Written Answers of 19 October 1989

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Audio Cassettes
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, further to the reply of 15 March,Official Report, column 258–59, what are the Government's plans to uphold the provision in the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988 rejecting the principle of levies on the sale of blank audio cassettes.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Government have no intention of amending the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to introduce a levy on blank audio cassettes in the United Kingdom. They welcome and support the conclusion of the Commission of the European Communities in its Green paper "Copyright and the Challenge of Technology" that Community action to introduce or harmonise levies is not required.

  DRG Company
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make a statement concerning Pembridge Investments of Bermuda bid for the DRG Company;

  (2) if he will refer the Pembridge Investments of Bermuda bid for the DRG Company, located at Deeside industrial park and elsewhere, to the Director General of Fair Trading; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The proposed acquisition of DRG by Pembridge Investments is being considered by the Director General of Fair Trading who will advise my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on whether the proposed acquisition should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. It would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the bid in advance of my right hon. Friend's decision. The Director General, in giving his advice, and the Secretary of State, in taking his decision on whether to refer, will give careful consideration to all relevant aspects of the proposal.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will visit the DRG Company at Deeside industrial park; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Neither I nor my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has any plans for such a visit.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will issue guidelines laying down minimum standards of accessibility for the elderly and disabled when post offices are relocated.

  Mr. Forth
  No. This is an operational matter for the Post Office. I understand that all new main post offices are 176
  designed to allow wheelchair access and access for disabled people is one of the factors taken into account where Crown offices are converted to agency or sub-offices. For existing buildings the Post Office aims to provide a level or suitably ramped approach wherever practicable.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the Official Report information available to him on those post offices in the Border region which have had their opening hours reduced or other services curtailed in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Forth
  This is an operational matter for the Post Office board. I understand that the information requested is not immediately available, so I will ask the chairman of the Post Office board to write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will review the consultation procedures currently adopted by Post Office counters when offices are downgraded or relocated to enable objections to be made to and heard by his Department when any such proposals for change are made.

  Mr. Forth
  Regrading and relocation of post offices are operational questions for the Post Office. I understand that it has agreed a code of practice on post office regrading with the Post Office Users National Council.

  Knitwear and Textiles
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to be in a position to publish the findings of the current review of the knitwear and textile industry being conducted by Professor Silberston; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Professor Silberston was asked, in the light of developments since 1984 when his first report was published, to assess the effects on the United Kingdom economy of import restraints under the multi-fibre arrangement (MFA) and barriers faced by the United Kingdom industry's exports in overseas markets and to examine the economic effects of proposals for the future developments of international trade in textiles and clothing. The Government would welcome the views of all interested parties, if possible by 17 November.

  I am grateful to Professor Silberston for the work he has undertaken. His report surveys developments in world trade and production and the specific experience of the United Kingdom textile and clothing sector as well as the existing barriers to trade. He considers how far liberalisation of the MFA would be likely to lead to increased competition from imports and from what sources and examines the likely effects on the United Kingdom economy, particularly in terms of prices and employment. In this context he has looked at the effects on different sectors of the industry and the consequent regional implications. Finally, the report considers the likely effects of the single market and the terms on which gradual liberalisation of the MFA might be negotiated in the course of the current Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations.

  The report represents Professor Silberston's own views. It will be helpful to the Government's further consideration of textile policy, especially as the European Community enters the detailed phase of negotiations in the Uruguay round during 1990.
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  In the light of Professor Silberston's findings and the comments received from industry and other parties, the Government will consider the position which the Community should adopt for the further negotiations on the future of the M FA in the Uruguay round. The Government will take full account of the effect of any proposals to phase out the present arrangements, in accordance with the Uruguay round mandate, on consumers, on employment and on the economy at large.

  Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Forth
  All staff in grades 1 and 2 have attended specific training courses on information technology issues.

  In financial years 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90 to date, 13 staff at grade 3 level (25 per cent. of those in grade) attended courses specifically on information technology and 9 (17 per cent.) attended courses involving an element of information technology. The information related to all staff at grade 3 level since promotion or before 1987–88, is not available without disproportionate cost to the taxpayer.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Forth
  Excluding stand-alone word processors there are currently some 5,300 computer work stations in the Department of Trade and Industry. The ratio of work stations to civil servants is about 1:2.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Forth
  The day-to-day management of the Department of Trade and Industry's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am the Minister responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department of Trade and Industry. IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of my time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort.

  United States-owned Companies
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all United-States-owned companies presently operating in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 17 October 1989]: Overseas companies are free to operate in the United Kingdom through a subsidiary incorporated in the United Kingdom or through a branch. A branch is not a legal
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  entity separate and distinct from its holding company. All such operations are treated in exactly the same way as British-owned ones. Because there is no distinction based on ownership, no records exist within Government of either subsidiaries or branches of United States companies operating in the United Kingdom. Informal estimates put the number in excess of 2,000.

  Gas Industry (Safety)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact the European Commission directives will have on the safety standards of the British gas industry.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 18 October 1989]: The proposed gas appliance directive, as drafted, will serve to reinforce the existing high standards of safety currently applied throughout the United Kingdom gas appliance industry. No other existing or proposed directives are expected to have a significant effect on the safety of gas appliances.

  Industrial Investment
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is for each year since 1975 the total amount of investment in the(a) chemical, (b) electronics, (c) textile and (d) motor car industries in 1989 moneys.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 18 October 1989]: The latest annual census of production for which data are available is 1987. The figures, in the following table, have therefore been given in terms of 1987 prices.

  Net Capital Expenditure in the Chemical, Electronics, Textile and Motor Vehicles1 Industries at constant 1987 prices

  £million

  Chemicals2

  Electro-nics3

  Textiles4

  Motor Vehicles and parts15

  Standard Industrial Classification (1968) (SIC(68))6

  1975

  1,666

  363

  415

  512

  1976

  1,669

  331

  333

  486

  1977

  1,666

  360

  300

  679

  1978

  2,045

  431

  354

  809

  1979

  1,967

  450

  336

  1,161

  Standard Industrial Classification (1980) (SIC(80))6

  1979

  1,766

  491

  333

  1,171

  1980

  1,483

  488

  209

  929

  1981

  1,130

  491

  153

  640

  1982

  1,032

  476

  163

  592

  1983

  1,022

  566

  168

  596

  1984

  1,048

  814

  221

  690

  1985

  1,352

  854

  249

  721

  1986

  1,384

  690

  278

  711

  1987

  1,504

  652

  271

  612

  Source Annual Census of Production.

  1 Motor vehicles and parts thereof4. Investment information for cars cannot be separately identified.

  2 Minimum List Headings 271 to 179 of SIC(68). Class 25 of SIC(80).

  3 Minimum List Headings 338, 363, 364, 365.2, 366 and 367 of SIC(68). Class 33, Group 344 and Activity Headings 3453 and 3454 of SIC(80).

  4 Minimum List Headings 412 to 421, 423 and 429.2 of SIC(68). Class 43 of SIC(80).

  5 Minimum List Heading 381 of SIC(68). Class 35 of SIC(80).

  6 Results of the Annual Census of Production for 1978 and earlier years are available only for industries defined in terms of the Standard Industrial Classification (Revised 1968). For 1980 and later years results are available only for industries defined in

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  terms of the Standard Industrial Classification (Revised 1980). To provide a link between the two classifications, results for 1979 are available on both bases.

TRANSPORT

  Stansted Airport
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the change announced in August to the Stansted airport departure route which goes to the south and west of Bishop's Stortford will come into effect; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mcloughlin
  The change to this noise preferential route which is to be achieved by altering the route from radial 170 to radial 175, from the Barkway navigation beacon, will come into effect today. This change, which moves the route further away from Bishop's Stortford, takes acount of the views expressed by the Stansted noise preferential routes working group, the response to the public consultation carried out earlier this year and representations from my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford.

  Air Pollution (London)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further steps he intends to take to reduce air pollution in London arising from transport.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department is considering a wide range of measures to reduce traffic congestion in London. As well as increasing the efficiency of the transport system, lower congestion should also help to reduce the emission of certain types of pollutant. The Government are also committed to strict standards of vehicle emissions due to be introduced in the 1990s

  British Rail
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what objectives have been set by the British Railways board for the greater use of the private sector in the provision of services; and what progress has been made to date in achieving those objectives.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Government set the railways board objectives in 1983 and 1986 which included broadening the participation of the private sector in the provision of services to the railway. BR has established specific programmes to meet these objectives and has made significant progress. The former BR subsidiaries of Sealink, British Transport Advertising, Travellers Fare, BREL and the Vale of Rheidol railway have been sold to the private sector. A joint venture project has been developed with the private sector for a new Heathrow express link; and major developments at stations involve private sector input of some £1 billion. Many ancillary services, such as trolley catering on trains, parcels deliveries and management of some car parks, are privately operated. All rolling stock is now bought from the private sector, and two thirds of the rail wagon fleet, excluding coal wagons, is privately owned. BR is exploring the opportunities for further collaboration with the private sector on Channel tunnel passenger and freight services and contracting out civil engineering and signalling work.

  Passenger Aircraft
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will meet the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss the safety standards of passenger aircraft in service with United Kingdom operators; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend frequently meets the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  Road Construction
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent by the Government on road construction since 1979.

  Mr. Atkins
  The amount spent by the Government on the construction and improvement of motorways and other trunk roads in England, Scotland and Wales in the period April 1979 to March 1989 was £7,120 million.

  North Devon Link Road
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conditions he will require to be fulfilled in order to provide funding to dual the North Devon link road from Tiverton to Barnstaple.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am satisfied that the present single carriageway road will be adequate for a long time to come. Predictions prepared using the Department's recently published national road traffic forecasts indicate that it will be many years before the economic benefits of dualling, calculated using our standard 30-year assessment period, would exceed the cost of such improvement. The economic assessment takes into account reductions in accidents and the benefits of reduced congestion.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Atkins
  Eleven officials have attended courses or training specifically on information technology since promotion to grade 3. A further five have attended courses containing an element of information technology. These represent 41 per cent. and 19 per cent. respectively of those at grade 3 and above in the Department of Transport.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Atkins
  There are some 5,130 computer work stations of all types excluding stand-alone word processors. in the Department of Transport, giving a ratio of one work station to every 2·9 members of staff.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Minister in his Department is responsible
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  for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Atkins
  No Minister is responsible for day-to-day management of the Department's information technology strategy. This is the task of a grade 5 civil servant.

WALES

  Ysgol Cwm Rhymni
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to visit Ysgol Cwm Rhymni, Bargoed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  I have made arrangements to visit Ysgol Cwm Rhymni on Friday 3 November.

  DRG Company
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the DRG Company, Deeside industrial park; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have no present plans to visit the DRG Company.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department reports directly to me on information technology matters, and I devote as much of my time to these issues as is necessary.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  There are currently 320 computer work stations in my Department, excluding stand-alone word processors. The ratio of work stations to civil servants is 1:7.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (6) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Ten officers have attended a course specifically on information technology since promotion to grade 3. One other has attended a course containing an element of information technology. These represent 77 per cent. and 8 per cent. respectively of staff at grade 3 and above in the Welsh Office.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Elephants
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Governments of Kenya and Tanzania what levels of external support they require to assist with programmes of elephant protection.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are in regular and close touch with both Governments to determine priorities for the aid programme, and we are always ready to consider requests for help in conservation.

  In Kenya we have been providing such help for many years, and fund three expatriate staff in the Kenya wildlife department. We have also provided 19 British Army Bedford trucks for use in anti-poaching efforts, and we are helping with a review of the wildlife department's radio communications requirements.

  Following a request from the Government of Tanzania we are about to appoint consultants to look at possible ways of helping with wildlife conservation.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Camelford
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the progress of the investigation of the Director of Public Prosecutions into the Camelford incident; and when the investigation will be complete.

  The Attorney-General
  I understand that police inquiries have been completed and the Director is awaiting a final advice from counsel before making a decision.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (6) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Hurd
  Eleven officials at grade 3 level and above have since attaining that grade attended a course specifically on information technology. Four of those 11, plus a further four, have attended a course containing an element of information technology. These figures represent 41 per cent. and 30 per cent. respectively of staff in those grades.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Hurd
  At present there are some 3,200 computer work stations in the Department. This represents about one terminal for every 13 staff in post or, excluding the prison service (which accounts for some 3 to 4 of the
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  Department's complement) one for every four staff. "Work station" is here taken to include linked terminals and stand-alone microcomputers (including those used partly for word-processing) but to exclude dedicated word-processors and other portable text processors.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Home Office, because of the heterogeneous nature of its business, does not have one single ITs strategy but a number of strategies geared to the needs of different businesses or areas of the office. Ministers overseeing particular areas of the office concern themselves, as part of that responsibility, with the application of IT to them. It is not practicable to apportion the part of ministerial time specifically devoted to IT aspects of the work.

  Television Stations
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if under existing Government proposals for ownership of television stations, the 15 current independent television franchise areas could be owned by eight non-British companies.

  Mr. Renton
  In line with our Treaty of Rome obligations the present, and proposed, prohibition of foreign control of United Kingdom broadcasting services does not extend to other EC countries. Applicants for regional channel 3 franchises, whether or not other EC companies are involved, will not pass the quality threshold unless they can satisfy the ITC that they will provide regional programmes, including programmes produced in the region.

  Salman Rushdie
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to cease public financial support for the protection of Salman Rushdie, his publishers and associates.

  Mr. Hurd
  The decision to provide protection is one for the police, who will have regard to the threat and all other relevant circumstances.

  Grade 1

  Grade 2

  Grade 3

  Number

  Percentage of grade

  Number

  Percentage of grade

  Number

  Percentage of grade

  Information technology courses

  2

  100

  5

  100

  10

  62

  Courses with an information technology element

  Nil

  —

  1

  20

  Nil

  —

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  On 3 October 1989 there were 1,578 computer work stations in the Department including Her

  Trusts
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of(a) charitable land trusts, (b) public benefit trusts and (c) maintenance funds presently in existence in England and Wales.

  Mr. John Patten
  This information is not available.

THE ARTS

  Museums and Galleries Commission
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has received the annual report of the Museums and Galleries Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  I have read the Museum and Galleries Commission's annual report and discussed issues arising from it with the Commission's chairman, who I meet quite frequently. This most recent report featured an account of the most valuable and exciting work of the travelling exhibitions unit, which I have seen in person and support enthusiastically.

  Book Storage
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement about the annual cost of storing books received under the Copyright Act.

  Mr. Luce
  I have responsibility for only one of the copyright libraries, the British Library. In 1987–88 the library received around 50,400 books under the legal deposit regulations, and the annual cost of storing each book was approximately £1.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The figures are as follows:

  Majesty's inspectorate of schools. This includes portable computers and 175 personal computers used by typists for word processing.

  At that date the total number of staff in the Department, including Her Majesty's inspectors and all support staff, was 2,567. The ratio of computer work stations to staff was therefore 1:1·6.
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  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The day-to-day management of the Department's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department. IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that it would involve a disproportionate effort to attempt to apportion specific intervals of my time to this matter.

  School Buildings
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the National Audit Office report on school buildings will become available.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  This is the responsibility of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

  Rothera Point (Airstrip)
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply on 21 December 1988 to the hon. Member for South Suffolk,Official Report, columns 283–85, whether the Natural Environment Research Council has yet published the final report on its comprehensive environmental evaluation of the proposed new British Antarctic Survey airstrip at Rothera Point; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has recently published the final comprehensive environmental evaluation of the proposed new British Antarctic Survey airstrip at Rothera Point. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary circulated the draft of this report to consultative parties to the Antarctic treaty; copies were also made available to various non-governmental organisations. The helpful comments received were taken into account by the NERC in preparing the final report.

  I commend this thorough report to hon. Members as further evidence of the Government's continuing concern for the environment.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his proposals for the national curriculum on the teaching in secondary schools of the history of the last war, and of the reasons why Britain declared war on Nazi Germany.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales are awaiting the final report of the national curriculum history working group, which they expect to receive by the end of the year. They will then publish their proposals for the history curriculum.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assumptions as to real and nominal interest rates have been made in his calculations of the cost of the student loans scheme.
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  Mr. MacGregor
  The costings set out in annex E of Cm. 520 are expressed in constant prices, and are accordingly not affected by interest rate assumptions.

>FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Environmental Protection
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his ministerial colleagues in G7 to discuss measures to protect the environment.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his ministerial colleagues in G7 to discuss measures to protect the environment.

  Mr. Michael Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his ministerial colleagues in G7 to discuss measures to protect the environment.

  Mr. Wall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his ministerial colleagues in G7 to discuss measures to protect the environment.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Environmental issues were among the subjects discussed when the G7 countries met in Paris for the economic summit on 14 to 16 July 1989. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs accompanied the Prime Minister to that meeting.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Seven such officials have attended courses specifically on information technology: this represents 23 per cent. of those relevant grades serving in both the diplomatic service and Overseas Development Administration wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Other officers in these grades have undertaken courses containing an element of information technology, but this information is not readily available.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In both the diplomatic service and Overseas Development Administration wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, at home and abroad, there is an approximate total of 2,800 work stations (computer terminals), excluding stand-alone work proces-sors. The ratio of these to United Kingdom civil servants is three civil servants to one terminal, but many of the
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  overseas terminals are used by locally engaged staff and the ratio (including both United Kingdom and locally engaged staff) is 5:1

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The day-to-day management of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. The Ministers with overall responsibility for IT matters in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are my noble Friend Lord Brabazon of Tara in the diplomatic service wing, and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Overseas Development. It would not be practicable to calculate what specific portion of a Minister's time is devoted to IT issues, since IT is now so well integrated into the Department's general business functions.

  Porpoises
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Japanese Government in protest at the slaughter of 40,000 porpoises by Japanese fishermen in 1988.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have, through the International Whaling Commission made the Japanese Government fully aware of our view that there should be better international protection for porpoises and other species of small cetacea. We are investigatng reports of the slaughter to which the hon. Member refers.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Balance of Payments
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the expected balance of payments deficit in the current year.

  Mr. Lilley
  A revised forecast will be published at the time of the Autumn Statement.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce the deficit in the United Kingdom's balance of payments.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Tighter monetary policy is already slowing the growth of demand, and this will eventually lead to a reduction in the current account deficit. However, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor has always made clear that the current account would be one of the last indicators to respond to the tightening of monetary policy.

  Mr. George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's balance of payments deficit in the first quarter and second quarter of 1989.

  Mr. Ted Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's balance of payments deficit in the first quarter and second quarter of 1989.
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  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's balance of payments deficit in the first quarter and second quarter of 1989.

  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's balance of payments deficit in the first quarter and second quarter of the current year.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The deficit on the current account was £4·8 billion in the first quarter and £4·9 billion in the second quarter of 1989.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has revised the forecast for the balance of payments in 1989 and 1990 since the Budget.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  A revised forecast will be published at the time of the Autumn Statement.

  Public Sector Debt
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on debt interest costs of the public sector debt repayments over the last two years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The Government have made a net public sector debt repayment of £17·9 billion over the last two years, saving over £1½ billion a year in debt interest costs.

  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on debt interest costs of the public sector debt repayments over the last two years.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on debt interest costs of the public sector debt repayments over the last two years.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer my hon. Friends to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague).

  Output
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for output per hour worked in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Japan and (c) Germany.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for output per hour worked in(a) United Kingdom, (b) Japan and (c) Germany.

  Mr. Ryder
  Recent estimates show that output per hour worked in the United Kingdom economy in 1986 was about 50 per cent. higher than in Japan and only 5 per cent. lower than in Germany.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for(a) health and (b) education.
  189
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for(a) health and (b) education.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for(a) health and (b) education.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for(a) health and (b) education.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Estimates of outturn for 1989–90 will be published in the Autumn Statement.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Treasury is taking to ensure adequate levels of efficiency and value for money in Her Majesty's Government's public expenditure programmes.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Treasury is taking to ensure adequate levels of efficiency and value for money in Her Majesty's Government's public expenditure programmes.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Treasury is taking to ensure adequate levels of efficiency and value for money in Her Majesty's Government's public expenditure programmes.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Improving efficiency and value for money in public expenditure is a major Treasury objective, and the measures we have introduced have so far achieved estimated savings approaching £3 billion.

  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending planning total for 1989–90.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the public spending planning total.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the public expenditure planning total.

  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending planning total for 1989–90.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending planning total for 1989–90.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-West (Mr. Robinson).

  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress about the level of public expenditure.

  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress about the level of public expenditure.

  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress about the level of public expenditure.
  190
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend receives representations from the CBI and the TUC from time to time concerning the level of public expenditure.

  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the planning total for public spending in each of the next three years.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the planning total for public spending in each of the next three years.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the planning total for public spending in each of the next three years.

  Mr. Michael J. Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the planning total for public spending in each of the next three years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The public expenditure planning totals published in the 1989 public expenditure White Paper in January were £179·4 billion for 1990–91 and £191·6 billion for 1991–92; no planning total was set for 1992–93. Plans for all three years will be given in my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's forthcom-ing Autumn Statement.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for 1989–90.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for 1989–90.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for 1989–90.

  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the public spending outturn for 1989–90.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  An estimate of outturn for 1989–90 will be published in the Autumn Statement.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of the Equal Opportunities Commission concerning priorities for public expenditure in 1990–91.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of the Equal Opportunities Commission concerning priorities for public expenditure in 1990–91.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend has never met the Equal Opportunities Commission to discuss public expenditure.

  New Businesses
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the increase in the number of weekly net business start-ups in 1988–89 over 1987–88.

  Mr. Lawson
  In 1988, the number of new businesses started up, net of closures, averaged 1,200 a week, the highest level ever. The comparable figure for 1987 was 800 a week. In 1978, the last year of the last Labour Government, closures exceeded start-ups at the rate of 100 a week.
  191
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the increase in the number of weekly net business start-ups in 1988–89 over 1987–88.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the increase in the number of weekly net business start-ups in 1988–89 over 1987–88.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo).

  Tax Rates
  Mr. Oakes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bands of marginal income tax rates exist(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other G7 countries.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bands of marginal income tax rates exist(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other G7 countries.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bands of marginal income tax rates exist(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other G7 countries.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bands of marginal income tax rates exist(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other G7 countries.

  Mr. Lilley
  The United Kingdom has two bands of income tax rates. The number of bands in the other Group of Seven countries ranges from two to 12. With permission, I will place details in the Official Report.

  Following is the information:

  Table of Income tax rate bands

  Country

  Number of bands

  Canada

  13

  France

  12

  Federal Republic of Germany

  23

  Italy

  7

  Japan

  5

  United States of America

  32

  1 Plus provincial tax: Quebec 5 bands, others 3 bands.

  2The middle band is a gradually rising rate according to a table which has 2,260 stages.

  3With an additional marginal rate band for some. Plus state income tax: e.g. California 6 bands, New York 5 bands.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. James Lamond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current short-term United Kingdom interest rate; and what are the interest rates of each of the G7 countries.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  On 18 October three-month money market rates were 15 per cent. in the United Kingdom, 8·6 per cent. in the United States, 6·4 per cent. in Japan, 8·3 per cent. in Germany, 10 per cent. in France, 13 per cent. in Italy, and 12·3 per cent. in Canada.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the current level of interest rates.
  192
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current level of interest rates.

  Mr. Ryder
  Bank base rates are 15 per cent.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the United Kingdom base rate was in May 1988; and what is is today.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the United Kingdom base rate was in May 1988; and what it is today.

  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom base rate in May 1988; and what it is today.

  Mr. Ryder
  The base rate in the United Kingdom was 8 per cent. at the beginning of May 1988 and fell to 7½ per cent. on 18 May of that year. The base rate is currently 15 per cent.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current short-term interest rate in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany.

  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current short-term interest rate in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current short-term interest rate in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Lambie).

  Mr. Leadbitter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what is the current short-term United Kingdom interest rate; and what are the interest rates of each of the G7 countries.

  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current short-term United Kingdom interest rate; and what are the interest rates of each of the G7 countries.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current short-term United Kingdom interest rate; and what are the interest rates of each of the G7 countries.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Oldham, Central and Royton (Mr. Lamond).

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he next expects to meet representatives of the Building Societies Association to discuss the level of United Kingdom interest rates.

  Mr. Bell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Building Societies Association to discuss the level of United Kingdom interest rates.

  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Building Societies Association to discuss the level of United Kingdom interest rates.
  193
  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend has no such plans.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will make a statement on the prevailing level of interest rates and the effect on manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Ryder
  Inflation is the greatest threat to the prosperity of all manufacturing firms. They will, therefore, benefit greatly from the Government's determination to keep interest rates as high as necessary for as long as necessary as part of its firm anti-inflationary policy.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effect to date of the high interest rate policy on countering inflation.

  Mr. Ryder
  There are clear signs that the Government's tight monetary policy is countering inflationary pressures. The housing market has cooled in all areas of the country and retail sales show the lowest recorded annual increase since June 1982.

  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters he has received from members of the public on the level of interest rates or their impact on the cost of mortgages.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters he has recieved from members of the public on the level of interest rates or their impact on the cost of mortgages.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington).

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses Ltd. about the level of the United Kingdom's interest rates.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the National Federation of Small Businesses and the self-employed about the level of United Kingdom interest rates.

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses Ltd. about the level of United Kingdom interest rates.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the National Federation of Self Employed and Small Businesses Ltd. about the level of United Kingdom interest rates.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of representations on this subject.

  Contingency Reserve
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on allocations from the contingency reserve in the current financial year.
  194
  Mr. Boateng
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on allocations from the contingency reserve in the current financial year.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on allocations from the contingency reserve in the current financial year.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on allocations from the contingency reserve in the current financial year.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Allocations from the reserve are made as the need arises.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy objectives for income tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend's objective is to reduce the basic rate of income tax to 20 per cent. as soon as it is prudent and sensible to do so.

  Quotas
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's response to the International Monetary Fund's proposals by Mr. Michael Camdessus for a quota increase.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams).

  Private Sector Investment
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total value of United Kingdom private sector investment over the last three years as a percentage of gross domestic product.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Private sector fixed investment, in 1985 prices, as a percentage of gross domestic product (at factor cost) was 15·6 per cent. in 1986, 16·8 per cent. in 1987 and 19 per cent. in 1988. The share of private sector investment in GDP was a record in 1988, surpassing the previous record in 1987.

  Value Added Tax
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to broaden the value added tax base.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to broaden the value added tax base.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to broaden the value added tax base.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend has no current plans to broaden the value added tax base.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value added tax for a family on average male earnings with two children represented as a percentage of their gross earnings in 1978–79; and what percentage it represents at the latest available date.
  195
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value added tax for a family on average male earnings with two children represented as a percentage of their gross earnings in 1978–79; and what percentage it represents at the latest available date.

  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value added tax for a family on average male earnings with two children represented as a percentage of their gross earnings in 1978–79; and what percentage it represents at the latest available date.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much value added tax for a family on average male earnings with two children represented as a percentage of their gross earnings in 1978–79; and what percentage it represents at the latest available date.

  Mr. Ryder
  A married man on average male earnings with two children would have paid approximately 2·7 per cent. of his earnings in value added tax in 1978–79 and will pay 5 per cent. in 1989–90.

  Taxation
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much indirect taxation has increased as a proportion of disposable income in real terms since 1984.

  Mr. Ryder
  It is estimated that indirect taxes—excluding rates—will be equivalent to 11·9 per cent. of gross national disposable income in 1989 compared with 11·8 per cent. in 1984.

  Mr. Knapman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress towards the introduction of independent taxation in April 1990.

  Mr. Lilley
  Preparations are well in hand for the introduction of independent taxation in April 1990.

  Third World Debt
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met ministerial colleagues in the G7 to discuss Third world debt.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met ministerial colleagues in the G7 to discuss Third world debt.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met ministerial colleagues in the G7 to discuss Third world debt.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund and the president of the World Bank to discuss Third world debt.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund and the president of the World Bank to discuss Third world debt.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the managing director of the International Monetary Fund and the president of the World Bank to discuss Third world debt.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor).

  Inflation
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps he has taken to control the rate of inflation.

  Mr. Ryder
  Since the signs of emerging inflationary pressures appeared last year, the Chancellor has tightened monetary policy by raising interest rates. This is the right way to bring inflation down.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present rate of inflation in the United Kindom and in each other European Community country.

  Mr. Ryder
  Inflation rates for United Kingdom and all other EC countries are as follows. The figures exclude estimates of owner-occupier housing costs, putting them on a more comparable basis.

  Latest1inflation rate

  Germany

  2·8

  France

  3·4

  United Kingdom

  5·8

  Italy

  6·6

  Spain

  7·4

  Netherlands

  0·8

  Belgium

  3·2

  Portugal

  13·7

  Greece

  13·6

  Denmark

  4·9

  Ireland

  3·7

  Luxembourg

  3·4

  1 Latest figures are September for Italy and the United Kingdom, August for France, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Luxembourg and Portugal, May for Ireland and July for the remaining countries.

  Source OECD HMT and national sources.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the forecast used for inflation for 1989–90 and 1990–91 in the 1989 "Public Expenditure Survey"; and what are his latest estimates for inflation in these periods.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the forecast used for inflation for 1989–90 and 1990–91 used in the 1989 public expenditure survey; and what are his latest estimates for inflation in these periods.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the forecast used for inflation for 1989–90 and 1990–91 used in the 1989 public expenditure survey; and what are his latest estimates for inflation in these periods.

  Mr. Ryder
  Estimates from the 1989 public expenditure survey will appear in the Autumn Statement. The statement will also present the latest general economic forecast, which includes projections for inflation.

  Manufacturing Investment
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest information on the investment intentions of British manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest information on the investment intentions of British manufacturing industry.
  197
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest information on the investment intentions of British manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The latest Department of Trade and Industry investment intentions survey, published in June, projected manufacturing investment in constant prices to rise by 15 per cent. in 1989 on a year earlier, with a further, smaller, increase indicated for 1990.

  Corporation Tax
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to exempting non-quoted companies from corporation tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to exempt non-quoted companies from corporation tax.

  Business Investment
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of business investment for the latest full year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of business investment for the latest full year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Business investment, in constant prices, as a percentage of gross domestic product was 14·9 per cent. in 1988, the highest level recorded.

  Debt Reduction
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in implementing the debt reduction plan of United States Treasury Secretary, Mr. Nicholas Brady.

  Mr. Ryder
  The IMF has agreed programmes allowing for officially supported debt reduction with Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica and the Philippines; and these countries are currently in discussion with the commercial banks on the terms of possible debt relief.

  Dr. Gilbert
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in implementing the debt reduction plan of United States Treasury Secretary, Mr. Nicholas Brady.

  Mr. Lawson
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon)

  Trade Deficit
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in visible trade in the first and second quarters of 1989.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in visible trade in the first and second quarters of 1989.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in visible trade in the first and second quarters of 1989.
  198
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in visible trade in the first and second quarters of 1989.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The deficit on visible trade was £6 billion in the first quarter and £5·9 billion in the second quarter of 1989.

  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in manufacturing trade in the first and second quarters of 1989.

  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in manufacturing trade in the first and second quarter of the current year.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in manufacturing trade in the first and second quarters of 1989.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The information was published on 26 September 1989 in table 16 of the monthly press notice on the current account of the balance of payments, a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Negative Transfers
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the negative transfer of financial resources from the 17 most heavily indebted countries since 1983 to the latest available year.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the negative transfer of financial resources from the 17 most heavily indebted countries since 1983 to the latest available year.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Tottenham (Mr. Grant).

  Disposable Income
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the growth of real personal disposable income for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  In the four quarters up to the second quarter of 1989, real personal disposable income is estimated to have been 4·8 per cent. higher than in the year up to the second quarter of 1988.

  Investment
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual increase in total investment in the United Kingdom in the 1980s; and what are the equivalent figures for the other European Community countries.

  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual increase in total investment in the United Kingdom in the 1980s; and what are the equivalent figures for the other European Community countries.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual increase in total investment in the United Kingdom in the 1980s; and what are the equivalent figures for the other European Community countries.
  199
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average annual increase in total investment in the United Kingdom in the 1980s; and what are the equivalent figures for the other European Community countries.

  Mr. Ryder
  The information is as follows:

  Percentage increase in Total Gross Fixed Capital Formation 1980–88

  Annual average percentage change

  Germany

  0·5

  France

  0·8

  United Kingdom

  4·5

  Italy

  1·3

  Belgium

  0·4

  Luxembourg

  -0·1

  Netherlands

  2·0

  Denmark

  1·3

  Ireland

  -1·6

  Spain

  3·7

  Portugal

  2·5

  Greece

  -1·4

  Source CSO for United Kingdom. OECD National Accounts Volume 1, 1980–87. 1988 figures from OECD Economic Outlook June 1989.

  Manufacturing Output
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for growth of manufacturing output.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for the growth of manufacturing output.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The latest figures show that in the three months to August manufacturing output was 4 per cent. higher than a year earlier.

  Footwear and Leather
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal assistance he is proposing to give to the footwear and leather industries.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to introduce any special fiscal assistance for the footwear and leather industries.

  Economic Growth
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average annual rate of real economic growth in the United Kingdom through the 1980's.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average annual rate of economic growth in the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Gross domestic product is estimated to have grown on average by 2¾ per cent. per annum since 1980. The seven years to 1988 have seen a combination of strong and steady growth not matched since the war.

  Employee Share Ownership
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of the amount of use being made by companies of employee share ownership plans as a result of the measures announced in his March Budget.

  Mr. Lilley
  The employee share ownership measures included in this year's Finance Act were generally welcomed, and we are confident that they will contribute to the continuing success of our initiatives in this field. While it is too early to assess their impact, the Inland Revenue has received a number of inquiries concerning the establishment of employee share ownership plans (ESOPs).

  Personal Equity Plans
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of the level of take-up of personal equity plans as a result of the measures announced in his March Budget.

  Mr. French
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate how many personal equity plans have been taken out in the period since the 1989 Budget; and how many were taken out in the corresponding period last year.

  Mr. Lilley
  About 130,000 plans were started between the Budget and the end of September 1989 compared with about 35,000 for the corresponding period in 1988.

  Bank of England
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the Governor of the Bank of England; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend meets the Governor of the Bank of England from time to time to discuss a variety of matters.

  Child Poverty
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Child Poverty Action Group to discuss child poverty.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Child Poverty Action Group to discuss child poverty.

  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives or the Child Poverty Action Group to discuss child poverty.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett).

  Imports and Exports
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the rate of growth of exports over the last 10 years; and what has been the rate of growth of imports.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the rate of growth of exports over the last 10 years; and what has been the rate of growth of imports.
  201
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the rate of growth of exports over the last 10 years; and what has been the rate of growth of imports.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  On a balance of payments basis, United Kingdom export volume in 1988 is estimated to have been 39 per cent. higher than in 1978. The corresponding estimate of the growth of imports is 70 per cent.

  Directors (Pay)
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in his discussions with the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, he has raised the subject of pay rises awarded to directors of companies in 1989.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in his discussions with the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, he has raised the subject of pay rises awarded to directors of companies in 1989.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in his discussions with the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, he has raised the subject of pay rises awarded to directors of companies in 1989.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, in his discussions with the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, he has raised the subject of pay rises awarded to directors of companies in 1989.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Pay is a matter for the parties involved to decide and it is not for the Government to intervene. This applies no matter whose pay is involved. But the Chancellor has made it clear that he will neither directly nor indirectly bail out employers who concede excessive wage settlements.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from institutions in the City on privatisation issues.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from institutions in the City on privatisation issues.

  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from institutions in the City on privatisation issues.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend receives a number of representations from time to time from institutions in the City on privatisation issues.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of privatisation revenue.

  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of privatisation revenue.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall).

  International Debt
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next intends to discuss international debt with other finance ministers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer is regularly in contact with Finance Ministers from other countries. I refer the hon. Member to my answer earlier today to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes).

  Manufacturing Profitability
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the increase in manufacturing profitability during the latest full year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the increase in manufacturing profitability during the latest full year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The net real rate of return on capital employed for manufacturing companies is estimated to be 9 per cent. in 1987, compared with 7½ per cent. in 1986.

  IMF Meeting
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his recent meeting in Washington with the International Monetary Fund.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the outcome of the recent annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  Finance Ministers of the major industrialised countries reaffirmed their support for economic policy co-operation, leading to low inflation and exchange rate stability. Strong support was given for plans to establish open, market-based economies, particularly in eastern Europe.

  Ministers endorsed the strengthened debt strategy, developed by the fund and bank since the spring interim and development committee meetings, and welcomed the first cases of debt reduction which have been agreed.

  No agreement was reached on the IMF's quota review: a decision is envisaged by the end of 1989.

  Copies of the meeting communiques have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the outcome of the recent annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lawson
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell).

  Investment and Consumption
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the growth of(a) total investment and (b) total consumption over the past seven years.

  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the growth of(a) total investment and (b) total consumption over the past seven years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Total investment grew by 76 per cent. in volume terms between 1981 and 1988. Over the same period, the volume of total domestic final consumption grew by 26 per cent. These estimates are derived from information in the CSO's "United Kingdom National Accounts", 1989 edition.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Franks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much total employment has risen since 1983.

  Mr Norman Lamont
  Total employment has increased by 2,793,000 since March 1983.

  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much adult unemployment has fallen over the last three years.

  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much adult unemployment has fallen over the last three years.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much adult unemployment has fallen over the last three years.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much adult unemployment has fallen over the last three years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Adult seasonally adjusted unemployment fell by 1,419,300 during the three years to September 1989.

  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest figure for the total number of people in work; and what was the figure 10 years ago.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The latest figures, released this morning, show that the total number of people in work in the United Kingdom was 26,357,000 in June 1989. This is a new record. In June 1979 total employment was 24,987,000.

  Tax Cuts
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the economic impact of top rate tax cuts.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the economic impact of top rate tax cuts.

  Mr Loyden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the economic impact of top rate tax cuts.
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  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the economic impact of top rate tax cuts.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The economic impact of top rate tax cuts, like that of any cuts in income tax, is to promote enterprise, discourage tax avoidance and retain talent in this country.

  World Bank Meetings
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the outcome of the recent annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and t he World Bank; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his recent meeting in Washington with the World Bank.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Members to the communiqués issued by the interim committee of the IMF and the joint development committee of the IMF and the World Bank, which can be found in the Library of the House.

  OECD
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries have overtaken the United Kingdom in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's list of the leading industrial economies in the last three years.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries have overtaken the United Kingdom in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's list of the leading industrial economies in the last three years.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries have overtaken the United Kingdom in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's list of the leading economies in the last three years.

  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 27 July 1989 at column 1125.

  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's position in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ranking of the largest industrial economies in december 1988 and in June 1989.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's position in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ranking of the largest industrial economies in December 1988 and in June 1989.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's position in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ranking of the largest industrial economies in December 1988 and in June 1989.

  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the United Kingdom's position in the
  205
  Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ranking of the largest industrial economies in December 1988 and in June 1989.

  Mr. Ryder
  From June 1989 the United Kingdom is sixth in the OECD's ranking of the leading industrial economies after Italy. The OECD ordering is based on GDP in an earlier year converted at market exchange rates. On the basis of a GDP comparison using OECD estimates of purchasing power parities, the United Kingdom would come before Italy in both 1987 and 1988.

  Workplace Nurseries
  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to meet representatives of the workplace nurseries campaign.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to meet representatives of the workplace nurseries campaign.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to meet representatives of the workplace nurseries campaign.

  Mr. Lilley
  My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

  Mr. Denis Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to meet representatives of the workplace nurseries campaign.

  Mr. Lawson
  I have no plans to do so.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his latest figures for the growth of gross domestic product on an output basis; and what are the comparable figures for other members of the European Community.

  Mr. Ryder
  Not all EC countries publish GDP on an output basis. The output measure of GDP at constant factor cost for the United Kingdom increased by 4·7 per cent. in 1988. GDP at constant prices grew more quickly in only two other EC countries, Luxembourg and Spain.

  Funding Policy
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the Government's present funding policy.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Government's funding policy is set out in paragraph 2.23 to 2.26 of the 1989–90 "Financial Statement and Budget Report".

  Economic Policy
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss United Kingdom economic policy.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss United Kingdom economic policy.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  My right hon. Friend meets representatives of the CBI from time to time, and a wide range of subjects are discussed.
  206
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he next expects to meet representatives of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss United Kingdom economic policy.

  Mr. Lawson
  I refer the right hon. and learned Member to the answer given earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Ms. Armstrong).

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Ryder
  Since promotion to the level of grade 3, two Treasury officials have attended courses exclusively on information technology (IT) and 13 have attended courses containing IT sessions. This represents attendance rates of 4·4 per cent. and 31 per cent. respectively.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Treasury which includes the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, Chessington computer centre and the Civil Service Catering Organisation, has 1,430 computer work stations. The overall ratio of work stations to staff is about 1:2·2. This figure includes all terminals and microcomputers, but excludes stand-alone dedicated work processors.

  Drug Seizures
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the latest quantities of cannabis and crack seized by Customs cutters and waterguard officers.

  Mr. Ryder
  The provisional figures for the six-month period comencing 1 April 1989, uniformed officers on preventive duties (formerly known as the Waterguard) seized 13,3851 kilos of Cannabis, mostly cannabis resin, out of a total of 18,9511 kilos seized by Customs.

  The cutter service was involved in three large seizures of cannabis, one of 1,200 kilos and two of 100 kilos each.

  "Crack" is a compound of cocaine hydrochloride mixed with baking soda/ammonia/amphetamine, and although Customs made no commercial quantity seizures of it, they did seize 1181 kilos of the main ingredient Cocaine.
  1All figures are provisional.

  Civil Service Dispersal
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to relocate any executive agencies or parts of Government Departments in the north-west of England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  Under the policy announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Paymaster General on 31 March 1988, all Government Departments, including executive
  207
  agencies, are required to review the location of their work in accordance with clear guidelines, with a view to finding locations offering easier labour markets, value for money and increased operational efficiency. It is for departmental Ministers to announce their own decisions on significant relocations on completion of the essential processes of assessment and consultation. So far this year, decisions have been taken to relocate around 775 Department of Employment posts to Runcorn; 260 Department of Social Security posts to Wigan; 250 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys posts to Southport; 200 Customs and Excise posts to Liverpool and around 80 Inland Revenue posts to Bootle.

HEALTH

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  Twenty-seven (55 per cent.) of the 49 officials at grade 3 or above have attended courses specifically on information technology since their promotion to the level of grade 3. Of the remaining 22 officials, three (6 per cent.) have attended courses with an element of information technology.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department of Health has 1,032 work stations in use. The ratio of work stations to staff is 1 for every 3·13 staff.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister in his Department is responsible for clay-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Freeman
  The day-to-day management of the Department of Health's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department of Health. IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of my time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort to obtain.

  Tranquillisers
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the amount of moneys available to health authorities specifically for the development of services for those experiencing problems with drugs, including prescribed drugs such as tranquillisers.

  Mr. Freeman
  Allocations for regional health authori-ties specifically earmarked for the development of services 208
  for drug misusers including those dependent on prescribed tranquillisers have increased each year since the initial allocation of £5 million in 1986–87.

  Regional allocations in 1989–90 for this purpose totalled £14·8 million, an increase of £5·3 million over the sum allocated in 1988–89.

  Decisions on allocations to health authorities for 1990–91 have yet to be taken.

  Benzodiazepines
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions for benzodiazepines were issued by community pharmacists in the United Kingdom during 1988.

  Mr. Mellor
  The number of prescriptions for benzodiazepines dispensed by community pharmacists in Great Britain in 1988 was 23·2 million. This was 9 per cent. fewer than in 1987.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the report by the Association of Community Health Councils on benzodiazepines.

  Mr. Freeman
  We are aware of the report on benzodiazepines produced by the association. The report succinctly and usefully summarises the problems associated with tranquilliser dependence and suggests some solutions.

  The Department shares the association's concern about long-term benzodiazepine dependence. It is tackling the problem both by ensuring doctors have all the guidance they need for careful prescribing of these drugs and by allocating additional resources for the expansion of services for drug misusers including those dependent on prescribed tranquillisers.

  Teaching Hospitals
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the costs of London area teaching hospitals have been excluded from the normal financing of their health authorities; if the costs of teaching hospitals outside London have been included; and what is the comparative value of this arrangement to the London authorities.

  Mr. Freeman
  A contribution to the costs of teaching hospitals is provided in addition to main allocations, to all regional health authorities with teaching hospitals. This contribution is enhanced for the four Thames regions to take account of the costs of London weighting and other additional London costs. The total sum protected in 1989–90 in respect of the excess costs of teaching hospitals was £316·4 million of which £11·7 million was for additional London areas costs.

  It is a matter for regional health authorities to decide how to allocate these protected sums to districts with teaching hospitals.

  Health Authorities (Funding)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funding will be given to health authorities to ensure that the national growth range of between 1·25 and 1·75 per cent. is maintained in view of the higher level of inflation than that forecast at the time of this commitment.
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  Mr. Freeman
  The range of 1·25 per cent. to 1·75 per cent. to be assumed for real terms growth nationally in 1990–91, published in "Resource Assumptions and Planning Guidelines" (HC(89) 24), was provided to assist authorities in their short-term planning; the figures form a largely technical part of the planning process and are to be used as a basis for cautious and prudent planning. Actual allocations for 1990–91 have yet to be decided and are dependent on the outcome of this year's public expenditure survey.

  Organ Transplants
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department intends to take to improve the number of kidneys and other organs available for transplantation.

  Mr. Freeman
  Following advice from the conference of medical colleges, in December 1988 we issued guidance to health authorities on the provision of donor organs for transplantation; this is contained in health circular HC(88) 63. We have also substantially increased the proportion of the Department's publicity budget which is devoted to organ donation.

  In November I will be hosting a seminar at which an invited group of experts and interested parties will discuss what further action may be needed.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated annual cost for each of the last five years of community health councils.

  Mr. Freeman
  The expenses of community health councils are met by and form part of the total expenditure of the health authorities concerned. The latest information available derived from health authorities' annual accounts is shown in the table.

  Year

  £

  1983–84

  6,098,626

  1984–85

  6,341,305

  1985–86

  6,784,064

  1986–87

  7,164,552

  1987–88

  7,506,998

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply of 25 May,Official Report, column 744, concerning the cost of the common agricultural policy, whether he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the increase in the cost of agricultural support to the average consumer in 1988 compared with the year taken by the National Consumer Council in "Consumers and the Common Agricultural Policy" published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in 1988.

  Mr. Curry
  The National Consumer Council report referred to several assessments of consumer costs of the common agricultural policy undertaken by different researchers. As far as I am aware, only OECD has 210
  published estimates for 1988. Provisional estimates for Consumer Subsidy Equivalent's (CSE) for the European Community are shown up on pages 96 and 161 of "Agricultural Policies, Markets and Trade: Monitoring and Outlook" (OECD, 1989), available in the Library of the House. The consumer cost, as measured by the CSE for the European Community, fell by around one fifth between 1986 and 1988.

  The OECD estimates take no account of the possible increases in world prices if agricultural support in the European Community, and throughout the world, were dismantled: to this extent they are likely significantly to overstate consumer costs.

  The Government's aim is to achieve lower levels of agricultural support worldwide, thereby reducing the costs borne by consumers and taxpayers and establishing fair competition between producers.

  CAP Products
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1970, 1979 and 1988, United Kingdom production of each of the principal common agricultural policy products, including bacon, rice and cotton, together with the quantities imported from and exported to (a) the European Economic Community and (b) the rest of the world; and if he will include the average 1988 price of the imports and exports in each case together with the common agriculture policy price.

  Mr. Curry
  Information on production and trade for the earlier years is shown in the "Annual Review of Agriculture" White Papers (the 1981 review, Cmnd 8132, provides averaged data for the years 1969–71 and the 1984 review, Cmnd 9137, covers 1979). Forecasts for 1988 were published in "Agriculture in the United Kingdom 1988", ISBN 011 242 8665. Production estimates for 1988 will be available in the 1989 edition (to be published early in the new year). Provisional data on overseas trade in 1988 is to be found in the December 1988 edition of the "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", ISBN 011 728 2642.

  EC institutional prices, together with their sterling equivalents, are given each year in the note on the annual price fixing deposited in the Library of the House.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Brussels Agriculture Council held on 25 and 26 September.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Council of Agriculture Ministers met on 25 and 26 September 1989. Together with my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, the hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.

  The Council adopted the legal text confirming its provisional agreement in July to a revised sheepmeat regime, including arrangements for phasing out variable premium in Great Britain between 1990 and 1992.

  The Council also agreed new arrangements for New Zealand butter and lamb imports. Imports of New Zealand butter will be set at 64,500 tonnes in 1989, falling to 55,000 tonnes in 1992, with a substantial reduction in the import levy. With the agreement of the New Zealand

  211
  Government imports of New Zealand lamb have been set at 205,000 tonnes; this includes a maximum of 6,000 tonnes of chilled meat in 1989 rising to 10,500 tonnes by 1992. The import duty will be reduced from 10 per cent. to 0. These arrangements follow the terms negotiated some months ago between the Commission and New Zealand.

  The Council agreed to changes in the system for reimbursement from the Community budget of national expenditure on set-aside. Under these, the Community will fund 60 per cent. of payments up to 300 ecus (£212) and 25 per cent. of payments between 300 and 600 ecus (£424) per hectare. The overall level of set-aside payment in the United Kingdom is not affected.

  The Council discussed again the Commission proposal to permit all member states to issue an extra 1 per cent. of national quota to certain categories of producers and to make other changes to the milk quota system, designed to bring down the volume of production in excess of quota. No decisions were reached, and the Council will return to this subject on 23 and 24 October.

  The Commission again came under strong pressure to make a determination of the Community cereals harvest so that the definitive level of the additional co-responsibility levy for the current marketing year could be set. The Commission indicated that it intended to make such a determination in the course of October. The Commission presented to the Council a proposal that would permit any inaccurate provisional determination of the Community harvest to be corrected; any error in the rate of the additional co-responsibility levy arising from an inaccurate provisional determination would be corrected in the following year. This proposal will be considered further on 23 and 24 October.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Curry
  The day-to-day management of the Ministry's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am the Minister responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department. IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of a Minister's time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort to obtain.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Curry
  Our formal records show that two officials in this Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended courses specifically on information technology. Thirteen have attended courses containing an element of information technology. This represents 6 per cent. and 38 per cent. of all the staff in those grades in the Department. In addition a number of senior officials have attended a selection of 212
  seminars/training sessions specifically on information technology, if appropriate to the area of work on which they are engaged. Attendances at these sessions is riot formally recorded.

  Many staff are, of course, already trained on information technology before achieving promotion to grade 3.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Curry
  The Ministry currently has about 2,100 work stations (excluding stand-alone word processors) in use. This represents a 1:5 ratio of work stations to civil servants.

  Commercial Whaling
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to support a continuation of the moratorium on commercial whaling beyond 1990.

  Mr. Curry
  The International Whaling Commission will review the moratorium next year in the light of the comprehensive scientific review of whale stocks which it is undertaking at present. The moratorium will continue indefinitely unless there is a three quarters majority decision to revoke it. We will need to see what the scientists say before taking a firm view on this matter. In line with our general policy if there are doubts we will err on the side of conservation.

  Small Cetaceans
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if Her Majesty's Government intend to endorse the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to seek an extension of the powers of the International Whaling Commission to small cetaceans.

  Mr. Curry
  We have consistently argued that the International Whaling Commission should be regarded as having the power to regulate catches of all species of cetacea, from whales to dolphins and porpoises.

  Fisheries Conservation
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to adopt economic sanctions against those countries which undermine international fisheries conservation agreements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government do not consider that they should promote the idea of economic sanctions. Rather we shall continue to work vigorously through the relevant forum of the International Whaling Commission to ensure that whales are properly conserved. It is widely recognised that we have had much success with this policy.

  Salmon Fishing
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is yet in a position to publish the findings of the review of the effects of the offshore driftnet salmon fishing on stocks; and if he will make a statement.
  213
  Mr. Curry
  Work on the statutory review of the salmon net fisheries off the north-east of England and eastern Scotland is under way. Scientists from both my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland are currently collecting and co-ordinating a wide range of scientific information.

  Ministers are required by section 39 of the Salmon Act 1986 to lay a report on the review before Parliament as soon as practicable after 6 November this year. Once completed, we will clearly need time to consider this extensive review carefully before we are in a position to present a full report to Parliament. I can confirm that it is our intention to do so as soon as possible.

ENVIRONMENT

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of advertising the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of advertising the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of advertising the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of advertising the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Howard
  The costs of the flotation, including the advertising, will be released to Parliament in the usual way after the sale.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of the underwriting for the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of the underwriting for the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of the underwriting for the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Cunliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the costs to the Treasury of the underwriting for the sale of the water authorities.

  Mr. Howard
  It is too early to say what the costs of underwriting will be, but these and the other costs of privatising the water industry will be reported to Parliament in due course in the normal way.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will(a) give details of overseas marketing and advertising campaigns paid for by his Department and organised by overseas advisers on water privatisation to attract investment in the flotation of the water industry and (b) state how much money has been spent and is proposed to be spent in each case.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Shares will be marketed in Japan, Canada, the United States of America and several 214
  countries in Europe through presentations made to institutional investors by representatives of the water companies. In Japan only, factual information about the offers will be placed in a limited number of newspapers and there will be a mail shot of information about the offer to a number of private investors. The cost of all marketing, both United Kingdom and overseas, will be presented to Parliament in the usual way after flotation.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be in a position to state for each country the size of the share offer in the water industry to be made.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  When the prospectus is published in late November.

  Sea Pollution
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by water holding company area the number of sewage outfalls to the sea; and, of those, how many include primary treatment works.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  This information is available on National Rivers Authority registers but is not held centrally.

  Committee Statistics
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the composition of(a) each regional rivers advisory committee, (b) each regional flood defence committee and (c) each regional fisheries advisory committee, showing for each member their age, sex and background leading to their being appointed to the committee; and which interests they represent.

  Mr. Patten
  The regional rivers advisory committees and the regional fisheries advisory committees are committees of the National Rivers Authority, and appointment to them are not made by Ministers but by the National Rivers Authority. I shall write to the hon. Member with information about the appointments that have been made so far.

  The regional flood defence committees in England are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who appoints the chairman and some members of the committees; the majority of appointments are made by the local authorities in the regions, and two members of each committee are appointed by the National Rivers Authority.

  Water Quality
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the numbers of staff and their grades so far appointed to the technical assessors of water quality within his Department; and what proportion this represents of the final number to be appointed.

  Mr. Patten
  No appointments have been made yet, but the nucleus of a new inspectorate should be in place by 1 January 1990 when the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 come fully into force.

  Pollution Inspectorate
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of progress in reorganising Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Patten
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside announced on 2 October that significant progress has been made in reorganising Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to integrate its regulatory activities. The inspectorate will now operate on a regionalised basis. Full details are available in the Library. I am delighted with the progress made to date. This will ensure that we can secure the benefits of integrated pollution control as quickly as possible.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the total number of professional staff employed within the pollution inspectorate;

  (2) if he will list the number of vacancies for professionals within the pollution inspectorate, showing in each case the grade and salary scale.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  HMIP employs 103 professional staff; an additional 28 professional posts are currently vacant. We shall shortly be advertising vacancies at a new grade of pollution inspector. A new salary scale has been proposed to staff representatives ranging from £20,238 to £26,910 (including London weighting). At the minimum of the scale this represents an increase of the 17·3 per cent. against current rates and of 28·5 per cent. against rates offered at the last recruitment exercise.

  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what mechanism has been set up within his Department for liaison between the National Rivers Authority and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  A series of discussions has been held by my Department, involving both organisations, to define the basis of their future working relationship. Both the inspectorate and the National Rivers Authority recognise the need for close co-ordination at the interface between their respective responsibilities and will be drawing up a memorandum of understanding to cover these matters.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Ten officials in the Department at grade 3 and above have attended a course specifically on information technology; and a further seven have attended a course containing an element of information technology. This represents respectively 18 per cent. and 12 per cent. of all staff in those grades in the Department.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.
  216
  Mr. Patten
  About 1,950 in the Department of the Environment (excluding the Property Services Agency); a ratio of one work station to three members of staff. The figure includes all terminals, microcomputers, word processors (excluding stand-alone word processors) and portable text processors.

  In the Property Services Agency (including the Crown Suppliers) there are some 2,370 work stations representing one for every 6·6 members of staff.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Patten
  The day-to-day management of the information strategy in the Department of the Environment (Central) is undertaken by an information technology steering group. The chairman of this committee (a grade 3 civil servant) consults me or my ministerial colleagues as appropriate.

  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope) is kept in touch with developments in the Property Services Agency, for which he is responsible.

  Assured Tenancies
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many assured shorthold tenancies in the privately rented sector have been taken up in(a) the Greater London area and (b) the rest of the country since the legislation came into effect this year;

  (2) how many new assured tenancies in the privately rented sector have been taken up in (a) the Greater London area and (b) the rest of the country since the legislation came into effect.

  Mr. Chope
  We intend in due course to undertake a full evaluation of the impact of the new private letting regime, and this should provide some information as to the number of assured and assured shorthold tenancies that have been created. At present, however, such information is not available.

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contributions have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the CITES ivory unit in each year since 1985.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In 1986 and each succeeding year the United Kingdom contributed £5,000 towards the running of the CITES monitoring unit for trade in raw ivory.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding payments made by ivory traders to the CITES ivory unit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 May 1989,Official Report, Vol. 153, col. 677–78. Contributions to the ivory trade monitoring unit from ivory traders are made in response to a resolution passed at the 6th CITES conference held in July

  217
  1987, which urged Governments, non-governmental organisations, trade groups and other appropriate agencies to contribute to the secretariat for ivory trade control co-ordination activities.

  Mr. Peter Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on payments received by the organisations concerned with the convention on trade in endangered species secured from the sale of illegally or improperly acquired species; and if he will support the call for an investigation of those allegations and of the organisations concerned.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None. It is not therefore possible to say whether or not any such investigation would be appropriate.

  Puffins
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has regarding the current British population of puffins; and if he will make it his policy to institute a ban on sand-eel fishing to encourage the breeding of puffins.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The current British popula-tion of puffins is estimated to be in excess of 500,000 breeding pairs. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, has already taken action to limit sand-eel fishing.

  Environment Council
  Mr. Nicholas Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council on 19 September.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.

  The Council gave broad support to a proposal to establish a European Environment Agency, with many member states, including the United Kingdom, offering to host it. Detailed work on technical, administrative and legal aspects of the proposal will now proceed urgently.

  Political agreement was reached on a directive concerning the deliberate release to the environment of genetically modified organisms. The directive requires member states to establish systems for the national regulation of such releases where they are for the purposes of research and development and establishes a Community-wide information exchange scheme between national authorities. It also establishes a system for the review and clearance of products containing genetically modified organisms so that conditions can be established for their marketing throughout the Community. The principles embodied in the directive of review and clearance in advance of all releases are broadly compatible with the Department of Environment's consultation paper on future domestic legislation and the conclusions reached by the Royal Commission on environmental pollution in its report on the subject.

  I am pleased to say that the United Kingdom received wide support for its call for industrialised nations to become self-sufficient in their waste disposal operations, with the aim of bringing to an end environmentally unjustified transfrontier movement of waste. There was general agreement on the need for Community action on
  218
  waste, but a number of important issues in the draft framework directive, including scope and treaty base, remain to be resolved.

  As a result of joint United Kingdom and Presidency pressure for early discussion of the subject, the Council considered the positive environmental labelling of consumer products. I am pleased to say that the Council agreed conclusions asking the Commission to bring forward proposals for a Community scheme of environmental labelling as quickly as possible.

  The Council endorsed the proposal to list the African Elephant on appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and agreed the arrangement for reaching the common positions of member states for the 7th meeting of the conference of the parties to the convention at Lausanne on 9–20 October.

  An exchange of views took place on a Commission communication analysing the causes and consequences of tropical deforestation and presenting options for a Community strategy for the conservation of tropical forests. The Council welcomed the communication and agreed conclusions supporting certain forms of Community action in this field and calling for further examination of the communication.

  The Council adopted a resolution aimed at preventing natural hazards and reducing dangers from potentially hazardous industrial activities and from transport of dangerous substances. The resolution called on the Commission to undertake studies and initiate measures to improve the prevention of such hazards within the Community.

  The United Kingdom warmly supported Germany in strongly pressing the Commission to come forward with long-overdue proposals to curb emissions from diesel heavy goods vehicles.

  Community Charge
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost of administering transitional relief, showing separately costs falling in(a) 1989–90, (b) 1990–91 and (c) later years.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  [holding answer 18 October 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government to the hon. Member, for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 18 October, Official Report, Vol. 158, col. 155.

ENERGY

  BNFL Sellafield
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy for how many individual facilities at BNFL Sellafield have(a) a facility attachment and (b) particular safeguards provisions been completed, in conjunction with (a) Euratom and (b) the International Atomic Energy Agency; when such arrangements were entered into force for each facility; and for what time period the arrangements are in force.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Four particular safeguard provisions for facilities at BNFL Sellafield are currently in force and will continue indefinitely. A further four are very close to implementation. The remainder are in various stages of consultation.
  219
  A facility attachment for one facility at Sellafield was agreed in 1980 and discussions have recently taken place on facility attachments for two other facilities.

  Nuclear Plants (Accidents)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has recently taken, or plans to take, any policy decision on the collaboration of the United Kingdom with European Community partners to share knowledge and assistance in the circumstances of an accident involving radiation plants, nuclear fuel fabrication and enrichment plants, and in research reactors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Government are currently involved in discussions within the Council of the European Communities on measures to increase co-operation and assistance between member states in the event of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency. These proposals are detailed in European Community Document COM (89) 25 Final. On 26 June 1989, I signed an explanatory memorandum about the proposals which was placed in the Vote Office.

  Nuclear Power (Human Reliability)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department will be participating in the conference on human reliability in nuclear power, to be held on 19 and 20 October.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Although my Department will not be participating in the conference directly, both the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, who advise the Secretary of State for Energy on nuclear matters, will he represented.

  Pressurised Water Reactors
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department will be represented at the conference on "The PWR—the present and future of Europe's Nuclear Energy" to be held on 6 and 7 November.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No departmental officials will attend the conference. I understand that officials of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate are intending to attend.

  Environmental Protection
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what European Community directives and regulations on environmental protection in regard to the energy sector have not been implemented since May 1979; and what is the reason in each case for the non-implementation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Responsibility for implementating EC directives and regulations on environmental protection rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. However, I am advised that the only directive relating mainly to environmental protection in regard to the energy sector not implemented since May 1979 is the Large Combustion Plants Directive (88/609/EEC). This was adopted by the European Community on 24 November 1988 and is to be implemented by 30 June 1990. On 31 August the Department of the Environment published the Government's proposals for implementing this directive.

  Contaminated Soil (Harwell)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what work was undertaken over the summer to remove radioactivity contaminated soil from Harwell.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  None.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Wakeham
  There are 15 staff employed in the Department of Energy at grade 3 level and above. Of these, four have received training specifically on information technology since promotion, and three (including two of the four already mentioned) have attended courses containing an element of information technology. These figures represent 27 per cent. and 20 per cent. respectively of the total.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department currently has about 400 computer work stations, including stand-alone micro computers not entirely devoted to word processing, giving a ratio of 1:2·5 civil servants.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I am satisfied that my Department's information technology strategy is appropriate to its circumstances and that its implementation does not require the day-to-day involvement of Ministers.

  Nuclear Reactors
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the current operational difficulties with(a) Magnox and (b) advanced gas-cooled reactors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Oil Consumption
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the level of(a) world oil consumption and (6) United Kingdom oil consumption in each year since 1960 what has been the percentage annual growth in each case, and what levels are predicted to be reached by 2000.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Data on United Kingdom and non-Communist world oil consumption between 1960 and 1988 are shown in the table, together with annual percentage changes in each case.
  221
  Predictions of world and United Kingdom oil consumption over the next 10 years remain uncertain and will depend upon many different factors.

  Oil consumption

  United Kingdom

  Total non-communist world

  million tones

  Percentage change

  million tones

  Percentage change

  1960

  49·7

  —

  920·3

  —

  1961

  52·6

  5·8

  976·1

  6·1

  1962

  56·8

  8·0

  1,042·6

  6·8

  1963

  61·7

  8–6

  1,127·6

  8·2

  1964

  67·3

  9·1

  1,213·6

  7·6

  1965

  74·2

  10·3

  1,298·3

  7·0

  1966

  79·5

  7·1

  1,396·5

  7·6

  1967

  85·3

  7·3

  1,500·4

  7·4

  1968

  90·4

  6·0

  1,630·5

  8·7

  1969

  97·3

  7·6

  1,774·7

  8·8

  1970

  103·6

  6·5

  1,916·1

  8·0

  1971

  104·3

  0·7

  2,013·2

  5·1

  1972

  110·5

  5·9

  2,142·7

  6·4

  1973

  113·2

  2·4

  2,319·0

  8·2

  1974

  105·3

  -7·0

  2,234·2

  -3·7

  1975

  92·0

  -12·6

  2,166·8

  -3·0

  1976

  91·4

  0·7

  2,310·6

  6·6

  1977

  92·0

  0·7

  2,376·3

  2·8

  1978

  94·0

  2·2

  2,450·1

  3·1

  1979

  94·5

  0·5

  2,489·4

  1·6

  1980

  80·8

  -14·5

  2,356·1

  -5·4

  1981

  74·7

  -7·5

  2,255·5

  -4·3

  1982

  75·6

  1·2

  2,166·8

  -3·9

  1983

  72·5

  -4·1

  2,151·1

  -0·7

  1984

  89·6

  23·6

  2,194·5

  2·0

  1985

  77·4

  -13·6

  2,176·4

  -0·8

  1986

  77·4

  0·0

  2,245·6

  3·2

  1987

  75·2

  -2·8

  2,285·1

  1·8

  1988

  80·0

  6·4

  2,373·6

  3·9

  Note.—Oil consumption is defined as inland demand plus international aviation and marine bunkers, and refinery fuel and loss. Oil includes NGLs.

  Sources: BP Statistical Review of World Energy, July 1989 (for years 1965–88).

  Our Industry Petroleum, BP 1977 (for years 1960–64).

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Earnings Rule (Abolition)
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the implications of the abolition of the earnings rule.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Abolition of the earnings rule on 1 October means greater choice and flexibility for pensioners. Women aged 60 to 64, and men aged 65 to 69 no longer have their state pension reduced on account of earnings over £75 a week. They may now earn as much as they wish, work as many hours as they wish and still claim their full entitlement to the state pension. The removal of this disincentive to carry on working is expected to benefit approximately 200,000 people who previously deferred their state pension, as well as a further 200,000 who earn less than £75 a week and who may now choose to earn more.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any further plans for reforming the structure of national insurance contributions.
  222
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the implementation of the reform of national insurance.

  Mr. Scott
  The changes in the structure of national insurance contributions, announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget Statement, came into effect on Thursday 5 October 1989. Some 19 million employees will pay less in contributions as a result of these reforms. We have no current plans for further reform of the contributions system.

  EC Labour and Social Affairs Council
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the European Community Labour and Social Affairs Council held in Brussels on 29 September.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I attended this Council on behalf of the United Kingdom. The meeting was very constructive. Ministers exchanged views on a number of wide-ranging items, including family policies and the possibility of a co-ordinated approach to the problems of disability. Agreement was reached on a resolution on possible measures for combating the social exclusion of disadvantaged groups. There was also some discussion of the social security provisions for workers moving between member states and of the need for extension of social protection schemes in fields such as occupational pensions.

  Ministers agreed to support European Community study of the practicalities of introducing a durable plastic card version of form E111 (to obtain emergency health care in the EC).

  Proposals for amending the family benefit provisions of the regulations (1408/71) dealing with social security benefits for migrant workers in the light of the European Court of Justice judgment in the Pinna case were agreed by 11 member states including the United Kingdom, but Italy maintained a reserve on the proposal, which needed unanimity. The issue was, therefore, deferred for further consideration.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Since their promotion to grade 3, nine people at grades 3 and above have attended a course specifically on information technology and six people have attended a course containing an element of information technology. This represents 53 per cent. and 35 per cent. respectively of all the staff in those grades.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  There are currently 3,985 work stations installed within the Department as part of the operational strategy to computerise benefit payments. The
  223
  ratio of work stations to civil servants is 1:20. The number of work stations will rise as the programme for the computerisation of benefits is introduced into more offices during national rollout.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which Minister in his Deprtment is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Newton
  The day-to-day management of the Department of Social Security's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. The Minister responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department of Social Security is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, South-West (Mrs. Shephard). IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of my hon. Friend's time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort to obtain.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Road Accidents, Castlereagh
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many road accidents there have been on the road between Shaw's bridge and the Milltown junction with the dual carriageway in the borough of Castlereagh in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  There has been a total of 54 road accidents reported to the police in which injuries have been sustained on this stretch of road between 1 January 1984 and 3 July 1989. The figures for each year are:

  Number

  1984

  12

  1985

  10

  1986

  8

  1987

  7

  1988

  7

  19891

  10

  1To 3 July 1989.

  No record is kept of road accidents in which there have been no injuries.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Cope
  The number of staff at grade 3 and above in Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments who, since promotion to grade 3, have attended a course specifically on information technology is 14; and the number who have attended a course containing an element of information technology is five. These figures represent 28 per cent. and 10 per cent. respectively of the total number of staff in these grades.
  224
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Cope
  The number of work stations, excluding stand-alone word processors, in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments is 3,670. The ratio of work stations to non-industrial civil servants is 1:5·6.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Cope
  While each Minister has departmental responsibilities which include information technology, I have specific responsibility for the Northern Ireland service-wide aspects of the Government's information technology strategy which are co-ordinated by the Department of Finance and Personnel.

  A detailed record is not maintained of the time that I spend on my various responsibilities.

  Grant-aided Schools
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each of the past 10 years the Department of Education exercised its power of direction in the case of managers of grant-aided schools for acting or proposing to act unreasonably in the discharge of their functions under the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Orders.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Two such directions have been issued to education and library boards in their capacity as the managers of controlled schools. No such directions have been issued to managers of voluntary grant-aided schools.

PRIME MINISTER

  South Hams
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to South Hams.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to do so.

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

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister regularly receives representations regarding NATO.

  Skills Training
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received concerning skills training.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.
  225
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister receives representations from time to time. The Government, through their Training Agency, invest almost £3 billion in funding training. However, training is primarily the responsibility of employers, who are investing more than ever before in the skills of their employees—some £18 billion a year.

  Fishing Vessels (Safety)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any proposals to change the safety regulations relating to the occupational safety of fishermen and the safe working of United Kingdom registered fishing vessels; and if she will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Fishing Vessel (Safety Provisions) Rules 1975 are currently under review. The review will take into account the provisions of the Torremolinos international conven-tion for the safety of fishing vessels 1977 and any subsequent variations thereto which may be necessitated by the protocol to that convention which is currently under consideration by the Internationl Maritime Organisation. Regulations made under the Safety at Sea Act 1986 to introduce safety training for entrants into the industry came into force during March this year.

  West Yorkshire
  Mr. Kirkhope
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit West Yorkshire.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to do so.

  Somerset
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit Somerset.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to do so.

  A1/M1 (Delays)
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Prime Minister what reports have been made to her of delays when travelling by ministerial car on the A1/M1 road during the last six months.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has not received any such representations. But my right hon. Friend is aware of the concern in the north-east about the upgrading of the A1. The White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" includes among the schemes set out, proposals to a value of £700 million to improve over half the length of the A1 between the M25 and Tyneside. When all schemes are completed, all the sections from the M18 to Tyneside will be motorway or near motorway throughout.

  Black Country
  Mrs. Hicks
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit the black country.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.
  226
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to do so.

  GATT
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received a number of representations relating to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade from foreign Government and United Kingdom interests.

  OECD
  Mr. Cyril D. Townsend
  To ask the Prime Minister is she has received recent representations regarding the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  No. But the Government value the information and exchange of views which the OECD makes possible.

  RAF
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Prime Minister is she has received recent representations regarding the Royal Air Force.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister regularly receives representations regarding the Royal Air Force.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Prime Minister is she has received recent representations regarding higher education.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister receives many representations on education matters, including the Government's policies for higher education which are helping to take this autumn's student numbers above 1 million for the first time, and pave the way for yet greater participation in the years ahead.

  Greenhouse Effect
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the greenhouse effect.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The House of Commons Select Committee on Energy has recently reported on the energy policy implications of the greenhouse effect. The Government are currently studying the report and will reply shortly.

  Transport Museum, Low Moor
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the site of the Transport museum at Low Moor, Bradford.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has no plans to do so.

  Army
  Mr. Mallins
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the Army.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister regularly receives representations regarding the Army.

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

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received a number of such representations. The continuing fall in the overall level of recorded crime shown in the statistics for the year ending 30 June 1989 is encouraging, though the figures are still too high.

  Bank of England
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the Bank of England.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply. No.

  Employment
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the level of employment.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received a number of representations about the level of employment. The work force in employment in the United Kingdom now stands at 26,357,000. That level is the highest ever recorded and is an increase of 2,793,000 since March 1983. It is 872,000 more than the previous peak in employment in December 1979.

  Motor Industry
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the motor industry.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The motor industry is one of Britain's major industries and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister often receives representations about it.

  Nuclear Deterrent
  Mr. Fishburn
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has received recent representations regarding the nuclear deterrent.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has received a number of letters from individuals and organisations.

  Merchant Fleet
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Prime Minister in view of the ninth report of the Select Committee on Defence entitled "The Availability of Merchant Shipping 228
  for Defence Purposes: July 1989", what steps she intends to take to reverse the decline in British merchant ships available for defence purposes.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government have already introduced a number of measures to help the merchant shipping industry. The effects of the Government's measures depend to a large extent on the practical response of the industry, which the Government await with interest.

  Government Advertising
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will take steps to ensure that all Government Departments and offices apply the same standards as used by local authorities when dealing with Government advertising.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  Advertising by Government Departments is already subject to conventions as stringent as those applied to local authority advertising. Consolidated guidance was issued by the Cabinet Office to Departments earlier this year, and a copy has been placed in the Library.

  Conservative Party Conference
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list those civil servants and their Departments officially present at the Conservative party conference, including those from her private office.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  A private secretary and a typist were present at the Conservative party conference to assist the Prime Minister in her official duties. In addition, three members of the No. 10 Policy Unit (who are special advisers) were present. Information about attendances at the conference by officials in other Departments is not available centrally.

  Second World War (History Teaching)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received on the teaching in secondary schools of the history of the last war; what response she has made; and if she will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government have received no representations specifically on the teaching of the history of the last war. Some have been received about the proposals for the teaching of history made in the interim report of the national curriculum working group. The group is expected to make its final report to my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Education and Science and for Wales before Christmas.

  Labour Party Policies (Costings)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister which Departments have been involved in asking civil servants to cost the Labour party's policies; which ones have actually undertaken this costing; and if she will make a statement,

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  Officials stand ready to estimate the cost of proposals for expenditure if asked to do so by their Ministers. A number of departmental Ministers have asked their officials to estimate the cost of specific proposals which are

  229
  thought to be endorsed by the Labour party. The provision of factual material of this sort by civil servants is consistent with the practice of previous Governments, and with the Cabinet Office rules on propriety.

  Members' Correspondence
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will issue guidance to departmental Ministers that four to six weeks is a reasonable time scale for correspondence to be answered and that, in the exceptional cases where it is not, an answer should be sent to the hon. Member originating the correspondence advising him of the circumstances which prevent a definitive reply being sent within this time scale;

  (2) what she assesses as a reasonable time for a Department to respond to correspondence from an hon. Member.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  Ministers normally seek to provide answers within the timescale mentioned by my hon. Friend or to send interim replies when this is not possible.

  Engagements
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 October.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 October.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 19 October.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday, 19 October.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday, 19 October.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

  Chequers
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the charge to public funds of decoration and furnishings at Chequers during 1988–89 and the estimated costs in 1989–90

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The maintenance of Chequers is the responsibility of the Chequers Trust. The trust receives an annual

  Employment Department Group Non-Department Public Bodies

  Chairman

  Remuneration Deputy

  Members

  Executive etc. Bodies

  Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service

  £72,000

  £869 per annum +£86 per day

  British Tourist Authority

  £36,000

  £5,030

  Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members

  £179 per day

  Co-operative Development Agency

  £11,235

  English Tourist Board

  £21,600

  £5,030

  National Council for Vocational Qualifications

  £10,000

  National Dock Labour Board

  £22,644

  £19,869

  £1,100

  230
  grant-in-aid from public funds to meet the deficiency between its income and the total maintenance cost of Chequers. The amount of the grant-in-aid in 1989–90 is £238,000, the same as 1988–89.

EMPLOYMENT

  Workplace Nurseries
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has held with the Equal Opportunities Commission to discuss the provision of workplace nurseries.

  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has held with the Equal Opportunities Commission to discuss the provision of workplace nurseries.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has held with the Equal Opportunities Commission to discuss the provision of workplace nurseries.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has held with the Equal Opportunities Commission to discuss the provision of workplace nurseries.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have had discussions on childcare with the chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission at meetings of the Advisory Committee on Women's Employment, which I chair. Workplace nurseries are among the matters discussed.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a list of non-departmental public bodies appointed by him showing the salaries paid in each individual case; and what is the total public expenditure involved in running these organisations in a full year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The table gives the information in respect of bodies sponsored by the Department. Appointment of members to the Employment Appeal Tribunal are made by Her Majesty The Queen and appointments of chairmen of industrial tribunals are made by the Lord Chancellor. Appointments to other bodies are made either directly by my right hon. friend or by the appropriate executive body. The total annual public expenditure involved in running these organisations was £3,622 million as at 1 April 1989.
  231

  Remuneration

  Chairman

  Deputy

  Members

  Remploy Ltd.

  £33,910-£55,000

  Wages Councils

  £103 or £ 129 per day

  £66 or £ 82 per day

  Health and Safety Commission

  £72,000

  £869 per annum+£ per day

  Health and Safety Executive

  —

  —

  —

  Training Agency

  £27,400

  £828 per annum + £82per day

  Training Agency Bodies

  Industrial Training Boards:

  Clothing and Allied Products Industry Training Board

  £12,432

  Construction Industry Training Board

  £18,648

  £8,549

  Engineering Training Board

  £15,540

  Hotel and Catering Training Board

  £ 12,432

  Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Board

  £9,324

  Plastics Processing Industry Training Board

  £9,324

  Road Transport Industry Training Board

  £12,432

  Advisory Bodies (unpaid)

  Advisory Committee on Women's Employment

  Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal

  Race Relations Employment Advisory Group

  Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee

  Employment Service Bodies:

  Employment and Training Advisory Committee for the Resettlement of Ex-Regulars

  Committees for the Employment of Disabled People

  National Advisory Council on Employment of Disabled People

  Sheltered Employment Consultative Group

  Health and Safety Commission Bodies:

  Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens

  Advisory Committee on Dangerous Substances

  Advisory Committee on Genetic Manipulation

  Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations

  Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances

  British Approvals Service for Electrical Equipment in Flammable Atmospheres Advisory Council

  Certification Board for Diver Training

  Certification of Electrical Equipment for Mining Advisory Council

  Industry Advisory Committees

  Mining Qualifications Board

  Non-Agricultural Pesticides Panel

  Occupational Health Advisory Committee

  Safety in Mines Research Advisory Board

  Tribunals etc.

  Central Arbitration Committee

  £19,240

  £161 per day

  £103 per day

  Employment Appeal Tribunal

  —

  —

  £129 per day

  Industrial Tribunals

  £37,500 to £50,900

  —

  £82 per day

  Levy Exemption Referees

  £161 per day

  £66 per day

  Self-employment
  Mr. Siliars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his assessment of the change in the numbers of self-employed in the next 12 months.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Department does not make forward projections of the self-employed.
  232
  Between March 1981 and March 1989 self-employment was estimated to increase by 985,000, and now stands at 3,079,000.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of
  233
  grade 3, attended a course (a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Number of staff who have attended courses specifically on information techonology

  Percentage of staff in the grade

  Number of staff who have attended courses with an element of information technology

  Percentage of staff in the grade

  Grade 1

  1

  50

  1

  50

  Grade 2

  4

  100

  1

  25

  Grade 3

  11

  41

  13

  48

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Eggar
  Excluding stand-alone word processors, there are 19,420 work stations currently installed in the Employment Department group; a ratio of 1:2·8 civil servants.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Eggar
  The day-to-day management of the Employment Department group's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am the Minister responsible for IT matters in the Employment Department group. IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of a Minister's time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort.

  Closed Shop
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the breakdown by industry and region of the 1·3 million workers now covered by the pre-entry closed shop.

  Number of reported1 occupational injuries in the construction industry in Great Britain

  Employees

  Self employed

  Other persons2

  Year

  Fatal

  Major3

  Over 3 day

  Fatal

  Major3

  Over 3 day

  Fatal

  Major3

  1984

  100

  2,288

  ..

  17

  70

  ..

  7

  75

  1985

  104

  2,239

  ..

  22

  113

  ..

  13

  78

  1986 Q14

  24

  579

  ..

  2

  29

  ..

  1

  24

  1986–875

  99

  2,570

  16,260

  26

  412

  687

  14

  594

  1987–885

  102

  2,633

  16,418

  40

  521

  744

  16

  563

  1988–89p5

  99

  2,701

  15,963

  35

  715

  953

  13

  630

  p - provisional.

  ..- not available.

  1 Reported to HSE's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates and all other relevant enforcing authorities, under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1980 (NADOR) FOR 1984—March 1986 and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, 1985 (RIDDOR) for later years.

  2 For 1984 to March 1986 refers to injuries to members of the public. For later years, also includes a number of injuries to employed persons.

  3 Major injuries 1984-March 1986 are as defined in NADOR. The definition of a major injury employed for later years is given in RIDDOR and is wider than that specified under NADOR. Figures for major injuries reported under RIDDOR are, therefore, not comparable with those for earlier years.

  4 First quarter (January to March).

  5 Years begining 1 April.

  234
  Mr. Eggar
  The information requested is given in the table:

  Mr. Fowler
  The Green Paper "Removing Barriers to Employment" (CM 655), published on 20 March 1989, referred to a survey carried out by NOP Market Research Ltd between 22 February and 6 March 1989 which indicated that the number of people covered by pre-entry closed shop arrangements was of the order of 1·3 million. The pre-entry closed shop was most extensive in manufacturing, energy and water supply, and transport and communication. Among manufacturing industries, publishing and printing was the sector with the highest incidence. Membership of both pre-entry and post-entry shops was above average in the central and northern regions of Britain and below average in the south.

  A full analysis of the data obtained in the survey will be published in an article in the November issue of the Employment Gazette.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many(a) deaths and (b) injuries occurred in the construction industry in each of the last five years; and how many such deaths and injuries occurred among workers employed by a firm in possession of a 714 certificate.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information is given in the table. It is not possible to identify those injuries occurring to workers employed by a firm in possession of a 714 certificate.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will now introduce legislation under section 79 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc. Act 1974, requiring directors' reports to contain information on health and safety policy.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer in the Official Report on 24 July 1989 at column 484.

  Factory and Agriculture Inspectors
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment why he has not yet replied to the letter of 27 June from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East concerning his undertaking of 2 December 1987 to increase the number of factory and agriculture inspectors by 40 by 31 March 1989.

  Local authorities who have withdrawn

  Political control

  Date withdrew

  Reason

  Barrow Borough Council

  Labour

  4 November 1988

  Political opposition

  Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

  Labour

  24 February 1989

  Political opposition

  Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council

  Labour

  End August 1989

  Political opposition

  Nottinghamshire County Council

  Labour

  End December 1988

  Political opposition

  London Borough of Merton

  Conservative

  19 May 1989

  Operational difficulties

  London Borough of Barnet

  Conservative

  31 March 1989

  Operational difficulties

  Cleveland County Council

  Labour

  3 September 1989

  Political opposition

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what consideration he has given to the report on employment training commissioned by the Training Agency which reviewed the position within the south Yorkshire area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  This particular survey was carried out in February and March. It was commissioned by one of the Training Agency's area offices to help them and their training agents and training managers address a number of teething problems encountered in the first six months of employment training in that area.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the methods used by his Department to assess(a) the quality of the training given through the employment training programme and (b) its results in terms of both skills learned by the trainees and their subsequent full-time employment.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 18 October 1989]: The main methods used to assess the quality of training in employment training are:
  An examination of providers against specific criteria leading to the award of approved status; and ongoing and comprehensive annual review to measure progress and ensure that quality training programmes continue to be delivered.

  In addition, from next April the remit of the independent Training Standards Advisory Service will be extended to cover the inspection of employment training providers.

  The skills learned by trainees and their subsequent full-time employment will be assessed through information contained on leavers' certificates completed by
  236
  Mr. Fowler
  A reply was sent on 18 October 1989.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many local authorities who originally participated in employment training have now withdrawn; how many who acted as training agents have been dropped; in each case what was the reason; and what was the political control of the council and the date in each instance.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Seven local authorities have withdrawn from employment training. No local authority acting as a training agent has been dropped from the programme. Details are given in the following table:

  training managers when a trainee leaves the programme and through a questionnaire sent to trainees three months after they have left employment training.

SCOTLAND

  Schools Inspectors
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the visits and reports of Her Majesty's inspectors of schools in Govan constituency, over the past two years.

  Mr. Lang
  One nursery school, Rosehall nursery school (1987), two primary schools, Greenfield primary school (1988) and Drumoyne primary school (1989) and one secondary school, St. Gerard's secondary school (1988) have been fully inspected and reports published over the past two years.

  In addition, visits have been paid to two other primary schools, Copeland Road primary school and Elderpark primary school and two other secondary schools, Bellahouston academy and Govan secondary school, for more limited purposes.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a list of non-departmental public bodies appointed by him; if he will list the names and employment of each member, showing salaries paid; and what is the total public expenditure involved in running these organisations in a full year.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The list of non-departmental public bodies to which I make appointments is contained in the Cabinet
  237
  Office publication "Public Bodies", a copy of which is available in the Library. The list includes information about the numbers of appointments, the remuneration paid to members, the cost of administration and the public expenditure for which the body is responsible.

  One major public body has been set up since the publication of "Public Bodies 1988". This is Scottish Homes, to which I have appointed a chairman (remuneration £28,980 per annum) and eight members (£3,964 per annum).

  A list (correct at 5 December 1988) of all the members of the Scottish bodies in "Public Bodies 1988" was placed in the Library in response to a question from the hon. Member for East Lothian (Mr. Home Robertson) answered on 7 December 1988 at column 211.

  Domestic subjects on the Valuation Roll, by tenure 31 March 1989

  Area

  Local authority

  SSHA

  New town

  Privately owned

  All domestic subjects Number

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Scotland

  807,615

  38·4

  75,710

  3·6

  44,166

  2·1

  1,175,804

  55·9

  2,103,295

  Borders

  Berwickshire

  2,416

  27·7

  6

  0·1

  —

  —

  6,301

  72·2

  8,723

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  3,952

  26·5

  669

  4·5

  —

  —

  10,279

  69·0

  14,900

  Roxburgh

  5,339

  33·2

  822

  5·1

  —

  —

  9,933

  61·7

  16,094

  Tweeddale

  1,442

  21·2

  177

  2·6

  —

  —

  5,171

  76·2

  6,790

  Central

  Clackmannan

  8,490

  45·2

  1,542

  8·2

  —

  —

  8,733

  46·5

  18,765

  Falkirk

  28,781

  49·9

  2,382

  4·1

  —

  —

  26,558

  46·0

  57,721

  Stirling

  11,774

  36·9

  335

  1·1

  —

  —

  19,762

  62·0

  31,871

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Annandale and Eskdale

  4,741

  31·4

  114

  0·8

  —

  —

  10,240

  67·8

  15,095

  Nithsdale

  7,081

  30·6

  426

  1·8

  —

  —

  15,617

  67·5

  23,124

  Stewartry

  2,266

  22·0

  14

  0·1

  —

  —

  8,023

  77·9

  10,303

  Wigtown

  4,237

  33·6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  8,368

  66·4

  12,605

  Fife

  Dunfermline

  19,535

  39·4

  3,590

  7·2

  —

  —

  26,440

  53·3

  49,565

  Kirkcaldy

  23,043

  37·4

  2,256

  3·7

  7,230

  11·7

  29,027

  47·2

  61,556

  North East Fife

  6,671

  23·5

  19

  0·1

  —

  —

  21,640

  76·4

  28,330

  Grampian

  Aberdeen

  35,175

  38·3

  2,251

  2·4

  —

  —

  54,465

  59·3

  91,891

  Banff and Buchan

  11,438

  33·5

  673

  2·0

  —

  —

  22,044

  64·5

  34,155

  Gordon

  5,387

  18·8

  241

  0·8

  —

  —

  23,077

  80·4

  28,705

  Kincardine and Deeside

  3,584

  17·8

  345

  1·7

  —

  —

  16,206

  80·5

  20,135

  Moray

  10,009

  29·0

  321

  0·9

  —

  —

  24,129

  70·0

  34,459

  Highland

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  1,030

  19·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,312

  88·7

  5,342

  Caithness

  3,822

  34·1

  189

  1·7

  —

  —

  7,202

  64·2

  11,213

  Inverness

  6,693

  26·9

  1,098

  4·4

  —

  —

  17,080

  68·7

  24,071

  Lochaber

  3,021

  35·7

  247

  2·9

  —

  —

  5,188

  61·4

  8,456

  Nairn

  1,067

  25·3

  119

  2·8

  —

  —

  3,027

  71·8

  4,213

  Ross and Cromarty

  6,141

  30·4

  416

  2·1

  —

  —

  13,666

  67–6

  20,223

  Skye and Lochalsh

  852

  15·0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,824

  85·0

  5,676

  Sutherland

  1,751

  25·7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5,056

  74–3

  6,887

  Lothian

  East Lothian

  14,032

  40·4

  1,096

  3·2

  —

  —

  19,578

  56·4

  34,706

  Edinburgh

  47,165

  24·0

  1,780

  0·9

  —

  —

  147,751

  75·1

  196,696

  Midlothian

  10,763

  35·8

  3,002

  l0·0

  —

  —

  16,317

  54·2

  30,082

  West Lothian

  19,514

  35·7

  2,832

  5·2

  9,485

  17·4

  22,791

  41·7

  54,622

  Strathclyde

  Argyll and Bute

  7,643

  24·8

  348

  1·1

  —

  —

  22,851

  74·1

  30,842

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  1,689

  11·5

  50

  0·3

  —

  —

  12,936

  88·1

  14,675

  Clydebank

  11,004

  56·9

  2,792

  14·4

  —

  —

  5,541

  28·7

  19,337

  Clydesdale

  9,558

  43·1

  1,156

  5·2

  —

  —

  11,470

  51·7

  22,192

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  4,220

  18·6

  55

  0·2

  8,634

  38·1

  9,732

  43·0

  22,641

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  9,127

  54·5

  1,982

  11·8

  —

  —

  5,625

  33·6

  16,734

  Cunninghame

  20,688

  36·8

  2,336

  4·2

  4,940

  8·8

  28,292

  50·3

  56,256

  Housing
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table by district council showing the number of district council Scottish Homes, housing association and private sector houses; and if he will show each category as a percentage of the total stock.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information, as recorded on the valuation roll at 31 March 1989, is shown in the table. A breakdown of the privately owned total into housing association and others is not available. Scottish Homes did not begin operating until 1 April 1989; the figures provided relate to the Scottish Special Housing Association (SSHA).
  239

  Area

  Local authority

  SSHA

  New town

  Privately owned (including HA other than SSHA)

  All domestic subjects

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Dumbarton

  12,107

  38·9

  1,730

  5·6

  —

  —

  17,315

  55·6

  31,152

  East Kilbride

  1,581

  5·1

  —

  —

  13,877

  44·8

  15,551

  50·1

  31,009

  Eastwood

  1,745

  7·9

  20

  0·1

  —

  —

  20,199

  92·0

  21,964

  Glasgow

  162,199

  52·9

  16,061

  5·2

  —

  —

  128,093

  41·0

  306,353

  Hamilton

  20,907

  52·0

  1,313

  3·3

  —

  —

  18,009

  44·0

  40,229

  Inverclyde

  17,584

  46·5

  3,008

  8·0

  —

  —

  17,243

  45·6

  37,035

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  15,877

  48·7

  1,717

  5·3

  —

  —

  15,007

  46·0

  32,601

  Kyle and Carrick

  17,359

  37·8

  1,058

  2·3

  —

  —

  27,498

  59·9

  45,915

  Monklands

  27,919

  72·8

  1,107

  2·9

  —

  —

  9,303

  24·3

  38,329

  Motherwell

  39,305

  71·2

  1,833

  3·3

  —

  —

  14,097

  25·5

  55,235

  Renfrew

  35,120

  43·2

  6,351

  7·8

  —

  —

  39,878

  49·0

  81,349

  Strathkelvin

  10,370

  33·9

  662

  2·2

  —

  —

  19,586

  64·0

  30,618

  Tayside

  Angus

  12,490

  31·5

  1,622

  4·1

  —

  —

  25,534

  64·4

  39,646

  Dundee

  37,128

  47·6

  3,168

  4·1

  —

  —

  37,782

  48·4

  75,078

  Perth and Kinross

  14,340

  27·3

  208

  0·4

  —

  —

  37,884

  72·3

  52,432

  Island Councils

  Orkney Islands

  1,421

  17·4

  4

  0·0

  —

  —

  6,752

  82·6

  8,177

  Shetland Islands

  2,633

  29·2

  131

  1·5

  —

  —

  6,253

  69·3

  9,017

  Western Isles

  2,389

  18·4

  36

  0·3

  —

  —

  10,560

  81·3

  12,985

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish details of research projects in the field of housing fully or partly funded by his Department in each of the past 10 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on social research in the housing field is contained in the "Register of Research" which is published each year by the central research unit of the Scottish Development Department and placed in the House of Commons Library. The Scottish Development Department also funds building research in the housing field, and I shall write to the hon. Member with such information as is available about this research.

  Water Authorities
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the capital allocation to Scottish water authorities in each of the past 10 years at constant prices.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Capital allocations for water are not made separately. They are included in the allocations to authorities in Scotland for their water and sewerage programmes. Allocations, all at 1989 prices, are given in the table. At cash prices, the allocation for 1989–90 is 14 per cent. greater than the initial allocation for the previous year.

  Capital allocation for water and sewerage programmes

  Year

  £ million

  1980–81

  147·7

  1981–82

  149·5

  1982–83

  139·6

  1983–84

  126·5

  1984–85

  113·6

  1985–86

  112·0

  1986–87

  116·7

  1987–88

  116·8

  1988–89

  1115·6

  1989–90

  121·5

  1 Excludes a supplementary allocation of £5·9 million made late in the year.

  Child Care
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the CBI on employer-contribution to meeting the needs of single parents for child care facilities during the parental work-day.

  Mr. Lang
  None. With the Government's encouragement, more employers are now considering measures, including provision of child care facilities, to recruit and retain staff with family responsibilities.

  Security
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the amount spent from within district council housing budgets on security provisions in the year 1988–89 or the latest year for which data are available.

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

  Homelessness
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of homeless people in Scotland as a whole, and for each of the four city district councils.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Development Department does not make estimates of the numbers of homeless people.

  Details of the numbers of households who have applied to local authorities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 are shown in table 21 of the Scottish Development Department's statistical bulletin HSU No. 7 published in July 1989, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the numbers registered as homeless in(a) Dundee and (b) Scotland in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
  241
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The numbers of applicant households assessed as homeless by local authorities under the homelessness legislation are set out in the table:

  Dundee

  Scotland

  1978–79

  210

  7,490

  1979–80

  199

  7,443

  1980–81

  155

  7,024

  1981–82

  165

  8,268

  1982–83

  171

  8,665

  1983–84

  185

  8,094

  1984–85

  399

  9,912

  1985–86

  602

  11,022

  1986–87

  565

  10,557

  1987–88

  363

  9,419

  Greater Glasgow Health Board
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the full year expenditure on public relations by Greater Glasgow health board.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not held centrally and is not separately identified in the annual accounts.

  Housing Legislation
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statutory measures the Government have taken to amend housing legislation where reference to rateable value of a dwelling house helped define tenancy, in the light of the abolition of domestic rates.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Schedule 10 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 defined tenancies for which a landlord had a statutory basic repairing obligation by means of rateable value. The Housing (Scotland) Act 1988 amended that provision to empower the Secretary of State instead to set a rent level up to which the statutory repairing obligation would apply. The Landlord's Repairing Obligations (Specified Rent) (Scotland) (No. 2) Order 1988, (SI 1988 No. 2155) which came into force on 2 January 1989, set that rent level at £300 per week. This means that the landlord will have these repairing obligations if the rent is less than that figure.

  Rateable value is also used to define certain tenancies which are not protected under the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984. However, the rateable value in these cases is historic —the value appearing on the valuation roll on 23 March 1965 (except where the house appeared on the roll for the first time later). Accordingly there is no need to amend those provisions.

  Flat-roofed Housing
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies have been undertaken by his Department of possible links between flat-roofed housing and dampness.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My Department has not undertaken any studies of possible links between flat-roofed housing and dampness. The Building Research Establishment, however, has a continuing programme of research to monitor the performance of flat roofing products and the design of flat roofs.

  Damp
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department last conducted a study or survey of dampness in local authority housing.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is for local authorities themselves to assess the state of their own housing stocks. Nevertheless, the Scottish Development Department carried out a survey of dampness in housing in 1980 and published the results in 1981 in the "Condensation Study Report". The Department also added a Scottish trailer to the EC labour force survey in 1983 which included questions on condensation, dampness and mould growth. An analysis of the results of this survey was carried out in 1984 and published as "Condensation in Housing".

  Lithotriptor Centre
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when SHHD made its decision to instruct the Scottish lithotriptor centre to charge health boards for services; and when the official notice of this change in policy was sent to clinicians.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Following a meeting with general managers on 22 February, the Scottish Home and Health Department wrote to all health boards on 13 March formally advising them that resources available for lithotripsy would be distributed to all boards in 1989–90. Detailed arrangements for the invoicing of referrals were contained in a further letter dated 29 June. Informing clinicians of these arrangements was a matter for health boards.

  Law Commission
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which matters are currently under examination by the Scottish Law Commission.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Commission's annual reports detail the matters under examination. The report for the year to 15 June 1989 is to be published shortly. A copy will be available in the Library.

  Bracken
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his Department's policy towards alerting members of the public about the possible dangers of contact with bracken; and what specific notices have been put up in Scotland;

  (2) whether his Department intends to take any steps to reduce the risk and incidence of cancer from carcinogenic substances in bracken.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There is no evidence at present to suggest that any cancers in humans are attributable to carcinogen sources in bracken. Scientific research in this field is closely monitored and appropriate action to warn the public would be taken if any statistical evidence of a link between bracken spores and cancer in humans was established.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a
  243
  course (a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Fourteen officials at grade 3 and above have attended a course specifically on information technology representing 42 per cent. of staff in those grades; seven have attended courses containing an element of information technology, representing 21 per cent.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Rifkind
  At present there are 1,334 computer work stations installed in the Scottish Office, excluding the minor departments and the Scottish prison service. This represents one work station for every 4·5 members of staff. This figure includes linked terminals and both linked and stand-alone microcomputers but excludes all stand-alone word processors.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day managment of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Ministerial responsibility for matters arising from the day-to-day management of the Scottish Office's information technology strategy lies with me. No matters requiring my attention arose in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  A90 (Signs)
  Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of the three metal and concrete signs recently erected on the A90 between Inverkeithing and the Forth road bridge; and what is their purpose.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The tender price for the three A90 Gantry structures was £144,856, and that for providing and installing the equipment within the gantries was £260,427.

  The purpose of the gantries when fitted with signalling equipment will be to control, divert or stop traffic approaching the bridge when the bridge is closed for any reason, lane closures are in operation (for accidents, maintenance or breakdowns) or special vehicles are being escorted across the bridge. This is part of a complete signalling system expected to be operational early in the new year.

  Mentally Handicapped People
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report (a) the number of people living within Highland region who are over the age of 18 years and who are registered as mentally handicapped on the joint health and social work register and (b) the number of people living within Highland region who have been exempted from community charge liability on the ground of mental handicap.

  Mr. Lang
  The number of people aged over 18 years in Highland region who are listed in the joint health board 244
  and social work register as mentally handicapped total 640, of whom 140 are known to be accommodated in hospital at present.

  On the basis of information supplied by the community charges registration officer for Highland region, 280 people were exempt from the personal community charge in Highland on the ground of severe mental impairment as at the beginning of September.

  Housing (Strathclyde)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in the light of the evidence submitted by district councils and the Strathclyde regional liaison committee on the question of housing land targets in the Strathclyde structure plan 1986 update, he will make it his policy to ensure that his proposed modifications to the 1988 update will not have a significant effect on the green belt.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to announce his decision on the 1988 update shortly, and I cannot anticipate his conclusions on this issue.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the staffing consequences in planning authorities of the proposed quarterly roll-on of private sector housing demand contained in his draft decision letter on the Strathclyde structure plan 1988 update.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A number of planning authorities have commented on this issue in responding to my right hon. and learned Friend's draft modifications, and he will take these comments into account in reaching his decision.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has conducted into builders' assessment of their need for residential building land in Strathclyde; and if he will publish the result.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has commissioned a number of pieces of research on the subject of housing land in Scotland in recent years, all of which have been or will be published, but none of them relates specifically to Strathclyde.

  Water Supply
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report all those areas in the Borders region where the existing public supply of water does not conform to European Community standards, indicating in each case the cause of the breach of the EC regulation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Public water supplies in Borders region comply with the terms of the EC drinking water directive, with the exception of five supplies which are the subject of applications for delays in terms of article 20. These are listed with the parameters where the standards are not met.

  Borders region—Areas where water fails to meet EC parameter standards

  Area

  Supply

  Parameter

  Carlops

  Carlops

  Microbiological1

  Parts of central Borders

  Wantonwalls

  Aluminium

  Ettrickbridge

  Ettrickbridge

  Iron

  245

  Area

  Supply

  Parameter

  Parts of East Berwickshire

  Rawburn

  Iron

  Parts of central Borders

  Roberton

  Aluminium

  1 Will comply this year.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase capital resources in Scotland to ensure that the quality of water in areas including the Borders conforms to European Community standards; and how long he estimates it will take to achieve these standards throughout the Borders region.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Resources have been increased already. The 1989–90 capital provision for water and sewerage services is £126 million, a 14 per cent. increase over the previous year's planned provision. Regional and islands councils have been asked to provide details of costed action programmes to achieve full compliance with the EC drinking water directive. These will be taken into account when setting next year's allocations.

  In Borders region most supplies already meet EC standards. Only one small treatment works will not produce water complying within the next year and in two other supply areas improvements to iron mains will be phased over a few years. Planned expenditure for the next three years is concentrated on further improvement of water treatment works and distribution mains to ensure that the standards continue to be met in the future.

  Health Councils
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now publish his detailed conclusions on the recent review of the management of health councils in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I am at present giving active consideration to the arrangements which are likely to ensure the most effective consumer representation in the National Health Service, and I hope to make an announcement soon.

  Primary Roads
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library copies of all the technical working papers commissioned and received in preparation for the recently published consultation document on primary road routes south of Edinburgh.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  It is not our practice to place copies of detailed technical reports on road studies in the Library. I have lodged copies of the consultation document in the Library, however, and I will arrange to append to them a series of short technical papers which provide further details on specific aspects of the study.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the terms of reference used to instruct those preparing the recently published consultation document on primary road routes south of Edinburgh, listing any outside independent experts or professionals involved in the exercise.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The brief for the study which led to the consultation document was:246
  "To assess the effectiveness of the existing trunk road network in meeting the national and local objectives as regards current and future traffic demands between Edinburgh and its environs and the South, including in particular the motorway and trunk road network in England and Wales, and as regards strategic road links to and from the Borders Region.
  To evaluate the alternative route options including, as necessary, roads which are not at present trunk roads.
  To recommend a future route strategy".

  Consulting civil engineers Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners were appointed to undertake the study and the market research team of the M VA Consultancy were employed to carry out a series of interviews with road users.

  Education Working Parties
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons from the independent sector were invited by the SCC and SEB to be part of the working parties and short-life working groups for standard grade and revised higher.

  Mr. Lang
  Three.

  Examinations
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to allow choice of examinations in the state sector by ending the monopoly of the SEB.

  Mr. Lang
  Presenting centres are free to enter candidates for examinations of their choice, subject to the policy of their education authority.

  Housing Revenue Accounts
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report the percentages of housing revenue accounts constituted by rate and revenue fund contributions and the actual levels of revenue fund contributions in (a) Dundee district council and (b) all Scottish district councils in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The amounts of rate fund contributions made to local authority housing revenue accounts by Dundee district council and by district councils in Scotland as a whole are shown in the table, together with the expression of these amounts as a percentage of total housing revenue account income:

  Dundee

  Scotland

  Contributions £ million

  Percentage of income Per cent.

  Contributions £ million

  Percentage of income Per cent.

  1979–80

  1·485

  7·3

  72·924

  14·1

  1980–81

  —

  —

  79·403

  12·9

  1981–82

  5·438

  22·9

  106·275

  17·3

  1982–83

  6·081

  25·5

  124·708

  18·5

  1983–84

  6·976

  28·5

  123·196

  18·5

  1984–85

  8·057

  29·9

  139·019

  19·9

  1985–86

  6·754

  24·1

  98·393

  14·1

  1986–87

  3·962

  13·9

  75·704

  10·4

  1987–88

  2·252

  7·4

  41·049

  5·5

  1988–89

  1·042

  2·9

  24·076

  3·0

  Note: Figures are based on the gross contributions made to housing revenue accounts from rate funds; these have not been netted against contributions made to rate funds from housing revenue accounts.

  Source: Audited financial returns for 1979–80 to 1986–87; provisional outturns for 1987–88 and 1988–89.
  247
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the levels of outstanding debt on the housing revenue accounts of(a) Dundee district council and (b) all Scottish district councils in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The amounts of outstanding capital debt relating to local authority housing revenue accounts at 31 March of each year are shown in the table:

  £ million

  Year

  Dundee district council

  Scotland

  1980

  96·4

  2,578·7

  1981

  101·7

  2,738·2

  1982

  103·9

  2,848·2

  1983

  107·2

  2,945·6

  1984

  111·2

  3,026·3

  1985

  112·1

  3,073·0

  1986

  114·8

  3,164·2

  1987

  119·2

  3,297·2

  1988

  127·0

  3,475·3

  1989

  129·2

  3,580·2

  Source: Audited financial returns for 1980 to 1987; provisional outturns for 1988 and 1989.

  TVEI
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision has been envisaged for pupils studying standard grade subjects in which the minimum time of four times 40 minutes per week for two years cannot be found because of time required to complete the residential and work experience elements of TVEI.

  Mr. Lang
  The guidelines on curriculum design in secondary education issued by the SCCC with the approval of my right hon. and learned Friend in July take full account of the requirements of TVEI, and no such problem as the hon. Member envisages should arise.

  Young Homeless
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what record he maintains of those under 18 who are homeless; and if he will publish in the Official Report the statistics showing the level of homeless among (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds in (i) Dundee and (ii) Scotland in each of the past 10 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not available. Information is collected centrally, based on returns from local authorities, on households which apply to local authorities under the homelessness legislation, but the age of applicants is not included.

  School Curriculum
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of the activities of the Scottish Central Council on the curriculum in each year since 1985.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is as follows:248

  Year

  £000

  1985–86

  831

  1986–87

  961

  1987–88

  963

  1988–89

  1,068

  Council Rents
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the average council rents in(a) Dundee and (b) Scotland in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

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

  Average annual local authority standard rent as at 30 September

  Dundee £

  Scotland £

  1979

  263–91

  255·61

  1980

  307·18

  305·73

  1981

  307·12

  400·07

  1982

  377·38

  469·03

  1983

  419·45

  512·56

  1984

  457·42

  543·94

  1985

  510·59

  600·53

  1986

  604·63

  675·49

  1987

  707·62

  758·03

  1988

  843·84

  842·38

  Housing Support Grant
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the levels of housing support grant allocated to(a) Dundee district council and (b) all Scottish district councils in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

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

  £ million

  Year

  Dundee

  Scotland

  1979–80

  7·7

  213·4

  1980–81

  —

  8·6

  1981–82

  —

  5·3

  1982–83

  —

  1·8

  1983–84

  —

  72·1

  1984–85

  —

  67·2

  1985–86

  —

  64·2

  1986–87

  —

  44·5

  1987–88

  —

  41·9

  1988–89

  —

  54·6

  1989–90

  —

  60·4

  Housing
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the numbers of houses completed in(a) Dundee and (b) Scotland by (i) district councils, (ii) housing associations, (iii) the private sector and (iv) the housing co-operatives in each of the past 10 years for which figures are available.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is set out in the table.
  249

  House completions 1979–88

  District councils

  Housing associations

  Private sector

  Dundee

  Scotland

  Dundee

  Scotland

  Dundee

  Scotland

  1979

  221

  4,755

  9

  544

  261

  15,175

  1980

  82

  5,048

  79

  881

  244

  12,242

  1981

  163

  3,770

  74

  1,928

  160

  11,021

  1982

  55

  2,342

  100

  1,167

  162

  11,529

  1983

  80

  2,311

  34

  1,271

  469

  13,178

  1984

  5

  2,120

  101

  2,076

  470

  14,118

  1985

  57

  1,989

  127

  1,148

  250

  14,445

  1986

  0

  1,733

  83

  1,466

  179

  14,812

  19871

  0

  1,710

  193

  1,169

  179

  13,798

  19881

  5

  1,933

  235

  1,278

  269

  14,063

  1 Private sector figures based on incomplete returns.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by district the proportion of land in Scotland designated as sites of special scientific interest or otherwise protected.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 20 July 1989]: The following table lists by district the proportion of land in Scotland designated as sites of special scientific interest. This information has been provided by the Nature Conservancy Council.

  District

  SSSI area(HA)

  SSSI proportion per cent.

  Aberdeen

  41

  0·2

  Angus

  7,418

  3·6

  Annan and Eskdale

  20,004

  12·8

  Argyll and Bute

  45,838

  6·9

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  63,583

  26·9

  Banff and Buchan

  3,097

  2·0

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  57

  1·5

  Berwickshire

  2,033

  2·3

  Caithness

  19,384

  10·7

  Clackmannan

  465

  2·9

  Clydebank

  0·0

  Clydesdale

  4,863

  3·7

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  14

  0·1

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  521

  0·6

  Cunninghame

  14,639

  16·6

  Dumbarton

  4,672

  8·8

  Dundee

  845

  3·6

  Dunfermline

  1,031

  3·4

  East Kilbride

  11

  0·0

  East Lothian

  4,660

  6·5

  Eastwood

  53

  0·4

  Edinburgh

  1,223

  4·6

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  10,678

  7·8

  Falkirk

  1,451

  4·8

  Glasgow

  150

  0·7

  Gordon

  5,465

  2·5

  Hamilton

  415

  3·1

  Inverclyde

  138

  0·9

  Inverness

  24,952

  8·6

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  0

  0·0

  Kincardine and Deeside

  35,274

  13·7

  Kirkcaldy

  118

  0·5

  Kyle and Carrick

  3,486

  2·6

  Lochaber

  62,693

  13·5

  Midlothian

  1,008

  2·8

  Monklands

  159

  0·9

  Moray

  16,092

  6·9

  Motherwell

  16

  0·1

  Nairn

  5,105

  12·0

  Nithsdale

  2,370

  1·6

  North East Fife

  5,035

  6·6

  Orkney

  19,888

  19·7

  Perth and Kinross

  48,964

  9·1

  Renfrew

  781

  2·5

  Ross and Cromarty

  90,882

  17·6

  250

  District

  SSSI area(HA)

  SSSI proportion per cent.

  Roxburgh

  4,768

  3·1

  Shetland

  15,645

  10·7

  Skye and Lochalsh

  28,617

  10·5

  Stewarty

  8,527

  5·0

  Stirling

  15,586

  7·0

  Strathkelvin

  78

  0·5

  Sutherland

  75,756

  12·5

  Tweeddale

  7,309

  8·1

  West Lothian

  689

  1·6

  Western Isles

  31,352

  10·2

  Wigtown

  16,745

  9·7

  TOTAL

  734,645

  9·3

DEFENCE

  Soviet Air Force
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has any evidence that the Soviet Air Force has reduced its nuclear capability.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have no evidence that the Soviet Air Force has reduced its nuclear capability. Although the Soviets have indicated that they will withdraw some nuclear bombs from the forward area, it must be remembered that these weapons could be redeployed at short notice and overall numbers would not be reduced.

  Ethnic Minorities
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to receive the result of the consultancy study commissioned into the recruitment of ethnic minorities, into the armed services following the recommendations of the Marilyn report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The report on the study into ethnic minority recruitment to the armed services was received in July. The report is being considered within the Ministry of Defence and an announcement will be made shortly.

  Trident
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the management of, and current progress with, the design and production of the
  251
  warheads for the Trident missile system, undertaken at the atomic weapons establishments at Llanishen, Aldermaston and Burghfield.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Work undertaken at the various sites of the atomic weapons establishment is progressing satisfactorily towards the Trident in-service date of the mid-1990s. Design of the warhead is now complete and production of both fissile and non-fissile components has begun.

  AWRE Workers (Retraining)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what schemes are available for retraining plutonium warhead fabrication and design workers at atomic weapons research establishments, Aldermaston and Burghfield, to work on civil projects.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None.

  Nuclear Test Ban (Verification)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on current progress in research undertaken in the United Kingdom to support the verification requirements of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty; how much is allocated annually by Her Majesty's Government to such verification research; and what collaboration on such verification is undertaken with other countries.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The MOD's research establishment at Blacknest near Aldermaston undertakes seismological research which could be used in establishing the requirements of a verification regime for further constraints on nuclear testing. The cost of this work for the financial year 1988–89 was some £1·5 million.

  Scientists from Blacknest have international standing and co-operate with representatives of a number of countries on a bilateral basis. They also provide the United Kingdom's representatives to the conference on disarmament's ad hoc group of scientific experts to consider international co-operative measures to detect and identify seismic events.

  Warstocks
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence during what periods in the past year the Royal Navy's warstocks did not meet national and NATO requirements.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Detailed information on the level of warstocks is classified, but in the past year naval stock levels have met NATO and national requirements in all but a few areas.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence during what periods in the past year the RAF warstocks did not meet national and NATO requirements.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Detailed information on the level of warstocks is classified but in the past year RAF stock levels have met NATO and national requirements in all but a few areas.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many persons are employed by the Defence Export Services Organisation; and what is its total budget.
  252
  Mr. Alan Clark
  Some 200 staff are employed within the Defence Export Services Organisation in support of defence exports and in the administration of export control regimes. Export promotion costs such as exhibition expenditure and the loan of personnel and equipment are self-financing, and the net cost to defence votes of the support to defence exports is of the order of £6 million. A further 50 staff within DESO are engaged in the disposal of surplus MOD equipment and stores which it is estimated will generate net receipts of some £23 million in the current financial year.

  Holy Loch Base
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many visits to the Holy Loch base have been made by United States vessels carrying SLCMs.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United States Navy does not confirm or deny the presence of submarine-launched cruise missiles on board particular vessels.

  New Works
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much will be spent in(a) Scotland and (b) the south-east of England in 1989–90 for new works gross total as indicated in table 2.4 of Cm. 675-II.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence does not routinely account for expenditure on a regional basis and such a breakdown could not be produced without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Equipment Exports (Africa)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all African countries to which export of defence equipment took place in 1987.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to publish such detailed lists but. statistics of United Kingdom defence sales from 1983–88 by broad geographic regions are set out in volume 2 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989".

  Service Personnel (Loan Service)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries to which service personnel were on loan service in 1987–88, showing numbers and ranks of personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  During 1987 and 1988 British service personnel served on loan to the following countries:

  Australia

  Bahrain

  Bangladesh

  Barbados

  Belize

  Bermuda

  Brunei

  Dominica

  Fiji

  Gambia

  Ghana

  Hong Kong

  Indonesia

  Jordan

  Kenya

  253

  Kuwait

  Lesotho

  Malaysia

  Mauritius

  New Zealand

  Nigeria

  Oman

  Qatar

  Saudi Arabia

  St. Lucia

  St. Vincent

  Singapore

  Sudan

  Swaziland

  Uganda

  United Arab Emirates

  Zimbabwe1

  1 Since January 1986 a wing of the British military advisory and training team has been specifically allocated to train Mozambican troops in Zimbabwe.

  Information on the numbers and ranks of loan service personnel is confidential between Her Majesty's Government and the Governments of the countries concerned.

  West Germany (Co-operation)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what areas other than training and logistics the United Kingdom is currently engaged in bilateral co-operation with the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We co-operate closely with the Federal Republic of Germany on a broad range of defence matters of mutual interest as a contribution to our joint commitment to the NATO Alliance. In addition to training and logistics, these include defence policy questions, operational planning, defence procurement matters, and concepts. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his German counterpart have recently agreed on a number of measures to extend Anglo-German bilateral co-operation within the Alliance and are considering the establishment of a joint air defence unit in Germany.

  Nuclear Artillery
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the extent of deployment at the latest available date of nuclear artillery by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Information on the deployment of nuclear-certified artillery by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation forces is provided in chapter 6 and figure 12 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1989" (Cm. 675-I).

  Brunei
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the purpose of maintaining a garrison in Brunei.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The presence of the Gurkha battalion in Brunei, which is by the mutual agreement of the two Governments, contributes to the stability of Brunei and the surrounding area. In addition, the battalion, which is normally found in rotation from the Hong Kong garrison, has in Brunei opportunities for training which are not available in Hong Kong.

  Cruise Missiles
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to locate sea-launched cruise missiles at bases in Scotland.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It has been the policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at particular locations.

  Major Equipment Orders
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the expenditure for each of the three services separately on major equipment orders as set out in table 5, page 30 of Cm. 675-I; and what was the share taken up in Scotland as a proportion of each service expenditure and of the total for all three.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The comprehensive and consistent information required in answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) on 5 December 1988 at column 73 in answer to the second part of his question.

  Royal Navy (External Contractors)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the Royal Navy's expenditure in the latest available year on using external contractors' aircraft, aircrew and maintenance personnel in target simulation and electronic warfare training; and what proportion was taken up by companies registered in Scotland.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Because these tasks are undertaken by a single contractor, the information requested is commercial in confidence between the Ministry of Defence and the contractor concerned and cannot be divulged to a third party. No Scottish-registered companies received any portion of this work.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which members of the Warsaw pact other than the Soviet Union produce chemical weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  All non-Soviet Warsaw pact countries have civil chemical industries capable of producing chemical warfare agents and their pre-cursors. We have good reason to believe that several non-Soviet Warsaw pact countries have undertaken offensive chemical warfare research and development programmes and that in some cases these have been taken forward to the production stage.

  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which NATO countries have chemical warfare stocks.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United States possesses a limited retaliatory stockpile of chemical weapons.

  Information Technology
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a
  255
  course (a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Twenty-four civilian officers in grades 1, 2 and 3 have attended courses specifically on information technology since promotion to the level of grade 3. Twenty-eight officers (including 12 of those who have attended specific courses) have attended courses containing an element of information technology. These represent 35 per cent. and 41 per cent. respectively of the total number of staff in these grades.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I shall write to my hon. Friend.

  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister in his Department is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The day-to-day management of the Department's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. I am the Minister responsible for oversight of information technology matters. Information technology is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of an individual's time to its consideration would involve too high a proportion of variables.

  Ulster Defence Regiment
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he proposes to have members of the Ulster Defence Regiment re-vetted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Further improvements are being made to the processes of screening new recruits to the Ulster Defence Regiment, transferees from other Army units, and for carrying out reviews as appropriate. Among the new measures is the establishment of an enhanced and specifically-dedicated screening unit.

  Project Cancellations
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list in the Official Report those weapons and systems projects in the last five years for each of the three services which have been cancelled or otherwise aborted prior to being brought into service, showing the amount of development money lost prior to cancellation and as a proportion of the total budgeted cost of the original project.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Major weapons systems projects which had entered full development and which were subsequently cancelled, in the last five financial years, prior to being brought into service are as follows:

  (a) Project

  (b) Service

  (c) Expenditure at Cancellation (£ million)

  (d) (c) as a percentage of estimated Project Total

  CACS 4

  RN

  139

  14

  SP70

  Army

  88

  35

  Nimrod AEW

  RAF

  660

  50

  1 Part of the development cost of CACS 4, amounting to £11 million, was previously commercially sensitive.

  DISCONTINUED DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOL PROPERTY: SALE
  DISCONTINUED DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOL PROPERTY: SALE
  PRISONS: STRIP SEARCHING OF VISITORS
  PRISONS: STRIP SEARCHING OF VISITORS
  "CRACK": POLICE SEIZURES
  "CRACK": POLICE SEIZURES
  COCAINE AND HEROIN: CUSTOMS SEIZURES
  COCAINE AND HEROIN: CUSTOMS SEIZURES
  PENSIONS PROVISION: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
  PENSIONS PROVISION: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
  RAILWAY CROSSING: GORING-BY-SEA
  RAILWAY CROSSING: GORING-BY-SEA
  KNITWEAR AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY REVIEW
  KNITWEAR AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY REVIEW
  EC ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, 19TH SEPTEMBER 1989
  EC ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, 19TH SEPTEMBER 1989