Written Answers of 8 November 1989

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Public Sector Employees
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to undertake a separate case study prior to any changes that would remove employment rights from public sector employees as part of any plan to privatise public sector jobs.

  Mr. Lilley
  No. In all privatisations the Government observe the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 (TUPE), which provide that, where there is a transfer of an undertaking, all the employees' rights and liabilities must automatically be transferred to the new employer. Pension rights fall outside the scope of TUPE and are negotiated separately in each case.

  Premium Bonds
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the number of people investing in premium bonds since the change to a minimum investment of £100.

  Mr. Ryder
  In the three months since the change to a minimum purchase of £100 on 1 July, premium bond purchases have averaged 60,000 per month to a value of £23·7 million. In the three months prior to the change premium bond purchases averaged 175,000 per month to a value of £24 million.

  Government Statistics
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out those Government statistics on which he now answers parliamentary questions, in the light of the changes in the arrangements of the Central Statistical Office.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 6 November 1989]: I am placing in the Library a copy of the paper prepared by the Central Statistical Office "Note for the Table Office of the House of Commons and for the House of Lords following the reorganisation of the responsibility for economic statistics: The establishment of the 'new' Central Statistical Office", which sets out the new arrangements.

  Child Care Facilities
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will remove the provision of subsidy of child care facilities by employers from the list of items regarded for tax purposes as a benefit in kind; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 2 November 1989]: There is no list of items regarded for tax purposes as benefits in
  636
  kind. Such benefits are generally liable to taxation. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no plans to exempt beneficiaries of subsidies for child care from taxation.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the Legal Action Group's report on financial eligibility for legal aid.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on 6 November 1989 at column 440.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Attorney-General what was the value of eligibility limits for legal aid in 1979; and what are, in real terms, the value of those limits today.

  The Attorney-General
  The eligibility limits for civil legal aid between April and November 1979 were £3,600 disposable income and £2,500 disposable capital. The retail prices index increased by 103·69 per cent. between 1979 and 1989. Increasing the 1979 civil legal aid limits by the same amount produces £7,332·85 disposable income and £5,092·25 disposable capital. However, the RPI includes increases in the cost of housing—which have been greater than the increase in prices generally—while housing costs are disregarded in assessing legal aid eligibility.

  Regina v. Barnard
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will send for the papers in Regina v. Barnard heard at Oxford Crown court before His Honour Judge Leo Clark, Queen's counsel on 21 October to consider whether the sentence imposed is such that it is a suitable case to refer to the Court of Appeal for review.

  The Attorney-General
  Yes.

THE ARTS

  Crown Immunity
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether any national galleries or museums are being prosecuted for responsibilities which were formerly covered by Crown immunity.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 6 November 1989]: The science museum has been charged under the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 following an inspection of its water cooling plant.

  Civil Service Dispersal
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has any plans to relocate his offices to the north-west of England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  I have no such plans.

CIVIL SERVICE

  HEO Direct Entry
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will provide an estimate of the administrative cost per successful candidate in the recent direct entry higher executive officer competition.

  Mr. Luce
  The information will not be available for some time. The Civil Service Commission began interviewing candidates for the scheme on 6 November 1989 and the entire exercise will not be completed until early next summer.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present amount of aid now being given to Sri Lanka; and if he will list each project on which aid is being spent.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In 1988–89 expenditure on Britain's bilateral aid programme to Sri Lanka totalled £19·8 million, though disbursements in the present financial year are expected to be lower. Britain also contributes to programmes administered by the European Community and other international aid organisations. Current bilateral aid projects are as follows:

  Colombo Roads Rehabilitation

  Power Distribution, Colombo

  Supply of Agricultural Tractors to Trincomalee area

  Supply of Miscellaneous Vehicles

  Land Use and Conservation Project

  Mahaweli Catchment Area Project

  Sandskipper Project (Artisanal Fisheries)

  Coconut processing

  Wood burning stoves

  Victoria Dam Maintenance

  Supply of school furniture

  Archaeological assistance in Cultural Triangle

  Health and welfare projects (Anti-Malaria, Health Education, Cleft Lip and Palate)

  Support for Non-Governmental Organisations (Oxfam, Save the Children Fund and Sarvoydaya)

  English Language Training

  University link projects

  Heads of Mission Gift and Small Projects Schemes

  Books Presentation Programme

  Training awards in the United Kingdom

  Commonwealth Scholars and Fellowship Plan

  Joint Funding Schemes

  Associate Professional Officers Scheme

  Samanalawewa Hydroelectric Power Project

  Bus bodies for Colombo

  Water supply schemes in Southern Sri Lanka

  Oxfam
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between his Department and Oxfam with regard to the Government contributing towards some of the costs of Oxfam's aid programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My officials and I are in regular contact with Oxfam both about support under our joint funding scheme and about emergency relief measures. Indeed, I have recently decided to increase our grant to Oxfam under the joint funding scheme to £3·5 million next year.638
  We will of course also consider sympathetically requests for assistance for disaster and emergency relief measures if the need arises.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons of public policy the immigration portfolio has been moved from Minister of State to a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.

  Mr. Waddington
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to a question from the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 6 November 1989 at column 417.

  Wrongful Imprisonment
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list(a) by year, (b) amount paid and (c) cases, the number of occasions ex-gratia payments of compensation to persons wrongfully imprisoned have been made.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested, based on the date on which the final payment of compensation was made from 1980, is as follows:

  Year

  Number awarded compensation

  Total amount paid (£)

  1980

  18

  92,631

  1981

  13

  88,805

  1982

  10

  114,157

  1983

  6

  45,853

  1984

  12

  14,450

  1985

  17

  216,163

  1986

  13

  154,890

  1987

  14

  153,806

  1988

  8

  56,925

  Computer Codes
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to ensure that computer codes involved in the decision-making process involving public safety are(a) reliable and (b) open to scrutiny by (i) the public and (ii) the scientific community.

  Mr. Waddington
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to a question from him by my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) on 6 November 1989 at columns 401–2. The Home Office is one of the Departments represented on the interdepartmental working committee on software engineering.

  Equal Opportunities (Insurance)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received a copy of "Unisex Pricing in Long Term Insurance" by the Equal Opportunities Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We received the report in July and are considering it in the context of the Equal Opportunities Commission's proposals for amending the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

  Traffic Offences
  Mr. Tebbit
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any limit placed upon the maximum time after an alleged traffic offence in the Metropolitan police area after which no prosecution will be initiated.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Proceedings for most road traffic offences are subject to the normal limitation that, for summary offences, the information must be laid within six months of the offence.

  Arrests
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide figures on the number of arrests made in the Metropolitan police district under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in the years 1987 and 1988.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: Information is not held centrally on the number of arrests made under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. However in 1987 in the Metropolitan police district (including City of London) there were 2,600 prosecutions under section 5 of this Act of which 2,000 were found guilty. In 1988 the figures were 6,500 and 4,900 respectively.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Nursery Teachers
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the number of nursery teachers.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  In recent years the allocations of intake numbers to initial teacher training courses for early years (3–8) have been increased and institutions have been encouraged to increase the provision made for early years training within their allocation for primary places. The numbers recruited to such courses have nearly doubled since 1986.

  Publicity literature on teacher recruitment, including that aimed at mature entrants and re-entrants, has highlighted the opportunities for early-years specialists.

  Under the LEA training grants scheme, in-service training in the teaching of children in primary classes who are younger than "rising five" is a national priority area.

  My hon. Friend the Minister of State is chairing a committee of inquiry on the quality of educational provision for three and four-year-olds which will be taking into account the nature of training for teachers and other professional staff involved.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many representations he has received to date about student loans.

  Mr. Jackson
  Since the publication of the White Paper on top-up loans for students, we have received about 4,100 letters, including 49 petitions.

  Pupils
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will provide guidance to local education authorities in relation to the provision they make for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Department is today issuing a circular that provides guidance about the nature of educational provision that LEAs should make to meet the special educational needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties in special schools. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.

  Disabled Students
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many disabled students were included in his survey of students income and expenditure commissioned by his Department when drawing up proposals for the White Paper on top up loans for students.

  Mr. Jackson
  The surveys were designed to give a representative sample of the student population as a whole. We have no evidence that the proportion of disabled students included in the surveys was unrepresentative.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Civil Service Dispersal
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he has any plans to relocate the Privy Council offices to the north-west of England; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have no such plans. The Privy Council Office accommodates the Leaders of both Houses, the departments of the Clerk of the Privy Council and of the Judicial Committee of the Council. It would be impossible for those concerned to discharge their responsibilities to the sovereign and to Parliament if the office were to be located outside central London.

  Members' Salaries (Attachment)
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Lord President of the Council who is authorised to attach the parliamentary salary of right hon. or hon. Members who refuse to pay the community charge or so-called poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  [holding answer 30 October 1989]: Normally, the charging authority would serve an attachment of earnings order (AEO) on a debtor's employer, having first obtained a liability order from a magistrates' court. Since hon. Members do not have an employer, unless they authorise the attachment of their earnings, the charging authority would have to enforce recovery of the outstanding sum by other means.

TRANSPORT

  Chemicals
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve safety precautions for toxic and inflammable chemicals when being transported by road.

  Mr. Atkins
  The rules for safely transporting these goods are reviewed regularly.

  Radioactive Material
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the(a) airports and (b) seaports that are used to transport (i) plutonium and (ii) other radioactive material to Europe and Japan.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are over half a million movements of radioactive material per annum. The Department does not collect information on a routine basis on the ports and airports used to export such material to Europe and Japan. In the particular case of plutoniums, I am advised that during the last year the only exports, in greater than gramme quantities, have been to Europe and have been made via Carlisle airport.

  Worthing Bypass
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that detailed design work will be prepared for both his Department's preferred route for the A27 in the Worthing area and a real bypass in advance of the public inquiry.

  Mr. Atkins
  In the special circumstances of the A27 Worthing-Lancing scheme, we have undertaken to carry out full traffic, economic and environmental assessments of the alternative "blue" bypass routes that have been put forward as well as of our preferred "green" route announced in July. This will ensure an adequate basis for all the issues to be thoroughly debated at a public inquiry.

  We could not justify carrying out detailed design work on routes other than the one to be published in draft orders unless, following an inquiry, we were persuaded that such an alternative route should be adopted.

  Railways
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Burnley, (Mr. Pike),Official Report, 30 October, column 84, he will indicate which railway issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I cannot add to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich (Mr. Bowden) on 30 October at column 84.

  Drink Driving
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what success the Government have had in reducing the incidence of drinking and driving.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am pleased to report that statistics published today by the Home Office show a furher reduction in the proportion of breath tests which are 642
  positive. Results published by the transport and road research laboratory of the blood alcohol levels of driver fatalities also show a similar downward trend. This demonstrates our continuing success in changing public attitudes towards drinking and driving. This could not have been achieved by the Government action alone. Much of the credit must go to the police and to the brewers, publicans, and soft drink producers for their support in promoting low-alcohol and alcohol-free drinks and in helping us to bring home to people the awful consequences of drinking and driving.

  There is, however, still a long way to go and we must not let up. We shall be launching our Christmas campaign against drinking and driving early in December, with the continuing support of private industry.

  Waterloo and City Line
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are being taken to improve services on the Waterloo and City line.

  Mr. Portillo
  Network SouthEast is well aware of the shortcomings of the Waterloo and City line. It plans a major overhaul of the line over the next few years and a programme of improvements is in hand. Resignalling should be completed by 1992. I am pleased to say that Network SouthEast has today announced that it is to order 20 new coaches to replace the existing fleet. These will be of the most modern design, similar to those on order by London Underground for the Central line. I welcome the British Railways Board's decision to approve this important piece of investment. I expect deliveries to begin in 1992.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Antarctic
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what part his Department played at the recent Paris conference on the Antarctic.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 31 October, at column 143.

  Cambodia
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the exclusion of Cambodia from international agencies and agreements, including the World Health Organisation's international telecommunications treaties, airline agreements and trade agreements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  Cambodia's participation in international agencies and agreements is a matter for the agencies and authorities concerned. The Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea currently occupies Democratic Kampuchea's United Nations seat. We have not opposed acceptance of the credentials of Democratic Kampuchea, but have made clear our abhorrence of Pol Pot and his associates.
  643
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about the Government's policy towards Cambodia.

  Mr. Hurd
  The British Government's objective is a sovereign and independent Cambodia whose people are free to decide their own future. We do not have diplomatic relations with the unelected regime put into power by the Vietnamese. We have consistently made plain our repugnance for the Khmer Rouge. We have never given, and will never give, support of any kind to the Khmer Rouge.

  These objectives remain unchanged but we have reviewed their implementation in the light of recent events. Vietnam has withdrawn its combat units from Cambodia. The international conference at Paris failed to reach agreement on a political settlement. Fighting continues within Cambodia itself and the need for humanitarian aid has grown. In these circumstances we have decided:

  (i) to build up our humanitarian aid programme. We shall continue to provide substantial help to the many thousands of Cambodians living in camps along the Thai-Cambodia border who have been made homeless by the years of fighting. We stipulate that none of our aid should reach the Khmer Rouge. We shall now increase the humanitarian aid which we give inside Cambodia itself while continuing to channel this aid through the non-governmental organisations and organisations such as UNICEF and not direct to the Phnom Penh regime. As part of this policy, I propose to offer now a further contribution of £250,000 to UNICEF for humanitarian projects inside Cambodia. Arrangements will be made for a member of the British embassy in Bangkok to visit Phnom Penh soon to report on the situation at first hand. I am asking the heads of the NGOs to meet me to discuss details;

  (ii) to adapt our stance at the UN. The report of the UN credentials committee again recommended acceptance of credentials of Democratic Kampuchea for the Cambodian seat and was approved without a vote. That question has thus already been settled for the present session. Our long-standing position on this legal and technical matter in no way implies readiness to deal with the Coalition Government of Democratic Kampuchea as a government, much less support for the Khmer Rouge. We have decided with our friends and partners to modify the draft resolution which we, with 74 other UN member states, are co-sponsoring at the United Nations General Assembly in the debate on 15 November. These changes are intended to make clear that the situation in Cambodia has changed and that we do not support the Khmer Rouge in any way.

  We wish to see peace and stability restored to Cambodia through a comprehensive political settlement which will create the conditions in which the Cambodian people can elect a government of their choice, free from the fear of Khmer Rouge atrocities, foreign occupation or civil war. In consultation with our friends and allies, notably the ASEAN group of countries, we shall continue to work to this end.

  Hong Kong
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he proposes to take any action in response to the recent Chinese sacking of two members of the Basic Law Drafting Committee in Hong Kong.

  Mr. Maude
  Members of the Basic Law drafting committee are appointed by the standing committee of the Chinese National People's Congress. The suspension of two members is a matter for the Chinese authorities and the members themselves. We hope that the Chinese Government will take full account of opinion in Hong Kong in their drafting of the Basic Law.

  Gibraltar
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Gibraltar does not have elected representation in the European Parliament.

  Mr. Maude
  I refer the hon. Member to the observations made on this matter by my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary on 20 June 1984.

  Amnesty International
  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek to ascertain the reasons for the refusal of the Indian Government to grant entry visas to representatives of Amnesty International in January, March and December 1985, November 1986, November 1987 and March 1989.

  Mr. Maude
  The Indian Government have made their views on Amnesty International clear in public statements. Equally, we have made known to them that we regard Amnesty International as a serious and responsible organisation. The issuing of visas is a matter for the Indian Government.

WALES

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the changes in the totals and percentages of unemployed in(a) Wales and (b) the area covered by the valleys initiative since (i) July 1986, (ii) July 1987 and (iii) July 1988.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information requested is shown in the table. The figures used are not adjusted for seasonality and are affected by the change in benefit regulations for under 18-year-olds introduced in September 1988.

  Change in number of unemployed

  1Change in unemployment rate (Percentage points)

  July 1986–September 1989

  Valleys area

  -19,964

  -9·1

  Wales

  -84,592

  -8·1

  July 1987–September 1989

  Valleys area

  -13,718

  -6·3

  645

  Change in number of unemployed

  1 Change in unemployment rate (Percentage points)

  Wales

  -61,535

  -6·0

  July 1988–September 1989

  Valleys area

  -7,630

  -3·5

  Wales

  -35,478

  -3·3

  1 The rates used for Wales are on the "narrow base" (ie the denominator consisting of employees in employment and unemployed claimants) which provides the closest basis on which a comparison can be made with my estimates for the valleys programme area.

  Since the launch of the valleys programme in June 1988, the unemployment rate in the valleys area has fallen by 3·9 percentage points compared to a fall in Wales of 3·4 percentage points.

  Health Service
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will break down the distribution of the sum of money allocated for the implementation of the White Paper, "Working for Patients", by authority and by the sub-divisions as in his answer to the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside of 31 October; and what uses he expects to be made of the cash sum for health authorities' discretionary use.

  Mr. Grist
  The distribution of the £1·62 million allocated for the discretionary use of health authorities in meeting the costs of implementing the White Paper "Working for Patients" during the current financial year is shown in the table:

  £ million

  Clwyd

  0·19

  East Dyfed

  0·13

  Gwent

  0·23

  Gwynedd

  0·13

  Mid Glamorgan

  0·26

  Pembrokeshire

  0·07

  Powys

  0·08

  South Glamorgan

  0·29

  West Glamorgan

  0·20

  Welsh Health Common Services Authority

  0·04

  1·62

  The funding provided recognises the need for health authorities to strengthen their systems and staffing particularly in the fields of finance and personnel in order to meet the operational requirements of the White Paper reforms. While information is not available on the precise deployment of these additional funds—since this is a matter for each health authority to decide in the light of its own local circumstances—all authorities have confirmed that they have borne in mind the following considerations:

  (i) the information technology and staffing consequences of the need to introduce and maintain capital asset registers and to generate capital charges in respect of all registered assets;

  (ii) the staffing consequences associated with the introduction of new contractual arrangements for service provision particularly in the contract negotiation, billing, paymaster and accounting function;

  646

  (iii) the staffing consequences associated with the need for the introduction of comprehensive (computerised) manpower management systems;

  (iv) the need for district co-ordinators and supporting staff etc. (as necessary) to establish medical audit as district level.

  The balance of the additional £5 million which the Department has provided toward the cost of implementing the White Paper proposals in the current financial year has been reserved centrally for the various purposes outlined in the table, but it is not possible to say at the present time how much of this funding will be allocated in due course to individual health authorities.

  (a) £2·34 million has been earmarked in respect of authorities' information technology and resource management initiative plans under the revised Information and Information Technology Strategy for the NHS in Wales which is to be published shortly. The distribution of these funds between health authorities will be subject of detailed discussions between health authorities and my officials;

  (b) £0·11 million has been reserved for medical audit purposes including support for some specific projects and the appointment of a clinical adviser to head a Clinical Resource User Group and to liaise with the Welsh Advisory Group on Medical Audit;

  (c) £0·18 million is required for the cost this year of the Value for Money Unit which has been established to lead the drive for cost improvements and income generation, to promote opportunities for marketing NHS expertise and to advise authorities on the commercial exploitation of innovation;

  (d) 0·14 million has been set aside for the cost of additional training at the all Wales level of health authority personnel and finance staff and for strengthening the functions undertaken by the Manpower Consultancy Service;

  (e)£0·11 million has been reserved for preparatory work to enable the implementation of the White Paper proposals relating to family practitioner services. Of this sum, £0·08 million has been allocated to the family practitioner committees in Wales and £0·3 million is being used centrally to help meet the cost of appointing general managers to FPCs in Wales;

  (f) £0·50 million is to be used in establishing treatment centres at Bridgend, Bangor and Cardiff but it is not possible at this stage to give an accurate assessment of the distribution of this funding between the managing authorities.

  Untreated Sewage
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) by what date he plans to end the discharge of untreated sewage from Wales into the sea, whether by long or short outfalls;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the cost of ending the discharge of untreated sewage from Wales into the sea;

  (3) whether he will make it his policy to end the discharge of untreated sewage from Wales into the sea and into estuaries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The Government remain to be convinced that prior treatment is always necessary or desirable where properly designed and sited long sea outfalls are available. However, a study has been commissioned, to be undertaken by Consultants in Environmental Sciences Ltd., to investigate the likely costs and benefits, both environmental and financial, of applying various treatment standards to all major discharges.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the outfalls into the sea and estuaries carrying untreated sewage from Wales which are currently being extended or for which extensions are being planned, with the cost of each project and its projected date of completion.
  647
  Mr. Grist
  This is a matter for Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig. Information is held centrally only in respect of investment on outfalls in connection with the United Kingdom's programme to achieve compliance with its obligations under the EC's bathing water directive. This was placed in the Library by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning on 20 October.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the outfalls which currently convey untreated sewage from Wales into the sea and into estuaries.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is available on National Rivers Authority registers and is not held centrally.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  European Single Market
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms have approached his Department for information concerning the single market; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The DTI has recorded over 260,000 inquiries for information on the single market since our `Europe Open for Business' campaign was launched in March 1988, including more than 150,000 calls to our 1992 telephone hotline. The large majority of these requests have been from individual firms or business organisations. In addition, DTI Ministers and officials have spoken at more than 1,250 single market conferences and seminars since the campaign began, mainly to business audiences.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many single European market measures were agreed in principle, adopted or had common positions under the Spanish presidency of the European Commission; and whether this total exceeds those under previous presidencies.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 November 1989]: A record 68 measures aimed at removing barriers to trade within the Community were finally adopted, agreed in principle, or had common positions agreed for submission to the European Parliament, under the Spanish presidency of the Council of Ministers in the first half of this year. Of these 23 came from the single market White Paper. The comparable figures for earlier presidencies were:

  Presidency and Date

  All measures

  White Paper

  Luxembourg

  July—December 1985

  32

  22

  Netherlands

  January—June 1986

  13

  4

  United Kingdom

  July—December 1986

  48

  24

  Belgium

  January—June 1987

  23

  15

  Denmark

  July—December 1987

  31

  8

  Federal Republic of Germany

  January—June 1988

  56

  23

  Greece

  July—December 1988

  54

  18

  Spain

  January—June 1989

  68

  23

  Note: The figures in the White Paper column are for adoptions, except for the Spanish Presidency, which includes three common positions awaiting final adoption.
  648
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the total expenditure per year associated with his Department's single market unit.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 November 1989]: Expenditure to date on the Department of Trade and Industry's "Europe Open for Business" campaign, which is the responsibility of my Department's single market unit, is around £13 million. Of this, around £8·9 million is represented by national advertising. The remaining £4·1 million has provided a detailed and comprehensive range of literature; a national telephone inquiry service and mailing operation; the Spearhead computer database; video materials; research into business preparations; and a major series of business conferences in 1988.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make it his policy to hold six-monthly national conferences bringing together business men and women, trades unions and professional bodies to discuss the implications of the European single market of 1992.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 3 November 1989]: I have no plans at present to hold regular conferences of this type. Department of Trade and Industry Ministers and officials have already spoken at over 1,250 single market conferences and seminars, and are further committed to participating in over 100 more. In addition, my Department's extensive day-to-day contact with business and representational bodies provides ample opportunity to discuss single market issues.

  Woven Spun Cotton
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy towards placing restrictions on the importation of woven spun cotton; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There are various restraints on imports into the United Kingdom of woven spun cotton fabrics from low-cost supplying countries under the European Community's agreements under the multi-fibre arrangement and other restraint arrangements. If it can be clearly demonstrated that unrestricted imports from a particular country subject to these arrangements are causing or threatening disruption of the United Kingdom market, my Department will consider whether it is in the United Kingdom interest to request restraint action in Brussels.

  Messrs. Gary Gilbert and Sankey
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate whether Messrs. Gary Gilbert and Sankey or any of its employees and employees of related companies were knowingly connnected with companies in whose shares they traded during the period 1982 to 1988.

  Mr. Redwood
  The concept of being knowingly connected with a company is one contained in the Company Securities (Insider Dealing) Act 1985. Investigations into possible contraventions of that Act are not normally announced. If the hon. Member has information suggesting that there may have been such a contravention he should draw it to my right hon. Friend's attention.

  British Steel (Flotation)
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total cost of the flotation of British Steel.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The total cost to the Government of the sale of British Steel is estimated to be as follows.

  £ million

  Underwriting

  21·3

  Selling and broking commission

  1·7

  Receiving banks

  4·3

  Marketing

  11·6

  Advisers' fees

  5·6

  Other costs (excluding stamp duty)

  0·2

  Overseas costs

  2·8

  47·5

  This represents less than 2 per cent. of the gross proceeds of the sale.

  Telecommunications (Liberalisation)
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any decisions have been made as a result of the recommendations from the Director General of Telecommunications about the further liberalisation of telecommunication services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  [pursuant to the reply, 15 June 1989, c. 481–82]: I can now inform the House that I have signed the new branch systems general licence under the Telecommunications Act 1984. The licence enters into force today.

  The new licence provides for significant further liberalisation in a number of areas. In particular, it allows "simple resale" whereby companies and others can sell on to third parties any spare capacity they have on the private lines they lease from British Telecom and Mercury. The licence thus gives operators of private networks complete freedom in their use within the United Kingdom.

  The licence also contains a condition designed to limit the intrusion caused by unsolicited telephone and fax sales calls. Under it, users will be able to request that a particular company ceases such calls and if the company continues to make them, it will be in breach of the licence.

  Since the licence will govern the operation of the overwhelming majority of private networks and branch systems in the country, as well as the provision of telecommunications services, we have been particularly careful to produce a document which will put into practice the measures announced by my hon. Friend in the simplest and most effective way.

  We have also taken the opportunity to simplify further some of the conditions, particularly those relating to the provision of international data services.

  We have also added a requirement that specially adapted telephones for the hard of hearing located in lifts to which the public have access should be clearly signposted. We hope these further changes will bring additional benefits to the users of telecommunications in the United Kingdom.

  In preparing the new licence, my Department has received detailed advice from the Office of Telecommunications. I am grateful to the Director
  650
  General of Telecommunications for this advice and for his recommendations, which have formed the basis for the further liberalisations that are contained in the licence.

  Copies of the new licence will be generally available at a cost of £5 from the Office of Telecommunications, and I will ensure that they are placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

ENERGY

  NATO Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the post-1980 NATO exercises in which the NATO Wartime Oil Organisation's United Kingdom headquarters and the United Kingdom National Oil Board have been exercised.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The United Kingdom National Oil Board and the eastern branch of the NATO Wartime Oil Organisation have participated in a number of post-1980 NATO exercises.

  Plutonium (Transportation)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements for airport facilities British Nuclear Fuels plc. has made to transport plutonium from Sellafield to Dounreay and Europe in the light of the forthcoming closure of Carlisle airport.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  As this is an operational matter for BNFL, I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Nuclear Accidents
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements have been made in the event of a nuclear accident occurring in the United Kingdom larger than the so-called reference accident.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's statement on 12 December 1988. She said that extensive consultations with the emergency services and local authorities have"confirmed the availability of contingency plans which would permit an effective response to be made to any nuclear accident, including those with more widespread effects than the specific site and off-site plans are designed to cater for".—[Official Report, 12 December 1988; Vol. 143, c. 388.]
  Off-site emergency exercises are regularly based on an assumed radioactive release going significantly beyond that which could arise from the reference accident to ensure this wider capability is tested.

  Electricity Prices
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the increase in electricity prices in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Annual percentage changes in electricity prices in current terms, that is, with no adjustment for inflation, are given in the table. Separate figures are given for domestic and industrial consumers.

  Change in prices over previous year per cent.

  Year

  Domestic

  Indtustrial

  1979

  8·5

  11·1

  1980

  27·3

  23·3

  1981

  20·2

  15·8

  651

  Year

  Domestic

  Industrial

  1982

  9·8

  9·5

  1983

  3·7

  0·4

  1984

  1·4

  -0·2

  1985

  3·2

  3·9

  1986

  2·2

  0·9

  1987

  -0·5

  -2·9

  1988

  5·4

  5·5

  Source Fuel price indices, Energy Trends.

  Gas Prices
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the increase in gas prices in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Annual percentage changes in gas prices in current terms, that is, with no adjustment for inflation, are given in the table. Separate figures are given for domestic and industrial consumers.

  Change in prices over previous year (Percentage)

  Year

  Domestic

  Industrial

  1979

  3·7

  14·1

  1980

  16·6

  36·0

  1981

  26·0

  21·2

  1982

  24·7

  6·3

  1983

  12·0

  1·7

  1984

  3·7

  3·3

  1985

  4·1

  6·8

  1986

  1·8

  -12·8

  1987

  -1·0

  -5·8

  1988

  0·8

  -4·8

  Source: Fuel price indices, Energy Trends.

  Coal Mining Subsidies
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy by when the Government intend to comply with EEC directives on eliminating subsidies to the British coal mining industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  There are no EC directives on eliminating subsidies to the British coal mining industry. The Government already comply with the EC directive on coal state aids under which member states can provide specified financial support to their coal industries subject to either the approval of, or prior notification to, the Commission.

  Energy Efficiency
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how the Government intend to improve energy efficiency in the United Kingdom during 1990–91.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Energy efficiency is primarily a matter for individual consumers. The Energy Efficiency Office will continue to provide help and guidance to consumers, to improve their energy management and to encourage the energy efficiency industry. For Government Departments, where the Government have direct responsibility for energy use, we announced a framework for securing energy savings rising to £45 million per year, equivalent to 15 per cent. of their energy bills, over five years.

  Power Stations
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if provision will be made to make available to independent electricity generators the portfolio of redundant power stations currently held by National Power and PowerGen.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Electricity Act 1989 includes, in schedule 3, a provision which could enable one electricity licence holder to make a compulsory purchase order covering surplus land held by another.

EMPLOYMENT

  YTS
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YTS starts and how many leavers were recorded by each payment type, by male and female, and by one or two-year training entitlement by standard training agency in the Yorkshire and Humberside region, for each of the last three months.

  Mr. Nicholls
  As the information is contained in several tables I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Library.

  Factory Inspectors
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, (1) pursuant to the answer of the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) of 31 October,Official Report, column 160, what are the criteria for the 1990 target number of factory inspectors;

  (2) what was the target number of factory inspectors for 1 April 1988 and April 1989; and what it is for 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Government have made financial provision for the Health and Safety Executive to allow recruitment as follows:

  Total factory inspectors in HSE1

  Inspectors in HM Factory Inspectorate

  1 April 1988

  634

  574

  1 April 1989

  2 649

  588

  1 April 1990

  640

  590

  1 Includes inspectors on non-inspection duties eg those contributing to policy or technical standards.

  2 Following an unexpectedly high rate of resignations during 1987–88, this "target" was reduced in October 1988 by HSE to 638.

  The criteria for HSE's 1990 target for factory inspectors were set out in the Health and Safety Commission's plan of work for 1989–90 and beyond.

  Labour and Social Affairs Council
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Labour and Social Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels on 30 October.

  Mr. Eggar
  The Council agreed some important items in the field of health and safety at work. They reached common positions on a directive to improve the minimum health and safety requirements for workers handling heavy loads, and on a directive covering health and safety requirements for workers working with visual display units.
  653
  The Council continued its discussion of a revised draft of the charter of social rights. The presidency conclusions on the draft charter will now go forward with a view to a decision on adoption, to the European Council in December.

  A report on a comparative study on working conditions in member states, drawn up by the Commission, was also discussed and welcomed. The Commission was invited to continue the work in consultation with member states.

  Disabled People (Quotas)
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the various grants for which employers may apply in order to facilitate the employment of disabled people; and if he will indicate in each case(a) the amounts allocated by his Department and (b) the amounts taken up by employers, in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 6 November 1989]: My Department provides a variety of help to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities, including six special schemes to help overcome specific barriers to work. Two of these offer grants to employers:

  (a) the Job Introduction Scheme—grants towards an individual's wages during a trial period.

  (b) the Adaptations to Premises and Equipment Scheme—grants to employers to adapt their premises or equipment to enable a specific disabled employee to work more effectively and productively.

  The other four offer help directly to individuals. Money is allocated to the special schemes as a bloc, and expenditure on any one scheme is not constrained by estimates for that scheme; these are based each year on previous take-up and other evidence of likely demand.

  Between 1979–80 and 1988–89, total expenditure on all the special schemes for the disabled rose from £743,000 per annum to £5,669,000 per annum.

  The financial information requested about the two schemes is as follows:

  Job introduction scheme

  Year

  Expenditure estimate £

  Actual expenditure £

  1979–80

  334,000

  297,201

  1980–81

  457,000

  269,433

  1981–82

  425,000

  354,588

  1982–83

  531,500

  439,861

  1983–84

  571,000

  567,980

  1984–85

  646,000

  659,000

  1985–86

  760,000

  674,000

  1986–87

  837,000

  574,000

  1987–88

  920,000

  619,000

  1988–89

  609,000

  614,000

  Adaptations to premises and equipment scheme

  Year

  Expenditure estimate £

  Actual expenditure £

  1979–80

  330,000

  50,000

  1980–81

  381,000

  64,233

  1981–82

  150,000

  71,469

  1982–83

  177,000

  107,334

  1983–84

  280,000

  134,412

  1984–85

  150,000

  243,649

  1985–86

  250,000

  295,000

  1986–87

  450,000

  256,000

  1987–88

  480,000

  404,000

  1988–89

  354,000

  423,000

NORTHERN IRELAND

  NATO Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO exercise Wintex/Cimex 1987 and exercise Wintex/Cimex 1989; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercise themselves; and what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.

  Mr. Cope
  The Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments each play their part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required. It would not be appropriate for me to supply the detail requested.

  Arts
  The Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the visits made by each of the Ministers in his Department to events in the arts in the last year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 1 November 1989]: The information on official visits to arts events is as follows:

  Secretary of State

  Julius Caesar, Grand Opera House.

  Armada Exhibition, Ulster Museum.

  Don Giovanni, Grand Opera House.

  Minister of State

  Spanish Armada Exhibition—Ulster Museum.

  Ulster Orchestra Concert—London.

  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for Health

  Ulster Society of Women Artists Annual Summer Exhibition—QUB Department of Architecture, 15 Chlorine Gardens.

  Save the Children Reception—Dolls House Exhibition—Ulster Folk Museum.

  Faust—Grand Opera House.

  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for the Environment

  Look Back in Anger.

  Jazz Concert—Cornmarket.

  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for Education

  Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts—Reception at Hillsborough Castle.

  Armada Exhibition—Ulster Museum.

  Young Farmers' Clubs Arts Festival, Ballymena.

  Performance of Peter Pan by Scottish Ballet—Grand Opera House, Belfast.

  "The Entertainers"—Little Theatre, Bangor.

  National Choral Competition—Whitla Hall.

  Opening Emigration Gallery and Ship—Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh.

  American Waterways Wind Orchestra Performance—Donegall Quay, Belfast.

  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for Economic Development

  National Portrait Gallery, London—private viewing.

  Tate Gallery, London—private viewing.

  Hayward Gallery, London—private viewing.

  Grand Opera House, Belfast.

  Tate Gallery, London—reception.

  Castleward Opera.

  British Museum.

  Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for Agriculture

  655

  Spanish Armada Exhibition—Ulster Museum

  British Food and Farming Exhibition—Cultra Manor.

  Musical Evening.

  Cinema Visit.

  Queen's Film Theatre.

DEFENCE

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigations have been undertaken into the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls in radar units and other equipment; what steps have been taken to arrange for their safe disposal; what measures have been taken to protect the health and safety of operators; what plans there are to discontinue their use; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  Extensive checks have been made over a number of years by the services and the Procurement Executive to ascertain whether equipment in use contains polychlorinated biphenyls. Such checks continue to be made as required. When disposal action needs to be taken, special arrangements are made to ensure that polychlorinated biphenyls are disposed of in accordance with the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980.

  Appropriate control measures have been laid down in general guidance on the handling of equipment containing polychlorinated biphenyls which has been issued to all units and establishments. This includes advice on the hazards involved and the steps to be taken to prevent contamination, including the use of protective clothing as appropriate.

  In accordance with the relevant regulations, whole equipments or components containing polychlorinated biphenyls, which are already in service, are not disposed of until they become obsolete or reach the end of their service life, unless they need replacing sooner.

  Defence Procurement
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will estimate the value of defence procurement in the northern region.

  Mr. Neubert
  Table 6.9 in volume II of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989" (SDE) shows that in 1986–87, the latest year for which figures are available, equipment expenditure of some £500 million was recorded against locations in the northern region of England. The assumptions which underlie the calculations are explained in an essay on pages 61–62 of SDE 88 volume II.

  Emergency Broadcasts
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the liaison arrangements between his Department and the United States civilian or military authorities on the proposed content of emergency radio and television broadcasts in the United Kingdom during a pre-war crisis.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No liaison arrangements have been made between my Department and United States civilian or military authorities on the proposed content of emergency radio and television broadcasts in the United 656
  Kingdom during a pre-war crisis, but there would naturally be liaison between the United Kingdom and its NATO allies over such matters at such a time.

  NATO Courses
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of United Kingdom military and civil participants in the biannual courses on civil-military co-operation held by NATO at Oberammergau.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United Kingdom sends military field-grade officers of rank from major to colonel and civilians of equivalent status who have responsibilities for civil emergency or contingency planning. crisis management or aid to the civil authorities.

  Civil-Military Co-operation Conference
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of United Kingdom delegates to the annual conference on civil-military co-operation at headquarters allied forces central Europe, Brunssum.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  United Kingdom representatives at lieutenant colonel or equivalent level who have responsibilities for contingency planning and crisis management will attend the conference.

  NATO Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO Exercise Wintex-Cimex 1987 and Exercise Wintex-Cimex 1989; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercises themselves; and what are the ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My Department plays its part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required; it would not be appropriate for me to supply the detail requested.

  Immingham and Tilbury Ports
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present state of progress towards(a) Immingham and (b) Tilbury ports' development of Z-berths for nuclear-powered submarine visits.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The only ports which are currently under discussion with local authorities as possible venues for visits by nuclear-powered submarines are Swansea and Tilbury. Regarding Tilbury, I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon) on 5 May 1989 at column 277.

  Meteorological and Hydrographic Offices
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the nature of the differences between the agency to be established for the Meteorological Office and the defence support agency to be established for the Hydrographic Office at Taunton.

  Mr. Neubert
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence explained in his speech in the defence
  657
  debate on 18 October, at column 155, many support activities are an integral part of overall military capability and must remain within the chain of command. Nevertheless, we believe that many of these support activities can be organised on the same lines as full Next Steps agencies, within framework documents which set out the terms under which the support agencies are to be managed on a day-to-day basis. In this way, it is possible for more of the Ministry of Defence to share in the advantages of the Government's Next Steps initiative.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place copies of the criteria governing the management and operation of(a) the agency to be established for the Meteorological Office and (b) the agency to be established for the Hydrographic Office in the Library.

  Mr. Neubert
  It is my intention to place in the Library, when these activities become agencies next year, copies of their framework documents, excluding any classified or commercially sensitive parts.

  Defence Support Agencies
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a) military survey activities, (b) defence accounts activities and (c) Royal Air Force training activities are due to become defence support agencies; and what is the nature of any other activities that are currently being considered for possible re-organisation into defence support agencies.

  Mr. Neubert
  We plan to start operating the Hydrographic Office at Taunton as a defence support agency from April 1990. In addition, we are currently preparing framework documents to cover the operations of the following activities:

  (a) Directorate of Military Survey at Feltham (excluding overseas elements)

  (b) Director General Defence Accounts, including its central bill-paying office at Liverpool and pay-roll offices at Cheadle Hulme and elsewhere

  (c) The RAF's training organisation within RAF Support command, based at various locations within the United Kingdom

  (d) Service Children's Schools in North West Europe.

  We are also looking at a wide range of other possibilities for operation as defence support agencies, including activities in the areas of aircraft maintenance and repair, stores and transport, naval bases, computer services, education and chemical defence research.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what service schools in Germany are due to become defence support agencies.

  Mr. Neubert
  As announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 18 October at column 155, we are considering operating service children's schools in north-west Europe as a defence support agency, run on Next Steps lines, but remaining within the defence chain of command. The exact scope of the proposed new organisation is under study. There are 87 service children's schools in north-west Europe, located in the Federal Republic of Germany (and Berlin), Belgium and Sardinia.

  Military Flights
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what details are required as standard operational practice before the competent authority authorises a flight by military aircraft operating within the United Kingdom airspace; and why no central records are kept of unauthorised low flights by military aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  The requirement for information varies according to the circumstances. No central records are kept of unauthorised low flights because none is required.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the offer by the Federal Republic of Germany to pay the costs of the alteration of the MSD 2000 radar to satisfy United Kingdom requirements for the European fighter aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Under agreed arrangements for procuring individual items of commonly required equipment, participants in the European fighter aircraft project pay for work undertaken within their own country. Two international consortia in which the industry of all four nations are represented have submitted proposals for developing radar for the European fighter aircraft; and discussions are proceeding among the European fighter aircraft nations with the aim of making a choice acceptable to all four participants.

  Frigates
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the purchase of ships built under licence to the design of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation frigate replacement 90 programme in United Kingdom shipyards; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  Following the United Kingdom withdrawal from the NFR90 project, we are looking at how best to meet the Royal Navy's requirement for a replacement for the type 42 destroyer, to come into service at about the turn of the century. It is most unlikely that this would involve licensing any design which might emerge from the NFR90 project.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many courts martial have been held in the RAF for alleged low-flying offences in the last 10 years for which information is available; how many findings of guilt there have been; and what sentences have been imposed.

  Mr. Neubert
  The table provides details of the Royal Air Force courts martial for low-flying offences in the last 10 years at which the accused were found guilty; there have been no cases in the past 10 years where individuals charged under sections 51 or 52 of the Air Force Act 1955 were found not guilty.
  659

  Year

  Number of courts martial

  Number of personnel involved

  Charges under Air Force Act 1955

  Sentence

  1985

  1

  1

  Sections 51 and 52

  £300 fine and Severe Reprimand

  1989

  1

  1

  Sections 51 and 52

  Loss of 18 months seniority and Severe Reprimand1

  In addition one service man was charged under section 692 in connection with the 1989 case, and was sentenced to the loss of 18 months seniority and a severe reprimand1.

  1 Findings and sentence subject to confirmation.

  2 Conduct to the prejudice of good order and Air Force discipline.

  Conventional Forces
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the effect on the NATO doctrine of forward defence in the event that the CFE talks achieve substantial reductions in conventional forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Any CFE agreement will require the Alliance to examine its force structures. Our current assessment is that forward defence is likely to remain a key element in NATO strategy for the foreseeable future.

  Airborne Stand-off Radar
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the deployment of an airborne stand-off radar system in Europe.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Studies into the feasibility and cost of an airborne stand-off radar system are in progress. No decisions to deploy such a system have been taken.

  Conventional Weapons
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards the redistribution of forces within NATO in the event that the CFE talks achieve substantial reductions in conventional weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The implications of a CFE agreement for NATO forces are under consideration in the Alliance.

  Leaded Petrol
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any vehicles belonging to or used by his Department and used on public roads run on leaded petrol.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Most vehicles used by the Ministry of Defence on public roads either run on unleaded petrol, or use diesel fuel. However, there is a residual number of vehicles, in particular some types of Land-Rover, which run on leaded petrol and which it would not be cost effective to convert to unleaded fuel. As they reach the end of their useful life they are replaced with vehicles which can run on unleaded petrol or are diesel-engined.

SCOTLAND

  Lockerbie Air Crash
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scoland if he has been approached by Strathclyde police about the length of time taken by the West German federal 660
  police to release relevant evidence in the form of an Air Malta loading list from Frankfurt; and what effect this has had on the investigation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The investigation is being carried out by Dumfries and Galloway constabulary with assistance from Strathclyde police and other police forces who report to my noble and learned friend the Lord Advocate.

  The police have not found it necessary to approach the Lord Advocate or any Government Minister in this connection.

  The Lord Advocate does not consider that it is helpful to speculate upon specific lines of inquiry or their relevance to the general investigation.

  Both he and the chief constable of Dumfries and Galloway constabulary have recently emphasised the importance and productivity of a good working relationship which exists with the West German police and prosecution authorities.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether all the available evidence that is held by the West German police forces investigating the Lockerbie air crash has been made available to the British police force investigating the crash.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As I have stated in another answer, my noble and learned friend, the Lord Advocate has overall responsibility for the criminal investigation and any criminal proceedings in this country which may result from it.

  In a press statement which he issued on Monday 30 October and again on 5 November he emphasised that the degree of international co-operation in this case has been unprecedented. That co-operation has included unprecedented access to evidential material held by the West German federal police (BKA). Neither he nor the chief constable of Dumfries and Galloway constabulary, who is leading the international inquiry, has any reason to believe that any evidence available to the German police has been denied to the investigating team.

  Oil Seed Rape
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the impact of the cultivation of oil seed rape on human health or allergies; and if his Department will sponsor any research on this subject.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Although oil seed rape pollens have been identified as a cause of allergic reactions in some individuals there are at present no medical grounds for distinguishing their effects from those of the pollens of other plants and trees. A range of medicines is available for the treatment of such allergic conditions.

  The Scottish Office will give favourable consideration to any soundly based relevant research proposal.

  Childhood Leukaemia
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by year to date, and by health authority, the number of incidences of childhood leukaemia that have been reported following the Chernobyl accident; and what was the reported number of incidences in 1980 and 1986.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The numbers of cases of leukaemia recorded in children in the 0 to 14 age group in Scotland, analysed by health board of residence in the years 1980, 1986 and 1987, are shown in the following table. 1987 is the latest year for which cancer registration in Scotland is complete.

  Health Board

  1980

  1986

  1987

  Argyll and Clyde

  4

  4

  6

  Ayrshire and Arran

  2

  1

  4

  Borders

  1

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  1

  0

  0

  Fife

  3

  2

  7

  Forth Valley

  4

  1

  3

  Grampian

  3

  5

  2

  Greater Glasgow

  12

  11

  9

  Highland

  3

  1

  0

  Lanarkshire

  5

  1

  5

  Lothian

  6

  6

  9

  Orkney

  0

  0

  0

  Shetland

  0

  0

  0

  Tayside

  7

  0

  5

  Western Isles

  0

  0

  1

  Scotland

  51

  32

  51

  Gaelic Broadcasting
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to support a Gaelic broadcasting council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  The Government are currently considering the future of Gaelic broadcasting, including Comunn na

  Number of schools with school board

  Region/Islands areas

  Primary schools

  Percentage of Primary schools

  Secondary schools

  Percentage of Secondary schools

  Borders

  35

  45

  7

  78

  Central

  60

  51

  10

  53

  Dumfries and Galloway

  58

  50

  13

  81

  Fife

  72

  50

  15

  79

  Grampian

  151

  55

  28

  72

  Highland

  83

  41

  22

  81

  Lothian

  159

  65

  40

  78

  Orkney

  15

  75

  5

  83

  Shetland

  15

  54

  8

  100

  Strathclyde

  636

  71

  158

  85

  Tayside

  96

  52

  25

  78

  Western Isles

  31

  69

  5

  100

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number, in each regional council area, of schools in (a) the primary sector and (b) the secondary sector which did not
  662
  Gaidhlig's proposals for the establishment of a Gaelic broadcasting council; and we will announce our conclusion shortly.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of Grampian Television to discuss Gaelic broadcasting; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  My right hon. and learned Friend met the managing director of Grampian Television on 5 April 1989 to discuss issues, including Gaelic broadcasting, arising from the broadcasting White Paper. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Scottish Television and Border Television.

  Advisers
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report all current advisers to his Department who are not career civil servants, giving their date of appointment and fees.

  Mr. Rifkind
  There are currently two part-time advisers to the Scottish Office. They are:

  Professor J. Lamb CBE, Scientific Adviser, appointed on 20 September 1987.

  Dr. C. K. Bennington, Industrial Adviser, appointed on 8 August 1988.

  It is not our practice to divulge the remuneration of industrial advisers. Fees are negotiated individually and relate to previous outside earnings.

  School Boards
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number, in each regional council area, of schools in (a) the primary sector and (b) the secondary sector which now have a school board in place, showing each total as a percentage of the total number of such schools in the area.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the table:

  require to hold elections for school boards, showing these as a percentage of the total number of boards currently in place.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is set out in the table.
  663

  Number of schools where a School Board has been established without a contested election

  Region/Islands area

  Primary

  Percentage of total number of primary School Boards

  Secondary

  Percentage of total number of secondary School Boards

  Borders

  7

  20

  2

  29

  Central

  22

  37

  0

  0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  28

  48

  5

  38

  Fife

  23

  32

  4

  27

  Grampian

  48

  32

  5

  18

  Highland

  37

  45

  3

  14

  Lothian

  39

  25

  4

  10

  Orkney

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Shetland

  5

  33

  0

  0

  Strathclyde

  258

  41

  50

  32

  Tayside

  29

  30

  4

  16

  Western Isles

  22

  71

  1

  20

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a list of the bodies which have expressed themselves to his Department(a) in favour and (b) against the proposal to create three separate Nature Conservancy Councils, as referred to in the letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow from the Minister of State at his Department, dated 31 October.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Development Department consultation paper "Scotland's Natural Heritage" invited comments on the proposals to merge the Countryside Commission for Scotland (CCS) with a new Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland (NCCS) to form a single natural heritage agency for Scotland. Although not specifically invited to do so, some respondents commented on the Government's decision to create three separate NCCs but it is not possible to give a breakdown of these in the manner requested. My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to announce the outcome of the consultation exercise soon.

  Health Service (Grading Appeals)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report, to the latest available date, the number of appeals against clinical grading which have now been heard, the number that are still outstanding and the figures for each health board area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 1 November 1989]: The information is not available since there is no central record of the total number of appeals lodged nor of the number resolved at unit level.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what basis is the notional income on capital calculated, under the Housing Benefit (Community Charge Rebate) (Scotland) Regulations 1988, such that £1 is deemed the notional income for every £250 increment of capital between £3,000 and £8,000.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have been asked to reply.

  Tariff income on capital progressively reduces entitlement to community charge rebate for those with higher levels of capital. The Government believe that it is right to expect claimants with savings above £3,000 to use some of those resources to meet their day-to-day living expenses thereby reducing the burden on taxpayers.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the proportion of(a) all pensioner households and (b) those pensioner households financially dependent solely on state benefit likely to receive a rebate on the community charge.

  Mr. Scott
  All elderly people financially dependent solely on state benefits will be entitled to receive community charge benefit, and the vast majority of them will be entitled to maximum community charge benefit. The precise number of pensioner households who will receive community charge benefit will be affected by the community charge transitional relief scheme, and I will write to my hon. Friend about the remainder of his question when the Government's public expenditure plans have been published.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will now reconsider the six-month rule relating to attendance allowance in order to ensure that there is no systematic failure to provide early stage community care for people with a proven attendance need arising out of chronic sickness or disability.

  Mr. Scott
  The provision of community care services is a matter for local authority social service departments who will consider clients' needs whether or not they are getting attendance allowance. We shall look at the six months waiting period for the allowance when we consider the future of disability benefits in the light of the results of the OPCS disability surveys. Meanwhile, we have already announced our intention to remove this waiting period for terminally ill people.

  Income Support
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state the levels of weekly income which may be disregarded for persons whose families are in receipt of income support and who may have some part-time self-employed work; and how these levels of disregard have changed over the past 10 years, under the present system and the previous supplementary benefit system.
  665
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The weekly amount of earnings that may be disregarded for people with families who are in part-time self-employment and receiving income suport are:

  £

  Couples aged under 60 years who have been continuously in receipt of supplementary benefit/income support for two years or more.

  15 per couple

  Couples receiving or with underlying title to the disability premium (for example people who have been sick for 28 weeks or more, or are disabled).

  15 per couple

  All other couples.

  5 each member

  Lone parents.

  15

  The equivalent levels of earnings disregarded under the Supplementary Benefit scheme since 1979 were:

  Claimants

  Partners

  Dependants

  11986

  11987

  11988

  11986

  11987

  11988

  11986

  11987

  11988

  North Eastern

  794

  777

  700

  200

  193

  155

  376

  386

  382

  London North

  774

  755

  643

  166

  164

  117

  338

  342

  310

  London South

  680

  664

  581

  134

  121

  93

  280

  267

  273

  Wales and South Western

  624

  607

  546

  142

  129

  105

  258

  245

  240

  Midlands

  821

  818

  714

  213

  200

  152

  403

  396

  374

  North Western

  739

  738

  669

  165

  164

  128

  352

  375

  380

  Scotland

  506

  535

  499

  107

  102

  92

  219

  225

  236

  Totals2

  4,938

  4,896

  4,352

  1,127

  1,074

  841

  2,227

  2,236

  2,196

  1 Figures for June of each year are unavailable. The information relates to February 1986, May 1987 and May 1988. Figures are in thousands.

  2Totals do not consistently sum due to rounding.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest e discretion of a social sick people receiving income support.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information on the number of receiving income support is not available. However, the latest available estimates are that some 248,000 income support claimants are in receipt of the disability premium which is payable to sick or disabled people.

  Grants and Loans (Clothing)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discretion his Department's local offices have over the payment of grants or loans to help people on pensions, income support and invalidity benefit meet the additional costs of purchasing necessary extra clothing for a person as in-patients in hospital; and if he will take steps to ensure that these provisions are interpreted with adequate generosity at local level to ensure that the real needs of claimants are met.

  £

  Supplementary benefit (to April 1988) Income support (from April 1988)

  Family income supplement (to April 1988)

  Rent rebates and rent allowances1 to April 1983)

  Family Credit (from April 1988)

  Housing benefit (from 1982–83) Community charge benefit (from April 1989)

  1979

  Up to £1,200 ignored. Over £1,200, an income of 25p a week was taken into account for each complete £50

  No capital limit

  No capital limit

  November 1980

  Up to £2,000 ignored. No entitlement to benefit if capital exceeded £2,000

  No capital limit

  No capital limit

  666

  1979–80 £

  November 1980–April 1988 £

  People required to register for employment.

  2

  4

  People not required to register for employment.

  4

  4

  Lone parents.

  6

  112 maximum

  1 £4 plus half the amount of any earnings between £4 and £20.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list in the Official Report the total numbers in each region of the United Kingdom of (a) direct recipients of supplementary benefit or income support payments and (b) the estimated number of dependants of such recipients in June of each year since 1986.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information for Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The information by social security region for Great Britain is as follows:

  Mr. Scott
  Social fund budgeting loans and community care grants may be awarded, at the discretion of a social fund officer, to help people on income support with the cost of clothing. Hospital in-patients who are not receiving income support may be able to obtain a crisis loan where it is planned that they will be discharged from hospital within two weeks and a loan is the only means of avoiding serious risk to health or safety. Whether a loan or grant can be made is for a social fund officer to decide having regard to the circumstances of the individual case.

  Benefit Limits
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretaryof State for Social Security if he will list in the Official Report the various capital limits that have existed for each relevant social security benefit, including housing benefit, since 1979, above which no benefit is payable.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is as follows:
  667

  Supplementary benefit (to April 1988) Income support (from April 1988)

  Family income supplement (to April 1988)

  Rent rebates and rent allowances1 to April 1983)

  Family Credit (from April 1988)

  Housing benefit (from 1982–83) Community charge benefit (from April 1989)

  November 1982

  Up to £2,500 ignored. No entitlement to benefit if capital exceeded £2,500

  No capital limit

  No capital limit

  November 1983

  Up to £3,000 ignored. No entitlement to benefit if capital exceeded £3,000

  No capital limit

  No capital limit

  April 1988

  Up to £3,000 ignored. Over £3,000, an income of £1 a week is taken into account for each £250, or part of £250, between £3,000 and £6,000.No entitlement to benefit if capital exceeds £6,000

  As in Income Support

  As in Income Support

  May 1988 to date

  As above

  As in Income Support

  Up to £3,000 ignored. Over £3,000, an income of £1 a week is taken into account for each £250, or part of £250, between £3,000 and £8,000.No entitlement to benefit if capital exceeds £8,000

  1 Note. —Between 1979 and the phased introduction of I-lousing rent rebate, rent allowance and rate rebate schemes which were not Social Security benefits.

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will allocate funds to set up a working group to investigate improvements of wheelchairs for disabled people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  No. The disablement services authority, which has responsibility for the provision of wheelchair services in England, has this matter under consideration.

  Social Fund Allocations 1988–89

  Grants

  Loans

  Local Office

  Allocation for grants remaining at 31 March 1989

  Applications remaining to be processed at 31 March 1989

  Allocation for loans remaining at 31 March 1989

  Applications remaining to be processed at 31 March 1989

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  Doncaster East

  —1

  2

  —1

  57

  Doncaster West

  97

  33

  75

  181

  Wath-on-Dearne

  77

  13

  9

  114

  Social Fund Allocations 1989–90

  Grants

  Loans

  Local Office

  Allocation for grants remaining at 30 September 1989

  Applications remaining to be processed at 30 September 1989

  Allocation for loans remaining at 30 September 1989

  Applications remaining to be processed at 30 September 1989

  (£000s)

  (£000s)

  Doncaster East

  71

  10

  187

  49

  Doncaster West

  152

  33

  290

  163

  Wath-on-Dearne

  68

  28

  170

  93

  1 Figures not available.

  Part-time Workers
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce legislation to revise the current national insurance plan to include provision for cover for part-time workers on a pro-rata basis.

  Offices (Doncaster and Wath-on-Dearne)
  Mr. Martin Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list by social security offices in(a) Doncaster and (b) Wath-on-Dearne, the number of social fund applications that remained unprocessed at the end of the financial year 1988–89, the number that are currently awaiting determination, and the underspend at each office in 1988–89.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Part-time workers who earn above the lower earnings limit, currently £43 per week, are already included in national insurance on the same basis as full-time employees. We have no current plans to introduce legislation to extend national insurance to those who earn less than the lower earnings limit.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what problems he has identified arising from recent changes in social security regulations relating to homelessness among young people; and whether he intends to make any changes to the regulations.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The broad thrust of our policy for the majority of 16 and 17-year-olds is correct; it would be irresponsible to provide a perverse incentive to leave home needlessly.

  However, our monitoring and discussions with interested bodies revealed earlier this year that a minority were facing real difficulties. As a result, the following changes were made in July:

  (a) 16 and 17-year-olds on income support who, for good reason, have to live independently, became entitled to a higher rate of income support as a recognition of higher and unavoidable expenses (there was a similar relaxation in the rules governing housing benefit);

  (b) in addition, entitlement to income support during the child benefit extension period was extended to those 16 and 17-year-olds genuinely estranged from their parents;

  (c) those 16 and 17-year-olds who seek emergency accommodation in night shelters are now automatically considered for payment of income support under the "severe hardship" provisions;

  (d) special training arrangements were introduced for those officials who deal with claims from the vulnerable group of young people who are estranged from their families or who have had to leave home for some other good reason.

  Those who are homeless continue to be able to claim a social fund crisis loan to enable them to secure accommodation.

  We continue to monitor the effects of the 1988 social security reforms including those affecting 16 and 17-year-olds.

  Social Fund
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount for each social security region of unspent social fund allocations, and the national total, for both loans and grants, for the last financial year.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is contained in the table.

  Table

  Year 1988–89

  Grants Outstanding balance

  Loans Outstanding balance

  National £ million

  18·5

  17·5

  North East Region

  3·0

  1·5

  North West Region

  1·5

  2·5

  Midlands Region

  2·5

  2·0

  London North Region

  2·0

  4·0

  London South Region

  2·0

  4·0

  Wales and South West Region

  1·0

  1·0

  Scotland

  5·5

  2·5

  Note: Figures rounded to the nearest £½ million.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many housing benefit recipients are(a) retired pensioners, (b) unemployed and (c) sick.
  670
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information is not collected on a basis which can identify those who are sick. The information available is in the table.

  Estimated numbers receiving housing benefit: Great Britain May 1988

  Claimants also in receipt of Income Support (000)

  Claimants in receipt of Housing Benefit only (000)

  Claimant or partner aged 60 or over

  1,440

  1,720

  Registered unemployed

  880

  n/a

  Single Claimants
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average weekly payment of(a) unemployment benefit, (b) sickness benefit, (c) invalidity benefit and (d) retirement pension received by a single claimant.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information is not available in the precise form requested. The table shows the average weekly payments of unemployment benefit, invalidity benefit and retirement pension, at the latest available dates, to persons without adult dependants. They may be single, married, widowed or divorced. I regret that similar information is not available for sickness benefit, but the average payment to all sickness beneficiaries at 2 April 1988 was £33·65.

  Type of benefit

  Average weekly payment to persons without adult dependants

  Unemployment benefit

  £34·41 (at May 1989)

  Invalidity benefit

  £46·74 (at 2 April 1988)

  Retirement pension1

  £38·87 (at 31 March 1989)

  1 Contributory retirement pension only.

  Unemployed Persons
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the number of unemployed persons in receipt of(a) unemployment benefit only, (b) unemployment benefit combined with income support and (c) income support only.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is as follows. The figures relate to August 1989, the latest date for which they are available.

  Number of unemployed claimants

  Unemployment benefit only

  242,573

  Unemployment benefit and income support

  88,128

  Income support only

  1,001,918

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he is yet in a position, following the undertaken given during the Committee stage of the Social Security Bill 1989, to publish the results of the monitoring exercise undertaken to establish the effects of the increase in the maximum period of disqualification for unemployment benefit on grounds of voluntary unemployment.
  671
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have today arranged for copies of two reports, one by Social and Community Planning Research, the other by the Department, to be placed in the Library.

  War Widows
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is, for the latest year for which records exist, the average pension received from all sources by a war widow whose husband was of private rank or equivalent and who died or left the armed forces(a) before 31 March 1973 and (b) after that date.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 25 October 1989]: I regret this information is not available. Under the war pension scheme administered by the Department of Social Security a war widow of a private would receive currently a tax-free war widows pension of £56·65. In addition, age allowances of £6·10 at 65, £12·20 at 70 and £15·30 at 80 are payable. It is unlikely that widows whose husbands served on or after 31 March 1973 would be eligible for age allowances. A war widow whose husband served on or after 31 March 1973 would also receive a forces family pension paid under the armed forces pension scheme. For the widow of a private this would be about £68 a week, the exact figure depending on the year in which her husband's service ended. About 75 per cent. of war widows are also in receipt of a retirement pension, but no information is available about the rates received. Nor is it known what other pensions or income individual war widows may have.

  Mr. Neil Thorne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what definition his Department uses of war widow for pension purposes.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: The Department applies the legislation for the time being in force. Different orders or schemes apply in different circumstances, but none of these provides an express definition of the term "war widow". The Service Pensions Order provides a pension in certain circumstances for a widow of a member of the armed forces whose death was due to service. Whether death was due to service is determined in accordance with the substantive provisions of the order. The civilians scheme includes provision for the award of pensions to widows where the late husband's death was a direct result of war injuries or war service injuries. There are a number of other schemes which also provide pensions for widows who satisfy the requirements of that particular scheme. These include widows whose late husbands were members of the Naval Auxiliary Service, Mercantile Marine, Her Majesty's Coastguard, Auxiliary Coastguard, Home Guard, Ulster Defence Regiment, Polish forces who served under British command during world war 2, the Polish resettlement forces, or the nursing and auxiliary services.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to increase the pensions of widows of the two world wars to make them more comparable with the benefits paid to widows of service men who died after 1973.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 1 November 1989]: Under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department of Social Security, the pension paid to a
  672
  war widow is the same regardless of when she was widowed. Provision for service men's widows through the occupational forces family pension paid under the armed forces pension scheme is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Defence. The pensions paid under the war pensions scheme are larger than national insurance widows' pensions, can be received in addition to a retirement pension on the widow's own contributions and are free of tax. In addition, age allowances of £6·10 at age 65, £12·20 at 70 and £15·30 at 80 are paid. These allowances are unique to the war pensions scheme and will be increased from next April to £7, £13·50 and £20 respectively. Eighty five per cent. of all war widows receive age allowances.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  River Crane
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what surveys or investigations concerning the River Crane in Isleworth have been carried out or authorised by or on behalf of his Department and what financial assistance is being given or promised by his Department to the National Rivers Authority for works connected with the River Crane.

  Mr. Gummer
  My Department's involvement in works in connection with the alleviation of flooding from the River Crane has been limited to giving agreement to the outline proposals for contract I which comprises the rebuilding of the channel of the tidal river downstream of Talbot Road bridge to its confluence with the Thames. No financial commitment has yet been requested or issued.

  Monofilament Fishing Nets
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will extend the prohibition on the use of monofilament nets by fishing fleets in inshore Scottish waters to cover the whole of Great Britain and offshore waters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  We have no plans to extend the prohibition on the use of nylon monofilament gill nets although we maintain close monitoring of the fishery. However, there are national mesh size restrictions pursuant to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975; the use of such nets is variously controlled in some inshore waters under byelaws made by National Rivers Authority regions or sea fisheries committee; and we announced on 27 July 1988 our intention to introduce certain national restrictions on the use of gill and other nets whose mesh sizes fall between 65mm and 89mm.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the fishing industry.

  Mr. Curry
  I am well aware of the current difficulties facing the industry but these must be seen against the years of unparalleled growth and prosperity since 1983. I am sure that the industry will be able to tackle the future with confidence within the framework of the common fisheries policy.

  Sheepmeat Regime
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current state of negotiations on the future of the sheepmeat regime.

  Mr. Curry
  The Council of Agriculture Ministers adopted a regulation in September providing for substantial changes to the sheepmeat regime. The regulation will begin to have effect in January next year.

  Woodlands
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by county in England and Wales the Forestry Commission woodlands which have been sold during each of the last three years, stating for each disposal the hectarage involved.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland on 6 November 1989 at column 486.

  Animal Products (Exports)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which countries require additional certificates accompanying animal products exported from the United Kingdom to show they are free from radioactivity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Scientific advice on which the Government rely is to the effect that all food produced and marketed in the United Kingdom may be safely consumed as free from harmful radioactive material. Nevertheless since the Chernobyl incident a number of countries—especially in the middle and far east—have required official certificates to this effect in respect of their food imports from the United Kingdom. My Dement has routinely provided these at the request of the exporters to facilitate exports. No exhaustive list of those importing countries requiring such certification has been maintained and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Salmonella
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has taken or he plans to take to ensure that breeding flocks in other European Community countries known to be contaminated with salmonella enteriditis become free of this bacteria; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am pressing for the adoption of Community measures to tackle the problem of salmonella in poultry flocks.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any evidence to link salmonella typhimurium with the contamination of eggs, and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Salmonella typhimurium is known to be present in some poultry laying flocks and, like Salmonella enteritidis, has the potential to contaminate eggs. This can arise in a number of ways including contamination of the shell by infected faeces as the egg is laid and subsequent 674
  penetration into the egg contents. The evidence supporting this view was upheld by the Select Committee on Agriculture in its first report on salmonella in eggs published in February 1989.

  Contaminated Meat
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library the results of the research carried out at his central veterinary laboratory on the bacteriological contamination of poultry meat and sausages.

  Mr. Gummer
  No research on the bacteriological contamination of poultry meat and sausages is carried out at the central veterinary laboratory, Weybridge.

  London Food Commission
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he intends to invite a representative from the London Food Commission to participate in the new consumer panel announced by him on 2 November.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have written to the National Consumer Council, the Consumers Association and the Consumers in the European Community group inviting each organisation to nominate representatives of consumer interests to the consumer panel. I have suggested that in those nominations they should put forward ordinary consumers rather than representatives of particular organisations or lobby groups.

  Potassium Bromate
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take as a result of the recent review by the Food Advisory Committee on the use of potassium bromate in foodstuffs.

  Mr. Maclean
  Potassium bromate is currently approved for use as a flour improver. That approval was given on the basis that when the flour was used in bread the baking process ensured that there were no residues left. Recently, improved analytical techniques have indicated that this is not necessarily the case and that there may be some very small residues. The Food Advisory Committee has thus recommended that approval for potassium bromate as a flour improver should be withdrawn. I accept that advice and as the law requires will be circulating the draft regulations for consultation today. Potassium bromate is also used in the brewing industry but there are not the same residue questions there and this usage will therefore be allowed to continue for the present.

  I have deposited a copy of the Food Advisory Committee's advice in the Library of the House.

  Straw and Stubble Burning
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by county the number of successful prosecutions for breaches of straw and stubble burning law for the current year, and the penalties imposed.

  Mr. Patten
  [holding answer 27 October 1989]: I have been asked to reply.
  675
  Information held centrally for 1988 is given in the table. Of the 33 offenders found guilty one (in Hertfordshire) was given an absolute discharge and the remainder were fined. Data for 1989 are not yet available.

  Offenders found guilty under section 235 of the Local Government Act 1972—Byelaws relating to the burning of straw or stubble

  Police force area

  Total found guilty

  Average amount fined (£000)

  Avon and Somerset

  3

  45

  Bedfordshire

  1

  200

  Cambridgeshire

  5

  210

  Cleveland

  3

  50

  Gloucestershire

  1

  200

  Hertfordshire

  4

  100

  Lincolnshire

  9

  110

  Northamptonshire

  1

  100

  North Yorkshire

  2

  50

  Warwickshire

  1

  100

  Wiltshire

  3

  190

  England and Wales

  33

  125

  BSE
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any further action in the light of the Southwood report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Gummer
  [pursuant to the reply, 13 June 1989, c. 352]: All bovine animals which are found to have BSE are slaughtered and destroyed. Meat from these animals does not enter the food chain either for human or animal consumption. Earlier this year my predecessor announced that he would take a further precaution which would be to exclude certain bovine offals derived from healthy animals. Further technical studies have now been carried out and additional independent expert advice has been taken. The offals affected are brain, spinal cord, thymus, spleen, tonsils and intestines. A full consultation with all interested parties as required by law has now been completed with one exception, subject to results in this final case, we are proposing to make new regulations today to implement the ban to come into effect on Monday 13 November.

  Offals from calves under six months of age will be excluded from these arrangements since any of these offals which may be used for human food will not present a human health hazard. There are no known cases of human beings being infected by any animal encephalopathy. This is a further addition to the very tough measures which Sir Richard Southwood's expert committee recommended earlier this year.

HEALTH

  Funding
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much funding for the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde district health authority and the West Lancashire family practitioner committee has increased in the period 1979 to 1989.

  Mr. Freeman
  The recurrent revenue funding for the Blackpool. Wyre and Fylde district health authority has increased from £37·8 million in 1982–83 to £65·3 million in 1989–90. This increase of £27·5 million represents an increase in real terms of about 16 per cent., and an 676
  increased share of north-western region's recurrent revenue expenditure from 4·7 per cent. to 5·1 per cent. The health services now provided by the Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde health authority were part of the Lancashire area health authority up to 1982–83 and expenditure on them was not separately identified.

  The recurring revenue funding of the Lancashire family practitioner committee has increased from £1·15 million in 1985–86 to £1·42 million in 1989–90. This increase of £270,000, in cash terms, represents an increase in real terms of 19 per cent.

  Family practitioner committee administration expenditure prior to 1985–86 is not available as it was included as part of district health authorities expenditure and not separately identified.

  Insulin
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date synthetic human insulin was licensed in Britain; and on what date warnings to patients were inserted in packs.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Synthetic human insulin was licensed in June 1982. General patient leaflet warnings were available from the outset. As a result of reports that some patients had noticed less pronounced or no symptoms of hypoglycaemia on transferring to human insulin the licensing authority reviewed all data sheets and patient information leaflets. In March 1989 they requested manufacturers to add a specific warning to this effect.

  Fluoride
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department is carrying out, and what information he has gathered, regarding the effect on the health of people of fluorides in drinking water.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department is not currently commissioning any research into the effects of fluoridated water on general health. The Government remain convinced that fluoridation at a concentration of one part per million—the level used in all United Kingdom fluoridation schemes—has no adverse effects upon health, and there is no medical evidence to challenge this view. Numerous studies undertaken in this country have, however, demonstrated that dental caries is reduced in fluoridated areas by as much as one third to one half compared to non-fluoridated areas.

  Waiting Lists (Southampton)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report, the hospital waiting list numbers for the Southampton and South West district health authority for the last six years for which records are available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The requested information is given in the table.

  Numbers of cases on the in-patient waiting list, Southampton and South West Hampshire DHA, at 31 March, 1984 to 1989.

  Year

  Total numbers

  1984

  9,199

  1985

  8,732

  1986

  8,492

  677

  Year

  Total numbers

  1987

  8,217

  11988

  7,051

  11989

  8,542

  1 Total less self deferred cases to give comparable data with earlier years.

  Mental Handicap Hospitals
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to health authorities on the protection of day services in mental handicap hospitals during the period of rundown in patient numbers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Planning guidelines issued to health authorities in Health Circular (88) 43 (a copy of which is in the Library) state that health authorities should aim"to provide good quality care for mentally handicapped people in all settings including maintaining and where necessary improving standards in large hospitals as their populations reduce."

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has about the current provision of day services in mental handicap hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The most current information available for 1987–88 concerning the provision of day care facilities in England is contained in the Department of Health publication "Summary of KH14—NHS Day Care Facilities", a copy of which is in the Library. These figures include facilities outside mental handicap hospitals.

  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to ensure that the resources of large mental handicap hospitals are redeployed for the benefit of people with mental handicap, in particular for the provision of day services, when these funds are no longer required on site; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Decisions regarding the use of resources released from large mental handicap hospitals are primarily matters for health authorities in consultation with the relevant local authorities—as they are best placed to know the needs of the population in their area. Arrangements already exist whereby health authorities can transfer funding to local authorities to assist in the provision of community care. Proceeds from the sale of mental handicap hospitals must be used specifically for the development of services for that client group unless there are exceptional circumstances and the Department has agreed otherwise.

  Community Care
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will encourage health and local authorities to co-operate in ensuring continuity of day service provision when residents move out of hospital, in particular the provision of therapist input to community day services; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Government policy is to encourage the development at local level of a comprehensive range of well-co-ordinated health and social services for mentally handicapped people. Every district is required by 1991 to 678
  have agreed in consultation with the relevant local authorities policy statements and action plans for meeting those needs of mentally handicapped people for which health authorities have the relevant skills, expertise and responsibility. This includes the provision of therapy services.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in the preparation of the White Paper on community care, he has considered the training provided by the Crossroads care attendant schemes for care attendants, local voluntary management committees and co-ordinators of local schemes; and whether this might provide a model for training by local authorities.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Training needs will be considered along with other implementation issues following publication of the White Paper.

  Mental Handicap (Community Care)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will instruct health authorities to review their day services for people with mental handicap following the social services inspectorate report on day services outside hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We expect health authorities to review their day services for people with a mental handicap as part of their general responsibility to keep all the services which they provide under review.

  Patients
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will give the number of patients treated in the northern region for each year since 1983 as(a) in-patients and (b) out-patients.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is given in the table.

  Cases treated, NHS hospitals, Northern Regional Health Authority, 1983–1987–88

  Year

  In-patient cases treated

  New out-patients

  1983

  409,115

  557,125

  1984

  420,080

  569,743

  1985

  433,131

  595,232

  1986

  441,095

  602,318

  1987–88

  462,766

  592,469

  Hospital Improvements
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list major hospital improvements in the northern region since 1983, together with the cost of each.

  Mr. Freeman
  Following is a list of capital schemes over £1 million in northern region which, according to information available centrally, have been completed since 1 January 1983, together with the cost of construction at tender stage in each case:

  Project/scheme

  Construction cost £

  Blyth Community Hospital & Health Centre

  4,258,871

  Darlington Memorial Maternity Department

  1,125,935

  Fenhan Blood Transfusion Service Centre

  3,542,500

  Freenan Hospital—ENT(D)

  2,865,079

  679

  Project/scheme

  Construction cost £

  Furness (Barrow) DGH scheme 1 phase 1

  9,966,609

  Furness General scheme 1 phase 2

  1,496,150

  Furness General scheme 2 phase 1

  6,080,209

  Hartlepool DGH scheme 2 phase 1

  4,906,403

  Hartlepool DGH scheme 3 phase 1

  2,395,891

  Hartlepool DGH scheme 3 phase 4

  1,900,440

  Jarrow Community Hospital

  3,314,250

  Middlesbrough General Hospital

  1,567,825

  North Tyneside scheme 1 phase 1

  10,364,538

  North Tyneside scheme 2 phase 1

  4,140,250

  Queen Elizabeth Gateshead scheme 3 phase 1

  6,139,179

  Queen Elizabeth Gateshead scheme 3 phase 2

  1,762,698

  Royal Victoria Infirmary scheme 1 phase 4

  13,640,929

  South Cleveland General scheme 2 phase 1A

  1,257,000

  South Cleveland General scheme 2 phase 1B

  6,154,060

  South Cleveland General scheme 2 phase 1C

  1,035,884

  South Cleveland General Newlington Brokerage (D)

  2,552,000

  St. Georges Hospital boilerhouse

  1,238,183

  Total:

  Number of schemes = 22

  £91,704,884

  Darlington Health Authority
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the total spending allocated to Darlington health authority for each year since 1983, adjusted for inflation.

  Mr. Freeman
  Gross revenue expenditure in Darlington health authority between 1982–83 and 1988–89, the latest year for which figures are available, is shown in the table.

  £ million

  Year

  Cash

  At 1989–90 prices1

  1982–83

  22·1

  32·4

  1983–84

  24·0

  32·7

  1984–85

  25·6

  33·2

  1985–86

  26·8

  32·9

  1986–87

  29·0

  34·5

  1987–88

  31·4

  35·6

  1988–892

  34·6

  36·5

  1 Figures have been revalued using the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  21988–89 figures arc provisional (ie unaudited).

  North Tees Health Authority
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the total spending allocated to North Tees health authority for each year since 1982, adjusted for inflation.

  Mr. Roger Freeman
  Gross revenue expenditure in North Tees health authority between 1982–83 and 1988–89, the latest year for which figures are available, is shown in the table.

  £ million

  Year

  Cash

  At 1989–90 prices1

  1982–83

  22·7

  32·3

  1983–84

  24·3

  33·1

  1984–85

  25·5

  33·0

  1985–86

  26·8

  32·9

  1986–87

  28·9

  34·4

  1987–88

  31·9

  36·1

  1988–892

  34·3

  36·2

  680
  1Figures have been revalued using the Gross Domestic Product deflator.

  2 1988–89 figures are provisional (ie unaudited).

  South Tees Health Authority
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list the total spending allocated to South Tees health authority for each year since 1982, adjusted for inflation.

  Mr. Freeman
  Gross revenue expenditure in South Tees health authority between 1982–83 and 1988–89, the latest year for which figures are available, is shown in the table.

  Year

  Cash

  At 1989–90 prices1

  £ million

  £ million

  1982–83

  53·1

  75·7

  1983–84

  55·9

  76·1

  1984–85

  58·1

  75·4

  1985–86

  60·7

  74·6

  1986–87

  66·0

  78·6

  1987–88

  73·2

  82·9

  21988–89

  81·9

  86·4

  1 Figures have been revalued using the gross domestic product deflator.

  2 1988–89 figures are provisional (ie unaudited).

  Northern Region (Spending)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will list total spending in the northern region for each year since 1983 adjusted for inflation.

  Mr. Freeman
  Gross revenue expenditure in the northern region between 1982–83 and 1988–89, the latest year for which figures are available, is shown in the table.

  Year

  Cash

  At 1989–90 prices1

  £ million

  £ million

  1982–83

  520·8

  741·8

  1983–84

  554·0

  754·1

  1984–85

  586·9

  761·3

  1985–86

  620·1

  762·4

  1986–87

  664·7

  791·8

  1987–88

  726·4

  822·3

  21988–89

  802·7

  846·8

  1 Figures have been revalued using the gross domestic product deflator.

  2 1988–89 figures are provisional (ie unaudited).

  Breast Cancer
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of women aged(a) between 50 and 64 years and (b) over 64 years, have now been screened for breast cancer in each health authority; and how many cases of breast cancer have been detected as a result of this screening.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The NHS is setting up a national breast cancer screening service over the three years to 1990, and the service is not yet operational in all health authority areas. Following the introduction of a new statistical return for breast cancer screening from April 1989, we expect to have details of the percentage of women screened in 1989–90 towards the end of 1990. Preliminary data assembled by the cancer screening evaluation unit from 16 screening centres indicates that, as
  681
  at June 1989, of 154,191 women aged 50 to 64 invited for screening by these centres, 679 women were found to have breast cancer.

  Helicopter Ambulances
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those ambulance services in England which have helicopter ambulance facilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We do not collect this information centrally. However, we are aware that several health authorities now have dedicated helicopter ambulances. In the London area an emergency helicopter service has been operating for some months and in Cornwall the first air ambulance service has been operating for over two years. South East Thames has announced that it is shortly to commence a limited helicopter trial. In addition, other authorities have been co-operating with police forces in helicopter projects.

  All health authorities can make use of RAF helicopter transport in emergency rescue missions which are free and in secondary transfers for which a charge is made. Fixed wing transport is also sometimes used where appropriate, again at commercial rates.

  Disablement Services Authority
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if, in the light of an overall overspend on the wheelchair service, and the forecast increase in patient attendance, and the supply of non-powered wheelchairs and of special seating, he will increase the level of funding to the Disablement Services Authority; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what provision is made for inflation and rising salary costs when determining the level of resources for the Disablement Services Authority; and on what basis that provision is decided.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Disablement Services Authority has the financial resources to carry out its planned service development in indoor/outdoor wheelchairs and special wheelchair seating; if he will indicate the source of funding for these developments and whether it is to come from a reduction of other savings or from savings of improved efficiency; whether these savings have so far been realised in the two and a quarter years' existence of the authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  These are matters that have been addressed in the public expenditure survey, the result of which will be announced shortly.

  Haemophiliacs
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many haemophiliacs have been infected with HIV due to contaminated blood products for the period(a) since 1979, (b) since 1985 and (c) in the current year;

  (2) how many haemophiliacs have died as a result of having been infected with HIV due to contaminated blood products for the period (a) since 1979, (b) since 1985 and (c) in the current year.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) and 682
  the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 7 November which gives the information currently available for the numbers of haemophiliacs reported as HIV-antibody positive.

  The latest information available on the numbers of haemophiliacs with AIDS known to have died in the United Kingdom is given in the table. No reliable figures are available for years before 1983.

  Number

  For the period 1983–85

  14

  For the period 1986–88

  71

  For 1989 up to 31 October 1989

  22

  Total

  107

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are now being taken to ensure that all blood, imported or otherwise, and blood products, used by the National Health Service for treatment of haemophiliacs in Britain is not contaminated by HIV.

  Mr. Freeman
  The safety of the blood supply in this country is maintained in two ways. First, since August 1983 potential donors have been given a leaflet which asks those at risk of HIV infection not to give blood. Secondly, since October 1985 all blood donations have been tested for antibodies to HIV-1. In addition, since June 1988 all donations from donors who have visited certain specified west African countries where HIV-2 is more common have been tested for antibodies to HIV-2.

  All blood products (home-produced or imported) used in this country, including Factor VIII which is used in the treatment of haemophilia, are now made from screened plasma, and are treated to inactivate HIV. All products concerned are also tested by the National Institute of Biological Standards Control under its batch release system.

  NATO Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO exercise Wintex/Cimex 1987 and exercise Wintex/Cimex 1989; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercises themselves; and what are the ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.

  Mr. Freeman
  This Department plays its part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required; it would not be appropriate for me to supply the detail requested.

  Oil Seed Rape
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has about the impact of the cultivation of oil seed rape on human health or allergies; and if his Department will sponsor any research on this subject.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department is aware that several studies were being conducted during the summer of 1989 into the possible links between oil seed rape and allergy. We will be interested in seeing the findings when the results are published in due course. The Department's view is that there is no conclusive proof of any link between the
  683
  growing of oil seed rape and the increase in the numbers of allergy, hay fever, and asthma sufferers. It is possible that other factors such as pollens from less visibly prominent sources are causal or contributory factors. The Department has no plans to sponsor any research in this area.

  Childhood Leukaemia
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by year to date, and by regional health authority, the number of incidences of childhood leukaemia that have been reported in England and Wales following the Chernobyl accident; and what were the reported incidences in 1980 and 1986.

  Mr. Freeman
  Cancer registration data for 1985 onwards are still being collected, and thus the requested information for 1986 and for the period since the Chernobyl accident in 1987 is not yet available. The table shows the data for 1980.

  Number of newly diagnosed cases of leukaemia1, ages 0–14 years, England and Wales, 1980

  Area of usual residence

  Males

  Females

  England and Wales

  195

  143

  Northern RHA

  7

  8

  Yorkshire RHA

  13

  6

  Trent RHA

  13

  14

  East Anglian RHA

  7

  6

  North West Thames RHA

  10

  7

  North East Thames RHA

  17

  10

  South East Thames RHA

  13

  12

  South West Thames RHA

  19

  16

  Wessex RHA

  23

  12

  Oxford RHA

  9

  5

  South Western RHA

  17

  5

  West Midlands RHA

  24

  18

  Mersey RHA

  7

  6

  North Western RHA

  11

  12

  Wales

  5

  6

  1 ICD Ninth Revision code 204–208.

  Spina Bifida
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities that provide a test for spina bifida in the foetus; and when this test will become generally available to pregnant mothers.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Screening tests for spina bifida are already generally available to pregnant mothers.

  Midwives (Grading)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of midwives still awaiting the results of their regrading claim; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information on the number of appeals to district health authorities is not collected centrally.

  Tranquillisers
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the publication of the findings by the Association of Health Councils for England and Wales, if he will institute research to ascertain why tranquillisers are prescribed in connection with physical illness and as to whether guidelines should be issued on the management of 684
  different conditions which could avoid the use of benzodiazepines; and if he will take steps to institute a practice policy on repeat prescribing involving frequent monitoring and review.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We share the association's concern about inappropriate prescribing of benzodiazepines. It is a matter for clinical judgment whether a patient with a physical illness needs to be treated with a benzodiazepine drug either to treat the physical symptoms themselves or in addition to a drug or drugs to treat such symptoms. Doctors already have all the guidance they need about the use of benzodiazepines.

  From April 1990 under our proposals in the White Paper "Promoting Better Health" it will be a responsibility of family practitioner committees to encourage the development of repeat prescribing control systems in those practices that do not already have such a system.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the findings by the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales published in "Health News Briefing—Benzodiazepines: A Suitable Case for Treatment", on numbers of people taking benzodiazepines and the reasons for the prescriptions being made.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The association's report acknowledges that the number of people taking benzodiazepines and all the reasons for prescriptions are unclear. In 1988 in Great Britain the number of prescriptions for these drugs fell by 9 per cent. from 25·5 million in 1987 to 23·2 million. This is a reduction of nearly 25 per cent. since 1979, when 30·9 million prescriptions were written.

  I share the association's conclusion that benzodiazepine prescribing could be further reduced.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess whether the findings by the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales suggest that inappropriate long-term prescribing of benzodiazepines comes to an end and as to whether benzodiazepone prescribing for(a) women and (b) the elderly constitutes a disproportionate percentage of all benzodiazepine prescribing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is not collected centrally about the numbers or types of patients prescribed drugs.

  Advice has been issued to doctors by the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Royal College of Physicians. psychiatrists and general practitioners and the British Medical Association. This advice, contained in the "British National Formulary", addressed appropriate use of benzodiazepines and strategies for reducing long-term prescribing, including prescribing for women and for the elderly. We support that advice.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidelines to hospitals to take account of the findings by the Association of Community Health Councils for England and Wales on benzodiazepine use.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The use of benzodiazepines in the treatment of a patient is a matter of clinical judgment, and therefore a matter for the clinician and the patient
  685
  concerned to decide in any individual case. Some hospitals have already established their own drug formularies and we welcome this move.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review the advice given to doctors in the Committee on Safety of Medicines bulletin "Current Problems, No. 21", January 1988, in the light of the findings of the Association of Community Health Councils of England and Wales.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The advice on benzodiazepines, dependence and withdrawal symptoms published in "Current Problems No. 21" remains valid and is summarised in the latest edition of the "British National Formulary" which the Department issues free to all doctors.

  Dependent Adults
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give consideration to legislation to provide dependent adults with legal status, basic rights and social protection should their carer be unable to provide for them;

  (2) what powers exist for the appropriate authorities to ensure that the rights and health of dependent adults are safeguarded in the event of their carer being unable to provide for them;

  (3) what protection exists to safeguard the care of dependent adults in the event of their carer being unable to provide for them;

  (4) what steps he plans to take to ensure that dependent adults' personal and medical welfare is properly protected by effective liaison between all interested professional parties in the event of their carer being unable to provide for them.

  Mr. Freeman
  Section 47 of the National Assistance Act 1948 and sections 115 and 135 of the Mental Health Act 1983 empower local authorities to take action to safeguard the welfare of dependent people who are not receiving proper care. The exercise of these powers is a matter for the local authority concerned which will need to keep in touch with the appropriate health authority. When failures of care come to light we ask the authorities for reports which are carefully studied to see whether any action is called for.

  Contraception
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a further statement on women and the Dalkon shield contraceptive device.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no plans for Government intervention in relation to this matter of litigation in the United States courts. For the initial claims deadline, the court itself directed, and approved, publicity by the Dalkon shield manufacturers. Further extensions of the deadline have received independent media publicity. It is for individual health authorities to decide whether they wish to direct their resources to specific activity on this matter. Our longstanding advice has been that they should be as helpful as possible with regard to the release of information.

  Petrol
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authority vehicles run on(a) unleaded petrol, (b) leaded petrol, (c) diesel and (d) have three-way catalytic converters.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information in the form requested is not available centrally and the cost of obtaining it would be disproportionate. All regional and district health authorities in England are implementing a lead-free policy and are converting their vehicles at the earliest opportunity.

  Energy Efficiency
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to issue guidelines to health authorities requiring them to carry out an energy audit for health authority buildings, identify priority areas for energy saving and segregate fuel bills for each building.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department has issued comprehensive guidance, the national energy code (ENCODE), on all aspects of energy efficiency for health care buildings including the need for energy audit and prioritising energy saving measures. Recommendations for separate metering where applicable will be issued shortly.

  We have no plans to require health authorities to undertake a formal energy audit.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require health authorities to establish an energy management unit and allocate responsibility for energy efficiency to one member of staff for each building.

  Mr. Freeman
  The comprehensive guidance, the national energy code (ENCODE), on energy efficiency published by the Department recommends a level of energy management and responsibility appropriate to the size of the estate and potential for energy savings.

  Environmental Audit
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to require health authorities to carry out an environmental audit on(a) energy consumption, (b) purchasing policy, (c) waste arising and disposal methods, (d) pollution from health authority premises and (e) environmental training.

  Mr. Freeman
  Health authorities are expected to comply with all relevant statutory legislation. We have no plans to require them to carry out environmental audits on energy consumption, purchasing policy, waste arising and disposal methods, pollution from health authority premises or environmental training.

  Environment Policy
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will allocate funds for implementing an environment policy for the National Health Service;

  (2) if he will draw up an environment policy for the National Health Service.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is for health authorities to decide on their overall environmental policies and the allocation of associated resources.
  687
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will include as items for the regional review by Ministers(a) any adverse impact of health authority practices on the environment and (b) any adverse impact of environmental factors on public health within the region.

  Mr. Freeman
  This year public health issues were discussed with each region in preparation for regional reviews, which are now normally conducted by the chief executive of the management executive. Where there are serious concerns about these or other specific areas, they are raised at the review itself. Management action is taken in relation to the impact of health authority practices on the environment as they arise.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidance banning the use by health authorities of products proven to be environmentally damaging where an alternative is available.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. We consider that, as responsible public bodies, health authorities should be able to take account of all relevant factors, including environmental factors and statutory requirements, in securing best value for money in their purchasing policies.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those health authorities which have regular planning and consultative meetings with local authority environmental health officers; and what exchange of information there is between them.

  Mr. Freeman
  I regret that this information is not collected centrally.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about health authorities as(a) consumers, (b) waste producers and (c) polluters.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is for health authorities to ensure that they perform their duties effectively, efficiently and responsibly with due regard to the effects on the environment.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require health authorities to monitor progress on their environment policies and practice and report to him.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department already monitors a number of key aspects of health authorities' environmental policies and practices and will continue to do so.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is an environmental component in the training and qualification of(a) nurses, (b) doctors, (c) radiographers, (d) hospital administrators and (e) health visitors.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is as follows:

  (a) Nurses and health visitors: The standard and content of training for nurses and health visitors is determined by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting.

  (b) Doctors: The General Medical Council recommend the curriculum for undergraduate medical students.

  (c) Radiographers: The Council for the Professions Supplementary to Medicine through its Radiography Board, is responsible for regulating the professional education of radiographers.

  688

  (d) Hospital Administrators: Health authorities and the National Health Service Training Authority are responsible for the standard and content of training for hospital administrators.

  Air Pollution
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the health authorities premises which have boilers and incinerators giving rise to air pollution problems.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information on health authority premises where boiler and incinerator are known to give rise to air pollution problems is not available centrally but all installations are expected to comply with current legislation.

  Waste Management
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if there is a staff member specifically responsible for waste management in each health authority.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is not available centrally. It is for health authorities to determine responsibilities for waste management. As far as clinical waste is concerned, the Department has issued guidance to health authorities which recommends that it should he the responsibility of a designated officer within each authority.

  Lead Piping
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of health authority buildings have lead piping.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information is not available on the extent to which lead piping is installed within health care buildings. All current guidance recommends the use of copper piping.

  Recycling
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities provide collection facilities for(a) glass, (b) paper and (c) cans for recycling.

  Mr. Freeman
  I regret that this information is not held centrally.

  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of National Health Service stationery is(a) 100 per cent. recycled and (b) not recycled.

  Mr. Freeman
  National contracts for copy paper and listing paper for computer use do make provision for the use of recycled paper. No figures are yet available to show the percentage of recycled paper used. However, it is unlikely that the use of 100 per cent. recycled stationery will be significant. Large quantities of chemicals are necessary to achieve a desirable standard of whiteness in the paper. This calls into question the level of benefit to the environment, and can involve higher costs of production than ordinary paper.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has issued guidance to health authorities requiring them to phase out the use of chlorofluorocarbons as sterilant gases.
  689
  Mr. Freeman
  Regional supplies directors were advised at a meeting of the national procurement group in September 1988 that the small-scale use of chlorofluorocarbons in sterilisers as a carrier gas for ethylene oxide should be avoided, if possible, since pure ethylene oxide and ethylene oxide/carbondioxide mixtures were available as satisfactory alternatives.

  Nurses
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many enrolled nurses have been turned away from conversion to first-level nursing places in the last year;

  (2) what is the current average waiting list for an enrolled nurse conversion course.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many practising enrolled nurses there are in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally. Information provided by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting about the numbers in the United Kingdom who have paid the periodic fee and were therefore on the effective register shows that on 31 March 1989 there were 158,500 people who held an enrolled nurse qualification.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by health district(a) the current nursing staff establishment, (b) the number in post at the latest available date and (c) the number who had left the National Health Service in the preceding year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 3 November 1989]: Information on the number of nursing and midwifery staff employed in each district health authority in England at 30 September 1988 is given in the table.

  We do not collect information on nursing staff establishments centrally. Reliable information on the numbers leaving the National Health Service last year is not yet available.

  Doctors and Dentists
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his latest meetings with doctors and dentists.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have frequent formal and informal meetings with doctors and dentists, mostly very amicable, constructive and supportive of our objectives. I met the British Dental Association on 27 September when I reached full agreement with it on the terms of its new contract. I met the British Medical Association on 18 October to discuss the implementation of our proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" and had a friendly and constructive discussion.

  Residential Care
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the Government's initiative announced in February for improving life for people in residential homes; whether he proposes to take 690
  any further action on the recommendations of the committee on residential care chaired by Lady Wagner; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In February we announced our intention to launch a development programme aimed at improving life for people in residential homes, based on recommendations of the committee chaired by Lady Wagner.

  We have appointed five agencies to carry forward important recommendations from the committee's report "Residential Care: A Positive Choice". Work has now begun and will continue for the next three years at a total cost of around £2·2 million. This initiative aims at better training for staff in homes, better information for the public in making choices, effective, accessible and widely known arrangements for making suggestions and complaints, a closer relationship between homes and their local communities and better management of homes. Cost-effective ways of achieving these objectives will be explored through a wide range of development projects. The results of these activities will be made widely and regularly available to national and local agencies concerned and will be independently assessed.

  The thrust of many of the committee's recommendations, for example on the organisation and funding of community care, has been taken into account in the wider context of community care development and will be reflected in the forthcoming White Paper.

  The committee's recommendations on setting and maintaining standards have been incorporated in our proposals to achieve even-handedness in inspection of residential care homes, as between independent and local authority homes, through the setting up of inspection units in social services departments at arms length from the management of local authorities' own homes. Issues concerning children and young people, on which the Wagner committee made recommendations, are covered in the Children Bill, including education and health needs of children in care, keeping siblings together wherever practicable and appropriate, the needs of ethnic minority groups and accommodation for young people leaving care. And we are considering issuing guidance on encouraging and enabling people in residential care homes to manage their own finances where they are capable of doing so.

  The Wagner committee has done a valuable service in pointing the way to better standards. The Government are playing their part in responding to its report. We also look to local authorities and private and voluntary agencies, to whom much of the report was primarily addressed, to take those messages to heart and act on them.

  The selected agencies and their fields of activity are as follows:

  Basic training programmes for care staff: the National Institute for Social Work;

  Ways of increasing contacts between homes and their local communities and a wider role for volunteers: the Social Care Association (Education);

  Methods of self-assessment and performance evaluation by managers: the Polytechnic of North London;

  Ways of providing information to help people in choosing a home or alternative to residential care: the Policy Studies Institute.

  The department of government, Brunel university will co-ordinate this activity, provide an information service and publish an independent assessment of the programmes.
  691
  In addition the Department's social services inspectorate will develop procedures for dealing with suggestions and complaints.

  National Health Service staff in post in England nursing and midwifery by district health authority1 at 30 September 1988

  Whole lime equivalent2

  Total England

  403,880

  Northern RHA HQ

  70

  Hartlepool

  860

  North Tees

  1,280

  South Tees

  2,650

  East Cumbria

  1,600

  South Cumbria

  1,120

  West Cumbria

  1,160

  Darlington

  1,170

  Durham

  1,180

  North West Durham

  730

  South West Durham

  1,620

  Northumberland

  3,170

  Gateshead

  1,400

  Newcastle

  5,200

  North Tyneside

  970

  South Tyneside

  970

  Sunderland

  2,600

  Yorkshire RHA HQ

  120

  Hull

  2,660

  East Yorkshire

  1,610

  Grimsby

  1,300

  Scunthorpe

  1,240

  Northallerton

  530

  York

  2,300

  Scarborough

  890

  Harrogate

  1,170

  Bradford

  2,740

  Airedale

  1,440

  Calderdale

  1,570

  Huddersfield

  1,990

  Dewsbury

  970

  Leeds Western

  3,420

  Leeds Eastern

  3,310

  Wakefield

  2,000

  Pontefract

  1,070

  Trent RHA HQ

  100

  North Derbyshire

  2,270

  South Derbyshire

  3,980

  Leicestershire

  6,570

  North Lincolnshire

  2,230

  South Lincolnshire

  2,110

  Bassetlaw

  680

  Central Nottingham

  2,250

  Nottingham

  5,670

  Barnsley

  1,700

  Doncaster

  2,560

  Rotherham

  1,850

  Sheffield

  6,310

  East Anglian RHA HQ

  50

  Cambridge

  2,600

  Peterborough

  1,780

  West Suffolk

  1,660

  East Suffolk

  2,640

  Norwich

  3,950

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  1,410

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  1,300

  Huntingdon

  770

  North West Thames RHA HQ

  3—

  North Bedfordshire

  1,380

  South Bedfordshire

  1,900

  North Hertfordshire

  1,020

  East Hertfordshire

  1,050

  North West Hertfordshire

  3,060

  South West Hertfordshire

  1,240

  692

  Whole time equivalent2

  Barnet

  2,870

  Harrow

  1,430

  Hillingdon

  2,050

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  2,030

  Ealing

  1,760

  Brent

  2,000

  Paddington and North Kensington

  2,050

  Riverside

  3,910

  North East Thames RHA HQ

  110

  Basildon and Thurrock

  2,180

  Mid-Essex

  1,910

  North East Essex

  2,980

  West Essex

  1,670

  Southend

  2,000

  Barking, Havering and Brent

  3,350

  Hampstead

  2,120

  Bloomsbury

  3,210

  Islington

  1,510

  City and Hackney

  2,620

  Newham

  1,410

  Tower Hamlets

  2,390

  Enfield

  1,500

  Harringey

  1,350

  Redbridge

  1,520

  Waltham Forest

  2,660

  South East Thames RHA HQ

  10

  Brighton

  2,250

  Eastbourne

  1,700

  Hastings

  1,280

  South East Kent

  1,610

  Canterbury and Thanet

  2,590

  Dartford & Gravesend

  1,880

  Maidstone

  1,580

  Medway

  1,640

  Tunbridge Wells

  1,890

  Bexley

  1,580

  Greenwich

  2,050

  Bromley

  2,180

  West Lambeth

  2,370

  Camberwell

  2,310

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  3,550

  South West Thames RHA HQ

  120

  North West Surrey

  1,640

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  1,340

  South West Surrey

  1,750

  Mid-Surrey

  1,820

  East Surrey

  1,740

  Chichester

  1,370

  Mid-Downs

  1,780

  Worthing

  1,570

  Croydon

  2,300

  Kingston and Esher

  1,550

  Richmond, Twickenham and R.

  1,260

  Wandsworth

  2,940

  Merton and Sutton

  2,590

  Wessex RHA HQ

  10

  East Dorset

  3,210

  West Dorset

  1,820

  Portsmouth and South East

  3,930

  Southampton and South West

  4,180

  Winchester

  1,310

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  1,780

  Salisbury

  1,440

  Swindon

  1,860

  Bath

  3,120

  Isle of Wight

  1,030

  Oxford RHA HQ

  70

  East Berkshire

  2,310

  West Berkshire

  2,870

  Aylesbury Vale

  1,710

  Wycombe

  1,250

  Milton Keynes

  730

  693

  Whole time equivalent2

  Kettering

  1,510

  Northampton

  2,410

  Oxfordshire

  4,150

  South Western RHA HQ

  80

  Bristol and Weston

  3,470

  Frenchay

  2,690

  Southmead

  2,160

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  2,900

  Exeter

  3,300

  North Devon

  1,000

  Plymouth

  2,890

  Torbay

  1,850

  Cheltenham

  1,350

  Gloucester

  2,490

  Somerset

  3,130

  West Midlands RHA HQ

  130

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  1,150

  Herefordshire

  1,200

  Kidderminster

  1,280

  Worcester

  1,700

  Shropshire

  2,740

  Mid-Staffordshire

  1,760

  North-Staffordshire

  4,190

  South-Staffordshire

  1,900

  Rugby

  460

  North Warwickshire

  1,490

  South Warwickshire

  1,910

  Central Birmingham

  2,860

  East Birmingham

  1,400

  North Birmingham

  1,380

  South Birmingham

  2,610

  West Birmingham

  2,540

  Coventry

  2,600

  Dudley

  2,070

  Sandwell

  1,490

  Solihull

  1,150

  Walsall

  1,960

  Wolverhampton

  2,210

  Mersey RHA HQ

  70

  Chester

  1,730

  Crewe

  1,790

  Halton

  630

  Macclesfield

  1,580

  Warrington

  2,350

  Liverpool

  5,160

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  2,580

  Southport and Formby

  1,230

  South Sefton

  2,290

  Wirral

  2,770

  North Western RHA HQ

  120

  Lancaster

  2,120

  Blackpool Wyre and Fylde

  2,540

  Preston

  2,490

  Blackburn Hymburn and Ribb

  1,930

  Burnley Pendle and Rossend

  3,240

  West Lancaster

  920

  Chorley and South Ribble

  610

  Bolton

  1,900

  Bury

  1,100

  North Manchester

  2,450

  Central Manchester

  2,070

  South Manchester

  3,120

  Oldham

  1,480

  Rochdale

  1,170

  Salford

  3,320

  Stockport

  2,160

  Tameside and Glossop

  1,420

  Trafford

  1,230

  Wigan

  2,110

  London Post Graduate SHA 's

  The Hospital for Sick Children

  1,240

  The National Hospital

  410

  694

  Whole time equivalent2

  Moorfields Eye Hospital

  190

  The Bethlem Royal Hospital

  720

  The National Heart and Chest

  640

  The Royal Marsden Hospital

  460

  Hammersmith and Queen Charlottes

  1,230

  Eastman Dental Hospital

  10

  LAS

  3—

  BTS

  70

  PHLS

  10

  Other

  10

  1 Including unqualified nursing and midwifery staff and agency staff.

  2 Figures independently rounded to nearest ten (10) whole time equivalents.

  3 Indicates less than five (5) whole time equivalents.

  Source:Department of Health (SM13) annual census of NHs non-medical manpower.

  Drug Deaths
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths per year in the United Kingdom are attributable to the use of hard drugs.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 3 November 1989]: The exact information requested is not available. The table shows the number of deaths attributable to certain drugs in the United Kingdom 1986–88.

  Numbers of deaths attributable to certain drugs, United Kingdom 1986–88

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Drug dependence or addiction1

  63

  65

  56

  Other drug abuse or intoxication2

  16

  14

  21

  Other poisoning by drugs3

  105

  129

  128

  1 Morphine type.

  Heroin, Methadone, Opium, Opium alkaloids and other derivatives, Synthetics with morphine-like effects.

  Cocaine.

  Coca leaves and derivatives.

  Combinations of morphine type drugs with any other.

  2 Morphine type.

  Cocaine type.

  3 Opiates and related narcotics.

  Codeine (methylamorphine), Heroin (diacetylmorphine), Pethidine (mepiridine), Methadone, Morphine, Opium (alkaloids).

  Surface and infiltration anaesthetics.

  Cocaine, Lignocaine, Procaine, Tetracaine.

ENVIRONMENT

  Planning Guidance
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what comments he has received on his proposal to drop the special prescription in favour of development from the draft PPG3 planning guidance note.

  Mr. Howard
  None so far, although a number of informal responses indicate a generally favourable reaction to our draft guidance.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to deal with the problems of disposing of toxic wastes.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am preparing legislation, to be introduced at the earliest opportunity, to strengthen the
  695
  law on waste disposal. This will include a duty of care on waste producers and improved controls over the disposal or treatment of waste. I shall also be issuing a consultation paper on the review of the special waste regulations shortly.

  Sewage Works
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to introduce legislation to provide local authorities with powers to abate odour nuisance from sewage treatment works.

  Mr. Trippier
  We are currently considering the possibility of doing so.

  European Community Water Directives
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last discussed United Kingdom compliance with European Community water directives with the Community environment commissioner; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I discussed United Kingdom compliance with the drinking water directive with Commissioner Ripa when I attended the meeting of the Environment Council in Brussels in September.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress towards reaching agreement with the Commission of the European Communities on plans for the implementation of the drinking water directive, 80/778/EEC, and the bathing water directive, 76/160/EEC.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 30 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown),Official Report, columns 261–62.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date the United Kingdom will meet the requirements of European Council directives on water quality; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  In the majority of cases the United Kingdom already meets the requirements of the various European Community directives concerning water quality. For the remainder of cases measures are in hand to achieve these, notably in the case of the directives on the quality of drinking water and bathing waters, where timetabled improvement programmes have been submitted to the Commission of the European Communities.

  Dioxins
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what standards there are for the control of the emissions of dioxins in processes of burning or incineration.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is impractical at present to set specific limits for emissions of dioxins, as the monitoring and analysis of these compounds is complex, slow and expensive. Emissions of dioxins are therefore controlled in the United Kingdom, as in the European directives on municipal waste incineration plants, through effective control of combustion conditions and the fitting and use of suitable abatement equipment.

  Home Ownership
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has plans for additional assistance to people seeking to become home owners.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to help people into home ownership.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any new proposals to assist first-time home owners.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government will continue with the policies which have enabled there to be 3½ million more home owners today than in 1979.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the level of home ownership in the south-west of England.

  Mr. Chope
  Estimates of the number and percentage of dwellings in owner-occupation in the South West region are given in table 9.4 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  South Africa (Sporting Links)
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent steps he has taken to discourage sporting links with South Africa.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The sixth conference of European Ministers responsible for sport which I attended in Reykjavik from 30 May to 1 June 1989 agreed a resolution concerning apartheid in sport and discouraging sporting contact with South Africa. The resolution has been adopted by the Committee of Ministers and I have asked the Sports Council to circulate a copy of it to the governing bodies of sport.

  In August I wrote to the chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board and the president of the Rugby Football Union about the proposed tours to South Africa restating the Government's commitment to the Gleneagles agreement and our policy of seeking to discourage sporting contact with South Africa. I asked for copies of my letters to be passed on to individual players who had accepted invitations to visit South Africa.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Her Majesty's Government's current policy on sporting links with South Africa.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Her Majesty's Government remain fully committed to the Commonwealth statement on apartheid in sport—the Gleneagles agreement.

  Water Industry (Investment)
  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total estimated cost of the investment programme in the water industry over the next 10 years.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The estimated expenditure by the English water plcs, required by the programmes of which
  697
  account was taken by the Secretary of State in setting the initial level of K, is £22·8 billion in prices prevailing at November 1989.

  Rural Housing
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any measures were announced during the summer adjournment to ensure that low-cost rural housing association property remains available for local housing needs after the first occupants move on.

  Mr. Howard
  The Housing Corporation issued a consultation paper on 10 October on the way in which the repurchase scheme for shared ownership properties in rural areas would work.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress being made in providing affordable housing in rural areas to fulfil local needs.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government's policy on rural housing was set out in a statement of 5 July 1988, and in statements of 3 and 7 February this year, copies of which are in the Library. It will take some time for this initiative to have its full effect, but I am sure that in due course it will make a significant impact on availability of housing in rural areas.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on his policy regarding planning applications for development within green belt areas.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend continues to be fully committed to upholding green belt policy as set out in planning policy guidance note 2.

  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether it remains Government policy that land vested in local authorities under the Green Belt (London and Home Counties) Act 1938 including land occupied by tenanted properties will be treated as inalienable.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, lichen (Mr. Chope) gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Sir R. Boyson) on 24 July at column 469. The Government remain committed to ensuring that all green belt land, including land held under the 1938 Act, continues to fulfil green belt objectives.

  Domestic Waste
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to enable him to reach his target of a substantial increase in recycled domestic waste by the year 2000.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A substantial increase in the amount of domestic waste recycled can be achieved only by a combination of measures. First, by manufacturers designing recyclability into their products, cutting down on the amount of unnecessary packaging and pricing recycled products competitively. Secondly, by consumers knowing about and choosing recycled products and 698
  making use of recycling facilities provided by local authorities, retailers and voluntary groups. Thirdly, by local authorities and retailers substantially increasing their commitment to providing recycling facilities so that the majority come up to the standard of the best. Fourthly, by Government creating the right waste management framework for an increase in recycling through measures which we intend to bring forward in the Environmental Protection Bill and through our support for major experiments such as Recycling City in Sheffield, intended to identify and apply best practice in recycling techniques.

  County Hall, London
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the future of the County hall, London SE1.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The future of County hall is in part the subject of an appeal to the House of Lords against a judgment of the Court of Appeal given on 20 July, and in part the subject of planning applications considered at a public inquiry which closed on 6 November.

  Acid House Parties
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to take further measures to eliminate so-called acid house parties.

  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he proposes to take to tackle the noise problems associated with acid house parties.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Department and the Home Office are currently consulting local authorities and the police about the possible need to extend their powers to prevent or control acid house or similar parties. We will consider further action in the light of that consultation.

  Environmentally Friendly Products
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any proposals to regulate the labelling of ecologically friendly products.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he intends to provide to consumers who wish to purchase products which do not damage the environment.

  Mr. Trippier
  We have announced our support for the establishment of an EC-wide scheme of eco-labelling in a discussion paper which I issued in August jointly with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. I am pleased to say that the Environment Council on 19 September asked the Commission to bring forward proposals as soon as possible.

  Association of County Councils
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the Association of County Councils; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend last met the Association of County Councils and other local authority associations on 17 October to discuss the Government's proposals for the community charge transitional relief scheme.

  Dutch Minister for Sport
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Minister for Sport next expects to meet his equivalent from the Dutch Government; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have no immediate plans to meet the new Dutch State Secretary for Welfare, Health and Cultural Affairs, who has responsibility for sport. Officials from his Department and mine are members of the Council of Europe standing committee on the European convention on spectator violence. The committee is meeting today.

  Community Care
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what help from the transitional relief scheme will be available to those people discharged from residential care into the community after 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Chope
  It is the Government's intention that the scheme for transitional relief should operate under rules that are as simple as possible so as to produce practicable arrangements which will enable authorities to issue community charge bills next April which reflect both transitional relief and rebates. As with other schemes it will be necessary to establish a qualification date for entitlement. We have proposed that in order for a person to qualify for relief at an address that person should be entered in the charging authority's community charges register for 31 March 1990 as living at that address.

  Rents
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has agreed any definition of an affordable rent or a market rent.

  Mr. Chope
  Section 14 of the Housing Act 1988 sets out how a rent assessment committee should determine a market rent.

  Planning appeals

  Secretary of State's decision

  Year

  Received

  Decided

  Allowed

  contrary to inspector's

  Number

  Percentage

  recommendation

  1979

  12,990

  8,933

  2,602

  29·1

  17

  1984

  16,192

  11,643

  3,773

  32·4

  16

  1988·89

  28,659

  21,061

  7,734

  36·7

  19

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received regarding the process for determining planning applications.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend receives a number of representations about the operation of the development control system. In particular, more than 400 individuals and organisations have responded to a consultation paper entitled "Efficient Planning" which we issued on 28 July.

  Sports Council
  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Sports Council; and what matters will be discussed.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I will next meet the chairman of the Sports Council on 16 November when we will discuss current issues in sport.

  Royal Parks
  Mr. Jessel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review encroachment fees charged by his Department in relation to the fringes of royal parks.

  Mr. Trippier
  Encroachment licences are essential to control developments on the boundaries of the royal parks. Encroachment fees are normally reviewed every five years but in some cases there has been a considerably longer period without review. There is an element of catching-up in some the increases.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of planning appeals have been allowed during the latest 12 months for which figures are available.

  Mr. Moynihan
  In the 12 months to 31 August 1989, 35.4 per cent. of planning appeals were allowed.

  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many local authority planning appeals referred to him were agreed by him in 1979, 1984 and 1989;

  (2) how many local authority planning appeals referred to him were subject to a change in the inspector recommendation in 1979, 1984 and 1989;

  (3) what was the number of appeals against planning permissions to local authorities which were referred to him for 1979, 1984 and 1989.

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

  Low-cost Housing
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve the supply of low-cost housing for rent and shared ownership.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress his Department is making in its policy of increasing the supply of affordable housing.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to increase the supply of affordable housing.
  701
  Mr. Chope
  We have planned for an increase of more than 60 per cent. between 1989–90 and 1991–92 in public support through the Housing Corporation to housing associations, which are now the main providers of new subsidised housing; associations' output will increase further as a result of their enhanced capacitity to use private finance. Deregulation of the private rented sector will stimulate new investment in housing to rent. We have also announced a series of measures to promote supply of affordable housing for rent and sale, including shared ownership sale, in rural areas. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Autumn Statement will set out the Government's revised plans for expenditure on subsidised housing rolled forward to 1992–93.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress towards the removal of pollution from inland coastal waters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to the investment plans that I have announced for improvements to sewage treatment works Official Report, 7 December 1988, cols. 199–200 and to bathing waters, Official Report, 20 October 1989, cols. 261–2. These programmes are the biggest of their kind, and will bring about substantial improvements to the quality of our estuarial and coastal waters.

  Councillors' Allowances
  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the letter dated 14 July from the chairman of the three local authority associations about members' allowances.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government have introduced amendments in another place to the Local Government and Housing Bill which will give power to implement a new system of councillors' allowance on the lines supported by the chairmen of the three local authority associations concerned.

  Nitrates
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to reduce the level of nitrates in public water supplies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  Water undertakers have prepared firm programmes to achieve compliance as quickly as practicable with the nitrate standard of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 which is the same value as that set by the EC drinking water directive. Some water undertakers are already blending water that has a high nitrate concentration with water that has a low nitrate concentration in order to meet the standard. Investigation is also proceeding of treatment processes, such as ion exchange and biological de-nitrification. In addition, agricultural measures to prevent pollution will be introduced under a pilot scheme in nitrate sensitive areas.

  Waste Recycling
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to legislate on waste recycling.
  702
  Mr. Trippier
  We hope to bring forward provisions to promote recycling in the Environmental Protection Bill.

  School Sport
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what policies his Department has to encourage sport for schoolchildren outside school hours.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Government are committed to promoting participation in sport for schoolchildren both in and out of school hours.

  The Sports Council's initiatives aimed at increasing young people's participation in sport, include the "Ever thought of Sport?" and 'What's your Sport?" campaigns. The Government are currently considering the recommendations of the School Sport Forum; our response will be published shortly.

  Stop Notices
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to introduce changes to planning laws relating to stop notices.

  Mr. Moynihan
  As soon as parliamentary time permits.

  Environmental Groups
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list any official engagements he has between the present time and the end of November with environmental groups.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing).

  Sports and Recreation Facilities
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to extend compulsory competitive tendering to the management of local authority sports and recreation facilities.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The draft order requiring competition in the management of local authority sports and leisure facilities was laid before Parliament on 25 October. Subject to parliamentary approval, implementation in England will take place in three stages between 1 January 1992 and 1 January 1993.

  Unleaded Petrol
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest figure he has for unleaded petrol sales.

  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of petrol sold in the United Kingdom is unleaded.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Wanstead and Woodford (Mr. Arbuthnot).

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any vehicles belonging to or used by his Department run on leaded petrol.

  Mr. Chope
  The exact answer can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. Wherever possible all vehicles that can be run on unleaded fuel do so. Those vehicles which can run only on leaded fuels are being replaced.
  703
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any Government ministerial cars run on leaded petrol.

  Mr. Chope
  Most ministerial allocated cars run on unleaded petrol. It is our intention to move the rest of the Government car fleet to unleaded petrol as the vehicles fall due for replacement.

  Housing Report
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the Association of District Councils report, "A Time to Take Stock".

  Mr. Chope
  The report makes a useful contribution to the discussions we shall be having about the details of the new local authority capital finance system and the new renovation grant system that remain to be settled. We shall be discussing points raised in their report with the Association of District Councils and other local authority associations when the Housing Consultative Council meets at the end of this month.

  Motor Fuel
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of different fuel brands and of petrol, lead-free petrol and diesel, respectively, on the environment.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The composition of motor fuels sold in the United Kingdom is controlled and no assessment is made of the environmental effects of different brands. The reduction in lead content of petrol in 1986 and the growth in sales of unleaded petrol have more than halved the concentration of lead in the air. However, it is now estimated that some 80 per cent. of lead in air still comes from petrol vehicle emissions. Diesel fuel has no lead added to it.

  The impacts on the environment of other materials emitted from vehicles are given in the report of the Department's terrestrial effects review group, acid rain review group, and building effects review group. The proportions of total emissions of these materials which come from diesel and petrol vehicles are given in the Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics. Copies of review group reports and the digest are in the Library of the House.

  Housing (Hackney)
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to visit the London borough of Hackney to discuss housing finance.

  Mr. Chope
  No, but the Department has regular contacts with the borough and has recently held a meeting with the council in the current housing investment programme round.

  Planning Guidance
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received any representations on the draft PPG3 planning guidance note.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend has not so far received many formal responses to our draft planning 704
  policy guidance note, "Housing". He has, however, received a number of informal responses which indicate a generally favourable reaction to the new draft guidance.

  Comments may be made on the draft guidance until 5 January 1990.

  Planet Protection Fund
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he supports the creation of a planet protection fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We do not need new international institutions to tackle the environmental problems facing the world today. Instead, we support the use of the existing bilateral and multilateral channels for environmental assistance, adapting or improving those channels as necessary. In her statement in the House on 26 October my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister drew attention to the support expressed in the Langkawi declaration on the environment for existing international environmental organisations, especially the United Nations environment programme. We consider that any additional resources should not go towards creating new bureaucracies but directly to measures to protect and improve the environment.

  Council Tenants
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to take any action to ensure that tenants have the right to receive information on their council's effectiveness in housing policy.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 1 November to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo).

  Homelessness
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department plans to offer to local authorities which are obliged to house people made homeless as a result of mortgage arrears.

  Mr. Chope
  We will announce the conclusions of our review of the homelessness legislation very shortly.

  Housing Repairs
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has made any estimate of the total amount needed to tackle housing disrepair in England and Wales.

  Mr. Chope
  The most recent English house condition survey estimated that the average cost of repair of all dwellings was, in 1986, £950 which sums to £17·9 billion for the housing stock in England as a whole. Against this should be set the same survey's estimate of the annual value of work undertaken on the repair and improvement of the stock which was, in 1986, £17·3 billion. Figures relating to Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Estate Action
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has since his appointment visited any housing projects funded by Estate Action.
  705
  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has not done so but he hopes to do so in future. My hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning visited Holmewood estate, Bradford, at the end of September and last week I visited Marlborough Road estate in Derby where Estate Action funding has totalled more than £2·1 million last year and this.

  Ivory
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to curtail the global trade in ivory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Effective action to curtail world trade in ivory requires concerted international co-operation, principally through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). We strongly supported the ban on commercial trade in African elephant ivory at the recent CITES conference. We were also successful in obtaining agreement to our resolution urging all parties to the convention to implement these more stringent controls immediately. The Indian elephant is already subject to a similar prohibition.

  Litter
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to impose fixed penalties for the dropping of litter.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that our proposals for legislation to tackle the problem of litter, published on 20 July, include a provision which will allow all district and borough councils to operate a fixed penalty scheme for littering.

  Lower Grange Estate, Bradford
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to approve grants enabling new homes for rent and for sale to be built on the Lower Grange estate in Bradford, and some existing homes to be modernised; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  An application for city grant in respect of 280 houses to be built for sale and 28 flats to be refurbished for sale was received on 6 October. It is being examined and my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities hopes to issue a decision as quickly as possible.

  My Department has not yet received a detailed application for estate action support in respect of the houses which the city of Bradford metropolitan council intend to refurbish. The Housing Corporation has also not yet received a detailed appplication for housing association grant for the houses proposed to be built for rent by North British Housing Association. Both applications, when received, will also be dealt with as quickly as possible.

  Northumbrian Water Authority
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give the capital spending of the Northumbrian water authority for each year since 1983 and the total spending planned over the next five years.
  706
  Mr. Howard
  Northumbrian Water Group plc estimates that expenditure required in 1990–95 by the investment programme which was taken into account in setting K will amount to £540 million at November 1989 prices. Northumbrian water authority's capital expenditure since 1983, taken from the authority's annual report and accounts and repriced, was as follows:—

  Northumbrian Capital Expenditure 1982–83 to 1988–89

  £ million (1988–89 prices)

  DOE services

  Land drainage

  1982–83

  49·1

  0·2

  1983–84

  41·9

  0·2

  1984–85

  34·3

  0·3

  1985–86

  47·2

  0·2

  1986–87

  42·8

  0·3

  1987–88

  44·1

  0·2

  1988–89

  41·2

  0·2

  NATO Exercises
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the extent of involvement by his Department in NATO exercise Wintex/Cimex 1987 and exercise Wintex/Cimex 1989; what is the number of staff engaged in the exercise planning process and in the exercises themselves; and what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of the staff involved.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  My Department plays its part in testing those procedures in which we have an interest. Staff participate as required; it would not be appropriate for me to supply the details requested.

  English Heritage
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total per head of the population of England that was spent by English Heritage in each of the past three years.

  Mr. Trippier
  On the basis of OPCS mid-year population estimates and English Heritage gross expenditure, the spend per head for the financial years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89 was £1·42, £1·50, and £1·65 respectively.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by individual water company the amounts proposed for(a) industry debt written off and (b) the injection of new Government capital.

  Mr. Howard
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 26 October 1989 to my hon. Friend for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) [Official Report, col. 555].

  Seaforth Nature Reserve
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the reasons why the Seaforth nature reserve is being demolished; how many appeals has he received in favour of the reserve; and how many against.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have received 23 representations supporting the reserve, but I understand that Sefton M BC,
  707
  the local planning authority, proposes to meet the Merseyside Docks and Harbour Company—the land owners—to discuss the issues of present concern at Seaforth. It is too soon to tell what the future of the reserve will be.

  Radioactive Discharges
  Ms. Hannan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has monitored the effect of radioactive discharges from the Health Service to air and water.

  Mr. Trippier
  Radioactive waste may be disposed of only if an authorisation has been issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP). Authorisations are issued only after careful assessment of the environmental impact of the proposed disposals. They impose strict conditions and activity limits, which are designed to ensure that any dose to the general public is well below the maximum permissible as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The premises concerned are subject to inspection to ensure compliance with the terms of authorisations.

  Monuments (Policy Review)
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to reply to the policy review on the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments—England, Wales and Scotland that was undertaken by Peat, Marwick and McClintock; and when he expects to act on the report's recommendations.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 7 November 1989]: The consultant's review was commissioned as part of a policy review of the three commissions undertaken jointly by the Department, CADW Welsh Historic Monuments and the Scottish Development Department. We announced our decisions on the main points of principle raised in the PMM report's recommendations relating to the English Commission on 20 February at columns 496–97. There remain further points of detail which affect all three commissions. We aim to conclude this further work by the end of the year.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people have been affected by the use of local authorities' powers to restrict the amount of rent payable through housing benefit such that only part of the eligible rent is assessed for benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have been asked to reply.

  This information is not held centrally.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to prevent the circulation by councils to community charge payers of misleading information on(a) on the level of charge and (b) the sums by which it is calculated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The code of practice issued under the Local Government Act 1986 already requires publicity 708
  issued by local authorities to be accurate and balanced. In addition I propose to lay regulations before the House under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 prescribing the precise form of bills to be sent to charge payers next year.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the proposed system for transitional relief for the poll tax.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government have issued two proposals papers on 11 October and 20 October, copies of which have been placed in the Library. Discussions are now taking place with the local authority associations following which a further consolidated paper will be issued. The paper will set out the detailed arrangements for the operation of the scheme.

  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning his recent statement relating to the community charge.

  Mr. Barry Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning his recent announcement relating to the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  I have received representations from individual local authorities and other bodies. The Department has also held a number of discussions with the local authority associations.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of St ate for the Environment if he will make a statement on all those degenerative mental conditions which can now be assessed for poll tax exemption.

  Mr. Chope
  The revised exemption for people who are severely mentally impaired will not refer to specific conditions. Any person who is entitled to a qualifying benefit—which will now include attendance allowance and constant attendance allowance—and who has a certificate from a registered medical practitioner stating that his intelligence and social functioning are severely impaired, whatever the cause, will be exempt from the community charge.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the likely administrative costs of the poll tax transitional relief scheme in 1990–91.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 18 October at column 155.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the causes for the relative levels of base community charge in areas of greater social needs as against areas without such problems.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The proposals for Standard Spending Assessments which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 6 November take account of substantial research which has been discussed with the local authority associations over the last year.
  709
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what costings have been undertaken by his Department as to the financial and manpower implications of implementing a two-tier system of local government finance, comprising a local income tax and a property tax.

  Mr. David Hunt
  A two-tier system of local government finance could, we estimate, cost up to twice as much to administer as the community charge.
  710
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any intention to revise the indicators used in the calculation of revenue support grant in those local authorities whose amount of grant is adversely affected by the introduction of the community charge.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I announced my proposals for the calculation of revenue support grant in my statement on 6 November.

  CAMBODIA
  CAMBODIA
  YOUTH TRAINING PROGRAMME, NORTHERN IRELAND
  YOUTH TRAINING PROGRAMME, NORTHERN IRELAND
  INFORMATION AND DATA THEFT
  INFORMATION AND DATA THEFT
  DENTAL PREPARATIONS: INCLUSION IN NHS LIST
  DENTAL PREPARATIONS: INCLUSION IN NHS LIST
  A.3, GUILDFORD WORKS: COMPLETION DATE
  A.3, GUILDFORD WORKS: COMPLETION DATE
  TRAFFIC DEMAND INCREASE FORECASTS AND POLLUTION
  TRAFFIC DEMAND INCREASE FORECASTS AND POLLUTION
  TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES: LIBERALISATION
  TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES: LIBERALISATION