Written Answers of 3 April 1990

TRANSPORT

  Severn Crossing
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now announce a decision about the awarding of the contract to finance, design, build and operate the second Severn crossing.

  Mr. Portillo
  I will announce a decision when it has been taken, and will make clear whether we have chosen a private sector or public sector option.

  Scottish Airports
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the evidence received in the course of his consultation on Scottish lowland airports policy suggesting that a change in policy would benefit economic investment in Scotland.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Many of the responses to my right hon. Friend's consultation addressed in detail the possible economic effects of the policy options, and all the points made were assessed and taken into account. We do not intend to make public the responses which were received, some of which we were asked to regard as private.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the submissions to his consultation on Scottish lowland airports policy favoured retaining Prestwick's exclusive gateway status; how many expressed no preference; and how many favoured open skies.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In reaching his decision on future policy for the lowland airports, in consultation with his right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, my right hon. Friend was principally concerned with the strength of the arguments mounted in support of the different policy options.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place copies of the submissions to the consultation on Scottish lowland airports policy in the Library;

  (2) if he will publish the submissions to the Scottish lowland airports policy submission.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We do not intend to make public the submissions made in response to the consultation. Some respondents asked that their response be regarded as private and it would give an unbalanced picture if only the remainder were to be made public.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the changes in tariffs for freight and passenger services at Prestwick and Glasgow airports necessitated by his announcement on Scottish lowland airports policy.
  502
  Mr. McLoughlin
  BAA has said that it will move to a common tariff at Glasgow and Prestwick for long-haul traffic. The hon. Member will wish to seek information on the details of the tariffs from BAA plc direct.

  Merchant Shipping Fleet
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he intends to introduce to reverse the decline in numbers of the United Kingdom merchant shipping fleet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  We have no plans to introduce such measures. We shall continue to keep under review the availability of adequate merchant shipping for defence purposes.

  European Railways
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will hold talks with the chairman of British Rail on the European Economic Community proposals for a directive on the development of Community railways.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Department is keeping in close touch with British Rail on these proposals.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has prepared to improve the compatibility of British rail systems with other European rail systems after 1992.

  Mr. Portillo
  The first step is to explore at Community level the best way of improving compatibility between the various national rail systems. We are playing a full part in these discussions.

  A46-A47 Link Road
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to visit Leicester to discuss the A46 to A47 link road.

  Mr. Portillo
  No. The A46-A47 link road is a local authority scheme for which statutory orders have recently been made and submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation. Leicestershire county council will determine the need for a public inquiry if it is unable to resolve any objections which may be made to the orders.

  Cycle Accidents
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government is taking following the conclusions of the transport and road research laboratory report on the relative frequency of cycle accidents occurring at road junctions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Data on the numbers of cycle accidents occurring at different kinds of junctions is contained in table 42 of the Department's casualty report "Road Accidents Great Britain 1988", which was published in November 1989. The transport and road research laboratory has reported on issues determining the frequencies and rates of all kinds of traffic accidents at. mini-roundabouts. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.
  503
  The Department has a continuing programme of research on cycling, which is guided by information on accident rates. We draw on it in giving day-to-day technical advice to highway authorities and others, and in publishing more general advice on cycling issues. In recent months my hon. Friend the Minister for Roads and Traffic has referred the hon. Member to the range of publications issued by the Department, many of which give information on traffic engineering techniques which can be used to improve conditions for cyclists at various kinds of junction.

  Heavy Lorries
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure that lorries arriving in the United Kingdom via the Channel tunnel are subject to the same weight controls now operating at United Kingdom sea ports.

  Year

  Cars

  Per cent.

  Buses

  Per cent.

  Light goods vehicles

  Per cent.

  Heavy goods vehicles

  Per cent.

  Total

  Gerrards Cross

  1979

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1980

  27,600

  86

  300

  1

  1,800

  6

  2,400

  7

  32,500

  1981

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1982

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  1983

  Separate vehicle types not available

  32,000

  1984

  30,100

  86

  400

  1

  2,100

  6

  2,300

  7

  34,900

  1985

  41,400

  87

  500

  1

  2,500

  5

  3,500

  7

  47,900

  1986

  51,100

  85

  400

  1

  4,200

  7

  4,400

  7

  60,100

  1987

  62,300

  85

  600

  1

  5,000

  7

  5,000

  7

  72,900

  1988

  63,000

  84

  600

  1

  5,400

  7

  6,000

  8

  75,000

  Beaconsfield

  1983

  23,300

  84

  200

  1

  1,700

  6

  2,700

  9

  27,900

  1987

  60,800

  84

  400

  1

  4,900

  6

  6,500

  9

  72,600

  n.a. = not available.

  A46, Leicester
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a decision on the report into the A46 Leicester western bypass is to be made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  The Secretaries of State for Transport and for the Environment will be issuing a decision letter on 5 April.

  Radioactive Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when Her Majesty's Government expect to sign the United Nations convention on the international transport of radioactive wastes and nuclear materials, opened for signature on 1 February.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: We know of no such convention.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Discretionary Grants
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide a list of the local education authorities which carry out monitoring of the awarding of discretionary grants by local education authorities for full-time and sandwich courses.
  504
  Mr. Atkins
  Discussions are in progress between the Department and Eurotunnel on the provision of a weighbridge at Coquelles in France. In this way we can ensure that lorries arriving in the United Kingdom via the Channel tunnel are subject to the same weight controls as apply at United Kingdom ferry ports.

  M40 (Traffic Flow)
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the annual average traffic flows recorded for cars, buses, light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles on the M40(a) at Gerrards Cross and (b) at Beaconsfield for each year from 1979 to 1988, inclusive.

  Mr. Portillo
  The available information on annual average daily traffic flows is:

  Mr. Jackson
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the level of expenditure in 1988–89 by local education authorities on discretionary awards to 16 to 18-year-olds.

  Mr. Jackson
  The data requested for 1988–89 are not yet available.

  History Teaching
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now publish the report of the history working party; and if he will make a statement on his response to it.

  Mr. MacGregor
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have today published the final report from the national curriculum history working group. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  The report has been published without statutory proposals, and I am inviting comment from a wide range of representative bodies with an interest. I am also writing to the chairman of the School Examinations and Assessment Council to seek the council's advice on whether the group's proposals would secure the effective assessment of pupils' mastery of historical knowledge.

PRIME MINISTER

  Defence Policy
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the progress of the review of Government defence policy in the light of recent developments in eastern Europe.

  The Prime Minister
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has told the House, we are examining options for change in the structure and deployment of our armed forces which will enable us to continue to meet those commitments which are of greatest importance towards maintaining our nation's security.

  South Africa
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has recently made to or received from the state President of South Africa.

  The Prime Minister
  We have made regular representations to the South African Government on a wide range of issues, most recently during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to South Africa.

  Tokyo
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to Tokyo.

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

  Chancellor Kohl
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister what matters were discussed during her meetings with Chancellor Kohl in Cambridge on 29 March and in London on 30 March.

  The Prime Minister
  Chancellor Kohl and I discussed German unification, the future of NATO, Lithuania, South Africa and the European Community. I announced a programme of scholarships and help with English language teaching in the GDR.

  Year 2000
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement about plans, including any public building projects, to mark the year 2000.

  The Prime Minister
  Plans to mark the year 2000 will be developed in due course.

  Engagements
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 3 April.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties 506
  in this House I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a state banquet in honour of President Venkataram of India.

THE ARTS

  Public Libraries
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how many public libraries have been wholly or partially closed since 1978–79.

  Mr. Luce
  This information is not held centrally. Returns by local authorities in England to the Chartered institute of Public Finance and Accountancy over the period 1978–79 to 1987–88 are incomplete; statistics from the same 103 authorities in these two years show that the number of libraries within their responsibility fell from 4,124 to 3,922 but that the number of libraries open 10 hours a week or more has risen. The biggest reduction is in the "less than 10 hours a week" category, probably reflecting rationalisation and a conscious effort to make better use of resources. In the same period the total number of service points in these areas rose from 13,163 to 19,264.

  Recent research suggests that in the three years to December 1989 more than 75 new library buildings or substantial extensions to existing premises were completed.

  British Library
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will consider the retention in public ownership of the five acres of land to the north of the new British library at St. Pancras to ensure the possibility of the library's future expansion.

  Mr. Luce
  In 1988 when Ministers agreed to authorise the construction of the completion phase of the new British library building at St. Pancras, they also agreed to dispose of that land at the site which may ultimately be surplus to requirements.

  The area of land which will be surplus and the optimum timing and method of its disposal are still being examined.

  Corporate Sponsorship
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give a breakdown by(a) region and (b) art form of current levels of corporate sponsorship for the arts.

  Mr. Luce
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Figures for overall corporate sponsorship of the arts are not available. The latest regional and art form breakdowns for sponsorship under my business sponsorship incentive scheme are set out in the table.

  Artform breakdown—Financial year 1988–89

  Artform

  Awards Number

  BSIS £

  Sponsorship £

  Music

  119

  816,129

  1,551,174

  Theatre

  82

  509,529

  1,029,438

  Festivals

  54

  531,070

  856,673

  Visual Art

  41

  376,234

  1,071,477

  Opera

  19

  240,657

  493,167

  Museums

  14

  111,676

  287,175

  Dance

  11

  169,002

  588750

  Film/Video

  7

  52,001

  96,000

  507

  Artform

  Awards Number

  BSIS £

  Sponsorship £

  Literature

  6

  59,477

  77,810

  Building/Refurbishment

  2

  39,000

  64,000

  Photography

  1

  6,899

  20,698

  Total

  356

  2,911,674

  6,136,362

  Regional breakdown—Financial year 1988–89

  Region

  Awards Number

  BSIS £

  Sponsorship £

  London

  77

  969,809

  2,446,989

  Scotland

  42

  310,467

  543,236

  Wales

  35

  204,030

  264,360

  Eastern

  26

  121,620

  225,858

  South West

  24

  143,632

  238,389

  Southern

  23

  173,293

  436,378

  Yorkshire

  23

  122,959

  220,423

  West Midlands

  22

  184,436

  275,402

  Cross-Regional

  18

  180,885

  630,413

  Northern

  17

  69,449

  102,257

  South East

  15

  141,000

  217,000

  North West

  12

  100,534

  280,600

  East Midlands

  9

  78,010

  88,010

  Merseyside

  7

  79,500

  128,500

  Lincolnshire and Humberside

  5

  7,050

  7,050

  International

  1

  25,000

  31,500

  Total

  356

  2,911,674

  6,136,362

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Auditing Practices Committee
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the content of his letter to the Auditing Practices Committee regarding its policy on the release of information following the Privy Council Office's letter to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby on 11 August 1989.

  Mr. Redwood
  As foreshadowed in the letter to which the hon. Member refers, my Department has raised with the Auditing Practices Committee its policy on the release of information about its proceedings. The matter is now being considered by the committee.

  Auditing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation requiring social audits to be compulsory for all large companies.

  Mr. Redwood
  No, but I welcome the increasing recognition by business of its social responsibilities.

  Sinking of Marchioness (Compensation)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will investigate co-operation between the insurance companies of both ships involved in the sinking of the Marchioness on payments to relatives; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The insurers of the Marchioness and Bowbelle have agreed a formula for settlement of claims without either party restricting the right to sue the other. I see no reason for any investigation.

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation enabling members of the public to take legal action against auditors who have been criticised by his inspectors, and to cite his inspectors' report as evidence.

  Mr. Redwood
  Whether a member of the public has a right of action against an auditor depends on whether that person is owed a duty of care by the auditor and has suffered damage as a result of the auditor's negligence, irrespective of whether the auditor's performance has been criticised in an inspectors' report. Section 441 of the Companies Act 1985 provides for an inspectors' report to be admissible in any legal proceedings as evidence of the inspectors' opinion.

  Company Accounts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will seek to amend section 363 of the Companies Act 1985 to require the letter of representation issued by the directors of a company to the auditors to be filed with the Registrar of Companies.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The Government do not accept that any benefits that might be obtained from imposing such a requirement would outweigh the administrative costs involved.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will bring forward proposals for requiring all large companies to have audit committees.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. Although we would encourage companies to set up such committees, we believe that the decision as to whether or not to do so is one that is best left to individual companies.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to require companies separately to identify all holdings gains in their financial statements.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no plans to add to the existing legislative requirements.

  Car Sales
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to advise car buyers of the legal obligations of garage proprietors who offer 0 per cent. interest to finance the purchase of cars.

  Mr. Forth
  Under the Consumer Credit Act, it is the function of the Director General of Fair Trading to disseminate such information and advice as it may appear to him expedient to give to the public about the operation of the Act, the credit facilities available to them and other matters within the scope of his functions under the Act. I will draw the hon. Member's question to the director general's attention for consideration.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps he will take to increase the monitoring of the practices of garage proprietors who offer 0 per cent. interest to finance the purchase of cars;
  509
  (2) whether he will arrange for his officials to meet representatives of the SMMTA to discuss the need to protect motorists from unscrupulous practice arising from offers of 0 per cent. interest to finance the purchase of cars.

  Mr. Forth
  The Consumer Credit Act 1974 prohibits misleading credit advertisements and the Consumer Credit (Advertisement) Regulations 1989 contain specific provisions on the use of expressions such as "interest free". Enforcement of this legislation is a matter for local authority trading standards departments and for the Director General of Fair Trading. I will ask the director general to write to the hon. Member about this matter.

  Scania Saab
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice was given by officials in response to inquiries as to whether regional selective assistance would be available if Scania Saab were to locate a new plant in the north of England.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Officials told the company that the Government would be prepared to consider an application for regional selective assistance. However, any grant would require clearance by the European Commission under the rules of the Community framework on state aids to the motor vehicle industry. In the Department's judgment, the prospects for approval were not good.

  Textile and Clothing Industry
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has insisted on any regulatory point to meet the new situation brought about by the changes in central and eastern Europe if regulation of the textile and clothing industry passes to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: The precise arrangements for the return of trade in textiles and clothing to GATT rules and for the necessary transitional period before that happens are still the subject of negotiation. Recent developments in central and eastern Europe will be only one of many factors to be considered by the United Kingdom in trying to influence an EC negotiating position on these matters.

  EC Price Determination
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement outlining the procedures of the EC Commission for determining normal prices under their anti-clearing procedures; if the producer firms have any entitlement to be advised of the basis of calculations of the Commission; and if the procedures have been approved by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: In establishing whether dumping is taking place, the Commission assesses whether a product is sold abroad at prices below what is termed the "normal value". In most cases this "normal value" is the price which the foreign supplier charges for comparable sales in his own country. Where there are no such sales, or when they do not permit a proper comparison or are made at a loss, then the normal
  510
  value may be established, that is to say "constructed", by reference to either the foreign supplier's domestic costs of production or his price to other export markets. The precise procedures are laid down in the Council regulation (EEC) No. 2423/88, which is available in the Library of the House.

  Foreign producers involved in anti-dumping proceedings are entitled under the regulation to request to be informed of the essential facts and considerations on which Commission's proposals for definitive anti-dumping duties will be based. The procedures laid down in the regulation for assessing dumping conform with the GATT anti-dumping code.

  United Kingdom Japanese-owned Car Firms
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the new Japanese-owned United Kingdom car producers will be producing cars for sale; if these cars will be permitted to be sold in the EC on the same basis as other British-produced cars; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Nissan has been producing cars in the United Kingdom for sale since 1986. Its cars are sold in the EC on the same basis as other British-made cars. Honda plans to begin producing cars here at the end of 1991, and Toyota in late 1992. The Government are determined to ensure that all cars produced here by Japanese-owned firms should be treated in the EC in exactly the same way as other British-made cars.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Right to Buy
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the policy of the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland on the right to purchase residential property occupied by employees of the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Residential property is offered to employees when it is no longer needed, at a price which takes account of market circumstances, including the existence of the tenancy.

  Fruit of the Loom
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the amount of grant that has been allocated to the Fruit of the Loom company for the development of a new mill at Londonderry.

  Mr. Needham
  Details cannot be disclosed as this matter falls under the normal arrangement of strict confidentiality which exists between the Industrial Development Board and its client companies.

  Donaghadee Ring Road
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the present status and programme for the proposed ring road at Donaghadee, County Down; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are no proposals for a ring road at Donaghadee.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing executive agencies in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Brooke
  The training and employment agency became an executive agency of the Department of Economic Development yesterday. It will comprise some 1,700 staff. The agency's principal task will be to implement those training and employment service functions of Government which are the responsibility of the Department. Agency status should ensure greater efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of these functions, including an improved standard of service to customers. It will also emphasise to employers and individuals the value of training. The establishment of the agency coincides with the high priority now to be given to training and development of the work force in the interests of a competitive economy. Performance targets have been set against which the agency's effectiveness and efficiency will be measured. The framework document for the agency makes provision for the chief executive to propose additional management flexibilities in the future where these will contribute to better performance. Copies of the framework document have been placed in the Library and the Vote Office.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Grants and Loans, Scotland
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the budgetary totals for offices in(a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole, for (i) community care grants and (ii) crisis loans from the social fund 1988–89, 1989–90; and what are his estimates for 1990–91.

  Mr. Scott
  Details of budget allocations and expenditure for loans and grants for each social security region and local office are kept in the Library. These figures are available for each year since 1988. In my statement on the social fund to the House on 26 March at columns 21-40 I announced that the budget allocations for the year 1990–91 had been placed in the Library.

  Local Government Finance
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to the reply of 28 March, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of the 1,053 items of correspondence concerning the poll tax benefit scheme which related to poll tax rebate in Scotland.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to her on 28 March at columns 204-5. It is not possible to estimate now many of the 1,053 items of correspondence referred to community charge rebate in Scotland.

  Social Fund, Wales
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the final expenditure for each local social fund office in Wales for the latest available year separately for loans and grants, expressed as a proportion of the total annual allocation made to each office.
  512
  Mr. Scott
  Details of budget allocations and expenditure for loans and grants for each local office are kept in the Library.

  Area Computer Centres
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps his Department took to notify British companies about the contract to run the area computer centre at Norcross, Lancashire, and to give them the opportunity to tender.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Three companies were invited to tender for the contract to run ACC1 Livingston. On the basis of the responses to that invitation, and the need to bring ACC2 into operation on schedule, it was decided to invite Electronic Data Systems to run ACC2 on similar terms. No other company was asked to tender.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether any British companies were invited to tender for the contract to run the area computer centre at Livingston; what was the name of the company other than Electronic Data System which tendered; and whether Electronic Data System submitted the lower tender.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  All three companies invited to tender for ACC1 Livingston are incorporated in the United Kingdom. The contract was awarded to Electronic Data Systems on the basis of best value for money, in accordance with normal practice. It is not the practice to give details of unsuccessful tenderers.

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security from what date babies above six months but under two years old in April will receive attendance allowance providing they meet the condition when the new extension of the benefit is made.

  Mr. Scott
  These babies will qualify for attendance allowance from 9 April.

  Income Support
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest available data on the number of claimants of income support, together with the number of dependants, in each of the parliamentary constituencies of Liverpool; and if he will give comparable data for 1979.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 22 March 1990]: Data on the number of dependants are unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Data of the number of claimants of income support are unavailable by parliamentary constituency. Data for the Department's offices covering Liverpool as a whole are in the table:

  Local Office

  Income Support Live Load (1)

  1979

  1990

  Belle Vale

  8,114

  10,749

  Bootle

  11,524

  12,908

  Breckfield

  10,030

  15,189

  City

  7,674

  7,571

  Edge Hill1

  7,912

  14,918

  Garston

  8,161

  8,688

  Huyton

  10,396

  15,640

  513

  Local Office

  Income Support Live Load (1)

  1979

  1990

  Kirkby

  7,105

  15,858

  Norris Green

  5,740

  7,517

  Toxteth

  6,498

  15,651

  WestDerby

  7,361

  4,523

  1previously Wavertree

  Notes:
  (1)Source: 100 per cent. of cases in action. The figures include a small number of cases where benefit has ceased but other action on the case is continuing. Data for 1990 are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest available data on the number of claimants of income support, together with the number of dependants, in each of the Wirral parliamentary constituencies; and if he will give comparable data for 1979.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 22 March 1990]: Data on the number of dependants are unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Data on the number of claimants of income support are unavailable by parliamentary constituency. Data for the Department's offices covering Wirral as a whole are in the table:

  Local office

  Income support live load1

  1979

  1990

  Birkenhead North

  10,828

  15,057

  Birkenhead South

  6,479

  9,985

  Wallasey

  7,910

  11,359

  1 Source: 100 per cent. of the cases in action. These figures include a number of cases where benefit has ceased but other action on the case is continuing. Data for 1990 are provisional and subject to amendment.

ENERGY

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Loyden), of 13 November,Official Report, column 98, if he will consider increasing the size of future tranches of renewable generating capacity; and when he expects to be seeking applications for these tranches.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  A total of 600 MW of capacity has been reserved for renewables within future tranches of the non-fossil fuel obligation and this could be increased if necessary. My right hon. Friend expects to announce the arrangements for the first additional tranche later this year.

  Electricity Prices
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give for each area electricity board this year's percentage increase or decrease for the average(a) domestic user, (b) non-domestic user taking less than 1 MW and (c) user taking more than 1 MW.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Electricity prices are a matter for the industry.

  Gas Privatisation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 13 March,Official Report, columns 141-44 about gas privatisation, what was the role of Wood Mackenzie and James Capel in the gas privatisation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Wood Mackenzie and James Capel were appointed by Her Majesty's Government to assist the lead brokers Cazenove and Company in the British Gas offer for sale.

  Energy Imports and Exports
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what were the total export and import of oil, gas and coal, respectively, in February in tonnes and value on the sa e basis as his answer of 9 November 1989, Official Report, columns 767-68.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The equivalent information for exports and imports of oil, gas and coal for February 1990 as set out in my earlier answer of 9 November 1989,Official Report, columns 767-68, is as follows:

  Table 1—February 1990

  Thousand tonnes

  Exports (f.o.b.)

  Oil1

  6,004

  Coal

  181

  Imports (c.i.f.)

  Oil

  5,292

  Gas2

  1,433

  Coal

  893

  Table 2—February 1990

  £ million at 1985 prices3

  Exports (f.o.b.)

  Oil1

  1,027

  Coal

  7

  Imports (c.i.f.)

  Oil

  853

  Gas

  108

  Coal

  48

  1 Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.

  2 Coal equivalent.

  3 Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by applying the unit value for exports in 1985 to the relevant volumes in 1990.

  Sizewell B
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest estimate of the date of Sizewell B's(a) completion, (b) commissioning and (c) run-up to full power.

  Mr. Baldry
  The timetable for completion of Sizewell B is a matter for Nuclear Electric plc. The CEGB indicated in its last annual report and accounts that it aimed to achieve full commercial load in May 1994, six months after the start of fuel loading.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide additional incentives to renewable energy generators in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department is already providing substantial incentives. We support a major research and development programme aimed at developing commercially viable and environmentally acceptable renewable technologies to contribute to future energy supply. Over £50 million is earmarked for expenditure on renewable projects during the next three years. Provision for 1990–91 is around £20 million.

  Renewables also benefit from the non-fossil fuel obligation.

  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his current estimate of the maximum potential for renewable generating capacity on the United Kingdom electricity network.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The most recent estimates of the potential contribution from renewable energy sources were published in energy paper 55, "Renewable Energy in the UK: The Way Forward", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Magnox
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list each Magnox station's current life expectancy; and when each will next be reviewed.

  Mr. Baldry
  The maximum life for each Magnox station is an operational matter to be determined by Nuclear Electric subject to continuing compliance with the nuclear site licence issued by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate.

  The current review dates for each Magnox reactor are set out in my answer to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 25 January 1990, at column 819.

HEALTH

  Hepatitis
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish for each of the last five years the number of people who have contracted (i) hepatitis A, (ii) hepatitis B, (iii) hepatitis C, (iv) hepatitis D and (v) hepatitis E in England and Wales, separately distinguishing the figures by health authority areas.

  Mr. Freeman
  The figures for laboratory reports to the communicable disease surveillance centre of the public health laboratory service are as follows:

  Year

  Clinical hepatitis A

  Acute hepatitis B

  1985

  2,254

  1,785

  1986

  2,217

  1,329

  1987

  2,785

  785

  1988

  4,167

  644

  1989

  15,334

  1605

  1 Provisional figure.

  It is not possible to provide the breakdown requested by health authority area, but the percentages of the above reports by area over the five-year period were:
  516

  Region

  Percentage of reports

  Hepatitis A

  Hepatitis B

  Northern

  4

  5

  Yorkshire

  11

  11

  Trent

  7

  8

  East Anglia

  2

  3

  North West Thames

  8

  7

  North East Thames

  7

  6

  South East Thames

  6

  8

  Wessex

  3

  4

  Oxford

  4

  4

  South Western

  8

  8

  West Midlands

  10

  8

  Mersey

  3

  6

  North Western

  12

  13

  Wales

  5

  4

  Reliable figures for hepatitis C, D and E are not available, because the diagnostic tests for these viruses are at different stages of development and use.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the present number of(a) private nursing homes and (b) publicly owned nursing homes; and what is the number of inspectors to check the standards of care and facilities in nursing homes.

  Mr. Freeman
  Centrally collected data do not distinguish between hospitals and nursing homes registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984. By deducting the number of premises with operating theatres (that is, hospitals) from the total number of premises registered, a figure of about 3,000 nursing homes can be obtained for the year ending 31 March 1989.

  Figures on publicly owned nursing homes are not held centrally. The Government consider continuous nursing care services to be an integral part of NHS provision for those people who require them. However, the actual level of service to be provided by a health authority is a matter for that authority to decide for itself based on local needs and practice.

  Figures for the number of inspectors of nursing homes and hospitals are not held centrally. Registration and inspection is delegated to district health authorities. It is for each health authority to decide the number of inspectors required, taking into account local circumstances. Authorities must inspect each home or hospital at least twice a year.

  Salmonella
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his assessment of the effect of more invasive salmonellas than salmonella enteritidis and typhimurium on the incidence of food poisoning outbreaks.

  Mr. Freeman
  Food poisoning due to salmonella is not generally regarded as an invasive disease. However, some salmonella strains are more likely than others to cause septicaemia or meningitis. For example, 28 per cent. of strains of salmonella dublin received by the PHLS division of enteric pathogens during 1981–89 were isolated from blood cultures, compared with only about 2 per cent. for all other serotypes. However, salmonella dublin is rare in humans; it accounted in 1989 for less than 1 per cent. (none in 1988) of outbreaks of food poisoning reported to
  517
  the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre. In contrast, salmonella enteritidis and salmonella typhimurium together accounted for 82 per cent. of reported outbreaks in 1989 (76 per cent. in 1988). These two strains therefore represent the greatest burden of human illness.

  In-patients waiting lists, North Western Region 31 March 1979 and 31 March 1989

  Health Authority

  11979

  21989

  Change

  Change per cent.

  Lancaster

  2,099

  2,826

  727

  35

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  5,038

  3,431

  -1,607

  -32

  Preston

  n/a

  4,897

  n/a

  n/a

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  5,512

  3,761

  -1,751

  -32

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  3,850

  1,807

  -2,043

  -53

  West Lancashire

  2,573

  2,852

  279

  11

  Chorley and South Ribble

  n/a

  636

  n/a

  n/a

  Bolton

  4,283

  2,936

  -1,347

  -31

  Bury

  1,147

  373

  -774

  -67

  North Manchester

  5,722

  2,456

  -3,266

  -57

  Central Manchester

  6,924

  9,441

  2,517

  36

  South Manchester

  8,339

  7,483

  -856

  -10

  Oldham

  3,210

  4,903

  1,693

  53

  Rochdale

  2,948

  3,280

  332

  11

  Salford

  4,873

  4,477

  -396

  -8

  Stockport

  5,043

  4,324

  -719

  -14

  Tameside and Glossop

  2,208

  1,566

  -642

  -29

  Trafford

  2,569

  1,469

  -1,100

  -43

  Wigan

  4,255

  4,310

  55

  1

  Region

  77,368

  67,228

  -10,140

  -13

  1 The regional total is not equal to the sum of the districts' figures because districts affected by NHS restructuring in 1982 have been excluded.

  2 Less self deferred cases.

  n/a = comparable data not available due to NHS restructuring in 1982.

  Source: 1979 SBH2O3 return.

  1989 KH07, KH07a returns.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many eye tests have been carried out in the northern region in each year since 1980.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The number of sight tests since 1983–84, paid for by the family practitioner committees which approximate the northern region, are set out in the table. The figures were supplied by the following family practitioner committees:

  Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Northumberland, Gateshead, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

  Number of sight tests in Northern Region 1983–84 to 1988–89

  Year

  Number of sight tests

  1983–84

  576,216

  1984–85

  592,048

  1985–86

  599,981

  1986–87

  627,573

  1987–88

  679,969

  1988–89

  740,424

  Information is not held on sight tests paid for before 1983–84. Figures for 1989–90 are not yet available.

  North West RHA
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much National Health Service waiting lists have changed between 1979 and 1989 in each district health authority within the North West regional health authority for(a) in-patients and (b) out-patients.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information on in-patient waiting lists is given in the table. Data on out-patient waiting lists are not collected centrally.

  Cervical Smear Tests
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cervical smear tests have been carried out on women for each year of the past decade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The number of cervical smear tests carried out by the NHS in England and Wales in the last decade is shown in the table:

  (thousands)

  Year

  Number of smears

  1977

  2,545

  1978

  2,587

  1979

  2,749

  1980

  2,928

  1981

  2,999

  1982

  2,951

  1983

  3,200

  1984

  3,417

  1985

  3,897

  1986

  3,908

  1987–88

  4,322

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health authorities in England and Wales have a computerised recall system for cervical cancer smear tests; and if he will list them;
  519
  (2) what measures the Government have undertaken to ensure that women are called and then recalled for cervical smear tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  All 190 health authorities in England have computerised call and recall systems for cervical cancer screening. All women aged 20 to 64 are to be invited for screening by March 1993 and recalled at least every five years. Cervical cancer screening in Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average waiting time for results from cervical smear tests, by region; and if he will make a statement.

  Number of deaths from malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri1 in England and Wales by regional health authority (RHA) of usual residence. 1979–88

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  19882

  England and Wales

  2,080

  2,068

  2,017

  1,932

  1,959

  1,899

  1,957

  2,004

  1,903

  1,942

  RHA of Usual Residence

  Northern

  158

  157

  143

  153

  155

  134

  147

  145

  134

  148

  Yorkshire

  184

  194

  175

  159

  168

  165

  177

  150

  159

  144

  Trent

  193

  209

  205

  185

  177

  188

  191

  204

  168

  196

  East Anglian

  59

  65

  70

  64

  66

  54

  59

  69

  67

  68

  North West Thames

  100

  111

  90

  104

  98

  119

  91

  127

  88

  101

  North East Thames

  140

  113

  120

  141

  136

  117

  130

  141

  104

  124

  South East Thames

  144

  140

  143

  122

  129

  125

  123

  151

  134

  131

  South West Thames

  113

  117

  98

  105

  82

  82

  86

  76

  91

  89

  Wessex

  93

  107

  89

  82

  104

  87

  92

  84

  98

  107

  Oxford

  88

  62

  61

  67

  59

  54

  73

  71

  76

  81

  South Western

  146

  109

  120

  125

  129

  124

  129

  121

  146

  122

  West Midlands

  185

  204

  200

  189

  191

  213

  185

  174

  197

  206

  Mersey

  124

  145

  147

  132

  134

  130

  148

  131

  124

  105

  North Western

  217

  206

  216

  176

  187

  187

  183

  214

  177

  187

  Wales

  136

  125

  133

  118

  136

  114

  139

  139

  132

  126

  1 Assigned to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision code 180.

  2 Provisional.

  Allergy
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on research into allergies and the facilities available under the National Health Service for sufferers.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main agency through which the Government support medical and related research in the United Kingdom. The MRC receives its grant-in-aid from the Department of Education and Science and is currently conducting research into allergies; the total expenditure for these projects is £1 million.

  NHS treatment for allergies is widely available. The amount of resources devoted to it is for decision by health authorities in the light of their knowledge of local needs, priorities, and resources.

  Disability
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how he plans to use the information gained under section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 to develop good community care services; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) on what date he expects section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 to be fully implemented;
  520
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 21 February at column 834.

  Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women have died from cervical cancer in each of the past 10 years; if he will give the figures region by region; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  (3) what steps his Department is taking and will be taking to publicise the information collected under section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Section 11 came into force on 18 December 1989 and the first report was laid before the House on 21 December 1989. The report has been subsequently printed and distributed to health and local authorities. It is hoped that the information in the report, on services for people with a mental illness or mental handicap, will be of assistance to authorities in developing good community care services in line with the Government's policies.

  Experimental Drugs
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce statutory regulations controlling payments by pharmaceutical companies and individual consultants in exchange for participation in tests using experimental drugs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no powers to make such regulations.

  Private Hospitals
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is issued by his Department to private hospitals and clinics with regard to ensuring that patients who are treated are in a position to pay for such treatment.
  521
  Mr. Freeman
  No such guidance is issued; payment for private treatment is a matter for the parties concerned.

  Advertising Expenditure
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 March,Official Report, column 183, what accounts for the shortfall in estimated expenditure for publicity in 1989–90 of £15·876 million, from the budget given in his answer of 13 March 1989, Official Report, column 69.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The £19·586 million budget, quoted in the reply of 13 March 1989, included £4 million which was transferred during 1989–90 to the Health Education Authority to fund additional health promotion campaigns carried out by the authority.

  Incontinence
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) from which budget the provision of incontinence pads will come; and which profession will be responsible for the provision of incontinence advice and supplies, following the reorganisation of the National Health Service;

  (2) if his Department is carrying out research into the development of minimum standards for incontinence pads, including the microbiological aspect of pads;

  (3) what representations he has received on the delivery of incontinence advice and the provision of incontinence pads; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The provision of incontinence services will not be altered by the National Health Service and Community Care Bill. I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister for Health gave my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 8 March 1990 at columns 823-24.

  The Department is funding an evaluation project at St. Pancras hospital, London, including microbiological examination of reusable pads after laundering, which will not be completed until the end of March 1991. The project is looking into all four categories of incontinence pads. One of the aims of the project is to provide basic information which will be used by the British Standards Institution and the International Standards Organisation in the development of standards.

  We receive representations on the provision of incontinence pads occasionally, but have received no representations on the delivery of incontinence advice. The Department has funded a number of projects designed to promote awareness of the problems of incontinence.

  Traffic Casualties
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many district health authorities make charges under section 155 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 for payment for emergency treatment of traffic casualties;

  (2) what is the estimated cost to a district health authority of making a charge under section 155 of the Road Traffic Act 1972;

  (3) what is the total income received by the National Health Service under the provisions of the Road Traffic Act 1972.

  Mr. Freeman
  The total income from emergency treatment fees and charges under sections 157 and 158 for 522
  in and out-patient treatment recorded in the accounts of district health authorities was £8·7 million for 1988–89 in England. Income from emergency treatment fees is not separately identified. However, the indications are that most, if not all, district health authorities have collected income from this particular source. No information on the cost to district health authorities of collecting these charges is available centrally.

  Aspirin
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any food or drink offered for sale in the United Kingdom contains aspirin as an additive.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have been asked to reply.

  Aspirin is not listed as a permitted additive to food or drink by regulations made under the Food Act 1984.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Merchant Shipping
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will consider abolishing income tax and social security liabilities in regard to persons employed at sea in United Kingdom shipping companies' merchant ships; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Finance Act 1988 relaxed for seafarers the rules for qualification for the 100 per cent. foreign earnings deduction. A total exemption from income tax and social security liabilities would give seafarers an unjustified advantage over other groups of employees.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those years in the period 1974 to 1989 when public expenditure was reduced in real terms; and for each of those years if he will indicate the main services where reductions took place.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  General Government expenditure (excluding privatisation proceeds) fell in real terms in 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1987–88 and 1988–89 as shown in table 21.2.1 of the 1990 public expenditure White Paper (Cm 1021). The reductions in the mid-1970s covered a broad range of services. The areas in which there were falls in the real level of expenditure in 1987–88 and 1988–89 are shown in table 21.2.11 of Cm 1021, which gives an analysis of general Government expenditure by function in real terms for 1978–79 to 1989–90.

  Trade Balance
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year from 1970 to 1989, on a balance of payments basis, his estimate of the balance of visible trade with the world and with the European Economic Community Twelve on the basis of (i) 1989 and (ii) 1985 prices; and if he will add figures for visible trade less oil and erratic items;

  (2) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing, for each year from 1970 to 1989, on a balance of payments basis, the balance of trade in manufactures less

  523
  erratic items with the European Economic Community and with the rest of the world as a percentage of gross domestic product to two places of decimals.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information from which United Kingdom world trade balances at constant prices may be derived can be found on the Central Statistical Office database, which may be accessed through the Library of the House. Estimates for trade with the European Community are available only at current prices, and information about manufactures less erratic items on a balance of payments basis is not available by area.

  Natural Beauty Products
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions Customs and Excise officials had with the debenture holder immediately before or after their two visits to Natural Beauty Products earlier this year in pursuit of a distraint order; and what other action was taken.

  Mr. Ryder
  Customs has had no discussions with the debenture holder either before or after its visits to Natural Beauty Products.

  The distraint was affected on 1 February 1990 and the administrative receiver was appointed on 2 February. Customs has maintained its distraint and has been in discussion with the administrative receiver about the sale of the business as a going concern.

  EC Economic and Finance Council
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.

  Mr. Major
  The informal ECOFIN met at Ashford castle, County Mayo on 31 March for its first detailed discussion of the later stages of economic and monetary union (EMU). I made it clear that we believed it premature to give detailed consideration to the later stages before stage 1 had begun and that the United Kingdom's position had not changed. I repeated our willingness to participate fully in the inter-governmental conference and in its preparation. I made clear our opposition to binding limits on the level of budget deficits, but said that we were ready to contemplate binding rules against monetary financing of deficits and the bailing out of member states, and providing for procedures for surveillance. These rules would be desirable whatever the eventual form of EMU. Legal conditionality might also attach to any Community support loans. I expressed our reserve on the monetary aspects of EMU including the proposed European system of central banks (ESCB). Preparation for the IGC will continue in the relevant committees and ECOFIN will discuss the issues again at our meeting in June.

  The German Minister for Finance outlined the latest developments in the preparations for an economic and monetary union between the Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic. There was a brief discussion about the European bank for reconstruction and development. It was agreed that there should be further examination of the requests from some European countries for association of their currencies with the EMS.

  Balance of Payments
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year from 1970 to 1989 on a balance of payments basis the balance of trade with the European Economic Community Twelve and with other countries on (a) manufactures and (b) invisible trade; and if he will add figures for manufactures less erratic items.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 23 March 1990]: Estimates on a balance of payments basis for trade in manufactures with the European Community and with non-European Community countries are shown in the table:

  United Kingdom Trade Balances with EEC and Non-EEC Countries in Manufactured Goods (SITC 5-8) from 1970–1989

  BOP basis £ million

  Not Seasonally Adjusted

  Year

  EEC

  Non-EEC

  1970

  644

  1,899

  1971

  431

  2,578

  1972

  60

  2,086

  1973

  -360

  1,845

  1974

  -478

  2,441

  1975

  -587

  4,326

  1976

  -490

  5,401

  1977

  -503

  6,376

  1978

  -1,735

  6,789

  1979

  -2,570

  5,280

  1980

  -1,174

  6,600

  1981

  -2,651

  7,146

  1982

  -4,458

  6,550

  1983

  -7352

  4,636

  1984

  -8,313

  3,895

  1985

  -8,999

  5,376

  1986

  -10,392

  4,340

  1987

  -10,670

  2,842

  1988

  -12,538

  -2,338

  1989

  -13,583

  -2,552

  Information for invisible trade is available for 1973 to 1988 on the Central Statistical Office database, which may be accessed through the Library. The information for 1978 to 1988 is also in table 10.1 of 1989 edition of the "The CSO Pink Book", which is available in the Library of the House.

  Comparable data for manufactures less erratic items on a balance of payments basis are not available.

  Tax Changes
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update, to take account of the 1990 Budget, the information on tax changes contained in his reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West of 4 April 1989,Official Report, columns 7-8.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update, to take account of the 1990 Budget, the information on tax changes contained in his reply to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 21 October 1986,Official Report, columns 812-14.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answers 28 and 29 March 1990]: The information is in the tables. For each financial year shown, the tables compare the yield from the tax regime in that year, with the 1978–79 tax regime, both assuming independent taxation. All estimates are based on a

  525
  provisional 1990–91 income base projected from the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and all tax regimes have been indexed to 1990–91 levels (using the new independent taxation allowances) by reference to the statutory formula. The comparisons therefore reflect budgetary changes in income tax rates and allowances, but not (i) any changes since 1978–79 in the definition of the

  Average gain per individual2 (£ per annum)

  Range of individual's income in 1990–91 (£)

  1979–80

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Under 5,000

  50

  20

  50

  60

  80

  110

  110

  110

  5,000 to 10,000

  140

  70

  120

  150

  220

  320

  320

  320

  10,000 to 15,000

  290

  230

  280

  360

  500

  690

  690

  690

  15,000 to 20,000

  420

  380

  430

  550

  760

  1,030

  1,030

  1,030

  20,000 to 30,000

  650

  650

  710

  880

  1,220

  1,610

  1,610

  1,590

  30,000 to 50,000

  1,910

  1,770

  1,880

  2,090

  2,480

  3,480

  3,480

  3,270

  50,000 to 70,000

  5,390

  5,570

  5,740

  5,870

  6,090

  9,610

  9,610

  9,390

  Over 70,000

  18,560

  20,880

  21,060

  21,130

  21,310

  36,310

  36,310

  36,060

  Total

  460

  420

  480

  550

  680

  990

  990

  980

  Note: All information is in terms of individual taxpayers—that is husband and wife are counted separately.

  1Excluding child tax allowances which were being phased out in 1978–79.

  2Average gains and losses are calculated by reference to the estimated number who would be liable to pay tax under the indexed 1978–79 regime assuming Independent Taxation; this number is some 1,800,000 greater than the numbers paying tax in 1990–91, some 1,400,000 in the income range below £5,000 and 400,000 in the range £5,000 to £10,000.

  Reduction in income tax compared with 1978–79 indexed regime1 (£ million)

  Range of individual's income in 1990–91 (£)

  Number of individuals paying tax in 1990–91 (million)

  1979–80

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Under 5,000

  2·9

  230

  100

  230

  270

  340

  480

  480

  480

  5,000 to 10,000

  8·6

  1,230

  640

  1,040

  1,360

  1,960

  2,840

  2,850

  2,840

  10,000 to 15,000

  6·4

  1,840

  1,450

  1,800

  2,280

  3,200

  4,390

  4,400

  4,390

  15,000 to 20,000

  3·8

  1,570

  1,410

  1,620

  2,050

  2,870

  3,860

  3,860

  3,860

  20,000 to 30,000

  2·6

  1,710

  1,710

  1,860

  2,320

  3,210

  4,230

  4,230

  4,190

  30,000 to 50,000

  1·0

  1,930

  1,790

  1,900

  2,110

  2,500

  3,510

  3,520

  3,300

  50,000 to 70,000

  0·2

  1,240

  1,280

  1,320

  1,350

  1,400

  2,210

  2,210

  2,160

  Over 70,000

  0·2

  2,970

  3,340

  3,370

  3,380

  3,410

  5,810

  5,810

  5,770

  TOTAL

  25·7

  12,720

  11,720

  13,140

  15,120

  18,890

  27,330

  27,360

  26,990

  Net Earnings
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to April the information on net earnings provided in his reply to the then hon. Member for Fulham, on 10 February 1987,Official Report, columns 177-78.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 29 March 1990]: Estimates of the levels of earnings at the top 5 per cent. point of the earnings distribution are not published. The information in the table is based on estimates of those levels derived from published figures in the relevant new earnings surveys. The latest estimates available are for April 1989. Earnings levels are for men or women as appropriate paid at adult rates with pay unaffected by absence. Taxpayers are assumed to have no reliefs or allowances other than the appropriate personal allowances.

  Earnings after Tax, National Insurance Contributions1 and Child Benefit (£ per week)

  April 19794

  April 1989

  Single Man

  At current prices

  114·20

  369·20

  At constant April 1989 prices2

  240·30

  369·20

  Married Man3

  At current prices

  118·00

  381·50

  At constant April 1989 prices2

  248·30

  381·50

  526
  income tax base, or (ii) the change to independent taxation from 1989–90 to 1990–91. Information for other years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  For the purposes of these calculations, the indexed regimes of 1978–79 and later years are applied directly to the income tax base of 1990–91. In practice, retention of these regimes, indexed as appropriate, would have led to changes in the income base.

  April 19794

  April 1989

  Married Man3 with two children under 11

  At current prices

  126·00

  396·00

  At constant April 1989 prices2

  265·20

  396·00

  Single Woman

  At current prices

  72·20

  234·10

  At constant April 1989 prices2

  152·00

  234·10

  1At the contracted in rate for April 1989.

  2By reference to the retail price index.

  3Assuming no wife's earnings.

  4Under the Finance Act 1979 tax regime.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to 1990–91 the information on real net earnings provided in his reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 10 April 1986,Official Report, columns 193-94.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 29 March 1990]: Information is given in the tables:

  Income Tax and Income Tax and NIC as percentages of gross earnings

  Multiples of average male earnings1

  ⅔

  1

  2

  5

  10

  Single

  1956–57

  Tax

  10·4

  16·6

  24·8

  40·5

  55·2

  527

  Multiples of average male earnings1

  ⅔

  1

  2

  5

  10

  Tax + NIC

  14·0

  18·9

  26·0

  41·0

  55·4

  1978–79

  Tax

  21·0

  25·0

  29·5

  50·5

  66·6

  Tax + NIC

  27·5

  31·5

  33·7

  52·2

  67·5

  1990–912

  Tax

  17·9

  20·2

  26·4

  34·5

  37·3

  Tax + NIC

  25·3

  28·2

  31·0

  36·4

  38·2

  Married Man

  1956–57

  Tax

  5·1

  11·2

  22·0

  38·9

  54·2

  Tax + NIC

  8·6

  13·5

  23·1

  39·4

  54·4

  1978–79

  Tax

  5·4

  21·3

  27·2

  48·8

  65·7

  Tax + NIC

  21·9

  27·8

  31·4

  50·5

  66·5

  1990–912

  Tax

  13·8

  17·5

  24·2

  33·7

  36·8

  Tax + NIC

  21·2

  25·5

  28·8

  35·5

  37·8

  Changes in real net earnings after Income Tax and NIC (1956–57 = 100)

  Multiples of average male earnings1

  ⅔

  1

  2

  5

  10

  Single

  1978–79

  124·9

  125·3

  132·8

  120·1

  108·3

  1990–912

  171·9

  175·3

  184·5

  213·3

  274·6

  Married Man

  Real change in tax allowances since 1978–79

  Change in tax liability 1990–91

  Single people

  Husbands

  Wives

  Individual's income

  Total

  Average per taxpayer1

  Total

  Average per taxpayer1

  Total

  Average per taxpayer1

  £ per annum

  £ million

  £ per annum

  £ million

  £ per annum

  £ million

  £ per annum

  Less than £5,000

  270

  120

  30

  130

  170

  90

  £5,000–10,000

  640

  140

  490

  200

  270

  140

  £10,000–15,000

  390

  150

  760

  250

  110

  140

  £15,000–20,000

  150

  140

  550

  230

  50

  140

  £20,000–25,000

  60

  150

  280

  230

  20

  130

  £25,000–30,000

  40

  180

  160

  270

  10

  230

  £30,000–50,000

  40

  220

  270

  350

  10

  220

  Over £50,000

  10

  230

  110

  360

  10

  220

  TOTAL

  1,600

  140

  2,650

  240

  650

  120

  1 Individual taxpayers liable to tax when personal allowances are reduced to their indexed 1978–79 levels.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of married women in the current tax year claiming the transferable element of their husband's personal tax allowance.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 30 March 1990]: It is estimated that in 1989–90 approximately 500,000 married women, over 10 per cent. of all married women with income greater than the wife's earned income allowance, will receive part or all of their husband's married man's allowance. The estimate is based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and is provisional.

  European Community
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent advice he has had from the EC Commission about the re-assessment of the United Kingdom's contribution to the EC; and what is the effect on the recent net contribution figures.
  528

  Multiples of average male earnings1

  ⅔

  1

  2

  5

  10

  1978–79

  126·8

  123·9

  132·4

  121·1

  109·0

  1990–912

  170·8

  170·7

  183·4

  210·5

  270·4

  1 Average earnings are those for full time males working a full week at adult rates in all occupations. They are £14·40 per week in 1956–57, £92·80 per week in 1978–79 and assumed to be £303·80 in 1990–91, an increase of 9¼ per cent. in average earnings in 1989–90 and an increase of 8½ per cent. in 1990–91 (the increases used by the Government Actuary in assessing the level of the National Insurance Fund as described in paragraph 3.02 of the Autumn Statement 1989).

  2 Income tax rates and allowances used for 1990–91 are those proposed in the 1990 Budget.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the value of income tax personal allowances has increased in real terms since 1979; and how this amount has been distributed to each band of income taxpayers, both in total and in amount per taxpayer.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 30 March 1990]: Since 1978–79, the main income tax allowances have increased in real terms by over 24 per cent. If, for 1990–91, the personal, married couple's, and higher age-related allowances were reduced to levels equivalent to the 1978–79 allowances indexed to 1990–91, total income tax liability would be increased by some £4·9 billion, distributed as follows:

  Mr. Ryder
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 21 March 1990 at column 610.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Community Charge
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church Commissioners have to meet the full poll tax for those retired clergy renting houses from them on a maintenance charge basis.

  Mr. Alison
  Retired clergy in the rented arm of the Church's retirement housing scheme, where the accommodation is owned by the Church of England pensions board but largely funded by the Church Commissioners, have had their maintenance charges reduced to reflect the
  529
  abolition of domestic rates. They will also receive a special addition to their pension for 1990 (£100 for full service) to help ease the changeover to the community charge system.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what negotiations the Commissioners have had with the Secretary of State for the Environment over the effect of standard community charge levels on clergy who, while living in tied accommodation in their parishes, are buying, or have bought, a home for their retirement.

  Mr. Alison
  The Bishop of London, as chairman of the Churches Main Committee representing all the major denominations, has taken this matter up with the Secretary of State as most ministers of religion in this position are being asked to pay the maximum multiplier of twice the standard community charge. This is despite the Secretary of State's advice given to local authorities last October. The Commissioners fully support the bishop's approach.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Lithuania
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts Her Majesty's Government have had with the Lithuanian Government of Mr. Landbergis.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None. Our criteria for recognition of a state were set out in an answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 19 March.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations Her Majesty's Ambassador has made to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics regarding their present policy in Lithuania.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have recently taken a number of opportunities to make our concerns known to the Soviet Union.

  We have emphasised that it is vital that progress should be made through dialogue between the Soviet authorities and the Lithuanians, and that a settlement should be reached which is acceptable to both sides and which enables the Lithuanian people to decide their own future. We have stressed the need for restraint on all sides.

  Nuclear Testing
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will be sending a representative to the international citizens congress for a nuclear test ban in Alma-Mata and Semipalatinsk, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in May.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has received in the current year concerning the continuing commitment of Her Majesty's Government to test nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have received a number of letters and appeals from various organisations and individual members of the public.
  530
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what stage negotiations over the convening of meetings of state parties to the partial test ban treaty in preparation for the meeting from 8 to 19 January 1991 in Geneva have now reached; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Parties to the partial test ban treaty have agreed that a preliminary meeting for the organisation of the conference will be held in New York from 29 May to 8 June 1990. Consultations on the details of the meeting are continuing.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to make it his policy to support the inclusion of talks concerning the cessation of nuclear testing at the conference on disarmament in Geneva.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Consultations are under way at the conference on disarmament about possible discussions on the subject of nuclear testing. But we have made it dear that for the foreseeable future there will be a continuing requirement to conduct such tests.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian authorities about East Timor independence demonstrations and human rights.

  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government have made to the Indonesian authorities concerning the use of violence against demonstrations in East Timor for independence and against human rights abuses.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 29 March to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed with the Hong Kong Government the possibility of lowering the minimum voting age in Hong Kong to 18 years.

  Mr. Maude
  The Hong Kong Government have recently confirmed our decision, announced in the 1988 White Paper on the development of representative government, that the voting age would remain at 21.

  Entry Clearance
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the current queues in operation at each of the following posts and the numbers in each queue(a) Bombay, (b) New Delhi, (c) Karachi, (d) Islamabad, (e) Dacca, (f) Nairobi and (g) Dar-es-Salaam.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Current queues and estimated waiting tims in months at end February 1990 were:
  531

  Post

  Queue

  Estimated

  Numbers awaiting interviews

  (a) Bombay

  1

  0

  0

  2

  6

  367

  3

  9

  449

  4

  10

  106

  (b) New Delhi

  1

  0

  0

  2

  3

  309

  3

  6

  214

  4

  9

  65

  (c) Karachi

  1

  1

  2

  2

  3

  89

  3

  3·5

  19

  4

  6

  5

  (d) Islamabad

  1

  3

  96

  2

  6

  2,312

  3

  9

  486

  4

  13

  393

  (e) Dhaka

  1

  3

  418

  2

  3

  933

  3

  3

  119

  4

  9

  884

  Note: Estimated waiting time is the time an applicant applying in February could expect to wait until interview.

  Settlement queues are organised as follows:
  Q1—Persons with a claim to the right of abode, dependent relatives over 70 years, special compassionate cases.
  Q2—All spouses, and all children under 18 years.
  Q3—Fiancé(e)s and others applying for the first time for settlement.
  Q4—Re-applicants.
  Nairobi —No queue. All applicants whether for visit or settlement, are interviewed within one to three days.
  Dar-es-Salaam—All applicants requiring full interview are put in one queue with a current waiting time of three weeks.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the length of time taken by each of the posts to prepare an explanatory statement following refusal of entry clearance at(a) Bombay, (b) New Delhi, (c) Karachi, (d) Islamabad, (e) Dacca, (f) Nairobi and (g) Dar-es-Salaam; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Current times taken to despatch explanatory statements from the following posts are (from date of receipt of appeal):

  Post

  Type

  Time

  Bombay

  Settlement

  4 months

  Visit

  2 months

  New Delhi

  All

  6 months

  Karachi

  Settlement

  4 months

  Visit

  2 months

  Islamabad

  Settlement

  3 months

  Visit

  1 month

  Dhaka

  All

  3 months

  Nairobi

  All

  1 week

  Dar-es-Salaam

  All

  1-2 weeks

  High Commission, India
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on when the British deputy high commission in Bombay, India, is to be resited.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We hope that current leasing negotiations and subsequent fitting-out works will be completed in time for the deputy high commission to move by May 1991.

  Geneva Convention
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what action he intends to take in the international community regarding the observance of article 51 of the fourth Geneva convention by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;

  (2) what representations he has received regarding the position of former Lithuanian Russian army conscripts and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics' observance of article 51 of the fourth Geneva convention.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  None. The Geneva convention to which the hon. Member refers relates to the protection of civilian persons in time of war.

  United States Embassy (Visa Section)
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the United States embassy in London on the burdens imposed on the embassy visa section by travel firms who are charging for visas to visit the United States where these are no longer required.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. The United States visa waiver scheme applies only to visitors travelling by designated carriers. In other cases, visas are still required. We understand that some travel agents charge an administrative fee for obtaining visas.

  South Africa
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for British passports have been made by individuals resident in the Republic of South Africa in each month from January 1989 to the recent available date.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Figures for applications received per month are not readily available but the numbers of passports issued are as follows:

  Number

  1989

  January

  1,596

  February

  1,393

  March

  1,676

  April

  2,126

  May

  1,569

  June

  3,596

  July

  2,097

  August

  2,184

  September

  1,856

  October

  1,939

  November

  2,163

  December

  1,697

  1990

  533

  Number

  January

  1,884

  February

  2,134

  March

  2,439

  These numbers include both first and replacement passports issued.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has on the number of people resident in the republic of South Africa who are eligible to be issued with a British passport for each category of citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office estimates that between half a million and 1 million British nationals reside in South Africa. There is no means of assessing accurately their categories of citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981. However, it is likely that the majority are British citizens.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with European counterparts about the proposals for nuclear and conventional force reductions arising out of recent developments in eastern Europe.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has discussed these matters in a number of recent bilateral meetings with European colleagues, including in the margins of the "Open Skies" meeting in Ottawa in February. There is a further meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in June, and the implications of developments in eastern Europe for our security requirements will again be discussed there.

  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
  Mr. David Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has taken a decision on the question of United Kingdom membership of UNESCO.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have conducted a thorough review of United Kingdom membership of UNESCO as part of which we have consulted a large number of organisations with an interest in UNESCO activities. We have also taken into account the views expressed by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House in its report on UNESCO dated 15 March. We have concluded that although there have been improvements at UNESCO over the past few years these are not sufficient to justify rejoining now.

  As recommended by the FAC, we shall continue to keep the situation under review and we shall continue to maintain our observer section at UNESCO. We shall also continue to participate in the UNESCO programmes with which we are now involved.

  I have today written to the right hon. Member in his capacity as Chairman of the FAC giving my detailed comments on its report. A copy of this letter has been deposited in the Library of the House.

  Ivory
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress Hong Kong is making in introducing legislation to implement the CITES ban on all commercial trade in ivory before the withdrawal of the six-month reservation on 18 July 1990.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Hong Kong Government are enacting legislation to ensure that the CITES ban on international commercial trade in ivory is in force when we withdraw our reservation on 18 July. A draft enacting Bill was presented to the Executive Council on 20 March and will be introduced into the Legislative Council on 4 April, with a view to enactment in May. The legislation will come into effect when our reservation is withdrawn. In the meantime, the Hong Kong Government will continue to enforce strict licensing and monitoring arrangements to prevent any illegal trading in ivory. There has been an absolute ban on ivory imports into Hong Kong since the CITES conference last year.

SCOTLAND

  Health Boards
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many health boards in Scotland were in deficit at the end of the previous financial year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The overall cash limit for health boards was underspent by £6,678,000 or 0·36 per cent.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details on the numbers of eye tests in Scotland in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information concerning the total number of eye tests in Scotland is not available centrally. The results of a survey on the total number of sight tests carried out in Scotland in the first quarter of 1990 compared with earlier periods should be available by the early summer.

  NHS Inflation
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the level of inflation in the Scottish Health Service in 1990; and what funding he will make available for extra costs to the Scottish health boards.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No separate index has been constructed which relates to the movement of pay and prices within the Health Service in Scotland. Health boards will be provided with £2,061·498 million for their recurrent expenditure commitments on hospital and community health services in 1990–91, an increase of £158 million or 8·3 per cent. on the equivalent 1989–90 provision.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to stop elderly patients being evicted from private nursing homes because they cannot meet the extra charges imposed by the owners of the private homes.
  535
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for the board and lodging limits under income support lies with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security who announced on 28 March new limits for both residential and nursing homes which will mean £45 million of additional payments being made to residents this year. My right hon. Friend is also currently reviewing the general structure and level of these limits.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last visited a private nursing home in Scotland to meet elderly patients; whether he discussed the shortfall in charges between the Government's set limit and the extra charge imposed by the private home for their accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend visited Newark Lodge nursing home for the elderly in Glasgow on 26 February 1990. During his visit he took the opportunity to discuss a range of topics with both staff and residents.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current number of(a) private nursing homes and (b) public nursing homes in (i) Inverclyde, (ii) Strathclyde and (iii) Scotland as a whole; and what is the number of inspectors to check the standards of care and facilities in nursing homes in (i), (ii) and (iii).

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There are no public nursing homes in Scotland. The information on private nursing homes, as at 31 March 1989, is as follows:

  Number

  Inverclyde

  3

  Strathclyde

  125

  Scotland

  270

  536
  The registration and inspection of private nursing homes are the responsibility of health boards and information on the number of staff engaged on these functions is not held centrally.

  Dogs
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report those organisations which responded to the consultation paper on Action on Dogs.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  One hundred and six organisations responded to the consultation paper. I am writing to the hon. Member with the details.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what direction his Department has given to the working group discussing Action on Dogs; and whether any representatives of the British Veterinary Association are to be invited to give evidence.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The working group's remit will be discussed at its first meeting which we hope will be held later this month. The remit will be broad and will cover not only advice on the implementation of our Action on Dogs proposals but also the investigation of other measures which could strengthen the existing legislation on dogs, including measures which could help reduce the risk of dog attacks. The British Veterinary Association has been asked to nominate a representative to serve on the group.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what date he will need to take a decision in order to ensure that the new Edinburgh dental hospital and postgraduate institute can be operative by the time of the closure of the present dental school.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This depends upon the outcome of Lothian health board's forthcoming appraisal of possible sites.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect of the present financial situation of the Lothian health board on the programme for the establishment of the new Edinburgh dental hospital and postgraduate institute.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have already made it clear that the Government will meet the capital cost of providing the new dental hospital and institute. The running costs will be considered once we have the results of the Lothian health board's option appraisal. By that time I expect to have the health board's proposals for bringing their income and expenditure into balance.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what factors he takes into account in determining the number of dental school places.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This is a matter for the Universities Funding Council and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the numerical decline in the number

  Establishment

  Number of baths

  Number of shower-baths

  Access by prisoners

  Aberdeen

  2

  19

  At least once per week

  Barlinnie

  5

  74

  Unlimited access

  Castle Huntly

  —

  18

  Unlimited access during recreation

  Cornton Vale

  33

  39

  Unlimited access

  Dumfries

  5

  34

  Daily at specified times

  Dungavel

  2

  19

  Unlimited access outwith working hours

  Edinburgh

  3

  43

  Unlimited access during recreation

  Friarton

  1

  6

  Prisoners shower daily

  Glenochil:

  Adult

  1

  41

  Unlimited access

  Young offenders

  —

  30

  Daily following PT or work

  Greenock

  1

  26

  Unlimited access

  Inverness

  2

  14

  Unlimited access

  Longriggend

  1

  29

  Three times per week

  Low Moss

  —

  25

  Unlimited access

  Noranside

  4

  18

  Unlimited access

  Penninghame

  1

  11

  Unlimited access outwith working hours

  Perth

  3

  69

  Daily at specified times

  Peterhead

  4

  55

  At least once per week

  538
  of treatment consultations available from the Edinburgh dental hospital from their present annual level for each of the years of the rundown leading up to the closure of the present Edinburgh dental school.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Detailed predictions about the level of treatment consultations up to the closure of Edinburgh dental school is a matter for discussion between Lothian health board and the university of Edinburgh as part of their overall closure programme.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department announced its decision to rebuild the Edinburgh dental hospital.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  When the McCallum working party report, "Review of Dental Provision in Scotland", was published in June 1989, we welcomed the recommendation that a replacement dental hospital should be built in Edinburgh. I have already made it clear that the Government will meet the capital cost but progress depends upon the outcome of Lothian health board's forthcoming appraisal of possible sites.

  Prisons
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many baths and shower-baths there are and how often each prisoner has use of these facilities in each of Her Majesty's prisons in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of baths and shower-baths and how often each prisoner has use of these facilities, in each of Her Majesty's prisons is set out in the table:
  539

  Establishment

  Number of baths

  Number of Shower-baths

  Access by prisoners

  Polmont

  —

  43

  At least twice per week

  Shotts

  26

  51

  Unlimited access during association

  Total

  94

  664

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners are currently imprisoned in each of Her Majesty's prisons in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is as follows:

  Her Majesty's prison

  Population at 23 March 1990

  Aberdeen

  133

  Barlinnie

  848

  Barlinnie special unit

  8

  Castle Huntly1

  109

  Cornton Vale2

  162

  Dumfries1

  137

  Dungavel

  123

  Edinburgh

  544

  Friarton

  54

  Glenochil2

  480

  Greenock

  167

  Inverness

  92

  Longriggend3

  224

  Low Moss

  313

  Noranside

  90

  Penninghame

  58

  Perth

  424

  Peterhead

  122

  Polmont1

  387

  Shotts

  429

  Total

  4,904

  1 Young offenders institution.

  2 Prison and young offenders institution combined.

  3 Remand institution.

  Agency Nurses
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of agency nurses employed in the National Health Service in Scotland in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Information about agency nurses is collected twice yearly and the average whole-time equivalent for the quarter ending 30 September in each of the last five years is as follows:

  Year

  Whole-time equivalent

  1985

  79·8

  1986

  144·7

  1987

  193·0

  1988

  237·7

  1989

  128·4

  Information is collected centrally only on the whole time equivalent of agency nurses employed in the National Health Service.

  Children with Learning Difficulties
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children with learning difficulties are now being integrated into mainstream schools who would 540
  formerly have been placed in special schools with trained teaching staff, in total and on a regional basis; and if he will give details of how the progress of such children is monitored.

  Mr. Lang
  The table shows the latest statistics of children with records of needs based in mainstream schools. It is not possible to say how many of these children might, in previous years, have been placed at special schools. Progress of recorded pupils is monitored through reviews carried out under the terms of section 65A of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.

  Recorde pupils based in mainstream schools

  Primary

  Secondary

  Borders

  10

  35

  Central

  67

  31

  Dumfries and Galloway

  111

  74

  Fife

  1

  15

  Grampian

  53

  45

  Highland

  81

  82

  Lothian

  27

  14

  Strathclyde

  328

  223

  Tayside

  9

  21

  Orkney

  6

  4

  Shetland

  6

  7

  Western Isles

  4

  8

  Total

  703

  559

  Argyll and Bute

  24

  15

  Ayr

  118

  69

  Dumbarton

  27

  17

  Glasgow

  41

  12

  Lanark

  31

  59

  Renfrew

  87

  51

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what specialist assistance is being provided for children with learning difficulties who have been or are being integrated into mainstream schools; and what is their position regarding testing at the ages of eight and 11 years old.

  Mr. Lang
  Education authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient specialist assistance is provided for children with learning difficulties. This will vary according to the needs of each individual child.

  So far as the testing of children with learning difficulty is concerned, the Government recognise that there are pupils whose records of needs may suggest that their inclusion within the arrangements for national testing would be inappropriate. It will, therefore, be left to the discretion of the education authority, in consultation with parents, to decide in such cases whether or not a child should participate in the tests.

  Lafferty Group
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many projects involving the failed Lafferty Group were funded by the Scottish Development Agency;
  541
  what was the total amount of public money paid to the firm; whether any legal action has been taken over uncompleted contracts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  Three projects involving F. Lafferty (Civil Engineering) Company Ltd., and two projects involving Lafferty Construction Ltd. were funded by the Scottish Development Agency. The amount of money paid is a commercial matter between the agency and the companies involved. The five projects carried out by F. Lafferty (Civil Engineering) Company Ltd. and Lafferty Construction Ltd. have all been completed.

  Schools and Colleges (Finance)
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what information he bases his decision about the level of capital financing for Scottish schools and colleges.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 26 March 1990]: The amount of the resources made available for distribution to local authorities for capital expenditure on schools and colleges is determined after taking account of the financial plans and representations submitted by the authorities and of information obtained during school and college inspections. The amount provided for grant aided colleges takes account of their institutional plans and of professional advice.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye of 21 March,Official Report, column 647, when he expects to be able to reply to the specific questions raised with him by the Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen in their original letter of 3 May 1989 with regard to the grounds on which the claim for compensation by the Ullapool Boat Owners Association has been classed as an application for operating aid and as to why the claim for compensation conflicts with community law; and when he expects to be able to supply the documents requested by the federation in their letter of 3 May 1989.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Any assistance provided to industry to compensate for changes in circumstances is regarded by the European Commission as an operating aid. This ruling derives from the Commission's interpretation of sections 92 and 93 of the treaty of Rome. The Commission has made it clear that any derogation by them in favour of such an aid would only be given where the aid had a structural purpose. This would not apply in the case submitted by the Ullapool Boat Owners Association. A formal reply was sent to the Federation of Highlands and Islands Fishermen on 13 March 1990.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will explain the criteria for the distribution of non-HRA allocations for 1990–91, with specific reference to the sums allocated to Orkney Islands council and Shetland Islands council.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Non-HRA capital allocations for 1990–91 were
  542
  determined on the basis of relative housing needs taking account of the authorities' own plans and priorities for tackling these needs. On this basis, Orkney Islands council has received an allocation of £1·15 million and Shetland Islands council has received £0·45 million, the latter meeting the council's request for resources virtually in full.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if all the research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy is being concentrated under the consultative committee run by Dr. David Tyrrell; and if he will list where the £12 million for research over the next three years is to be spent;

  (2) if it is the intention of the consultative committee under Dr. David Tyrrell to publish at least annual reports into their activities in the future.

  Mr. Gummer
  A research consultative committee of scientific experts chaired by Dr. Tyrrell was asked by my predecessor and the Secretary of State for Health to advise on the research work in progress, and additional work required into the disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and to set out priorities for further work. I announced the Government's response on 9 January.

  My Department has committed £6·1 million over the next three years to spongiform encephalopathy research at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, at the Institute for Animal Health, AFRC/MRC Neuropathogenesis Unit, Edinburgh; and at the Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms. In the same period, the Department of Education and Science has provided for expenditure of £6·3 million on similar research through the Agriculture and Food Research Council at the neuropathogenesis unit and other research establishments.

  The Secretary of State for Health and I have decided to reconstitute the research consultative committee as the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee. Dr. Tyrrell has agreed to continue as chairman. The other members are Professor F. Brown, former deputy director (scientific) of the Animal Virus Research Institute, Pirbright, Dr. R. J. Will, consultant neurologist at the Western general hospital, Edinburgh, Dr. R. H. Kimberlin, an independent consultant, and Dr. W. A. Watson, former director of the Central Veterinary Laboratory. Mr. R. Bradley of the Central Veterinary Laboratory will act as an observer and observers from the Medical Research Council and the Agriculture and Food Research Council will participate as necessary.

  The new committee will be asked to advise my Department and the Department of Health on matters related to spongiform encephalopathies. Its work and reporting will therefore be on an ad hoc basis.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the estimate of the Southwood committee of the level of reporting of bovine spongiform encephalopathy; what is the current level of reporting; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Southwood working party did not predict the level of reporting of suspect BSE cases. At present, around 380 new suspected cases of BSE are being subjected to restrictions each week.
  543
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what significance he attaches to the rising incidence of confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases; when he expects the number of confirmed cases to stop rising; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  All available evidence on BSE point to a common source epidemic, through feed infected with scrapie, which has been cut off since July 1988. Although the number of suspect cases being notified is continuing to rise at present it is still expected that, provided cattle to cattle transmission does not occur, the incidence of disease will fall after 1993 as the proportion of animals which will have been fed ruminant protein diminishes.

  Pesticides
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what use he has made of his powers to ban the export of toxic pesticides which are already banned from use on agricultural products in the United Kingdom; and if he will consider taking powers to ban the import of any food that has been treated with a pesticide, the use of which has been banned in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  The United Kingdom participates in the United Nations environment programme's (UNEP) notification scheme under which we notify the importing country of any exports of pesticides which are banned or severely restricted here. A pesticide which is not approved in the country may legitimately be permitted in other countries, since usage, climatic conditions and soil types all have an important influence on safety. In the United Kingdom statutory maximum residue levels have been set for some pesticides which are not approved for use here.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the regulatory process by which pesticides are approved.

  Mr. Gummer
  Following is the answer:

  1. The statutory framework for the approval of pesticides is laid down in Part III of the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 and under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. A system of Departmental and independent assessment of data ensures that only pesticides found to be safe are approved for use. The independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides, supported by the scientific subcommittee, take account of risks to humans, animals and the environment in making recommendations to Ministers on approvals.

  2. The introduction of statutory controls on pesticides under FEPA has led to a significant increase in the volume of work in MAFF's and HSE's Evaluation Units. Although the waiting time for applications to extend uses of approved products has been halved over the past year, two key tasks remain: to review to current standards those products approved some time ago, and to speed up the consideration of applications for new pesticides. These are objectives to which consumer, environmental and industry interests attach great importance.

  3. To meet these challenges my colleagues and I are providing for further substantial increases in resources in order to improve the effectiveness of the evaluation process. Within the MAFF Evaluation Unit the numbers of scientific staff in post have risen from 25 in April 1986 to 54 currently. In the coming 12 months we shall increase
  544
  these by a further 60 per cent. to 86. We have introduced special pay scales to recruit and retain the specialised scientific staff required.

  4. The physical resources available to the Unit are also being enhanced. New accommodation is being acquired, which will bring the Unit together on a single site, at the AFRC's Harpenden complex. This will be the first MAFF office to be equipped in 1991 with computerised office systems, costing about £1 million, to enhance efficiency.

  5. In addition to recruiting extra scientists, we are planning to contract out discrete blocks of work in order to increase throughput. Several independent laboratories have been approached and specimen contracts will be issued shortly as a pilot exercise. The contract work will of course be subject to close monitoring for quality assurance. The internal resources saved will be switched to the highly demanding emergency reviews.

  6. Because of the high standards of safety which we apply, and the complexity of modern regulatory work, the training of the new staff will be given high priority. Although this will absorb significant resources we nevertheless aim to increase threefold the capacity to process new pesticides, from eight in 1990–91, to 12 in 1991–92, 20 in 1992–93, and 25 per year thereafter. This is a realistic plan and these targets are stretching but achievable.

  7. Similarly the number of reviews of older pesticides, full and partial, will rise from 12 in 1990–91 to 29 in 1991–92, and 37 in 1992–93. The total number of pesticides registered in the United Kingdom before 1981 is over 250 and all these will be reviewed, subject to a priority ranking exercise which is being established, with the advice of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides. For agricultural pesticides, we intend this work to form part of a co-ordinated 10-year European Community programme for the review of older pesticides. Indeed, what we have proposed will more than match our likely share of the Community programme. We always of course check as a matter of urgency any approved pesticides against which doubts have been cast. On non-agricultural pesticides the United Kingdom Government has taken the lead in pressing the EC for a harmonised approach similar to that proposed for agricultural pesticides.

  8. We have already approached all approval holders to alert them to the review programme and to ask whether or not they hold data packages for their products which are capable of meeting modern standards. Those who have not replied will shortly have their approvals withdrawn.

  9. To ensure that such a large review programme does not recur we have decided that in future all approvals will be time-limited, so that regular reviews will be required automatically if re-approval is sought.

  10. Inevitably the increase in resources will give rise to an increase in fees for the approval of a new active ingredient. The increase from £7,000 to £30,000 has taken effect from yesterday. The pesticides industry as a whole has made public its willingness to pay for the additional resources necessary to provide a better service.

  11. A key element in maintaining public confidence in the safety of approved pesticides is the advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides which is impartial and of the highest level of expertise. My colleagues and I have decided that all evaluations prepared by the Committee and the data underlying them will be made available for public scrutiny in as open a way as anywhere in the world.
  545
  12. Although our data indicates that our food generally contains very low levels of pesticide residues I have been examining how we might obtain further reassurance on the safety of our food. The Government already carries out an extensive programme of testing food, feedingstuffs, human tissues and wildlife, costing £1·5 million per year. We have approached representatives of food manufacturers, retailers, and local authorities who also perform a significant number of tests and they have in principle agreed to make their results available to the Government. This will greatly enlarge the data available on residues. For example, we know already that the number of samples of wheat available to us will be multiplied at least ten times.

  13. In relation to non-agricultural pesticides there is also a good story to tell. Since April 1987 the numbers of HSE scientists dealing with pesticide approval have increased from 6·6 to 18·5. This will further increase to 25·5 in April 1990, and it is intended to reach the complement of 31·5 by April 1991. However, as with MAFF, this will require that the training of staff is given a high priority and there is no significant loss of staff to outside organisations.

  14. Thus it is envisaged that by 1994 evaluation work of new active ingredients will start immediately an application for approval is received.

  15. HSE plans to have completed its review programme of older non-agricultural pesticides within the next 10 years. Reviews have already been initiated on a number of active ingredients on which there has been public concern, and a review programme drawn up for the rest.

  Salmonella
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the pasteurisation of eggs from salmonella enteritidis infected flocks in the United States of America; and whether he has any information on the incidence of food poisoning from pasteurised eggs from salmonella enteritidis infected flocks in the United States of America.

  Mr. Maclean
  Very little information has been published on either pasteurisation of eggs from infected flocks or the incidence of food poisoning from pasteurised egg produced from eggs from infected flocks in the United States of America.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will describe the procedure through which pasteurisation of eggs from infected flocks can encourage cross-contamination in circumstances where raw liquid egg is commonly contaminated by salmonella.

  Mr. Maclean
  The risk of cross-contamination exists in any food processing plant and therefore the use of contaminated raw materials should be avoided as far as possible. The possible routes of contamination will depend on several factors, including plant design, hygiene procedures etc.

  Irradiated Potatoes
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect on the production and identification of solanin in potatoes exposed to irradiation.

  Mr. Maclean
  In 1986 the Advisory Committee on Irradiated and Novel Foods assessed extensive data relating to the irradiation of potatoes and found no evidence of adverse effects.

  Nitrates
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the book, "Nitrates: The Threat to Food and Water", by Nigel Dudley, published by Green Print.

  Mr. Curry
  We have already done so.

  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the pilot nitrate scheme.

  Mr. Gummer
  Following extensive consultations on the pilot nitrate scheme, I have decided, subject to Commission clearance under article 93,3 of the treaty of Rome, to confirm that 10 areas should be designated as nitrate sensitive areas (NSAs), and that intensive advisory campaigns should be conducted in a further nine areas.

  This important new pilot scheme is aimed at tackling the problem, experienced throughout Europe and elsewhere, of unacceptable levels of nitrate leaching from farmland into water sources. It will provide valuable insights into a problem which is not scientifically fully understood, and point the way for future policy. I hope the scheme will be a major success and that it will receive the high level of support which it deserves.

  As indicated in earlier announcements, payments will be made to those farmers in nitrate sensitive areas who voluntarily undertake to observe restrictions on their agricultural practices. I hope that as many farmers as possible will enter our basic scheme under which payments will be made for restrictions on all their NSA land which, while substantial, will enable them broadly to maintain current farming patterns. These payments will vary depending on the nitrate sensitive area in line with overall differences in the costs of compliance between different areas.

  Farmers who participate in the basic scheme will in addition be able to enter the premium scheme, by converting some or all of their arable land to various forms of grassland. Payments will vary depending on the nitrate sensitive area (since overall assessments of the costs of compliance differ), the option chosen, and the proportion of a farmer's land affected, (since the latter affects the fixed cost savings). The premium scheme requirements will help to protect the environment generally and promote conservation.

  The areas, basic rates of payment, and premium rates for conversion of arable to unfertilised ungrazed grassland are as follows, (£/ha):
  547

  Nitrate sensitive areas (NSAs)

  Basic

  Premium [percentage of total holding]

  0–25

  25–75

  75–100

  1. Sleaford (Lincolnshire)

  85

  380

  290

  200

  2. Branston Booths (Lincolnshire)

  95

  380

  290

  200

  3. Ogbourne St. George (Wiltshire)

  55

  380

  290

  200

  4. Old Chalford (Oxfordshire)

  55

  330

  265

  200

  5. Egford (Somerset)

  55

  380

  290

  200

  6. Boughton (Nottinghamshire)

  75

  280

  240

  200

  7. Wildmoor (Hereford and Worcestershire)

  70

  280

  240

  200

  8. Wellings (Staffordshire and Shropshire)

  65

  280

  240

  200

  9. Tom Hill (Staffordshire)

  70

  280

  240

  200

  10. Kilham (Humberside)

  55

  330

  265

  200

  Premium rates (which are paid in addition to basic rates) will be adjusted, in relation to those shown above, as follows:

  £

  For unfertilised grazed grass

  30/ha less

  For grass with up to 150 kg N/ha

  110/ha less

  For grass and woodland

  100/ha less

  Though for the latter, payments under the farm woodland scheme should also apply.

  Intensive pig and poultry farmers will receive individually assessed payments towards the cost of additional storage (pig farmers only) and/or transport requirements calculated against number of livestock.

  The advisory areas will be as follows:

  1. The Swells (Gloucestershire)

  2. Bircham and Fring (Norfolk)

  3. Hillington, Gayton and Congham (Norfolk)

  4. Sedgeford (Norfolk)

  5. Fowlmere (Cambridgeshire)

  6. Far Baulker (Nottinghamshire)

  7. Dotton and Colaton (Devon)

  8. Cringle Brook (Lincolnshire and Leicestershire)

  9. Bourne Brook (Warwickshire)

  All farms in the advisory areas will be visited by an ADAS officer and encouraged voluntarily to follow practices designed to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching at little or no cost to themselves or even a small benefit.

  Committee

  Councils

  NRA

  Ministers

  Total

  Cornwall

  13

  1

  12

  26

  Cumbria

  7

  1

  6

  14

  Devon

  10

  1

  8

  19

  Eastern

  10

  1

  9

  20

  Isles of Scilly

  4

  0

  4

  8

  Kent and Essex

  10

  1

  7

  18

  North Eastern

  18

  1

  15

  34

  Northumberland

  10

  1

  9

  20

  North Western and North Wales

  18

  1

  16

  35

  Southern

  10

  1

  8

  19

  Sussex

  10

  1

  9

  20

  South Wales

  10

  1

  9

  20

  The Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966 requires that those persons appointed by Ministers must be acquainted with the needs and opinions of the fishing interests of the district. Persons are not appointed, however, on the basis of their representing particular organisations. At the present time there are no vacancies amongst the Ministers' appointees.
  548
  Full details of the measures and payment rates have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The Secretary of State for the Environment and I shall be laying before the House in due course a statutory instrument designating the NSAs and setting out the measures and payment rates under the basic and premium schemes. Our intention is for the order to come into effect by 1 June.

  Bass
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he proposes to introduce his proposals for nursery areas for the conservation of bass.

  Mr. Curry
  I hope to make an announcement shortly.

  Sea Fisheries Committees
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list the membership of each sea fisheries committee; how many vacancies there are in each committee; and what organisation each member of the committee represents.

  Mr. Curry
  The membership of sea fisheries committees is made up of persons separately appointed by county or metropolitan district councils, the National Rivers Authority and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food or the Secretary of State for Wales. The relevant numbers appointed to each committee are currently as follows:

  Agricultural Workers
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average number of hours worked weekly by agricultural workers in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Gummer
  The information requested, based upon continuous surveys of the earnings and hours of hired agriculture workers conducted by the agricultural departments, is shown in the table.
  549

  Average weekly hours of regular whole-time hired male workers, 20 years and over, in agriculture, United Kingdom 1979–89

  Year

  Average weekly hours

  1979

  46·2

  1980

  45·7

  1981

  46·3

  1982

  46·1

  1983

  46·5

  1984

  46·2

  1985

  46·9

  1986

  46·7

  1987

  46·5

  1988

  46·6

  11989

  46·5

  1 Forecast.

  Sources: Agriculture in the United Kingdom, 1989 White Papers on the Annual Review of Agriculture 1984 to 1988.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average level of gross weekly earnings for agricultural workers in each year since 1979 in cash, constant prices and as a proportion of national average manual earnings.

  Mr. Gummer
  The information requested, based upon continuous surveys of the earnings and hours of hired agricultural workers conducted by the agriculture departments, is shown in the table.

  Average weekly earnings of regular whole-time hired male workers, 20 years and over, in agriculture, United Kingdom, 1979 to 1989

  Average earnings of agricultural workers

  £/week

  Index in real terms (a)

  As a proportion of average manual earnings (b)

  1979

  71·8

  89·3

  78

  1980

  86·0

  90·7

  78

  1981

  96·3

  90·8

  80

  1982

  105·4

  91·5

  80

  1983

  116·6

  96·8

  82

  1984

  122·6

  96·9

  80

  1985

  134·1

  100·0

  82

  1986

  140·8

  101·5

  81

  1987

  148·0

  102·5

  80

  1988

  155·4

  102·6

  77

  11989

  166·0

  101·6

  76

  1 forecast.

  Notes: (a) Deflated by the retail prices index (1985=100).

  (b) Based on the average earnings in April of each year of full-time manual male employee on adult rates of pay, earnings not affected by absence, from the new earnings survey.

  Sources: Agriculture in the United Kingdom, 1989.

  White Papers on the Annual Review of Agriculture, 1984.

  Land Drainage
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will indicate the arrangements which will need to be applied, following the introduction of the community charge, to precept drainage rates for those internal drainage boards which are not properly constituted under the Land Drainage Act 1976.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Internal Drainage Boards (Finance) Regulations 1990 which were laid before Parliament on 23 January, modify the powers of internal drainage boards to make and levy drainage rates under and in accordance 550
  with provisions of the Land Drainage Act 1976 or the provisions of any local Act. They apply to the raising of expenses for financial years commencing 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements currently exist to ensure that internal drainage boards do not levy precepts on domestic dwellings that would otherwise be disproportionate to the resources devoted to agricultural land drainage; and whether any new arrangements will apply following the introduction of the community charge.

  Mr. Gummer
  The arrangements for financing internal drainage boards have been modified in the light of the new system of local government finance operative from 1 April: the changes, including the proportions of a board's expenses to be raised by drainage rates on the agricultural sector and special levies on the non-agricultural sector via charging authorities, are set out in the Internal Drainage Boards (Finance) Regulations 1990 which were laid before Parliament on 23 January. Provision has been made for boards to continue to be able to levy differential amounts in respect of areas (sub districts) considered to benefit less from their operations. Also charging authorities will be entitled to appoint members to the boards to which they contribute by virtue of special levies.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police (Allocations)
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he applies in determining the allocation of police to each county in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend considers applications for increases in police establishments on the basis of the demonstrated needs of forces and in the light of advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. The general criteria which govern assessment of applications for increases are set out in Home Office circulars 114/1983 and 106/1988, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Imprisoned Mothers
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider allowing imprisoned mothers to have day parole to visit their children.

  Mr. Mellor
  Powers already exist for the temporary release of sentenced prisoners for this purpose and they are used in appropriate circumstances.

  Marchioness
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to make all police and Government reports and associated papers available to the coroner's inquest into the deaths of those aboard the Marchioness.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Secretary of State does not have power to direct the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis or other Government Departments to disclose reports to a coroner's inquest, but in this particular case I am not aware that the coroner is experiencing any difficulties in obtaining the information that he needs.

  Deportation
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been served with the notice of the intention to make deportation orders against them on the grounds that this would be conducive to the public good for reasons of national security in the past 12 months; and if he will provide a breakdown of their countries of citizenship.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since 28 March 1989, 14 Iranians and one Iraqi have been served with notice of intention to make deportation orders against them on these grounds.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington on 6 March,Official Report, column 560, at which institutes of education the 15 deported Iranian citizens involved in education were studying.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Seven were studying at the university of Manchester institute of science and technology, two at South Bank polytechnic, one each at Brunel university, the polytechnic of Central London, the City of London polytechnic, the university of Bradford and Middlesex polytechnic. The remaining student had previously studied at Hatfield polytechnic.

  Asylum
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the Turkish Kurdish asylum seekers who sought entry in May and June 1989 whom he was minded to refuse have since been granted refugee status;

  (2) how many of the Turkish Kurdish asylum seekers who sought entry in May and June 1989 and who were initially granted one year exceptional leave to remain have since been recognised as refugees.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A total of 240 of the Turkish nationals who sought asylum on arrival in April, May and June 1989 have been recognised as refugees. Central records do not distinguish at what stage of the procedure applicants were granted refugee status and this could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what inquiries are made into the political affiliations and background of interpreters before they are used in asylum cases.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  All prospective interpreters are interviewed by a chief immigration officer or more senior officer to assess their linguistic qualifications and personal suitability. Other checks may be made if necessary.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the length of time it is taking to process applications to vary one year exceptional leave to remain permits to refugee status under the 1951 convention on refugees.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  These applications are dealt with as quickly as possible by the refugee section of the immigration and nationality department. Priority is however being given to resolving outstanding applications for asylum made by some 3,700 Turkish nationals on arrival in April, May and June 1989.
  552
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the length of time it is taking for decisions to be reached on whether to grant entry clearance to the dependents of Turkish Kurdish asylum seekers who have been granted one year exceptional leave to remain.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There is no provision in the immigration rules for this purpose. Dependents are normally admitted to join a person granted exceptional leave if he is still in the United Kingdom after four years. However, all applications for entry clearance in these cases are referred to the Home Office to consider whether there are special circumstances which would justify earlier admission. Decisions on these applications are reached as soon as possible.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will place in the Library a copy of(a) the training manual for immigration officers who interview asylum seekers and (b) any written instructions that are given to interpreters.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There is no single comprehensive training manual for immigration officers who interview asylum seekers. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in reply to a question by him on 14 November 1989 at column 205. On the question of instructions for interpreters, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given in reply to a question by him on 14 November 1989 at column 203.

  Interpreters
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the immigration service is still utilising the interpreting skills of Mr. Gurdenez.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Yes.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been any change in selection and training procedures for interpreters following the case of Mr. Gurdenez.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No, but an interpreter employed for the first time is now required to give a written undertaking that he will translate faithfully and to the best of his ability.

  Suicide
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a month by month breakdown of the information given in the table in his answer of 12 March,Official Report, columns 18-21, in respect of inmates in Armley prison, Leeds, for suicides and attempted suicides in 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  The table gives the number of inmates who were found at an inquest to have committed suicide, and who attempted suicide, at Leeds prison in each month during 1989.

  Suicides and attempted suicides at HM prison Leeds in 1989

  Month

  Suicides

  Attempted suicides

  January

  —

  5

  February

  1

  13

  March

  —

  4

  553

  Month

  Suicides

  Attempted Suicides

  April

  —

  18

  May

  —

  4

  June

  —

  —

  July

  —

  5

  August

  —

  5

  September

  —

  2

  October

  —

  —

  November

  1

  —

  December

  —

  2

  Total

  2

  58

  Sir Charles Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many suicides and how many

  Table A

  Suicides at Prison establishments 1980 to 1989 and attempted suicides 1985 to 1989

  Establishment

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1 2

  1989

  Acklington

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (—)

  Albany

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Ashford

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  (1)

  Ashwell

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Askham Grange

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Aylesbury

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Bedford

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  (—)

  Birmingham

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1

  1

  —

  (24)

  Blundeston

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Bristol

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (3)

  Brixton

  5

  3

  1

  4

  5

  2

  2

  3

  1

  1

  (21)

  Brockhill

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Camp Hill

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  (2)

  Campsfield House

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Canterbury

  1

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  3

  —

  2

  (7)

  Cardiff

  —

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  (5)

  Castingdon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Channings wood

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (4)

  Chelmsford

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (5)

  Coldingley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  (1)

  Cookham wood

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  Dartmoor

  —

  1

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (3)

  Deerbolt

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Dorchester

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (2)

  Drake Hall

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Durham

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  2

  —

  3

  1

  2

  (15)

  Eastwood Park

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Erlestoke

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Everthorpe

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Exeter

  —

  1

  —

  —

  2

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  (19)

  Featherstone

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Feltham

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (9)

  Ford

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Frankland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (4)

  Full Sutton

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Garth

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (3)

  Gartree

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Glen Parva

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  (6)

  Gloucester

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Grendon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  (6)

  Guys Marsh

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Haslar

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Hatfield

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Haverigg

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Hewell Grange

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Highpoint

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (5)

  Hindley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (23)

  Holloway

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (12)

  Hull

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  (28)

  Kingston

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Kirkham

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Kirklevington

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Lancaster

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (3)

  Latchmere House

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (7)

  Leeds

  2

  —

  1

  1

  1

  2

  —

  2

  4

  2

  (58)

  Leicester

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Lewes

  —

  —

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (7)

  Leyhill

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  554
  attempted suicides have taken Place in Penal establishments in each of the last 10 years; and how many of these were (a) remand prisoners, (b) female prisoners, (c) Prisoners under 21 and (d) prisoners from ethnic minorities;

  (2) how many suicides and how many attempted suicides have taken place in each individual penal establishment in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Mellor
  [pursuant to his reply of 12 March at column 18] : I now understand that the figure of 64 given for the number of attempted suicides at Leeds prison during 1989 Sir was incorrect. The correct figure is 58. The table is an amended version of table A in my earlier answer.
  555

  Establishment

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1 2

  1989

  Lincoln

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  2

  1

  —

  (2)

  Lindholme

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (6)

  Littlehey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  (11)

  Liverpool

  1

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (19)

  Long Lartin

  —

  2

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  (4)

  Low Newton

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (16)

  Maidstone

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (—)

  Manchester

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1

  2

  3

  —

  3

  (26)

  Mount

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  New Hall

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  North Sea Camp

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Northallerton

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  Norwich

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  (12)

  Nottingham

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  Onley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Oxford

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Parkhurst

  —

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Pentonville

  1

  —

  —

  1

  1

  2

  —

  2

  1

  —

  (4)

  Portland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  Preston

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  2

  —

  1

  —

  (12)

  Pucklechurch

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (6)

  Ranby

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Reading

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Risley

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1

  3

  4

  —

  (9)

  Rochester

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  (—)

  Rudgate

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Shepton Mallet

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (4)

  Shrewsbury

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (15)

  Spring Hill

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Stafford

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  (6)

  Stoke Heath

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  (2)

  Styal

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Sudbury

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Swaleside

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (4)

  Swansea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  (6)

  Swinfen Hall

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Usk

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  The Verne

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (1)

  Thorn Cross

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Thorp Arch

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Wakefield

  1

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  (2)

  Wandsworth

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  —

  3

  1

  1

  (2)

  Wayland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  Wellingborough

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Werrington

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (—)

  Wetherby

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  (2)

  Winchester

  —

  2

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  2

  (10)

  Wormwood Scrubs

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  2

  2

  1

  (4)

  Wymott

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  (3)

  Total

  21

  16

  17

  21

  23

  23

  17

  40

  30

  28

  Notes:

  1 Figures in brackets are for attempted suicides.

  2 Inquests have yet to be held on seven inmates who died in 1989 and whose deaths are thought to have been suicides. These deaths occurred at Her Majesty's prisons Brixton, Cardiff, Long Lartin, Manchester, Rochester and Swansea and at Her Majesty's remand centre Risky.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether the presently proposed fees for(a) firearms certificates and (b) shotgun certificates cover the administration of both the 1968 and 1988 Firearms Acts;

  (2) what proportion, or amounts of the presently proposed fees increase for (a) firearms certificates and (b) shotgun certificates are related to the Firearms Act 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The proposed fees do not include any costs arising from the administration of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988. These will be assessed during the course of the multi-force scrutiny being undertaken by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he consulted the Firearms 556
  Consultative Committee before proposing increases in fees for firearms and shotgun certificates and their renewal or variation.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. It is for the Government to decide the level at which firearms fees should be set based on its policy of full recovery of the costs of administering the firearms licensing system. However, any views that the Firearms Consultative Committee may wish to put to the Home Secretary about the way in which firearms controls are administered will be carefully taken into account.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will place in the Library a copy of the views of the Firearms Consultative Committee on his proposals to increase fees for the issue, renewal or variation of firearms and shotgun licences.
  557
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Firearms Consultative Committee is an independent statutory body. It is for the committee itself to decide whether any views which it may have on the proposed fees increase should be included in the annual report which it is required to make to my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and which, once made, will be laid before Parliament.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to introduce further increases in the fees for(a) firearms certificates and (b) shot gun certificates this year.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We propose to adjust the fees for both firearm and shot gun certificates in the light of the findings of a multi-force scrutiny of the firearms licensing system being undertaken by the Association of Chief Police Officers. The results of the scrutiny should be known later this year, though it is not possible at this stage to say whether any further increases in fees will be introduced in 1990.

  Tape Recorded Evidence
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of charges has been set, and on what basis, for the supply of copies of tape recordings made in the course of police investigation of criminal matters; and on what date such charges were introduced.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Whether charges are made and the level of those charges are matters for individual chief officers to determine.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he proposes to take to ensure that those representing defendants in contested criminal matters are supplied with copies of tape recordings made during investigations; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Home Office circular 76/1988, which gives guidance to the police about tape recording interviews with suspects, gives the suspect and his legal representative a right of access to a copy of the master tape if he is to be prosecuted. In practice he will either receive a copy of the tape or be afforded facilities to listen to one at a police station.

  Consultancies
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment; and what is the total amount that his Department has budgeted to spend in the current year.

  Mr. Waddington
  [holding answer 28 March 1990]: The Home Office spent approximately £3,404,000 on management and computer consultancies, excluding hardware and software purchases, in 1989. The Home Office has budgeted to spend approximately £3,729,000 in the current year. The following contracts were awarded to management and computer consultants in 1989:
  558

  ABT Books Inc.

  Provision of Seminar

  Admiral

  Accounting and Financial Management Information System

  Admiral

  Computerised Course Control Project

  Admiral

  Technical Assurance

  Barton

  Fee for Membership of PNC Board

  Batalas

  Quality Assurance

  BBN

  Drugs Unit Experiment System

  BIS

  Government Network Security

  BIS

  Magistrates Court Contingency Planning

  BIS

  LAFIS—Local Authority Financial Information System

  BIS

  Structured Cabling

  BIS Applied Systems

  BASIS Stores System

  Bransom

  Development of Batch Retrieval Programs

  British Print Federation

  Review of Production Control Procedures

  CACI

  Household Occupancy re. Public Protection

  Captain Hannant

  Standard System for Control of Police Aviation

  Clark, Neville

  Consultancy on Quality Systems

  Claymore Services Ltd.

  Provision of INFOMAP (Police Mapping Package) tutorial days

  Clayton, J. K.

  Review of Voluntary Effort in Civil Defence

  Cogitaire

  Review of Information Desk Computer Network Systems Requirement

  Computer Sciences (CSC)

  Network Design

  Computer Sciences (CSC)

  PNC2—Interim network

  Cooper and Lybrand

  Review of the Suitability and Performance of PIMIS in the Glasgow and Liverpool Passport Offices

  Data Logic

  Improved Man/Machine Interface For the Holmes (major enquiry) Project

  Data Logic

  Local Area Network Strategy

  Datasolve

  Technical Support for PNC2

  Daton Systems

  Help Desk Consultancy

  DBI Associates

  General Consultancy Support

  Deloitte Haskins and Sells

  Warehousing and Distribution Study

  559

  DLP Consultancy

  Feasibility Study into Capacity Building and Networking of Voluntary Organisations

  Dowty

  Fire Brigade Mobilisation communications

  Eosys

  Police National Network

  Ernst and Young

  Automatic Fingerprint Recognition Requirement

  Ernst and Young

  A Review of the Management and Funding of the Community Transport's Central Administration Unit

  Ewbank Reece

  Microwave Communications

  Grafton

  Provision of Staff for Application Development Team

  Iliffe, A. Esq.

  Production of Selection Test Item Block

  ISL

  Finance Information System

  JSB Computer Systems

  POLINDEX—Animal Experiment Index

  Kermon Associates

  HOUSE—Strategic UNIX Project

  Kermon Associates

  Procurement Workshop

  Kermon Associates

  Project Management

  Lawrence and Lawrence

  PNC Board Member/Attendance at Committees

  Leicester Polytechnic

  Criminal Statistics Profiling

  Logica

  Fire Brigade Mobilisation and Control

  Logica

  Suspect Index

  Management Exchange, The

  Project Management Course for PRSU Police Officers

  McDonald Associates

  Design of Counselling Training Modules

  National Centre for Information Technology

  Production of an Advisory Booklet to Police Forces

  Oracle

  Commissioning and Configuration of SRDB's Oracle Accounting System

  Oracle

  Further Tailoring work of SRDB's Accounting Software

  Oracle

  Magistrate's Courts' Standard Specification

  PA

  Police National Computer Replacement Project

  PA

  Project Management

  PA Consulting

  Data flows in the CJS

  PA Consulting

  Management Review of Forensic Science Service

  PA Consulting

  Prison Service Organisation Review

  560

  PA Consulting

  Provision of Project Support Office Staff

  Paradis

  Fingerprint Imagery

  PE Inbucon

  Issue of TV Licenses and Saving Stamps by the Post Office

  Philo, G. Esq.

  Drafting Management Selection Exercise

  Price Waterhouse

  Options for the Privatisation of the Terrestrial Transmission Service in the United Kingdom

  REDE

  Quality Assurance Programme

  Recognition Research

  Recognition Research

  St. George's Medical School

  TICTAC—Pill Identification

  S D Europe

  Study into Police Use of Aircraft

  Skills With People

  Overview of Four Race Relations Projects

  Smith Associates

  Study into the Evalution of Maintenance Options

  Smith Associates

  Evaluation of Tender Responses

  Software AG

  Technical Management

  Software Services

  Immigration Service Intelligence Unit

  Sopwell House

  Subsidiary fees for ABT Books

  Sudbury Consultants

  Leadership Training

  System Assurance

  Security Review

  Touche Ross

  Financial and Management Accountancy System

  Touche Ross

  Police National Computer Replacement Project

  Touche Ross

  Management Accounting System

  Touche Ross

  Management Information Strategy

  Touche Ross

  Professional Advice in Project Management

  Touche Ross

  Strategy Study

  TSC Limited

  Software Support for Operational Development

  University of Aberdeen

  EFIT—Face Recognition

  Watts, Reginald

  Marketing of Fire Service College

  Yale Data

  HOUSE—Strategic UNIX Project

  Yale Data

  Feasibility Study

  Overseas Travel
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many People travelled overseas for the years ended September 1988 and September 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.
  561
  It is estimated that United Kingdom residents made 28·1 million trips abroad in the year ending September 1988 and 30·8 million trips in the year ending September 1989.

ENVIRONMENT

  Coventry City Council
  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish an investigation into the conduct of the Coventry city council housing committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has no powers to intervene.

  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that there is no use of undue or illegal pressure on tenants of Coventry city council in relation to their right to determine whether to transfer to alternative landlords.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has no powers to intervene.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received concerning the conduct of Coventry city council in relation to its tenants and the prospective establishment of housing associations; what response he has made; and if he will bring forward proposals for legislative powers to allow investigation of alleged malpractice in respect of the provisions for enabling local authority tenants to transfer to other landlords.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 30 January 1990]: It has been suggested to me that Coventry city council is opposed to its tenants exercising tenants' choice. Alternative landlords under tenants' choice are approved by the Housing Corporation in many areas of the country, including Coventry.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress Britain is making towards implementing the Montreal protocol on chlorofluorocarbon reductions.

  Mr. Trippier
  [pursuant to his reply, 21 March 1990, c. 667]: I regret that my earlier reply incorrectly stated that the United Kingdom had reduced production and consumption of CFCs by 50 per cent. when the statement was true only in respect of consumption. Production has been significantly cut since 1986 but not yet by that much. The difference between reductions in production and consumption is largely accounted for by United Kingdom exports of CFCs and the fact that our trading partners have not been able to match our performance in the reduction of CFC consumption.

  Planning Policy Guidance Notes
  Mr. Allason
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the new planning policy guidance notes to replace the existing PPG3, "Land for Housing".
  562
  Mr. Moynihan
  In the late spring or early summer.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each criterion used to assess the standard spending assessment for Kirklees council for the year 1990–91; how the appropriate level of Government grant is then calculated for each individual criterion; and what is the total amount of Government grant actually awarded to Kirklees council for each individual criterion.

  Mr. Chope
  The standard spending assessment (SSA) for Kirklees is calculated according to the formulae set out in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) approved by this House on 18 January. Revenue support grant is distributed so that all authorities, including Kirklees, could set a community charge of £278 (before the safety net and special grants) in 1990–91 if they and the authorities' precepting on the collection fund in their area spent at the level of their standard spending assessments. In addition to revenue support grant for 1990–91 Kirklees will receive £37 million or £132 per adult from the combined effect of the safety net and the special grant for low rateable value areas.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether there are any community charge havens around the coast apart from Caldey Island.

  Mr. Chope
  No. The Caldey Island Bill, about to come before Parliament, would make residents of Caldey Island subject to the community charge.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total amount of financial support towards revenue expenditure to be provided by central Government for the first year of the new local government finance system in England.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Central Government are providing over £15 billion of financial support towards revenue expenditure for the first year of the new system.

  In 1990–91 aggregate external finance of £23·1 billion will be provided to local government to finance local authority services in England. The redistributed proceeds of the new business rate pool will be £10·43 billion, while central Government are providing approximately £12·7 billion in financial support, made up of £9·4 billion of revenue support grant and £3·2 billion in specific grants.

  Central Government are also providing around £2 billion for community charge benefit in England, which is in addition to the £0·4 billion cost (estimated on an England only basis) of the once-for-all uprating of income support in April 1989 to provide help towards the remaining portion of the charge. Local authorities are to be reimbursed in full for the cost of transitional relief, which in England in 1990–91 will be £350 million (part of the £810 million the Government will provide in the first three years of the new system).

  Help will be provided towards councils' administrative costs for the transitional relief scheme amounting in 1990–91 to £21 million.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has yet made regulations relating to the use of new economic development power for local authorities in section 33 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
  563
  Mr. David Hunt
  I recognise the important role that local authorities have to play in this area. Local authorities have been invaluable in supporting start-up businesses where venture capital from the private sector could be less readily obtainable.

  I know of many examples of existing good practice in economic development by local authorities, in many cases working with central Government or European Commission programmes. Regulations will ensure that local authorities' proposals are well-targeted and used in an effective and sensible way.

  I have now laid before Parliament the Local Government (Promotion of Economic Development) Regulations 1990. The power for local authorities to take steps for the promotion of economic development came into force on 1 April 1990. Where local authorities choose to use their existing powers to promote economic development the regulations will not apply until 1 July 1990. Transitional provisions are also included for commitments entered into before 1 April 1990.

  Section 33 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 provides a general power for local authorities to take steps for promoting the economic development of their area. It specifies a wide range of activities that a local authority can undertake for that purpose, but without prejudice to the generality of the power. The power also will enable local authorities to make grants to voluntary bodies to assist in the task of promoting economic development. However, there are certain activities that the Government consider are not appropriate for local authorities:

  Local authorities will not, subject to certain important exceptions, themselves be able to undertake banking, investment business, insurance, estate agency, auditing, conveyancing, valuations, manufacturing or trading (regulation 5). They will, however, be able to assist others to do so.

  There is no geographical restriction other than that on the power to give grants, loans and financial guarantees to undertakings conducted with a view to a profit, but only where that assistance exceeds £10,000 per annum to any one business (regulation 7). Where it does exceed that level the power to give such assistance is limited to those authorities in parts of the country which already receive some form of central Government priority, or where they form part of a travel-to-work-area with above average unemployment.

  The regulations contain no restrictions on the giving of grants or subsidies to trainees or to the providers of training. However, with effect from 1 April 1991, the provision of training or education services by local authorities that are not education authorities, other than for their own members or employees, must be in line with a broad programme of such services agreed with the education authorities (regulation 8(2)). This will prevent conflict or unnecessary duplication of effort between authorities.

  Direct wage subsidies to commercial undertakings are not permitted (regulation 6(2)) but there are specific exemptions. These cover grants towards the cost of employing persons who have been unemployed immediately before becoming employed by the grant recipient and grants towards the cost of employing trainees and those with particular skills. The regulations do not restrict such grants given as part of a central Government or European Commission scheme.
  564
  The regulations do not, otherwise, prevent the doing of anything connected with the provision of training facilities, the construction or maintenance of buildings or the management of any land in which the authority has an interest, the promotion of tourism or the provision of information to the public (regulation 5(2)).

  Separate regulations will be made covering the procedures for the notification to the European Commission of local authority aid to industry under articles 92–94 of the treaty of Rome. Those regulations will not come into force before 1 July 1990.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on community charge liability for seafarers and offshore workers.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave my hon. Friend on 21 March 1990 at column 660.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total budgeted local government expenditure in England and Wales for 1990–91; and how much of this will be raised by(a) the community charge, (b) the uniform business rate and (c) Government grant;

  (2) what was the total budgeted local government expenditure in 1989–90 for England and Wales; and how much of this was raised by (a) domestic rates, (b) non-domestic rates and (c) rate support grant.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Total budgeted local government expenditure in 1989–90 for England is £29,564 million. Domestic rate income, non-domestic rate income, and rate support grant are £9,679 million, £9,680 million, and £9,577 million, respectively. Total budgeted expenditure for all English authorities in 1990–91 is not yet available. Information relating to Welsh local authorities is a matter for the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Residuary Body, London
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many buildings have been in the ownership of the London residuary body since the abolition of the Greater London council; how many of these have been sold to sitting tenants; how many have been transferred to the local borough council; how many have been transferred to Bromley borough council for onward sale; and what has happened to each of the remaining buildings.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Around 7,000 properties or managed units were vested in the London residuary body on abolition of the Greater London council. Without a case-by-case examination of all transactions, the number of sales to sitting tenants cannot be estimated. Some 550 properties have been transferred to borough councils and a further 50 to other public authorities. Schedule 2 to the London Residuary Body (Transfer of Property etc.) Order 1990 lists properties to be vested in the London borough of Bromley provided they had not already been disposed of when the order came into force on 29 March, and schedule 3 to the same order lists properties that have not otherwise been disposed of to be retained by the London residuary body.

  Sewerage
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many short sea outfalls known to his Department discharge untreated sewage into the sea around the coast of England.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There are 344 short outfalls—those less than 500m in length—in England which discharge to coastal or estuarial waters. At most of these sewage is discharged either with no treatment or with screening of gross solids only.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be publishing the results of his research into the survival of viruses in sewage-polluted bathing waters.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The research project by WRC on rotaviruses in sewage discharges is proceeding satisfactorily and we expect to receive the final report of the study shortly.

  Complaints
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report for each of the last 10 years (a) the number of complaints made against his Department to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, (b) the number of complaints upheld and (c) the action he took on (b).

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The number of complaints(a) made and (b) upheld for the last 10 years is as follows:

  (a)

  (b)

  Complaints made

  Complaints upheld

  1989–90

  1

  1

  1988–89

  51

  11

  1987–88

  64

  1

  1986–87

  57

  2

  1985–86

  47

  1

  1984–85

  53

  1

  1983–84

  44

  4

  1982–83

  63

  3

  1981–82

  57

  4

  1980–81

  70

  5

  1 Figures not yet available.

  When the PCA upholds a complaint it is departmental practice to provide an appropriate remedy.

  EPOCH
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress made in the European Communities climatology and natural hazards research programme; and how many institutions from the United Kingdom currently participate in EPOCH.

  Mr. Trippier
  The European Communities climatology and natural hazards research programme EPOCH runs for four years from its adoption on 20 November 1989. The European Commission has invited research proposals which are still undergoing selection with the advice of member states; it is not yet possible to say how many United Kingdom institutions will participate.

  Association of London Authorities
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent meetings he has had with the chairman of the environment committee of the Association of London Authorities; and if he has any plans for a meeting.

  Mr. Trippier
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such meetings recently and has no plans for any. However, he is always willing to consider any representations the association may wish to put forward about environmental issues.

  Low-level Waste, Warrington
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the reasons notified to him as to why certain low-level radioactive wastes are being deposited at Arpley meadows, Warrington, rather than at Drigg.

  Mr. Trippier
  The proposals made comply with the criteria published in "Radioactive Substances Act 1960, A Guide to the Administration of the Act", as suitable for disposal at landfill sites other than Drigg. I remain satisfied that such disposals are safe.

  Fisons
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking over the agrochemicals company Fisons in respect of damage to(a) over 60 acres of peat bog at Thorne moors and Hatfield moor near Doncaster and (b) 62 acres on the north-west of Thorne moors; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that:

  (a) The incident of damage to some 62 acres of peat bog occurred some two years ago. Contrary to recent media reports, the NCC has resolved the issue by discussion with Fisons plc. Negotiations to establish a nature reserve agreement over an area of land with the required potential for restoration are under way.

  (b) Fisons plc is operating on Thorne moors with the benefit of planning consent. The NCC and Fisons plc have made considerable progress towards an agreed plan of working and restoration methods to be used. It would be a matter of considerable regret if precipitate action by either party should jeopardise this dialogue.

  Ivory
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what applications for import licences have been received in respect of ivory exported from Zaire in June 1988 by Mr. Shiraz Virji of Ealing.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department has received no such applications.

  European Environment Agency
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress made in setting up the European Communities European Environment Agency; and what communications he has received from the chairman of the European Parliament's Environment Committee on the scope of the agency.
  567
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Amendments put forward by the European Parliament to the draft regulation on setting up the European Environment Agency were to a large extent agreed at the Environment Council on 22 March 1990, including a proposal to review the future scope of the agency in two years. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment met the chairman of the European Parliament's Environment Committee on 20 February and the scope of the agency was fully discussed. It is hoped that the regulation will be formally adopted at the next Environment Council this June.

  Most member states have offered to host the agency's headquarters. The United Kingdom has nominated Cambridge as an ideal site but a decision on location has yet to be made.

  Water Pollution Reports
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in his departmental library copies of research reports 1 to 11 in the water pollution report series of the European Commission's environment research programme within Directorate-General XII.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  These reports contain proceedings of a number of technical workshops organised by the European Commission under its environmental protection research programme and have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Environment Research
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial or other resource commitment the United Kingdom has made towards the newly founded European environmental research organisation.

  Mr. Trippier
  None. It is our view that the European Environmental Research Organisation, which has very broad aims, should work within the framework of existing national and international bodies.

  MIRAGE
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what role is played by(a) his Department and (b) United Kingdom scientists in the European Communities MIRAGE programme on the migration of radionuclides in the environment; and what benefits are expected to accrue from this programme for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department contributes to United Kingdom participation in the MIRAGE programme. United Kingdom scientists carry out research as part of this programme leading to an improved understanding of the mechanism and processes that control the migration of radionuclides in the geosphere.

  EC Director-General (Environment)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the Director-General for the Environment (DG-XI) of the European Commission; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Director-General for the Environment (DG-XI) was present at the meeting of the Environment Council which my right hon. Friend 568
  attended on 22 March. The outcome of the discussions was reported in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 27 March.

  Council House Sales, Norwich
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further information he has on the determinations of the district valuer on council house sales in Norwich and the prices quoted by Norwich city council to update the information given in his written answer to the hon. Member for Norwich, North of 13 February,Official Report, column 186.

  Mr. Chope
  In the three months to 31 March, the district valuer made 36 determinations of value under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 on the application of tenants of Norwich city council. The value determined was lower than the council's opinion of value in 33 cases by an average of £4,204 or 8 per cent. and the same in three cases.

  Asbestos
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the implementation of European Council directive 87/217/EEC on asbestos in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  As regards emissions to air, the Control of Asbestos in the Air Regulations 1990, which come into force on 5 April, give statutory force to the emission limit contained in the directive and impose a general duty not to cause significant environmental pollution by asbestos. All industrial plants involving the use of asbestos, as defined in the directive, are already subject to control by the relevant national air pollution inspectorates.

  The statutory powers necessary to secure compliance with the directive's requirements on discharges of asbestos to water are contained in the effluent discharge requirements of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 and the Trade Effluent (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1989.

  The disposal of waste containing asbestos is controlled according to the directive's requirements by the site licence system under the Control of Pollution Act 1974, the Collection and Disposal of Waste Regulations 1988 and the Control of Pollution (Special Wastes) Regulations 1980, and by the containment and labelling requirements of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987.

  The directive is being implemented through parallel legislation in Northern Ireland.

  Council of Environment Ministers
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the European Council of Environment Ministers on 22 March.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Mr. Mitchell) on 27 March at columns 117–18.

  Rent Arrears
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures on the arrears of rent outstanding to each local housing authority in England.
  569
  Mr. Chope
  I have today arranged for this information to be placed in the Library.

  Waste Damage (Civil Liability)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received a copy of the European Commission proposal for a Council directive on civil liability for damage caused by waste, COM (89) 282 Final Syn 217; and what consideration has been given to the proposals.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: The Secretary of State received a copy of the draft European Commission proposal in late September 1989. The Government's initial consideration was incorporated in an explanatory memorandum put before Parliament on 27 October 1989.

  Environmental Education
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department makes to the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: The Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe (FEE Europe) is a voluntary organisation based in Holland. As a result my Department does not contribute to it.

  Toxic Waste
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any notification from Leigh Environmental Ltd. for the development of a toxic waste disposal facility at Todmorden in the Pennines.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: The Secretary of State has received no such notification. It is initially for the appropriate local planning authority to consider any application for the development of a waste disposal facility.

  College Green (Demonstration)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom, for what purpose and for how long he has granted permission to people to mount a demonstration on College Green.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: Permission was given to four people to hold a protest against the community charge on Abingdon street gardens during park opening hours (5 am until midnight) from 9 am on 26 March until noon on 31 March.

  EC Environmental Programme
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the European Council of Environment Ministers last discussed progress in implementation of the fourth environmental action programme; and what matters remain outstanding in the programme.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 30 March 1990]: On 19 October 1987 the Council of Ministers agreed a resolution on the European Community's fourth environmental action programme, which emphasised the importance of
  570
  concentrating on certain priority areas. Since then Ministers have not specifically discussed the action programme, but all the priority areas have been addressed in meetings of the Environment Council.

  Tourist Information
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what reviews his Department is undertaking in respect of privatising local authorities' tourist information points; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department is not undertaking any such reviews.

  Property Services Agency and Crown Suppliers
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the transitional arrangements for occupational pensions of employees of the Property Services Agency and the Crown Suppliers which will apply between the date of sale and the provision to be made by the new employers.

  Mr. Chope
  Occupational pension schemes will be effective from the date of sale or the start of trading as a wholly-owned Government company, as appropriate. The staff will be asked whether they wish to join the relevant scheme, and if so, whether they wish to transfer to it any benefits they have accrued in the principal civil service pension scheme.

  Water Privatistion
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the administrative costs of the sale of the 10 water public limited companies.

  Mr. Trippier
  The costs to the Government in 1989–90 of the water share offers are estimated to be as follows:

  £ million

  United Kingdom offers

  Underwriting

  33·2

  Selling and broking commission

  6·7

  Marketing

  17·5

  Share information office

  7·2

  Prospectus production and distribution

  11·5

  Receiving banks

  17·7

  Advisers' fees

  18·7

  Total (United Kingdom offers)

  112·5

  Overseas offers

  15·4

  Total (United Kingdom and overseas offers)

  127·9

  These costs represent about 2·5 per cent. of the proceeds from the sale of shares in the water share offers, which are estimated at £5,113 million. The costs exclude stamp duty and VAT on services provided to the Government which are not net costs to the Exchequer.

  The figures above also exclude the overall net capital injection into the plcs of £1,499 million, as explained by my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) in reply to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones) on 26 October 1989 and the costs incurred in earlier years which totalled £6 million (excluding VAT) as provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in reply to the

  571
  question from the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 12 March 1990, Official Report, column 103.

WALES

  Advertising Expenditure
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total publicity and advertising expenditure, including for privatisation, of his Department and public bodies for which his Department has responsibility in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My Department's records show expenditure on its own promotional material in 1979–80 as £85,000. The estimated expenditure in 1989–90 is £2,169,000.

  Promotional expenditure by the Welsh Office

  Year

  Radio advertising

  Television advertising

  Newpaper advertising

  Other

  £

  £

  £

  1979–80

  Nil

  61,000

  24,000

  1980–81

  Nil

  62,000

  22,000

  1981–82

  Nil

  100,000

  44,000

  1982–83

  Nil

  99,000

  28,000

  1983–84

  Nil

  108,000

  34,000

  1984–85

  Nil

  66,000

  100,000

  1985–86

  Nil

  Nil

  31,000

  92,000

  1986–87

  Nil

  27,000

  49,000

  331,000

  1987–88

  Nil

  39,000

  191,000

  615,000

  1988–89

  Nil

  64,000

  112,000

  1,105,000

  1989–90

  Nil

  57,000

  354,000

  1,758,000

  The total provision for promotional expenditure in 1990–91 is £2,772,000.

  HIV Infection
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report for each of the last five years by health authority (a) the total number of people who are HIV positive as the result of contaminated blood transfusions and (b) the number of haemophiliacs who are HIV positive as the result of contaminated blood transfusions.

  Mr. Grist
  No. For reasons of confidentiality, the AIDS (Control) Act 1987 requires health authorities to report cases numbering between one and nine (inclusive) as "less than 10". In Wales, the number of those infected by contaminated blood transfusion is small and to publish in the form requested could lead to the identification of individuals.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any patients in Wales have become ill as a result of drinking water containing nitrates at levels above that specified in EEC directives.

  Mr. Grist
  No information is collected either by the Department or by district health authorities which would identify whether patients in Wales have become ill as a result of drinking water containing nitrates. The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No. 1147) incorporate the EC limits relating to nitrates and I am not aware of any case of excess being reported.
  572
  Planned expenditure on publicity by public bodies for which my Department is responsible was about £8 million in 1989–90. Comparable figures for 1979–80 are not available.

  The Department contributed to the cost of the sale of the 10 water authorities in 1989. The overall costs of this sale have been outlined in a response to my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich (Mr. Bowden) by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the figures for the spending by his Department on(a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1990, c. 14-16]: The table sets out corrected information:

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether there has been any cases in Wales whereby hepatitis E has been contracted from faecally-infected drinking water.

  Mr. Grist
  No.

  Cardiac Technicians
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will meet representatives of cardiac technicians to discuss their role in health provision in Wales;

  (2) what information he has on the relative pay levels of cardiac technicians in each district health authority in Wales;

  (3) what representations he has received concerning the pay of cardiac technicians; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  An agreement was reached last year in the professional and technical "B" Whitley council for the introduction by 1 April 1990 of a single pay and grading system for a number of technician groups including cardiac technicians. As an interim measure, from 1 September 1989 cardiac technicians will have been automatically transferred, on the basis of their existing grades and pay codes to a new common pay spine ranging from £4,743 to £14,223. Employing authorities are currently reviewing the posts of all staff concerned in order to assign them to grades in the new structure by 1 April 1990. This review enables management to take account of the individual requirements of the different technician groups with the result that pay levels within each district authority will vary according to the needs of their own
  573
  services. No representations have been received by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in this connection and I have no information about grading decisions taken by health authorities in Wales. I would consider that a meeting with representatives of cardiac technicians would be of relatively little value at the present time.

  Hospices
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospices there are in Wales; and what plans he has to increase the number of hospices in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  There is one voluntary hospice in Wales providing in-patient care and one joint NHS-charitable trust continuing care unit for the terminally ill. Additionally, there are four organisations providing services in the community for terminally ill people and their families. Plans for expansion of this type of care are for individual health authorities and the voluntary sector.

  Council Houses
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in Wales in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

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

  Sales of Local Authority and New Town dwellings to sitting tenants Wales

  Number

  1980

  2,080

  1981

  8,810

  1982

  16,361

  1983

  9,337

  1984

  5,815

  1985

  5,711

  1986

  5,455

  1987

  5,710

  1988

  9,623

  1989

  12,793

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will update the figures given in his reply of 16 November 1989,Official Report, column 462, on council house stocks and sales, to the latest available date.

  Mr. Grist
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Sales of local authority dwellings May 1979 to December 1989

  Estimates of local authority stock April 19891

  Aberconwy

  1,614

  2,826

  Alyn and Deeside

  1,682

  5,213

  Arfon

  1,295

  5,015

  Blaenau Gwent

  2,119

  10,422

  Brecknock

  1,360

  2,834

  Cardiff

  7,366

  20,168

  Carmarthen

  1,185

  3,554

  Ceredigion

  1,371

  3,475

  Colwyn

  839

  2,631

  Cynon Valley

  1,346

  5,351

  Delyn

  1,719

  4,750

  Dinefwr

  785

  2,590

  Dwyfor

  339

  1,461

  Glyndwr

  1,172

  2,984

  Islwyn

  3,532

  6,128

  574

  Sales of local authority dwellings May 1979 to December 1989

  Estimates of local authority stock April 19891

  Llanelli

  3,131

  6,946

  Lliw Valley

  1,655

  5,203

  Meirionnydd

  846

  2,080

  Merthyr Tydfil

  2,117

  6,863

  Monmouth

  2,183

  4,963

  Montgomeryshire2

  1,353

  2,973

  Neath

  2,234

  5,653

  Newport

  4,044

  13,253

  Ogwr

  4,274

  9,756

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  3,308

  6,110

  Preseli

  2,112

  5,829

  Radnorshire

  536

  1,171

  Rhondda

  636

  4,995

  Rhuddlan

  844

  2,722

  Rhymney Valley

  3,363

  10,117

  South Pembrokeshire

  897

  2,873

  Swansea

  3,618

  17,382

  Taff-Ely

  3,609

  7,535

  Torfaen3

  6,112

  13,724

  Vale of Glamorgan

  3,266

  6,209

  Wrexham Maelor

  3,022

  16,096

  Ynys Mon

  1,471

  5,732

  Wales

  82,355

  237,587

  1 Revised. District stock estimates are only available at 1 April

  2 Excludes dwellings in Newtown

  3 Includes dwellings in Cwmbran. Records of sales in Cwmbran are only available since 31 March 1980.

  Self-employed Persons
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of the number of self-employed persons in Wales; what were the corresponding figures for 1980 and 1985; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In September 1989 there were estimated to be 192,000 self-employed persons in Wales. The corresponding figures for September 1980 and September 1985 were 118,000 and 148,000 respectively.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of Government funding methods which involve housing associations finding a portion of their cash in the private sector on the median rents in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The rent levels of housing provided under mixed funding is a matter for individual housing associations. Mixed funding, which was pioneered in Wales, has enabled Welsh housing associations to provide a record number of additional homes for people in need this year.

  European Commissioner for Regional Development
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times he has met the European Commissioner for Regional Development.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I met Commissioner Millan as part of the discussions on the eligibility for EC aid of industrial areas. My officials regularly visit the regional policy directorate in Brussels.

  Dampness (Housing)
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to tackle dampness in houses in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Dampness which is prejudicial to health could render a house unfit. The current home improvement grant arrangements provide help towards the cost of dealing with severe dampness. Under the new renovation grant arrangements which replace this system on 1 July mandatory grant will be available to enable properties to meet the fitness standard. The new arrangements will ensure that maximum assistance goes to those in greatest need.

  Teachers
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what were the number of head teachers and deputy head teachers in Wales resigning or opting for early retirement in each year from 1985 to 1989;

  (2) what were the numbers of mid-career school teachers resigning in each year from 1985 to 1989.

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

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to meet teachers from Wales to discuss their salary levels.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Responsibility for teachers' pay rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, who is currently undertaking consultation on the recommendation of the interim advisory committee report on school teachers' pay and conditions for 1990–91.

  A55 Expressway
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the estimated completion dates on each of the sections of the A55 expressway currently under construction; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roberts
  The contract completion dates on each of the sections of the A55 north Wales coast road currently under construction are:

  Date

  A55 Travellers Inn improvement

  October 1990

  A55 Conwy crossing

  August 1991

  A55 Pen-y-Clip

  November 1993

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the earliest date for the completion of the Conwy A55 expressway tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roberts
  As stated in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Newport, East (Mr. Hughes) on 2 April 1990 the contractual date for the completion of the A55 Conwy crossing is August 1991. Progress to date has been good with five of the six tunnel units in place. The bypassing of Llandudno junction is expected later this year.

  Examinations
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people sat(a) GCSE and (b) A level examinations in (i) politics, (ii) British constitution and (iii) political history in 1989.

  Mr. Roberts
  A total of 332 candidates sat GCSE and 279 sat A-level WJEC examinations in politics and government in 1989. The WJEC does not offer separate examinations in British constitution or political history. No information is available centrally on other candidates in Wales who sat examinations set by other examination boards.

  School Closures
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which(a) infants schools, (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools have closed in Wales in each of the last 10 years in each local education authority.

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

  Art Colleges
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the art colleges of Wales; and what is the cost to the Exchequer and local government of educating a student at art college who completes the course.

  Mr. Roberts
  There are no monotechnic art colleges in Wales. Courses in art are available at the following institutions:

  South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education

  Gwent College of Higher Education

  West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education

  North East Wales Institute of Higher Education

  Carmarthenshire College of Technology and Art

  Llandrillo Technical College

  Gwynedd Technical College

  Coleg Powys

  Pembrokeshire College of Further Education

  Crosskeys Tertiary College

  Pontypool Tertiary College

  Ebbw Vale Further Education College

  Newport Further Education College

  Pontypridd Technical College

  Bridgend College of Technology

  Ystrad Mynach College of Further Education

  Merthyr Technical College

  Coleg Glan Hafren

  Barry College of Further Education

  Afan Tertiary College

  Gorseinon Tertiary College

  Neath Tertiary College

  Swansea Tertiary College

  Information on the cost of individual art courses is not available centrally.

  High Schools
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the high schools he has visited in Wales.

  Mr. Roberts
  Since September 1988 my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State or I have visited 11 maintained secondary schools in Wales.

  I hope to visit a further three maintained secondary schools during this school year.

  Parent-governors
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales it he will list the number of parent-governors of local education authority schools he has met.

  Mr. Roberts
  Welsh Office Ministers regularly meet parent-governors during official and constituency engagements.

  Porthcawl Town Council
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish any recent correspondence he has received from Porthcawl town council about Dunraven Court flats.

  Mr. Grist
  I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

  Flood Damage
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if expenditure on financial assistance to farmers whose land has been affected by sea water will require access to the Contingencies Fund.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Yes. As I announced on 14 March, parliamentary approval for this exceptional measure will be sought in a revised estimate for the agricultural services, etc. Wales vote (class XVI, vote 2). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £150,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what spending increases Welsh local authorities have budgeted for 1990–91; whether he intends to use his powers to limit the charges set by any Welsh authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today made a statement about charge limitation in England. He indicated the criteria used to decide whether to designate authorities. Similar criteria have been adopted for Wales; under those criteria, no Welsh authorities are selected for designation.

  I have today placed in the Library of the House tables showing the spending decisions of each county and district council, its community charge and associated information. Collectively Welsh local government has in this first year of the new system decided to set budgets which exceed the settlement by over £100 million. The result is that the community charge will average £232, rather than the £173 which I consider would have been necessary to maintain existing service levels and meet unavoidable new pressures.

  There is a considerable variation in the position of individual authorities. While some have had the good sense to moderate their spending increases, to the great advantage of their charge payers, a number have decided on spending increases which are unnecessarily high and impose significant extra burdens on their charge payers. Councils which have imposed unnecessarily high charges will now have to account to their charge payers for their decisions. It is for Welsh charge payers to seek explanations for these high spending increases: it is for then to judge whether the explanations they are given are acceptable.
  578
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of people in Wales who will become eligible for a community charge rebate following the rise in the capital disregard to £16,000.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have been asked to reply.

  The information requested is not available. Sufficient data are not available to provide a reliable estimate for Wales only.

  Consultancies
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total amount spent by his Department in 1989 on management and computer consultancy contracts, excluding hardware and software purchases; if he will list each management or computer consultancy contract awarded by his Department in 1989, giving in each case the name of the consultancy firm and the subject of the assignment; and what is the total amount his Department has budgeted to spend in the current year.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 28 March 1990]: We estimate that our expenditure on management and computer consultancies in the financial year 1989–90 will be £434,650. Details of those consultancies awarded in that year are as follows:

  Firm

  Subject of Assignment

  South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education

  Review of Mudiad yr Meithrin (MYM)

  Price Waterhouse

  Management arrangements at the Polytechnic of Wales Training Needs Analysis Option appraisal of arrangements for the provision of nurse education in Wales

  Peat, Marwick and McLintock

  Review of the Valuation and Community Charge Tribunal

  Ernst and Young

  Setting up and launch of Welsh Health Planning Forum Final Performance Test on new finance computer

  Leslie Hayes Consultancies Ltd.1

  Evaluation of Regional Enterprise Grant (REG)

  Deloittes

  Review of cancer treatment service in North Wales

  Touche Ross

  Management Review of NHS Directorate

  Wales and South West Regional Research Laboratories

  IT strategy for the Department's Social Services Inspectorate

  BIS Ltd.

  Feasibility study into IT strategy for Welsh Office Agriculture Department

  Budgets for 1990–91 have yet to be finalised.
  1 Jointly commissioned by DTI, Scottish Office and Welsh Office.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Force Survey
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give, from Labour Force survey evidence for the years 1984 to 1989, by male, married
  579
  female and non-married female, the number of people in Great Britain classed as economically inactive according to ILO/OECD definitions in each of the categories (i) student, (ii) long-term sick or disabled, (iii) looking after family/home, (iv) retired from paid work, (v) believes no jobs available, and (vi) any other reason, by whether they stated they would like a regular paid job at the moment

  Economically inactive (ILO definition) persons aged 16 or over—time series1 Great Britain, Spring each year

  Thousands

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Men

  Married women3

  Non-married women4

  Men

  Married women3

  Non-married women4

  Men

  Married women3

  Non-married women4

  Would like work, available to start within 2 weeks, of which:

  427

  605

  273

  402

  621

  236

  457

  623

  240

  Student

  38

  6—

  34

  35

  6—

  29

  38

  6—

  33

  Long-term sick or disabled

  65

  25

  18

  58

  19

  17

  68

  25

  20

  Looking after family/home

  6—

  419

  78

  10

  448

  88

  13

  441

  90

  Retired from paid work

  82

  25

  23

  92

  36

  22

  100

  38

  21

  Believes no jobs available

  114

  64

  37

  122

  50

  38

  140

  42

  29

  Other inactive5

  120

  68

  94

  84

  67

  43

  96

  77

  46

  Would like work, not available to start within 2 weeks, of which:

  374

  472

  273

  356

  402

  254

  361

  388

  251

  Student

  114

  6—

  97

  129

  6—

  103

  106

  6—

  96

  Long-term sick or disabled

  138

  59

  35

  105

  43

  28

  119

  38

  28

  Looking after family/home

  15

  325

  84

  12

  267

  71

  16

  254

  80

  Retired from paid work

  6—

  6—

  6—

  16

  6—

  6—

  11

  6—

  6—

  Believes no jobs available

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  Other inactive5

  94

  75

  53

  89

  77

  45

  105

  84

  41

  Would not like work, of which:

  4,140

  5,489

  4,140

  4,238

  5,521

  4,214

  4,337

  5,477

  4,213

  Student

  544

  18

  443

  461

  22

  385

  488

  28

  346

  Long-term sick or disabled

  532

  239

  158

  527

  233

  155

  528

  224

  168

  Looking after family/home

  33

  2,513

  287

  37

  2,342

  273

  39

  2,290

  279

  Retired from paid work

  920

  390

  229

  985

  454

  234

  1,013

  451

  228

  Believes no jobs available

  32

  18

  18

  34

  17

  12

  49

  14

  12

  Other inactive5

  2,080

  2,310

  3,004

  2,195

  2,452

  3,155

  2,221

  2,470

  3,181

  Thousands

  1987

  1988

  21989

  Men

  Married women3

  Non-married women4

  Men

  Married women3

  Non-married women4

  Men

  Married women3

  Non-married women4

  Would like work, available to start within 2 weeks, of which:

  362

  568

  231

  370

  544

  224

  362

  495

  233

  Student

  41

  6—

  32

  43

  6—

  30

  31

  6—

  24

  Long-term sick or disabled

  68

  27

  16

  65

  34

  20

  78

  28

  26

  Looking after family/home

  13

  400

  100

  15

  394

  100

  12

  349

  105

  Retired from paid work

  92

  34

  26

  92

  34

  20

  106

  34

  26

  Believes no jobs available

  84

  35

  20

  71

  20

  18

  61

  22

  17

  Other inactive5

  94

  69

  38

  85

  59

  36

  72

  52

  33

  Would like work, not available to start within 2 weeks, of which:

  389

  382

  231

  392

  406

  251

  443

  458

  325

  Student

  117

  6—

  85

  108

  6—

  77

  122

  6—

  88

  Long-term sick or disabled

  116

  42

  30

  161

  60

  30

  164

  71

  46

  Looking after family/home

  16

  250

  76

  22

  253

  90

  21

  279

  114

  Retired from paid work

  16

  6—

  6—

  12

  6—

  6—

  15

  11

  6—

  Believes no jobs available

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  6—

  Other inactive5

  116

  77

  35

  87

  82

  46

  119

  90

  68

  Would not like work, of which:

  4,445

  5,411

  4,263

  4,406

  5,298

  4,247

  4,335

  4,952

  4,198

  Student

  480

  27

  361

  447

  30

  347

  430

  31

  355

  Long-term sick or disabled

  607

  243

  173

  515

  272

  168

  634

  254

  175

  Looking after family/home

  39

  2,125

  279

  52

  2,014

  281

  46

  1,797

  300

  Retired from paid work

  1,044

  456

  232

  1,080

  467

  228

  1,059

  469

  218

  Believes no jobs available

  29

  15

  11

  27

  13

  6—

  23

  6—

  6—

  Other inactive5

  2,246

  2,545

  5,206

  2,185

  2,501

  3,214

  2,143

  2,395

  3,143

  1 Time series estimates, adjusted for cases where some information was not known.

  2 Preliminary estimates (1989 only).

  3 Includes those legally married and those who consider themselves to be married (1989 only). In earlier years marital status was based on self-assessment.

  4 Single, widowed, divorced or legally separated.
  580
  and were free to start work within two weeks, would like a regular paid job but were not free to start work within two weeks and would not like a regular paid job at the moment.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Estimates from labour force surveys, as requested, are shown in the following table:
  581
  5 Includes those on TOPS not working or seeking work, men aged 70 or over and women aged 65 or over, those who did not want/need employment, not yet started looking, other reasons and no reason given for not looking for work.

  6 Sample size too small for reliable estimate.

  Tourism
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if his Department has conducted on assessment of the likely impact on the tourist trade of displaying danger signs on beaches where the water fails the European Economic Community pollution levels for safe bathing.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My Department has not conducted any such assessment.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many basic inspection visits were paid by the Health and Safety Executive in each of the last five years to Shell Stanlow; and what precise qualifications the inspecting inspectors possessed.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The following table shows the number of preventive inspection visits paid by Health and Safety Executive inspectors to Shell Stanlow in each of the last five years.

  Year 1 January to 31 December

  Number of inspection visits

  1985

  6

  1986

  9

  1987

  6

  1988

  9

  1989

  17

  The formal qualifications held by the inspectors who carried out the inspections are: honours degrees in chemistry, special chemistry, applied chemistry and geology; master's degree in combustion and explosion, PhDs in kinetics, and polymer chemistry; post-graduate diplomas in occupational safety and health.

  In addition, during the same period, a total of 156 visits were paid to the site for other purposes, for example, to give advice, to check specific issues of compliance and to investigate accidents.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many fully trained and qualified inspectors the Health and Safety Executive Bootle area office chemicals group currently has; and if he intends increasing their number in the fiscal year 1990–91.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There are seven trained inspectors with inspection responsibility for the chemical industry based in the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Merseyside area office. There are no immediate plans to increase this number, but HSE keeps the allocation of inspectors to area offices and industry groups under review.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many improvement and prohibition notices have been issued to Shell Chemicals at Stanlow, whole site, in the last five years by the Health and Safety Executive; and if any prosecutions for non-compliance with health and safety legislation have been initiated.
  582
  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive has not issued any improvement or prohibition notices or initiated any prosecution against Shell Chemicals, Stanlow, in the last five years.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when Shell United Kingdom Ltd., Stanlow, submitted to the Health and Safety Executive the safety case required under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1984.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Shell, Stanlow, which includes Shell United Kingdom Ltd, submitted the first part of the Safety Report required under the Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Regulations to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 3 March 1989. The fourth and final part was received by HSE on 7 July 1989.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the Health and Safety Executive began examining the safety case submitted by Shell Stanlow; and when the Health and Safety Executive expects to complete its vetting and approval of the safety case.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) began examining the safety report submitted by Shell, Stanlow, in March 1989. This examination is continuing.

  HSE does not approve safety reports. They are used as working documents to aid future inspection.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing by standard category the unemployment levels in Greater Manchester at the latest available date and at the same period five and 10 years ago.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information contained in the following table is available from the Library.

  Unadjusted unemployment in Greater Manchester metropolitan county

  February

  Unemployed claimants

  1990

  94,368

  1985

  180,525

  1980

  73,558

  Note: Direct comparisons over time are affected by various changes to the count and in particular the change in October 1982 from a count of registrants at jobcentres to one of claimants at unemployment benefit offices.

  Hotels and Guest Houses
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list by tourist board area the latest information he has on the mean percentage change in charges by(a) hotel and (b) guest house owners following the introduction of the uniform business rate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Wages Inspectors
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 26 March,Official Report,, column 59, what was the number of wages inspectorate officers in the divisional offices with responsibility for Wales, by grade, for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is given in the following table.

  Grade

  1979

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Senior executive officer

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  2

  2

  Higher executive officer

  3

  3

  2

  2

  1

  2

  2

  1

  5

  5

  5

  Executive officer

  5

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  16

  18

  18

  Administrative officer

  4

  4

  5

  3

  2

  3

  3

  3

  10·5

  9·5

  7

  Administrative assistant

  1

  1

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  3

  1

  1

  Typist

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·5

  0·5

  TOTALS

  14

  13

  12

  10

  9

  11

  11

  10

  36·5

  36

  33·5

  Employment Training
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many filled employment training places there are in the borough of Ogwr; and what percentage this represents of the original departmental projections.

  Mr. Nicholls
  On 9 March, the latest date for which information is available, there were 370 people on employment training in the borough of Ogwr. Departmental projections are for internal management purposes only.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure on the £10 employment training trainee allowance in December 1989 for the borough of Ogwr.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of unemployed receiving enterprise training within employment training between September 1988 and December 1989 for the borough of Ogwr.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available for the borough of Ogwr and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is to be the face value of the credits he announced for the pilots in youth training; and in which geographical areas the pilots will take place.

  Mr. Eggar
  On 27 March, I published a prospectus inviting training and enterprise councils to bid to run pilot schemes of training credits for young people. It will be for the councils in their bids to propose the face value of credits in their area. At this stage, however, I think it is unlikely that any credit would carry a value of less than £1,000.

  I will be looking for a geographical spread of pilots throughout Great Britain. The actual range will depend on the quality of bids received.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he has any plans to increase the level of expenditure on youth training.
  584
  Until 1987, wages inspection in Wales was administered from a divisional office in Cardiff and the table shows the number of staff based there.

  The Cardiff office closed in that year as part of a nationwide rationalisation of inspectorate offices. Responsibility for wages inspection in Wales transferred to Manchester and Bristol, but it is not administered separately from the other areas covered by those offices. The figures for 1987 to 1989 are, therefore, the totals employed at Manchester and Bristol in those years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Planned expenditure on YTS is set out in the Public Expenditure White Paper, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

  In addition, my right hon. and learned Friend announced in a statement in the House on 27 March increases in expenditure for training and enterprise councils in England and Wales and local enterprise companies in Scotland to run pilot training credit schemes from April 1991 (Official Report, column 211).

  Second Languages
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department has undertaken any recent research into the demand by employers for British employees to have a command of a second language.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has not undertaken any such recent research.

  Skill Centres
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will explain how rule 8 of the rules governing acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants was applied from autumn 1988 to the three civil servants who are directors of Astra Training Services Ltd.; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether the rules on acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants applied to the three civil servants who are also directors of Astra Training Services Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Members of the management buyout team did not form a company and become directors of it until May 1989. This was after my right hon. Friend's statement to the House of 13 March 1989 about the privatisation of STA, in which he announced the existence of a management buyout team.

  The rules on acceptance of outside appointments by Crown servants do not cover the particular circumstances of a management buyout; nevertheless—as I explained in my reply to the hon. Member on 27 March—measures were taken in April 1989 to remove the three officers concerned from direct responsibility for sensitive decisions, well before they formed a company.
  585
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 27 March, why he is unable to provide the honourable Member for Bradford, South with the amount of fees and expenses paid to Deloittes and other advisers until summer 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have nothing to add to my answer to the hon. Member on 27 March at column 158. Total fees and expenses paid to all advisers from the start of the feasibility study in December 1988 up to 26 March 1990 were £514,850. This figure excludes VAT.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the grades and range of duties of the three civil servants forming Astra Training Services Ltd.

  Mr. Eggar
  The duties and grades of the three civil servants are: head of skill centre operations grade 5, head of finance and accounting service grade 6, head of product development grade 6.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the investment in plant and machinery allowed for in the next financial year to each skill centre being purchased by Astra Training Services Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The plans made by Astra Training Services Limited for those parts of the Skills Training Agency they will purchase include investment of over £11 million in the first three years of operation. The precise details of their intended investment is a matter for Astra.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the price to be paid by Astra Training Services Ltd. for the training college at Letchworth; why it is to be relocated at Milton Keynes; what is to happen to the existing premises; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have agreed terms of sale with Astra Training Services Limited covering 46 skillcentres, together with the Skills Training Agency's head office, mobile training service, sales teams and colleges, and involving a payment from the Government to Astra of some £l1 million. Any value Astra may have ascribed within the sale package to individual units such as the training college at Letchworth is a matter for them. It is Astra's decision to relocate the business to Milton Keynes. The existing premises at Letchworth will be offered for sale by the Government in due course.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who were the official advisers to the three civil servants who became directors of Astra Training Services Ltd. from autumn 1988; and who paid the fees involved.

  Mr. Eggar
  The three members of the management buyout (MBO) team who formed Astra Training Services Limited, appointed Coopers and Lybrand to advise on their bid for the Skills Training Agency and Irwin Mitchell to provide legal advice. As envisaged in the statement by my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Sir N. Fowler) on 13 March last year (Official Report, column 23), the Government offered the MBO team financial assistance to make a bid. That assistance will be repayable to the Government when the sale is concluded, leaving Astra to finance the full cost of advisers' fees as part of the costs of the acquisition.

  Earnings
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average level of gross weekly earnings for(a) agricultural workers and (b) manual workers in the manufacturing industries in each year since 1979 in cash, constant prices and as a proportion of national average manual earnings.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information for Great Britain, on the average gross weekly earnings of full-time manual male adult employees by industry in April of each year, is published in table 4 of part A of the annual new earnings survey reports, copies of which are in the Library. Information on the retail price index (all items) to deflate the cash figures to constant prices is published for April of each year in table 26 of the annual supplement to Economic Trends.

  Working Hours
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average number of hours worked weekly by(a) agricultural workers and (b) manual workers in the manufacturing industries in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information for Great Britain on average weekly hours worked in April of each year by full-time manual male adult employees, by industry, is published in table 4 of part A of the annual new earnings survey reports, copies of which are in the Library.

  Child Care Allowance
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many single parents are on each Government training scheme; how many single parents on those schemes take up the child care allowance available; what is the total annual cost of the child care allowances scheme; and what is the estimated cost of providing child care allowance on training schemes for all married women who could potentially enter those schemes.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information about the number of single parents on training schemes run by the Training Agency is not available. Only single parents on employment training may claim child care allowances. At the end of December 1989, the latest date for which information is available, about 3 per cent. of all trainees on employment training were receiving child care allowances at an estimated annual cost for 1989–90 of £l5 million. An estimate of the cost of providing child care allowances for all married women on training schemes could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Disabled People (Employment Review)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when his Department originally commissioned the ministerial review on employment services for people with disabilities; when his Department originally intended to publish the review; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  [holding answer 2 April 1990]: The review of services provided by my Department for the employment of people with disabilities was commissioned in March

  587
  1988. It was always intended that the results would only be published after a thorough consideration of all the issues concerned.

  As announced in my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke on Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 12 March 1990 (Official Report, column 135], the preparation of the consultative document which will give the results of the review is almost complete. It will be published as soon as account can be taken in it of the results of the survey of people with disabilities in the labour market which my Department has commissioned. We currently anticipate that this will be during the course of June 1990.

DEFENCE

  Weapons Projects
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons development procurement projects have exceeded their original estimates by more than 10 per cent.; and what is the total amount of overspend involved.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons development procurement projects have exceeded their original estimates by more than 10 per cent.; and what is the total amount of overspend involved.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons development procurement projects have exceeded their original estimates by more than 10 per cent.; and what is the total amount of overspend involved.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many weapons development procurement projects have exceeded their original estimates by more than 10 per cent.; and what is the total amount of overspend involved.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Three major weapons projects currently in development or production have, in real terms, exceeded their original estimate by more than 10 per cent.; the total amount involved, in current prices, is £383 million.

  Czechoslovakia
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the proposed pull-out of Soviet forces from Czechoslovakia.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the proposed pull-out of Soviet forces from Czechoslovakia.

  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the proposed pull-out of Soviet forces from Czechoslovakia.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the proposed pull-out of Soviet forces from Czechoslovakia.
  588
  Mr. Tom King
  We warmly welcome the planned withdrawal of Soviet forces from Czechoslovakia, in keeping with the wishes of the Czechoslovak people, and hope that this will contribute to enhanced security for all European nations. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to the NATO Alliance which offers the best guarantee of maintaining peace and security in Europe.

  Nuclear Submarine Bases
  Mr. Siliars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from the Labour party in Scotland on nuclear submarine bases on the Clyde.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has had from the Labour party in Scotland on the removal of nuclear submarine bases on the Clyde.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from the Labour party in Scotland on nuclear submarine bases on the Clyde.

  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received from the Labour party in Scotland on nuclear submarine bases on the Clyde.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I am not aware of any.

  Arms Conversion
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider establishing an arms conversion agency.

  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider establishing an arms conversion agency.

  Mr. Litherland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider establishing an arms conversion agency.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider establishing an arms conversion agency.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  No. As I informed the hon. Member for Leeds, West on 6 March, British industry is responsible for determining its product ranges, not the Government.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set up a meeting between officials in his Department and Mr. Peter Broderick to consider the case of Colin Wallace.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No. I understand that Mr. Calcutt is in touch with Mr. Broderick about matters relevant to Mr. Wallace's appearance before the civil service appeal board. If Mr. Broderick has other information about Mr. Wallace's case which he believes should be considered by the authorities, he should submit it to the authorities.

  Short-range Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is NATO's current policy on the modernisation of short-range nuclear weapons.
  589
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is NATO's current policy on the modernisation of short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is NATO's current policy on the modernisation of short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is NATO's current policy on the modernisation of short-range nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Tom King
  NATO allies are agreed that our peace and security will continue to depend on nuclear deterrence; for this policy to be effective, nuclear systems will need to be kept up to date where necessary.

  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent consultations he has had with his European counterparts in NATO about the deployment of short-range nuclear weapons in Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend meets my NATO counterparts on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest, including nuclear issues. They will next meet at the nuclear planning group meeting in Canada in May.

  West Germany
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his West German counterpart; and what was discussed.

  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his West German counterpart; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his West German counterpart; and what was discussed.

  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his West German counterpart; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Tom King
  I last met Dr. Stoltenberg during the Anglo-German summit on 30 March. We discussed a range of current defence issues, including the security implications of German unification.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany; and what subjects he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the West German Defence Minister; and what matters he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Following their discussions during the Anglo-German summit last week, my right hon. Friend next expects to meet Dr. Stoltenberg at the nuclear planning group meeting on 9 to 10 May.

  Strategic Defence Initiative
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next proposes to meet his United States counterpart to discuss the strategic defence initiative.
  590
  Mr. Tom King
  I expect to see Secretary Cheney at NATO ministerial meetings in May when we will be discussing a wide range of defence issues.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received in respect of low-flying aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  During February 1990 the Ministry of Defence received 389 inquiries and complaints about military low-flying training in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he expects any change in the need for low-flying exercises over the United Kingdom due to changes in the role of NATO.

  Mr. Neubert
  For the United Kingdom to maintain a modern and effective air force, there will be a continuing need for low-flying exercises in the United Kingdom. Future training requirements will, however, naturally reflect force structures which, as my right hon. Friend has made clear, will need to take account of international developments and progress in arms control negotiations.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representation he has received about the extent of low-flying training in northern England and the Borders.

  Mr. Neubert
  Between 1 January and 28 February 1990 the Ministry of Defence received 225 inquiries and complaints from northern England and the Borders about military low flying.

  Central Europe
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment his Department has made concerning the Soviet Union's ability to launch suprise, large-scale offensives in central Europe.

  Mr. Trotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment his Department has made concerning the Soviet Union's ability to launch suprise, large-scale offensives in central Europe.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall) on 2 March 1990,Official Report, column 382.

  Radiation
  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken following studies on radiation exposure in the Ministry of Defence work force since 1978.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken following studies on radiation exposure in the Ministry of Defence work force since 1978.

  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken following studies on radiation exposure in the Ministry of Defence work force since 1978.
  591
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken following studies on radiation exposure in the Ministry of Defence work force since 1978.

  Mr. Neubert
  In the 11 years since 1978 radiation exposures have been kept under continuous review to ensure exposures are authorised only on the basis that they are justified, comply with statutory limits, and are"as low as reasonably practicable"

  (ALARP). This review is MOD policy and will continue.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has considered any recent studies on the effects of radiation upon individuals and their children; and what implications these may have for armed service personnel and defence workers involved in nuclear defence.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has considered any recent studies on the effects of radiation upon individuals and their children; and what implications these may have for armed service personnel and defence workers involved in nuclear defence.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has considered any recent studies on the effects of radiation upon individuals and their children; and what implications these may have for armed service personnel and defence workers involved in nuclear defence.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has considered any recent studies on the effects of radiation upon individuals and their children; and what implications these may have for armed service personnel and defence workers involved in nuclear defence.

  Mr. Neubert
  We have noted the preliminary advice on the Gardner study given to the Department of Health by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE). We accept COMARE's view that it is not possible for it to make specific recommendations on reducing risks until the results of other studies are known and there is further information on possible causal mechanisms.

  The Ministry of Defence will, therefore, continue its current policy of authorising exposures to armed service personnel and defence workers only on the basis that they are justified, comply with MOD and statutory limits, and are
  "as low as reasonably practicable"

  (ALARP).

  Dr. Owen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people in the royal dockyards in(a) Plymouth and (b) Rosyth have had more than a 100 milliSieverts lifetime dose since 1979.

  Mr. Neubert
  There are currently 96 employees at Devonport and 136 at Rosyth who have radiation dose records maintained by the approved dosimetry service (the defence radiological protection service), showing cumulative or lifetime radiation exposures in excess of 100 milliSieverts since the date of first starting radiation work.

  Greenham Common
  Mr. Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received concerning the future of RAF Greenham Common.
  592
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received concerning the future of RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received concerning the future of RAF Greenham Common.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the answer given to the hon. Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Ewing), at column 615 of Hansard dated 6 March.

  Foxhunter Radar
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Foxhunter radar is currently performing according to its original specifications.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Foxhunter radar is currently performing according to its original specifications.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes).

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on compensation paid to nuclear test veterans in other countries.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on compensation paid to nuclear test veterans in other countries.

  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on compensation paid to nuclear test veterans in other countries.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on compensation paid to nuclear test veterans in other countries.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We are aware that procedures exist in certain other countries by which compensation may be paid to nuclear test veterans in accordance with the laws and benefits systems in force in those countries.

  Royal Army Veterinary Corps
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is now in a position to announce the outcome of his review of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Melton Mowbray.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We hope to be in a position to make an announcement shortly.

  Procurement
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for the organisation of his procurement services of the activities of the defence contractors' lobbyists.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for the organisation of his procurement services of the activities of the defence contractors' lobbyists.
  593
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for the organisation of his procurement services of the activities of the defence contractors' lobbyists.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for the organisation of his procurement services of the activities of the defence contractors' lobbyists.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  None. I would regard the representations of the defence contractors' lobbyists as being of a lower level of importance than those of right hon. and hon. Members with a constituency interest.

  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on programmes for joint procurement for equipment within NATO.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  There are many programmes for joint procurement of defence equipment between NATO nations. The conference of national armaments directors (CNAD) and the independent European programme group (IEPG) have an important role to play. In addition, groups of NATO nations may decide on a joint programme outside these formal structures. A current list of joint procurements in which the United Kingdom participates is published annually in the statement on the Defence Estimates.

  East Germany
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the result of the East German election.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the result of the East German election.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implications for United Kingdom defence policy of the result of the East German election.

  Mr. Tom King
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg).

  Defence Review
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the additional resources required to undertake a defence review.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the additional resources required to undertake a defence review.

  Mr. Tom King
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Wansbeck (Mr. Thompson).

  NATO Nuclear Planning Group
  Mr. Heffer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what matters he expects to discuss at the next NATO nuclear planning group meeting.
  594
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what matters he expects to discuss at the next NATO nuclear planning group meeting.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what matters he expects to discuss at the next NATO nuclear planning group meeting.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Sheffield, Central (Mr. Caborn) on 2 April,Official Report, column 445.

  Argentina
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contacts there have been between British and Argentine naval officers in the last five years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  British and Argentine naval officers have met under official auspices on one occasion in the last five years. This took place on 22 February 1990 when HMS Endurance made a good will visit to the Argentine Antarctic base Jubany during her routine deployment to the Antarctic treaty area.

  Military Doctrine
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department made to the military doctrine seminar held in Vienna under the confidence and security-building measures negotiations.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The British representatives made a substantial and well-received contribution to the military doctrine seminar in Vienna, including several presentations on United Kingdom military doctrine and defence policy.

  NATO Secretary General
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Secretary General of NATO; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 6 March at column 620.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the Secretary General of NATO; and what subjects he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend regularly meets the Secretary General of NATO. Their next scheduled meeting is at the NATO nuclear planning group in Canada on 9 to 10 May when a range of defence issues will be discussed.

  Comprehensive Concept (NATO)
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is still working within NATO's comprehensive concept.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department is still working within NATO's comprehensive concept.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.

  Arms Control
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department is making to the process of verification within the arms control process.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department is making to the process of verification within the arms control process.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence plays a part, as the United Kingdom is the host nation, in the reception of inspections of the United States facilities at RAF Greenham Common and RAF Molesworth conducted by the Soviet Union under the intermediate nuclear forces (INF) treaty; and conducts and receives inspections of activities under the Stockholm document. The Department is also making a full contribution both nationally and within NATO to the development of

  Planned United Kingdom participation in major NATO exercises 1990–91

  Name

  Dates

  Location

  Remarks

  1990

  1. Open Gate

  2 to 12 May

  West approaches to Mediterranean

  Maritime exercise

  2. Dragon Hammer

  3 to 16 May

  West Mediterranean

  Maritime exercise including amphibious operations

  3. Central Enterprise

  3 to 7 June

  Central region

  Live air exercise

  4. Teamwork 90

  6 to 23 September

  North Atlantic

  Major Tri-MNC amphibious operations

  5. Bold Guard 90

  24 September to 5 October

  Jutland

  Major reinforcement exercise in BALTAP

  6. Elder Joust 90

  2 to 4 October

  United Kingdom

  United Kingdom air defence exercise

  1991

  7. Battle Griffin

  25 February to 27 March

  North Norway

  Reinforcement exercise in Norway

  8. Alert Express

  Spring

  Southern region

  AMF(L) contingency exercise

  Planned United Kingdom national exercises in 1990–91

  Name

  Dates

  Location

  Remarks

  1990

  Jolly Roger

  17 to 26 April

  Gibraltar sea areas and Mediterranean

  Submarine training exercise

  Stone Warrior

  4 to 26 May

  Salisbury Plain training area

  5 AB Brigade

  JMC 902

  15 June to 2 July

  North Sea. Waters around Scotland

  Joint maritime exercise

  Panthers Punch

  20 July to 8 August

  Salisbury Plain training area

  19 Brigade field exercise

  Keystone

  1 to 25 September

  BAOR

  2 Infantry Division reinforcement exercise

  Quarter Final

  5 to 28 October

  BAOR

  4 Armoured Division field exercise

  JMC 903

  2 to 19 November

  North Sea. Waters around Scotland

  Joint maritime exercise

  1991

  JMC 911

  14 to 25 January

  North Sea. Waters around Scotland

  Joint maritime exercise

  Hard Fall

  January to March

  Norway

  Training of United Kingdom element of AMF

  Planned United Kingdom participation in out of area exercises

  Name

  Dates

  Location

  Remarks

  1990

  Suman Warrior

  October

  Malaysia

  Five power defence arrangements (FPDA) command post exercise

  596
  proposals for the verification requirements of a conventional forces in Europe (CFE) treaty and a chemical weapons convention; and for the further development of confidence and security building measures (CSBMs) and related initiatives such as the proposed open skies treaty. The steps being taken to establish the joint arms control implementation group (JACIG) were described in my answer of 7 March 1990 to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell), column 622.

  Training Exercises
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what major training exercises are planned for the next 12 months; and if he will give details of their timing and location.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The information requested is as follows:

  Atomic Weapons Establishments
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a further statement on the proposed contractorisation of atomic weapons establishments.

  Mr. Neubert
  Since the announcement on 5 December 1989 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence, further progress has been made towards the contractorisation of the atomic weapons establishment.

  An implementation support group has been formed at AWE. Its first task is preparation for the initial phase, in which a contractor will be appointed to strengthen the management of AWE by bringing in a small number of experienced managers from the private sector. Invitations to tender will be issued shortly.

  Conventional Forces in Europe
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been made of the effect on British military forces of a successful agreement at the CFE talks.

  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been made of the effect on British military forces of a successful agreement at the CFE talks.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Members to my right hon. Friend's answer of 6 March to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright),Official Report, column 712.

  Service Personnel
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures his Department is taking to retain trained service personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, North-East (Mr. Moss).

  Maritime Measures
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has considered any proposals on maritime confidence-building measures.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has considered any proposals on maritime confidence-building measures.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has considered any proposals on maritime confidence-building measures.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe).

  Disarmament Conference
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department is making to the conference on disarmament.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence contributes in a number of ways to the conference on
  598
  disarmament, particularly through the provision of military, technical and scientific staff and advice to the United Kingdom delegation in Geneva.

  Warsaw Pact
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent contacts members of his Department have had with Warsaw pact countries.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, North-West (Mr. Bellingham) on 29 March,Official Report, column 283.

  Threat Assessment
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has altered its threat assessment.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 6 February 1990,Official Report, column 600.

  Military Assistance
  Mr. Donald Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military assistance his Department has provided to overseas Governments in the past year.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military assistance his Department has provided to overseas Governments in the past year.

  Mr. Bowls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military assistance his Department has provided to overseas Governments in the past year.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Martin) on 6 March 1990,Official Report, column 619.

  F15E Aircraft
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions have been taken on basing the F15E aircraft in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions have been taken on basing the F15E aircraft in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decisions have been taken on basing the F15E aircraft in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Mr. Flannery).

  United States Defence Secretary
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next plans to meet the United States Defence Secretary; and what issues he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next intends to meet the United States Defence Secretary; and what matters he proposes to discuss.
  599
  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he next plans to meet the United States of America Defence Secretary; and what issues he expects to discuss.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he next plans to meet the United States of America Defence Secretary; and what issues he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Wallace) on 6 February 1990 at column 597.

  Nerve Agents
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the deployment of United States binary nerve agents on British soil.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman) to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 24 July 1986 at column 490, to which I have nothing to add.

  Lance Missile
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any plans for a replacement for the Lance missile to be deployed.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any plans for a replacement for the Lance missile to be deployed.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The NATO Alliance has agreed to leave a decision on a replacement for the Lance missile until 1992.

  Conventional Weapons
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made concerning Soviet production of conventional weapons over the past 12 months.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Soviet Union continued to produce large numbers of conventional weapons in 1989, although in certain categories, especially tanks and fighter aircraft, we believe there were significant reductions in output.

  Vickers Factory, Leeds
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning his visit to Vickers plc tank factory in Barnbow, Leeds, on Friday 16 March.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend visited Vickers Defence Systems factory at Barnbow, Leeds, at the company's invitation as part of his series of visits to major defence contractors.

  Defence Expenditure
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes in defence expenditure he has now planned for the financial year 1992–93.
  600
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Member to Cm. 1001, "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1990–91 to 1992–93," chapter 1, where the information requested appears in table 1.1.

  Soviet Navy
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the modernisation programme for the Soviet navy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Modernisation of the Soviet Navy continues in all key areas and its capability continues to improve with the acquisition of new and more up-to-date warships and submarines with modern, technologically advanced weapons systems.

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the degree to which recent developments in eastern Europe have affected the requirements for the defence of the United Kingdom home base.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We welcome the recent developments in eastern Europe which have in large part been brought about by NATO's policy of dialogue and deterrence. We continue to believe that defence of the United Kingdom home base is best achieved by maintaining our commitment to the NATO alliance, which provides the best guarantee of peace and security in Europe.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, North-West (Mr. Stern).

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed the future of the European fighter aircraft with his German and Italian counterparts.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Defence Ministers of Britain's partners in the European fighter aircraft programme; what was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend met both his German and Italian counterparts during March. Useful discussions were held on a number of topics, including the European fighter aircraft.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to announce his decision on the choice of radar for the European fighter aircraft by oral statement to the House.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The manner of such an announcement will be decided at the time that a decision on the radar is reached.

  Mr Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what year it is planned to bring the European fighter aircraft into service; and what is the current planned production offtake.
  601
  Mr. Alan Clark
  I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Member on 15 January, columns 125-26, on 28 February, column 354, and on 26 March, column 24.

  Trident
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the progress of the Trident programme.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the latest progress on the Trident nuclear missile programme.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Trident programme continues to progress to time and budget towards its in-service date of the mid-1990s.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received over the past 12 months about the Trident nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has received a number of letters from individuals and organisations over the past year about the Trident programme.

  British Aerospace (Strike)
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the effect on deliveries to the services of the recent British Aerospace strike; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The strike at British Aerospace has disrupted the delivery schedules of the Tornado and Harrier aircraft with seven Tornados and six Harriers delayed so far.

  Action is in hand to recover the situation on Tornado which is produced at the company's Lancashire sites, where normal working was resumed earlier this month. But industrial action at the Kingston plant continues to affect the production of the Harrier.

  There is as yet no impact on our operational capability.

  Submarines
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to put proposals for the extremely low-frequency transmitter at Glengarry forest to the Highland regional council planning authority.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) on 19 February, column 573.

  Brawdy
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the proposed relocatable over-the-horizon radar at Brawdy, Wales, will be assigned to NATO.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what links are proposed between the projected relocatable over-the-horizon radar at Brawdy and the United Kingdom regional air operations centre.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what links are proposed between the relocatable 602
  over-the-horizon radar at Brawdy and the United Kingdom national joint ocean surveillance information centre.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  It would be premature to consider the possible operational assignment of an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom before the results of its planned two-year trial have been fully assessed.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date agreement was reached with the United States authorities on the sharing of costs for construction of a relocatable over-the-horizon radar at Brawdy, Wales; what is the agreed apportionment of costs; and what will be the total cost to the United Kingdom defence budget of the construction of the facility.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The arrangements agreed with the United States authorities to cover the two-year trial of an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom are that the United States Government will supply the radar; the United Kingdom Government will provide and prepare the operational sites; and the running costs of the trial will be shared. These arrangements are encapsulated in a memorandum of understanding to be signed shortly. The total cost to the United Kingdom defence budget of the installation of the radar and the running costs of the trial will be about £15·5 million over the entire period.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the decision was taken to select Brawdy as the site for the United States Navy relocatable over-the-horizon radar.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The locations selected for the two-year trial of an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom are St. David's airfield, Pembrokeshire, as the transmitter site, and Blakehill radio station, Wiltshire, as the receiver site. A formal decision to select these two locations for the trial was taken recently, following a survey of possible sites which began in 1987.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his plans for conducting an environmental impact assessment on the proposed construction of an over-the-horizon radar facility in Wales.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell) on 30 March 1990 at column 328-29.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the proposed location of(a) the transmitter facility, (b) the receiver facility and (c) the operations control centre for the relocatable over-the-horizon radar proposed for construction in Wales; what is the total land area required for each site; and what proportion of the required land is already owned or leased by his Department.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The locations selected for the two-year trial of an over-the-horizon radar in the United Kingdom are St. David's airfield, Pembrokeshire, as the transmitter site, and Blakehill radio station, Wiltshire, as the receiver site. The trial operations will be conducted from Blakehill. Both sites are owned by the Ministry of Defence. St. David's airfield is more than sufficiently large for the installation of the transmitter; at Blakehill, we will need to acquire some additional land adjacent to the present MOD boundary to accommodate the receiver.

  Procurement Executive (Relocation)
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for dispersal from London of the headquarters of his Department's procurement executive; and how his Department's policy has altered on this matter since 1979.

  Mr. Neubert
  The reasons for the relocation of procurement executive staff were set out in my reply of 27 March, col.101, to the hon. Member for Wansdyke (Mr. Thompson).

  As in 1979, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and affordability are key factors in our decisions on such projects. A wide range of other considerations, including regional issues, are also given due weight.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the decision to disperse the procurement executive headquarters of his Department to Keynsham, near Bristol.

  Mr. Neubert
  No. The conclusion of the studies into the relocation of procurement executive staff were subject of comprehensive review before the decision I announced on 27 March, column 101.
  604
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the dispersal of his Department's procurement executive headquarters from London to Keynsham, near Bristol, refers to the same block of employees as were to be dispersed to St. Mellou's, near Cardiff, in 1978, pursuant to the Hardman report of 1975; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  The 1978 proposal included moving the procurement executive's land and air systems controllerates to Cardiff. These controllerates form the bulk of the staff that it has now been decided to relocate to Keynsham; however, the ordnance board and London-based defence contracts staff are now also included.

  Select Committee on Defence
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the provision of information to the Select Committee of Defence.

  Mr. Tom King
  It is my policy to respond as helpfully as possible to requests from Select Committees.

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