" were incorporated in Home Office circular 69/1986. We are currently considering whether further guidance is necessary.

  Horse Racing
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the amounts of monies given by the Horse Race Levy Board to each individual horse racecourse in the United Kingdom since 1983.

  Mr. John Patten
  The powers of the Horserace Betting Levy Board extend only to Great Britain. I understand from the board that the annual financial records of the board do not identify all the information required. Some of the grants it makes are distributed through other racing bodies.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all horse racing courses in the United Kingdom by region showing the number of races held at each course and the levels of prize monies at each course since 1983.

  Mr. John Patten
  This information is not held by the Home Office or by the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

  Arrests (Statistics)
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests were made during recent disturbances at St. Neots in Cambridgeshire and in Oxford; and if he will provide a breakdown of the different offences committed detailing the number of arrests made for each.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the chief constable of Cambridgeshire that, during disorder on the night of 4/5 March in St. Neots, eight people were arrested and were charged with violent disorder under section 2 of the Public Order Act 1986. Fourteen further arrests have subsequently been made for more minor offences. I understand from the chief constable of Thames Valley police that during disorder on the same night in Oxford one person was arrested for threatening behaviour under section 4 of the Public Order Act.

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