Written Answers of 12 December 1990

ENERGY

  Spent Nuclear Fuel
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consideration he has given to the application of nuclear safeguards to spent nuclear fuel designated for direct disposal.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The United Kingdom applies the requirements of the international safeguards authorities to all civil spent nuclear fuel.

  Electricity Privatisations
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the breakdown of individual to institutional shareholders in the 12 regional electricity companies(a) on first dealings day and (b) one year hence.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Approximately 54·6 per cent. of the shares in each company have been made available to the general public and to employees and pensioners. The balance has been sold to United Kingdom and overseas institutions. Figures for a year hence are obviously not available.

TRANSPORT

  Pelican Crossing, Kibworth
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to commence work on the A6 trunk road pelican crossing between Kibworth Harcourt and Kibworth Beauchamp in Leicestershire before Christmas.

  Mr. Chope
  I regret that it will not be possible for work to begin before spring 1991. But the detailed design is almost complete.

  School Buses
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what examination his Department has made of the American example of stopping traffic when children are alighting from school buses; and whether he has any plans to introduce such a system in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department has no wish to emulate the position in the United States of America where in spite of special regulations some 40 children are killed and 800 injured each year in school bus loading zones.

  We do, however, intend to require school buses to display special signs and regulations will be made as soon as possible.

  Belfast-Gatwick Air Route
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will seek to increase competition and service to customers on the Belfast-Gatwick air route; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The pattern of services on individual routes is a matter for the commercial judgment of airlines, which may apply to the Civil Aviation Authority at any time for a licence in accordance with statutory procedures.

  South Manchester Study
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make available to the public the south Manchester study which he commissioned in 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  No. The study was a background paper and not prepared for publication.

  MFV Antares
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will outline the structure and status of the proposed inquiry into the recent loss of the MFV Antares; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The inquiry into the loss of MFV Antares, which is now well advanced, began on 23 November and was given the status of an inspector's inquiry, under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Investigation) Regulations, on 26 November. The inspectors appointed have extensive powers under the Merchant Shipping Acts, including the power to call witnesses before them, require witnesses to answer their questions and produce documents, and to carry out any examination of ships or equipment they deem necessary.

  The inspectors will report to the chief inspector of marine accidents who will in turn report to the Secretary of State. The chief inspector's report will include the inspectors' findings and whatever recommendations he considers will help to avoid a similar accident in the future. The regulations require the report to be published unless the Secretary of State orders a formal investigation or there is good reason not to publish.

  In addition, a Royal Navy inquiry is taking place; and there will be a fatal accident inquiry before the sheriff, in preparation for which the Strathclyde police is carrying out an investigation. All three groups of investigators—Royal Navy, police and inspectors—are fully co-operating with each other, but they will each arrive at their conclusions and make their respective reports independently.

  Specialist Advisers
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to increase the number of specialist advisers to his Department concerned with environmental and global warming issues.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  No.

  M23 (Signals)
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to announce the appointment of a consulting engineer to report on the design of traffic signals at junction 10 on the M23.
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  Mr. Chope
  Tenders have been invited for the appointment of a consulting engineer to report on the traffic signals at junction 10 of the M23. The tender period closes on 21 December and the appointment will be made in the new year.

  Speedlink Freight Service
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has received from the chairman of British Rail about the future of the Speedlink freight service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail has today announced its plans following its consultations with Speedlink customers. I have arranged for a copy of the announcement to be placed in the Library of the House.

  South Yorkshire Supertram
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement about the funding of the South Yorkshire Supertram project.

  Mr. Freeman
  The South Yorkshire passenger transport authority has now provided the assurances about the project to which I referred in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter) on 28 November, column 406. I have accordingly informed the authority that grant under section 56 of the Transport Act 1968 together with credit approvals will be provided to enable it to implement the scheme.

  Safety Belts
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will bring forward proposals to change the law to make safety belts compulsory in minibuses used for the transport of children.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Minibuses first used on or after 1 October 1988 are already required to have seat belts fitted to all front seats. We have been pressing for agreement in the European Community to enable us to require the fitting of seat belts in all seats in minibuses. As a result, the European Commission is now committed to bringing forward proposals for consideration by the Community by the end of 1991.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  International Friendship Club
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has had any representations about services offered by the International Friendship Club, of Regents park, Southampton, in the context of immigration by Filipino citizens; and whether he has any proposals to curb efforts by such agencies to obtain fees from United Kingdom citizens for these services.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The Government receive representations from time to time about the activities of international marriage agencies but have received no specific representation about International Friendship Club. Such agencies neither have nor confer any special status: they and overseas national using their services have at all times to observe the requirement of the immigration rules. There are no present plans for legislation.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many expatriates have now had a vote registered in the United Kingdom under the 1989 Act; and if he will give a breakdown of the countries where they are now resident, following the publication of new draft electoral registers for 1991–92.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Lists of overseas electors were published by individual electoral registration officers on 28 November. We shall make the figures known to the House in due course. A breakdown of the number of overseas electors by country of residence could be published only at disproportionate cost.

  Firearms Certificates
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many firearm certificates were currently valid in each police authority area of England, Scotland and Wales for 1988, 1989, and 1990, respectively;

  (2) how many shotgun certificates were currently valid in each police authority area in England, Scotland and Wales for 1988, 1989 and 1990, respectively.

  Mr. John Patten
  The number of firearm and shotgun certificates on issue on 31 December of both 1988 and 1989 is shown for each police authority in England and Wales in tables 2 and 4 of Home Office statistical bulletins 18/89 and 26/90. A copy of these bulletins is in the Library.

  Figures for 1990 are not yet available. I am informed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that the number of firearm and shotgun certificates on issue on 31 December of both 1988 and 1989 was as follows:

  Number of firearm and shotgun certificates in Scottish police force areas 1988 and 1989

  Number of certificates

  1988

  1989

  Police force area

  Firearm

  Shotgun

  Firearm

  Shotgun

  Central Scotland

  1,380

  4,837

  1,364

  4,626

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3,033

  6,702

  2,637

  6,496

  Fife

  1,801

  6,307

  1,754

  6,152

  Grampian

  6,183

  14,221

  6,144

  14,132

  Lothian and Borders

  4,575

  12,494

  4,418

  12,256

  Northern

  9,928

  13,696

  8,037

  13,391

  Strathclyde

  6,642

  21,116

  5,513

  20,167

  Tayside

  4,799

  10,120

  3,673

  9,829

  Total in Scotland

  38,341

  89,493

  33,540

  87,049

  Note: Figures are at 31 December each year.

  Road Fund Licence Discs
  Mr. Hill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Hampshire on the outcome of the latest survey carried out in the Southampton area on display of road fund licence discs by motorists.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the chief constable that Hampshire constabulary, in conjunction with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, conducted a vehicle excise campaign in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight between 1 and 30 November. Information about the outcome of the campaign is not yet available because offence reports are still being processed.

  Game Licences
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many game licences were issued in the 1989–90 season; and what were the net revenues to his Department from the issue of such licences.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  47,432 game licences were issued in Great Britain in the financial year 1989–90 and £245,812 was raised in revenue. The costs of issuing game licences are borne by the Home Office and came to a total of £172,406, but the revenue passes to local authorities.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 27 November in relation to the proposal for a directive on data protection from the European Commission.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that this meeting was cancelled and that the draft directive is not on the agenda for the Council's meeting later this month.

  Convicted Murderers
  Mr. Butcher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted murderers have committed further murders after being released from a prison sentence for that offence; and how many people have been murdered by such ex-prisoners since 1965.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information on the number of persons convicted of murder who had previous murder convictions is published annually in Criminal Statistics, England and Wales—table 4.10 of the latest issue, for 1989, Cm. 1322—copies of which are available in the Library.

  During the period from 1946 to 1989, 10 persons in England and Wales were convicted of a second murder after previously being convicted of murder and being released on life licence. In addition, one person was convicted of murder in England and Wales, released, and was then convicted of a second murder in Scotland and one person was convicted of murder in England and Wales, released, and was then convicted of a murder in prison in Northern Ireland.

  Since the abolition of the death penalty in 1965, there have been eight persons in England and Wales who have been murdered by persons previously convicted of murder. Of those previous murder convictions, four were committed before abolition of the death penalty; only one of the others might have attracted the death penalty under the terms of the Homicide Act 1957. In addition, one person was murdered in Scotland by a person who had previously been convicted of murder in England and Wales, and one person was murdered in Northern Ireland by a person who had previously been convicted of murder in England and Wales.

  Racism
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he received a copy of the European Parliament's report on "Xenophobia and Racism"; and what response he intends to make.
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  Mrs. Rumbold
  The report of the European Parliament's committee of inquiry into racism and xenophobia was received in September and its recommendations are being studied.

  Asylum
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applicants for asylum in the United Kingdom have been held in detention for longer than three months in(a) 1989 and (b) 1990;

  (2) how many people seeking asylum in the United Kingdom have been detained in Her Majesty's prisons for more than seven days since (a) 1 January 1989 and (b) I June 1990;

  (3) how many people by nationality were held in detention on the first day in each month in 1990 pending their seeking asylum.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. On 7 December, 51 persons who had claimed asylum had been detained under Immigration Act powers for three months or more.

  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are currently employed in the asylum and special cases division of the immigration and nationality department; how many of these are processing applications for asylum; and what were the comparable figures in each of the preceding five years.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the staff complement at the Home Office refugee unit in each year since 1980.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Figures are not available for years before 1984. In subsequent years the number of staff in post or in training dealing with asylum matters was as follows:

  Numbers

  1 April 1984

  39

  1 October 1985

  48

  1 October 1986

  47

  1 October 1987

  52

  1 October 1988

  57

  1 October 1989

  67

  6 December 1990

  100

  The figures for 1990 include three senior managers, two personal secretaries, and three members of the research unit, none of whom is directly engaged in processing applications; a similar number of staff were engaged in these duties in previous years. The asylum and special cases division, which was established as a separate division on 12 November 1990, is also responsible for the issue of Home Office travel documents and re-entry visas on which 17·6 staff are employed, in addition to those dealing with asylum matters.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specialist training relating to asylum issues is given, upon appointment, to officials in the public inquiry office of the immigration and nationality department.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Staff in the public inquiry office receive training which lasts about 11 weeks. The course
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  covers immigration law and practice, interviewing and communication skills and customer care. No specialist training on asylum policy is given as the staff in the public inquiry office do not take decisions in such cases. Their role in asylum cases is confined to receiving applications and interviewing applicants to obtain details of their claim on behalf of the asylum and special cases division who provide guidance on specific geographical areas as necessary.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish all written instructions for officials dealing with asylum applications, including immigration officers and officials in the public inquiry office and refugee unit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. It is not the usual practice to publish such internal management instructions.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether written reasons of refusal of asylum are given, at the time of refusal, to those seeking asylum in the United Kingdom who are refused asylum but granted exceptional leave to remain.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Written reasons are given only when the applicant is to be removed to the country in which he claims to fear persecution.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to ensure that the procedures used by his Department for dealing with applications for asylum in the United Kingdom comply with internationally recognised standards for the protection of refugees and asylum seekers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I am satisfied that asylum procedures in my Department meet the United Kingdom's obligations under the 1951 United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees.

  Immigration
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to recover sums due by airlines under the Immigration (Carriers' Liabilities) Act 1987; how much has been received to date; how much is outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  A total of £22·792 million had been incurred by carriers—that is, airlines and sea operators —to 13 November 1990. Of this sum, £8·135 million had been paid and £1–142 million waived on the basis of representations in individual cases, leaving £13·515 million outstanding.

  Vigorous action is being taken to enforce payment of outstanding liabilities. In July, writs were issued against four airlines; three have since settled out of court. In October and November final demand letters were sent to all carriers with outstanding debts. These have produced a mixture of payments, promises of payment and requests for urgent meetings. Early meetings are being arranged, where requested, to discuss the scope for resolution without recourse to the courts. But the Treasury Solicitor will be instructed to institute civil recovery proceedings where payment or satisfactory proposals for payment are not forthcoming promptly.
  404

  Refugee Unit
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specialist training is given, upon appointment, to officials in the Home Office refugee unit; what follow-up training is given to such officials; and if he intends to take steps to improve such training.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Officials in the asylum and special cases division of the Home Office specialise in geographical areas and they are trained by working under close supervision on individual cases; additional training on general determination matters is being developed with UNHCR; and seminars are held on particular geographical areas with outside academics.

  Bradford Magistrates Court
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for facilities at Bradford magistrates court to be extended to include a creche, interpreters, and refreshments.

  Mr. John Patten
  It is for the Bradford magistrates courts committee, in consultation with its paying authority, to decide whether to pursue the provision of creche facilities. I understand that arrangements for interpretation are already in place, and that there is a restaurant at the court house which provides refreshments thoughout the day.

  Prisoners (Suicide)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans: (i) to strengthen the efforts made by the prison service to prevent suicides by inmates and (ii) to ensure that the families of inmates who die in custody receive the support which they require following the death.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  I regard suicide and self-injury in prison as an extremely serious problem. I have asked the Director General of the Prison Service to give very high priority to it. Prison staff already make very considerable efforts to identify and care for inmates at risk, but I want to ensure that the necessary lessons are learned from past tragedies and consistently applied in future. The recent reorganisation of the prison service has presented the opportunity to reinforce existing guidance and secure more effective implementation of the prevention strategy set out in circular instruction 20/1989. Under a new addendum to CI 20/1989, area managers and governors are being required to institute more regular and thorough reviews of the measures being taken at their establishments. The suicide prevention management group within the establishment will be mainly responsible for such reviews: a thorough checklist of suicide prevention measures has been issued to ensure that all aspects of this complex and distressing problem are properly tackled.

  In addition, governors are being given fresh guidance in circular instruction 52/1990 on support for bereaved families. Wherever practicable, visits will be made to close relatives of deceased inmates to offer sympathy, to respond to their questions and concerns and to pass on information, as appropriate, about specialised counselling and support services in the community.

  I am conscious, too, of the traumatic effects which suicides can have on prison staff, particularly those who

  405
  had responsibilities for the care and supervision of the inmate concerned. CI 52/1990 also stresses the need for support to be given to any member of staff who may need it.

  The addendum to CI 20/1989, together with CI 52/1990, will be issued tomorrow, 13 December, under cover of a letter to managers in the prison service from the Director of Inmate Administration and the Director of Prison Medical Services. Copies of all these documents are being placed in the Library.

  We shall be reviewing our suicide prevention policies in the light of the report on this subject by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons which will be published very shortly.

WALES

  Cardiac Surgery
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many open heart operations have been undertaken this year at the University hospital of Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I understand from South Glamorgan health authority that 544 open heart operations were undertaken at the University hospital of Wales between 1 January and 30 November this year.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide the capital allocation his Department is making in the current financial year to enable South Glamorgan health authority to reach its target of open heart operations to be performed yearly at the University hospital of Wales as a regional service.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  As part of the Department's continuing commitment to increasing the number of open heart operations per year capable of being achieved by the University hospital of Wales, capital allocations of approximately £1·2 million are being made available to South Glamorgan health authority in the current financial year for adult cardiac services and £1·5 million for paediatric cardiac services.

  Work in the course of the current financial year to enhance cardiac service facilities at the University hospital of Wales has included upgraded catheter laboratories, additional intensive care facilities and a new paediatric cardiac unit at a cost to central funds of some £4 million. Our officials are currently discussing with South Glamorgan DHA further developments to ensure that targets are reached.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost to Clwyd health authority and South Glamorgan health authority of referring patients for open heart surgery outside Wales between 1 April and 31 October this year.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I understand from Clwyd health authority that the cost of referrals between 1 April and 31 October this year was approximately £160,000 and from South Glamorgan health authority that the costs were in the region of £260,000.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the target date by which 120 open heart operations will be undertaken on children at the University hospital of Wales.
  406
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Building work on the paediatric cardiac unit at the University hospital of Wales having been completed, the unit is being commissioned to come into service during 1991. The date by which capacity will be approached will depend upon the nature and timing of referrals.

  Alcohol Misuse
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the organisations in Wales which have received funding to help the development of local programmes within Welsh counties to combat alcohol misuse; and if he will give the amount given to each organisation for 1990–91 and the figure projected for each organisation for the 1991–92 financial year.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  No allocations have yet been made. Allocations will be made early in the new year.

  Epilepsy
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to provide financial support to the Wales Epilepsy Association to enable it to develop services of advice, guidance and support network for epileptics and their families throughout Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  Health and social services authorities are responsible for assessing the needs of their local populations and for securing such services as they feel are appropriate to meet them.

  The Wales Epilepsy Association has submitted an application for financial assistance in support of headquarters and project development costs under section 64 of the Health and Public Services Act 1968. I am shortly to see a delegation from the association, led by the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) to discuss their work. A decision on the application for section 64 funding will be made as soon as possible in the light of our consideration of all applications made for the available funds.

  Snowdonia National Park
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to protect the environment of Snowdonia national park from acidification caused by the burning of orimulsion fuel at Ince power station.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have been asked to reply.

  There has been no increase in sulphur dioxide emissions from Ince power station as a result of the burning of orimulsion. Under agreements made between Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and Powergen, the operators of Ince, less than half of the station's 1,000 megawatts capacity is being used for the burning of orimulsion. Power production from the remaining 500 MW boiler has been curtailed to keep the sulphur dioxide emissions within the previous level for the plant as a whole.

  Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the operator of every large combustion plant will be required to apply to HMIP by 1 May 1991 for an authorisation to continue operating the plant. In setting conditions in an authorisation, HMIP must aim to ensure the use of batneec to prevent or minimise releases of prescribed substances including SO2, and compliance with any plans set by the Secretary of State. These will include the plan for

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  implementation of the large combustion plants directive. The Government's proposals for this will require substantial overall reductions in emissions of SO2 from Powergen's plants.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Trade Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in investment each year since 1979 in real terms in(a) chemicals, (b) man-made fibres, (c) textiles, (d) clothing,

  United Kingdom demand: percentage changes

  Per cent.

  1980–1979

  1981–1980

  1982–1981

  1983–1982

  1984–1983

  1985–1984

  1986–1985

  1987–1986

  1988–1987

  (a) Chemicals (SIC 25)

  -2

  +7

  +7

  +14

  +12

  +4

  +2

  +13

  +11

  (b) Man-made Fibres (SIC 26)

  -28

  +4

  -3

  +8

  +11

  +7

  +14

  +15

  -1

  (c) Textiles (SIC 43)

  -11

  +2

  +7

  +15

  +12

  +8

  +6

  +7

  +6

  (d) Clothing (SIC 453)

  0

  -1

  +9

  +8

  +15

  +10

  +9

  +5

  +8

  (e) Footwear (SIC 451)

  0

  +3

  +7

  +9

  +12

  +9

  +10

  +6

  +7

  (f) Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (SIC 35)

  -11

  -5

  +21

  +16

  +7

  +16

  +14

  +18

  +24

  (g) Mechanical Engineering (SIC 32)

  0

  -4

  +13

  +12

  +8

  +8

  +6

  +10

  +18

  United Kingdom output: percentage changes on 1979

  Per cent.

  1980–1979

  1981–1979

  1982–1979

  1983–1979

  1984–1979

  1985–1979

  1986–1979

  1987–1979

  1988–1979

  (a) Chemicals (SIC 25)

  +3

  +9

  +15

  +28

  +43

  +53

  +56

  +72

  +88

  (b) Man-made Fibres (SIC 26)

  -18

  -29

  -36

  -25

  -15

  -13

  -10

  -3

  +2

  (c) Textiles (SIC 43)

  -8

  -12

  -8

  0

  +10

  +20

  +24

  +31

  +36

  (d) Clothing (SIC 453)

  0

  -5

  +2

  +10

  +22

  +37

  +46

  +50

  +56

  (e) Footwear (SIC 451)

  +2

  -4

  -2

  +2

  +10

  +24

  +35

  +40

  +47

  (f) Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (SIC 35)

  -3

  -9

  -4

  0

  +9

  +26

  +36

  +69

  +98

  (g) Mechanical Engineering (SIC 32)

  +6

  +3

  +12

  +13

  +22

  +32

  +36

  +45

  +62

  Import penetration from the E.C. and the rest of the world

  1980

  1988

  Import Penetration

  Import Penetration

  E.C. per cent.

  Rest of World per cent.

  E.C. per cent.

  Rest of World per cent.

  (a) Chemicals (SIC 25)

  18

  10

  30

  11

  (b) Man-made Fibres (SIC 26)

  36

  20

  53

  13

  (c) Textiles (SIC 43)

  18

  17

  27

  21

  (d) Clothing (SIC 453)

  9

  19

  14

  26

  (e) Footwear (SIC 451)

  22

  13

  20

  28

  (f) Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (SIC 35)

  30

  9

  37

  14

  (g) Mechanical Engineering (SIC 32)

  18

  11

  26

  13

  Notes:

  1. The sectors are defined in terms of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC), and the code references are shown in brackets.

  2. United Kingdom demand is defined in terms of output (i.e. United Kingdom manufacturers' product sales) plus imports, less exports.

  3. The import penetration figures are defined as imports from the E.C., or the Rest of the World, as a percentage of United Kingdom demand. Both 1980 and 1988 E.C. figures relate to imports from the current 11 member states (i.e. including Spain and Portugal). 1980 figures are given, as 1979 figures are not available in this form.

  4. The percentage changes in demand and output are in current price terms.

  Source: Department of Trade and Industry.

  Consumer Guarantees
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for requiring consumer guarantees to be enforceable beyond the life of the company issuing them.

  Mr. Leigh
  The Government have no proposals for such legislation. The enforcement of long-term guarantees
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  (e) footwear, (f) motor-vehicle manufacturing and (g) mechanical engineering: to what extent this has resulted in an increase in capacity; what has been the increase in the demand for such goods; and whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing in each case the increase in capacity since 1979, the increase in output as a percentage of 1979 and the figures for import penetration from the EEC and the rest of the world now and in 1979.

  Mr. Leigh
  The available information is shown in the tables: 1989 data are not yet available. Investment figures in real price terms are a matter for the Treasury. Statistics on capacity are not available.

  was considered by the Director General of Fair Trading in his report on consumer guarantees (June 1986). The report makes a number of recommendations on good practice and indicates that the Office of Fair Trading will keep this matter under review to see whether voluntary initiatives by industry can bring about improvements.
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  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has for making guarantees issued on goods sold a liability to be taken into account by the Official Receiver on liquidation.

  Mr. Redwood
  The insolvency legislation—rule 13.12 of the insolvency rules 1986—already provides that contingent debts or liabilities that materialise after a company has gone into liquidation by reason of an obligation incurred before that date are provable claims in the proceedings. This in effect means that claims under valid guarantees are taken into account by the liquidator.

  Auditing Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will propose legislation under which auditing firms would be banned from conducting public opinion polls for their audit clients.

  Mr. Redwood
  I see no reason for doing so. Under part II of the Companies Act 1989, the recognised supervisory bodies must have adequate rules and practices to ensure that company audit work is conducted properly and with integrity, and that persons are not appointed as company auditors in circumstances in which they have any interest likely to conflict with the proper conduct of the audit.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will propose legislation under which auditors would be prevented from issuing a disclaimer of opinion.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. Circumstances of fundamental uncertainty may occasionally arise in which the auditor is unable to form an opinion one way or the other on whether a set of accounts gives a true and fair view. In such circumstances, it is better that an auditor should decline to give an opinion than that he should be forced to give one which cannot, on the evidence available, be justified and could therefore be misleading.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements applicants for supervisory body status under the Companies Act have offered to enable a member of the public to ascertain whether an auditor(a) has derived 15 per cent. or more of his fee from any one client and (b) has lent money to an audit client.

  Mr. Redwood
  All the applications that we have received for recognition as supervisory bodies include guidance to the effect that an auditor should not lend money to an audit client, and should not in normal circumstances derive more than 15 per cent. of his fee income from one client.

  Company Accounts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of company accounts are lodged on time; what efforts are made to pursue late reports; and what studies he has carried out of the correlation between late reporting and subsequent company failures.

  Mr. Redwood
  Of the company accounts accepted by Companies house during the financial year 1989–90, 54 per cent. of those filed by public companies and 53 per cent. of 410
  those filed by private companies were received by the due date. A further 25 per cent. of public and 20 per cent. of private company accounts came in within three months of the due date. If accounts are not submitted within the statutory period allowed, a series of letters are issued. Action taken by Companies house can result in prosecution of the individual directors. There have been no studies carried out on the correlation between late reporting and subsequent company failure.

  Single European Act
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the expected gains and losses to the United Kingdom expected under the Single European Act; what assessment has been made of the benefits to date; and if he will publish a table showing the current account balance on visible and invisible trade with the EEC in each of the past five years together with the forecast for this year and next.

  Mr. Redwood
  The single market is expected to raise the level of income in the European Community by removing the remaining barriers to trade between member stales. The Cecchini report published by the European Commission in 1988 sets out the range of expected benefits to the Community as a whole. Projections for the United Kingdom are contained in table A 4.4 on page 622 of volume 2 of the report "Research on the cost of non-Europe—Basic findings—Studies on the economics of integration", which is available in the library. The benefits which ultimately accrue to the United Kingdom from the completion of the single market will depend crucially on the response of firms to the opportunities and challenges which it presents.

  Figures on the United Kingdom's visible and invisible trade with the Community can be obtained from table 10.1 of "The Pink Book" United Kingdom Balance of Payments, which is also available in the Library. No forecasts are made for the trade balance with the Community.

  Weights and Measures
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to increase the number of qualified inspectors of weights and measures; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Leigh
  Inspectors of weights and measures are employed by the local weights and measures authorities and it is the responsibility of each of these authorities to recruit, train and retain sufficient qualified inspectors to enforce consumer protection legislation in their area.

  Occupational Health Services
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements exist for the provision of an occupational health service for employees within his Department; and(a) how many staff are employed to provide occupational health services, (b) how many of those staff are qualified nurses and (c) how many employees work in his Department in total.

  Mr. Leigh
  My Department uses the civil service occupational health service which employs some 100 fully
  411
  qualified occupational health professionals—doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers. The current total number of staff working for DTI is 12,345.

  Defence Equipment Licensing
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what safeguards exist in the defence equipment licensing system to cover dual-use machinery.

  Mr. Lilley
  Industrial machinery which is capable of use for defence purposes (dual use) is subject to export licensing in the same way as defence equipment.

  Export Controls
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions he and his ministerial colleagues have met representatives of industry to discuss licence applications for goods under the Exports of Goods (Control) Order 1987.

  Mr. Lilley
  I and my ministerial colleagues meet representatives of industry frequently to discuss many subjects, including export licence applications.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of his Department's handling of export licence applications by the firms, Walter Somers Ltd. and Sheffield Forgemasters Ltd.

  Mr. Lilley
  I have nothing to add to the statement made by my hon. Friend on 29 November at column 1060.

  Environment Conferences
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department was represented at, or provided information and documentation for, the conference on recycling in the future, organised by the Institute of Waste Management on 4 December.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 10 December 1990]: My Department was invited to participate in the conference on recycling in the future on 4 December, but was unable to attend due to other commitments. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Environment spoke at the conference.

  Insolvency
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received proposing the introduction of procedures equivalent to chapter II of the United States bankruptcy code into British insolvency law.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: I have received no such representations. The effectiveness of United States procedures is sometimes discussed with officials of the Insolvency Service Executive Agency by some of those who are interested in the development of insolvency policy.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes to review the working of the Insolvency Act.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: The working of the Insolvency Act 1986 is kept under review by the Insolvency Service Executive Agency.

  Advertising
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish a table showing the amount spent in each of the last five years by his Department on(a) advertising in the press, (b) advertising on television and radio, (c) other advertising and promotion and (d) promotion videos and sound cassettes.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: The information is as follows:

  £000's1

  A

  B

  C

  D

  Press Advertising

  Television and Radio Advertising

  Other promotional materials

  Films Audio-visual Slides

  1985–86

  1,216

  —

  877

  242

  1986–87

  987

  3

  1,008

  44

  1987–88

  3,417

  5,721

  1,501

  263

  1988–89

  4,300

  13,575

  4,800

  818

  1989–90

  5,656

  5,900

  11,353

  739

  1 Figures for 1985–86–1988–89 relate to the Department's central publicity budget. The figure for 1989–90 includes expenditure by divisions which is in addition to that carried by the central publicity budget.

  Goods and Services
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on(a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Departmental purchasing information systems do not differentiate between acquiring and commissioning goods and services. However, information on departmental purchasing expenditure from 1986–87 is set out in the annual reports of the central unit on purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Reports
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 15 November,Official Report, column 184, if he will place in the Library the Department of Trade and Industry reports listed along with the reports listed in the answers of 1 November, Official Report, column 657, 25 October, Official Report, column 272, 21 February, Official Report, column 789 and 19 December 1989, Official Report, columns 138–39.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: All reports to which the hon. Member refers are available in the Library.

  Exports (Iraq)
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many approaches were made to his Department by Walter Somers querying the Iraqi order for equipment in respect of the supergun.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Three: two directly and one indirectly on its behalf.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the technical specifications
  413
  of the steel ordered for the pipes intended for Iraq that were the subject of correspondence between his Department and Sheffield Forgemasters in July 1988.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: No. It is not the practice to reveal details of individual licensing inquiries.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action his Department took when it was first made aware of the pipeline equipment built in the United Kingdom for Iraq having possible military implications.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: When the military implications of the equipment became clear the Department responsible for taking action was HM Customs and Excise. That Department acted with commendable swiftness to prevent the export of the equipment.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date his Department first became aware that an Iraqi export order was for military equipment.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: My Department first became aware that the Iraqi export order for steel tubes was for military equipment in April this year.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether officials of his Department made any statement or communication to the press prior to 18 April indicating his Department's opinion on whether the pipes impounded on Teesside by Her Majesty's Customs were for military purposes.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: No.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when his Department saw the contract involving Sheffield Forgemasters for the Iraqi order;

  (2) whether, on receipt of the Forgemasters contract for the Iraqi order placed in 1988, his Department called for any further information from the company.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: My Department has not seen the contract to which the questions refer.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the Government's shareholding via British Steel in Sheffield Forgemasters when the order for the Iraqi gun was first placed with Forgemasters.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: In June 1988 the Government's shareholding via British Steel in Sheffield Forgemasters was 50 per cent.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the day on which his Department was first made aware of the military implications of the Iraqi contract with Sheffield Forgemasters and Walter Somers.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: My Department was first made aware of the military implications of the Iraqi contract with Sheffield Forgemasters and Walter Somers in April of this year.
  414
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many letters his Department sent in 1988 to Forgemasters about whether an export licence for the Iraqi contract was required; and what were the Department's conclusions on this matter.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: One letter was sent; on the basis of information provided by the company it was concluded that no licence was required.

PRIME MINISTER

  Test Ban Treaty
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to raise the amendment conference of the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty, to be held in January 1991, when he meets the President of the United States.

  The Prime Minister
  We consult with the United States Administration on the partial test ban treaty at all levels.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to attend the opening session of the amendment conference of the partial test ban treaty in New York in January 1991.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to attend the partial test ban treaty amendment conference.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will reconvene the Cabinet committee reviewing AIDS.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government will continue to pursue vigorously a strategy for dealing with AIDS, but I have no plans to establish a Cabinet committee specifically to consider AIDS issues.

  Israel
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with Prime Minister Shamir.

  The Prime Minister
  I had a useful first meeting with Mr. Shamir. We discussed bilateral and regional issues including the immediate issue of the Gulf crisis, as well as the longer term issue of the Arab-Israel dispute.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Occupational Health Services
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements exist for the provision of an occupational health service for employees within his Department, stating(a) how many staff are employed to provide occupational health services, (b) how many of those staff are qualified nurses and (c) how many employees work in his Department in total.

  Mr. Curry
  This Department has access to the services of the civil service occupational health service which employs some 100 fully qualified occupational health professionals—doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers. It operates via a network of regional offices
  415
  throughout the United Kingdom. The Department, including its agencies, has 10,632 employees in total, none of whom is employed to provide occupational health services.

  Pesticides
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the potential replacement of pesticides by mycoherbicides in respect of control of fungal diseases; what research his Department is presently undertaking or sponsoring; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Mycoherbicides are fungi which are used to control weeds; they are not capable of controlling fungal diseases.

  Food Surpluses
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will meet his European colleagues to draw up plans to distribute the EEC's food surpluses to the Soviet Union in the form of aid; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  No formal USSR request for food aid has yet been received by the Government. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs indicated at the Foreign Affairs Council on 4 December, the Government are ready to participate fully in any Community response to real shortages in the USSR to ensure food aid reaches those genuinely in need.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 10 and 11 December.

  Mr. Gummer
  I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting of the Council together with my hon. Friend the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), Parliamentary Secretary in my Department.

  Agreement was reached on a directive laying down the principles covering veterinary checks on meat and other animal products entering the Community from third countries and laying down rules on the definition of vermouths. These were satisfactory for the United Kingdom.

  Ministers agreed in principle to extend for a year the ban on the use of bovine somatotropin (BST) in the Community pending the results of relevant scientific experiments. This is a sensible approach which is expected to be formally agreed when the relevant Commission proposal comes forward which is expected to be very soon.

  I took the opportunity to press the Commission to take steps to ensure that east European suppliers respect minimum prices when exporting soft fruit to the Community. The Commissioner showed sympathy with this request.

  There was a discussion on the GATT round following the disappointing conclusion to the conference in Brussels last week. I pushed hard for a united Community position which provided a sufficient envelope for the Commission
  416
  to be able to negotiate a satisfactory arrangement on agriculture which, as all recognise, would be a vital component in any final settlement.

THE ARTS

  Arts Expenditure (Scotland)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what has been the Government's total expenditure on the arts in Scotland for each of the past five years and as a total over the same period.

  Mr. Renton
  Government funding for the arts in Scotland is channelled through the Scottish Arts Council. Over the past five years the annual grant to the council has been as follows:

  £

  1990–91

  17,451,000

  1989–90

  15,732,000

  1988–89

  15,358,000

  1987–88

  14,237,000

  1986–87

  13,584,000

  Total

  76,362,000

  In addition, I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland funds a small number of performing arts organisations directly.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  European Community (Economic Benefits)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies have been undertaken to examine the net economic benefits to the United Kingdom of membership of the European Community.

  Mr. Maude
  Useful bibliographies of studies on some of the key policy issues can be found in various editions of the EC publication "European Economy".

  Teachers' Pay
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what increase in income tax would be required if the whole of the additional cost of transferring the total teachers' pay bill to the Exchequer was to be met from this source of revenue.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 26 November 1990]: Local education authorities in the United Kingdom are likely to spend nearly £10 billion on teachers' pay in 1990–91. The additional cost to central Government of transferring the responsibility for that spending would depend on the extent to which there was a reduction in the grant paid to local authorities.

  Benefits in Kind
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would be raised from treating all taxable benefits in kind as earnings for national insurance contributions in 1991–92.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 10 December 1990]: For 1991–92 it is estimated to be £750 million. This estimate is based on projections of data relating to 1987–88 and is provisional.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Goods and Services
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on(a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Departmental purchasing information systems do not differentiate between acquiring and commissioning goods and services. However, information on departmental purchasing expenditure from 1986–87 is set out in the annual reports of the central unit on purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Football
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the response from the football authorities to the Sports Minister's recent call for one body to represent both the Football League and Football Association.

  Mr. Atkins
  I understand that the Football Association council is to consider the proposals made by the Football League for a joint board of management at its meeting on 14 January. I welcome any constructive proposals for greater unity between the two bodies but the details of how this is achieved arc matters for the football authorities.

  Cricket
  Mr. John Carlisle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures he is considering to promote the game of cricket in the community.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Sports Council already runs a number of schemes aimed at developing sport in the community. In announcing the council's grant in aid for 1991–92 I asked it to pay attention to developing initiatives for young people in partnership with cricket clubs and I know that they are now working up detailed proposals. I am also in touch with the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association, the English Schools Cricket Association and the Marylebone Cricket Club on a regular basis to discuss these matters.

  School Premises
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the organisations to be consulted in the review of the School Premises Regulations announced on 2 October; and when the consultation process is likely to begin.

  Mr. Fallon
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 28 November, at column 421, regarding timing of consultations for the review. The list of consultees has not yet been finalised.

  School Meals
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what the average cost of a school meal is in 1990 in(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools.
  418
  Mr. Fallon
  In January 1990 the average cost1 of a school meal in England was:

  Fixed charge2 Pence

  Authorised spend3 Pence

  Primary schools4

  68

  68

  Secondary schools

  72

  74

  1 This is the simple average of the most common charge reported by individual local education authorities.

  2 This applies to dining centres.

  3 This applies to a cash cafeteria service.

  4 Includes nursery schools.

  Research Councils
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Havant (Sir I. Lloyd) of 19 November,Official Report, column 30, he will make a further statement on his meeting with the chairman of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils on priorities for United Kingdom science.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My right hon. and learned Friend will hold this meeting after he has received the board's advice on the allocation of the science budget for 1991–92 and later years, which is expected shortly.

  Postgraduates (Fees)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what will be the tuition fee met under the awards arrangements for postgraduate students in the academic year 1991–92.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The maximum tuition fee reimbursed through the awards system for eligible home students and those from other European Community countries on full-time postgraduate courses will be increased from £1,985 in the current academic year to £2,104 in 1991–92. As for tuition fees for students on first degree and equivalent courses, fees will be paid in three termly instalments.

  Medical Research Council
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received the annual report of the Medical Research Council for 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Medical Research Council has submitted to my right hon. and learned Friend its 1989–90 annual report under the requirements of the Science and Technology Act 1965, and we are placing a copy before the House today.

  We were very interested to read of the good progress made in the year, and to learn about work in areas of current public concern such as AIDS research—where the council continues to work towards the development of effective vaccines and drugs to limit the progress of the disease. I was greatly encouraged that the council's income from contracts with industry has increased from £4–4 million in 1987–88 to £6·1 million in 1989–90, and that royalty income has more than doubled over the same period. I congratulate the MRC laboratory of molecular biology for winning, jointly with Cambridge Research Biochemicals, the Queen's award for technological achievement as a result of a successful collaboration on the generation of improved peptides.
  419
  I congratulate the council on these and other achievements and look forward to reading about further advances in next year's report.

  1. United Kingdom bilateral aid to Caribbean countries in 1989

  2. Bilateral aid per capita1

  Total £'000s

  (of which CDC project aid expenditure)

  £

  Anguilla

  1,997

  —

  249·61

  Antigua and Barbuda

  757

  —

  9·01

  Bahamas

  30

  —

  0·12

  Barbados

  285

  —

  1·12

  Belize

  3,786

  (1,472)

  20·80

  Bermuda

  39

  —

  0·69

  British Virgin Islands

  4,448

  (2,200)

  317·73

  Cayman Islands

  1,305

  (1,299)

  62·14

  Dominica

  2,493

  —

  30·77

  Dominican Republic

  25

  —

  ·

  Grenada

  1,352

  —

  13·25

  Guadeloupe

  0

  —

  —

  Guyana

  6,561

  —

  8·21

  Haiti

  0

  —

  —

  Jamaica

  20,304

  (16,639)

  8·36

  Martinique

  0

  —

  —

  Montserrat

  4,044

  —

  337·02

  Netherlands Antilles

  0

  —

  —

  St. Kitts-Nevis

  711

  —

  16·52

  St. Lucia

  8,872

  (5,500)

  61·19

  St. Vincent

  1,091

  —

  8·95

  Trinidad and Tobago

  640

  (295)

  0·52

  Turks and Caicos Islands

  5,240

  —

  748·51

  1 1988 population figures used: 1989 not yet available.

  Least-developed Countries
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the least-developed countries will benefit from the new initiatives related to aid procurement and local cost rules which were announced at the second United Nations conference on the least-developed countries in Paris in September.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Allowing least developed countries to which we provide aid to use some of our aid funds to procure from other poor countries, as well as from the United Kingdom, should make a positive contribution to trade between developing countries and help to achieve good value for money from the aid programme.

  The removal of limits on the extent to which our bilateral financial aid to the least developed countries can be used to meet local costs should give added flexibility in ensuring that our aid meets the most pressing needs of recipients.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of gross national product is currently spent on aid to the least-developed countries; and if he has any plans to raise this to meet the United Nations targets for such spending.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In 1989 Britain's net official development assistance to the 42 countries presently classified by the United Nations as least developed was 0·10 per cent. of GNP. In the programme of action adopted by the Second

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Caribbean Countries (Aid)
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of bilateral aid per capita for each of the Caribbean countries, including Guyana.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Following are the figures for the latest available year:

  UN Conference on the least developed held in Paris on 3–14 September 1990 no target applicable to all donors was established. The UK along with several other donors undertook to make our best efforts to reach the previously agreed UN target of 0·15 per cent. Over 60 per cent. of our bilateral aid in 1989 was provided to the poorest fifty countries.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the criteria by which the least-developed countries are adjudged to meet the requirements of good governance.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The criteria for least developed countries are the same as for other recipients of our aid. They were set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's speech to the Overseas Development Institute of 6 June.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the second United Nations conference on the least-developed countries held in Paris in September.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him of 29 October 1990, which said:"The Government welcome the outcome of the second United Nations conference on the least developed held in Paris from 3–14 September and will support those least developed countries which implement the policies outlined in the programme of action.
  The British delegation to the conference was led by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and

  421
  Commonwealth Office. The Delegation played an active and positive role in the negotiations for the programme of action for the 1990s adopted by the Conference. Two new British initiatives relating to aid tying and local costs rules, which will be of direct benefit to the least developed countries, were announced at the conference. The delegation kept in close contact with British non-governmental organisations, both before and during the conference. The booklet 'LLDCs in the 1990s: Development or Oblivion' was taken into account in formulating the United Kingdom position on the various issues."—[Official Report, 29 October 1990; Vol. 178, c. 361.]

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Cambodia
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Cambodia.

  Mr. Hurd
  As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Britain has played an active role in continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve the Cambodian conflict. In August 1990 the five agreed on a framework for a comprehensive political settlement. This was accepted in its entirety by the Cambodian parties in September when they also agreed to form a Supreme National Council (SNC) which will embody national sovereignty and represent Cambodia at the United Nations. The framework was subsequently endorsed unanimously by the Security Council and the General Assembly.

  The five's framework was elaborated into a full-scale draft agreement at meetings in Jakarta from 9–10 November and in Paris from 23–26 November. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The document covers the major aspects of a settlement, including the proposed mandate for a UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC); a ceasefire and related military measures; elections; the repatriation of Cambodian refugees and displaced persons; and principles for a new constitution. A draft agreement guaranteeing the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and inviolability, neutrality and national unity of Cambodia; and a declaration on Cambodia's rehabilitation and reconstruction were also produced.

  Our objective remains a durable settlement which will enable the Cambodian people to choose their own Government free from the fear of Khmer Rouge atrocities, invasion or civil war. We believe that the five's plan offers the best chance of this. It is now up to the Cambodians to play their part, firstly by resolving the differences between them which have so far prevented the Supreme National Council from functioning; and by stopping the fighting. It will then be possible for the French and Indonesian co-chairmen to reconvene the Paris international conference on Cambodia to complete work on the settlement documents and formally adopt them. We hope that will happen soon.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries proposing a protocol at the Antarctic conference in Chile and those Antarctic treaty consultative parties who support the proposal.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Argentina, Norway, Uruguay, the United Kingdom and the United States had proposed,422
  before the meeting, that a protocol to the Antarctic treaty, together with annexes setting out detailed rules on specific activities, would provide a practical means of protecting the Antarctic environment.

  This proposal, together with illustrative draft protocols tabled by the United Kingdom and United States of America, and a draft protocol tabled by New Zealand, together with a proposal for separate convention tabled by France and Australia, were discussed at the meeting. The outcome of these discussions is set out in paragraphs 18–20 of the report of the meeting as follows:
  "18. Detailed discussion of the various proposals led to the conclusion that there was unanimous support for the need to adopt a new legally binding international instrument for the protection of the Antarctic environment and its dependent and associated ecosystems. Although the proposed texts represented alternative options, there was a considerable measure of agreement as to the general structure of such a legal instrument. A member of one delegation, Mr. Rolf Trolle Andersen from Norway, presented, on a personal basis, a single text drawing upon the documents mentioned in paragraph 9 as well as on draft articles proposed in the Working Group I and sub-groups.
  19. The Meeting agreed that this draft Protocol and Annexes should be attached to this Report as Annex F. Reflecting, as it does, the papers submitted and the discussions at the XIth Antarctic Treaty Special Consultative Meeting, it would form a valuable basis for further work to be undertaken at a future session of XIth Antarctic Treaty Special Consultative Meeting in 1991. It was understood that these texts would not prejudice the position of any government with regard to the issues addressed therein nor any proposals already made.
  20. The Meeting noted that the present restraint on Antarctic mineral resource activities continues. In the context of future work on the issue addressed in Article 6 of the attached Protocol, a number of delegations expressed their strong preference for a permanent ban, others continued to see merit in CRAMRA, but there was a widespread willingness to consider a lengthy prohibition or moratorium. Several aspects of this issue, in particular the circumstances and modalities under which a prohibition might be reviewed or terminated needed further consideration. In regard to a moratorium, it was stressed that internationally agreed arrangements for taking decisions on mineral resource activities should be in place before the need for such decisions arises."

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Antarctic treaty negotiations.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The XIth special consultative meeting of the Antarctic treaty parties ended in Chile on 6 December. A copy of the interim report of the meeting is being placed in the Library of the House. When final texts of the annexes to the report are available, they will be added to the report.

  Anti-Semitism
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has discussed the problem of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union and east Europe with the Governments of those countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed with Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze the problem of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union during his visit to Moscow in September. At the CSCE Paris summit in November, all participant states signed the charter of Paris for a new Europe which contained a statement of determination to combat anti-Semitism.

  Arms Control Meeting
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has entered into any correspondence with any individual or organisations on any matter raised during the meeting with nongovernmental organisations on arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament held at his Department on 23 October.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I have written to two nongovernmental organisations to amplify points raised during the meeting which the hon. Member refers to. The proceedings were held under Chatham house rules and were thus off the record.

  Test Ban Treaty
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department plans to produce and distribute any briefing material on the amendment conference of the partial test ban treaty, to be held in New York in January 1991.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The partial test ban treaty amendment conference is addressed in the arms control briefing material published regularly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  Nuclear Tests
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any research is presently being conducted by his Department towards assisting technical advances in verification of nuclear test locations and magnitudes.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Research into the verification of nuclear testing is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, which has maintained an active programme in this field for more than 30 years.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his current assessment of the attitudes of other states party to the partial test ban treaty towards establishment of a comprehensive nuclear test ban at the conference in New York in January 1991.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We cannot comment on the attitudes of other Governments to the partial test ban treaty amendment conference.

  Israel
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Prime Minister or Government of Israel concerning the third anniversary of the intifada on 9 December; what is the latest information available to his Department on the numbers(a) killed, (b) injured, (c) deported, or (d) arrested during the intifada; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We estimate that since the outbreak of intifada, 858 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli defence forces, 58 deported and about 10,000 held in administrative detention. Figures for the wounded range from an Israeli estimate of about 13,000 to the Palestine human rights information centre's estimate of about 424
  100,000. These figures speak for themselves and show clearly the urgent need for a settlement to the underlying political dispute. We continue to underline the importance of this in our contacts with the Israeli Government, as well as the need for maximum restraint by the Israeli defence forces.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disability
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many people would qualify for the disability working allowance if the requirement to be in receipt of other benefits was removed.

  Mr. Scott
  The number of people who would qualify for disability working allowance would depend on the disability test adopted.

  Income Support
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost in 1991–92 of restoring entitlement to income support to 16 and 17-year-olds at(a) the rate for those aged 18 to 24 years, and (b) the rate for those aged 25 years or over.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information is not available to calculate the costs of restoring entitlement to income support to 16 and 17-year-olds.

  I regret that the answer which was given by my hon. Friend the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 26 July at column 494 was consequently incorrect. The costs then quoted related not to the costs of changing the basis of entitlement but only to the costs of increasing the rate of income support for 16 and 17-year-olds who would satisfy the current entitlement conditions.

  The best estimates that can now be made of the costs of increasing entitlement remain the same as those given earlier, that is, an annual £10 million in relation to the rate of income support of those aged 18 to 24 and an annual £150 million in relation to the rate for those aged 25 or over. More precise estimates are not available because of the unquantifiable interaction between youth training and income support.

  I have written to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).

  Occupational Health Services
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements exist for the provision of an occupational health service for employees within his Department, stating(a) how many staff are employed to provide occupational health services, (b) how many of those staff are qualified nurses and (c) how many employees work in his Department in total.

  Mr. Jack
  In common with other civil service departments and agencies, the Department of Social Security uses the civil service occupational health service (CSOHS) for the provision of occupational health services for its 76,096 full-time and 9,061 part-time employees. The CSOHS employs some 100 fully qualified occupational health professionals—doctors, nurses and hygiene and safety advisers—and operates through a network of
  425
  regional offices throughout the United Kingdom. The Department employs 18 staff who are also qualified nurses engaged on occupational health including the treatment of sick members of staff and first-aid responsibilities.

  Young Persons (Benefits)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to amend the rules regarding those persons aged 16 and 17 years and entitlement to benefits; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  We have no such plans. The Government's policy of guaranteeing a youth training place to all 16 and 17-year-olds who want one removes the need for them to become dependent on benefit.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons aged 16 and 17 years receiving special hardship allowance are(a) living independently and (b) living in board and lodging.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Special hardship allowance was replaced by reduced earnings allowance from 1 October 1986. I assume that the question concerns 16 and 17-year-olds receiving severe hardship payments of income support. The information is not available in the form requested. However, in the week ending 30 November 1990 the numbers of 16 and 17-year-olds for whom a direction was made enabling income support to be awarded, under the severe hardship provision, was as follows:

  Number

  Living independently

  147

  In lodging

  240

  A further 12 directions were made for which the requested information is unavailable.

  Taxes and Benefits
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table similar to those used in the tax benefit model showing net weekly spending patterns for(a) a single person, (b) a couple with two children aged under 11 years with one earner, (c) a couple with two children aged under 11 years with two earners, (d) a lone parent with one child under 11 years old and (e) a lone parent with two children under 11 years in the old tax and benefit system before the 1988 social security changes and in 1990 in the following weekly £10 bands of income from £60 to £170.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is contained in the published tax-benefit model tables for the years in question, copies of which are available in the Library. I regret that it is not possible to provide an answer to(c), since the hon. Member has not stipulated whether income is gross or net; whether it is just earnings and how it is divided between the two earners. This will affect the amount of income tax and national insurance contributions paid and the amount of income-related benefits to which the family is entitled.

  Family Credit
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people will lose without transitional protection under his proposals in "Children Come First"426
  from the change in the definition of full-time work from 24 hours to 16 hours; and what the cost of transitional protection will be.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The majority of people receiving income support and working between 16 and 24 hours at the point of change will qualify for family credit and will be better off. We expect that some 25,000 people will be entitled to receive protection at an estimated cost of £25 million in the first year (1990–91 prices), decreasing thereafter.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average number of days it takes to process a family credit claim for(a) all claimants, (b) employees and (c) the self-employed.

  Mr. Jack
  For the 12 months ending 30 November 1990 the average was as follows:

  Working days

  All claimants

  18·45

  Employees

  17·01

  Self-employed

  26·90

  A fast path arrangement is available to people who have just started work after being on unemployment benefit or income support, and which enables family credit to be put into payment very quickly.

  Benefits (Monitoring)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many 16 and 17-year-olds have been interviewed by his Department's staff under the provisions announced on 13 March 1989,Official Report, columns 27–28.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information about the number of 16 and 17-year-olds interviewed by local office staff is not available. However, between 1 April 1989 and 30 November 1990, 39,341 claims were referred after interview to the severe hardship claims unit for consideration of payment under the severe hardship provisions.

  Community Care
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make extra funds available for community care grants for his Department's offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow.

  Mr. Scott
  We have no plans to do so.

  Housing Benefit
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many local authority tenants of pensionable age in(a) Greenock and Port Glasgow, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole, are in receipt of (i) full housing benefit and (ii) partial housing benefit; and what proportion they are of the total number of local authority tenants of pensionable age in (a), (b) and (c).

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is estimated that the number of people aged 60 and over in receipt of rent rebates at 31 May 1989 for Scotland was:
  427

  Thousands

  Percentage of LA tenants1

  Claimants in receipt of rent rebate and also in receipt of income support

  105,000

  (24)

  Claimants in receipt of rent rebate and not in receipt of income support

  156,000

  (35)

  Total

  261,000

  (59)

  1 LA tenants are men aged 65 and over; and women aged 60 and over.

  Source:

  (a) Housing Benefit Management Information System annual statistical enquiry, and

  (b) Department of Employment Labour Force Survey April 1989.

  Information concerning the number of housing benefit recipients aged 60 and over in Greenock and Port Glasgow and Strathclyde is not available.

  Benefits (Monitoring)
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of his Department's staff have been trained to deal with the requirements of 16 and 17-year-olds under the procedures announced on 13 March 1989,Official Report, columns 27–28; what was the training involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Miss Widdecombe
  No records are held of the number of staff who have been trained. All appropriate staff receive technical training in the income support benefit provisions for 16 and 17-year-olds. Specialised training is provided for staff who interview young people under the severe hardship provisions, to enable them to recognise the needs of this vulnerable group.

  Pensions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the state earnings-related pension payable in each year since 1978; and if he will give a projection for each year to 1999 based on earnings rising by 1·5 per cent. above prices each year for(a) a full-time worker consistently earning half the average wage, using average gross weekly earnings for all full-time workers on adult rates in all industries and services excluding those whose pay was affected by absence, (b) a full-time worker consistently earning the average wage, as above and (c) the maximum addition payable.

  Miss Widdecombe
  [holding answer 6 December 1990]: The information requested is set out in the table.

  The weekly amounts of additional pension payable on retirement on 6th April in the stated year are as follows, for:

  Year of Retirement

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  1978

  0·00

  0·00

  0·00

  1979

  0·30

  0·85

  1·30

  1980

  0·75

  1·95

  2·90

  1981

  1·35

  3·35

  5·25

  1982

  2·10

  5·55

  8·45

  1983

  2·85

  7·55

  11·70

  1984

  3·60

  9·80

  15·10

  1985

  4·55

  12·05

  19·10

  1986

  5·55

  14·70

  23·25

  1987

  6·85

  18·00

  28·50

  1988

  8·40

  21·70

  34·00

  1989

  10·25

  26·10

  40·45

  428

  Year of Retirement

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  1990

  12·70

  31·85

  48·65

  1991

  14·70

  36·90

  56·00

  1992

  16·85

  42·45

  63·65

  1993

  19·20

  48·15

  72·05

  1994

  22·05

  54·85

  81·35

  1995

  25·00

  62·10

  91·40

  1996

  28·30

  70·10

  102·35

  1997

  32·00

  78·95

  114·30

  1998

  36·10

  88·65

  127·35

  (a) A person on one-half of average earnings.

  (b) A person on average earnings.

  (c) A person earning at or above the Upper Earnings Limit.

  Notes: From 1990 onwards 5 per cent. prices and 6·5 per cent. earnings growth is assumed.

  Average earnings are those for all full-time workers on adult rates in all industries and services, excluding those affected by absence.

  Glasgow East End Community Conference
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost to public funds of the Glasgow east end community conference in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  I have been asked to reply.

  The east end management unit has estimated the direct cost to public funds of the Glasgow east end community conference for the years in question to have been as follows:

  £

  1988

  6,400

  1989

  12,700

  1990

  14,825

HEALTH

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on patients being required to change general practitioners because of their failure to agree to have such tests as cervical smears.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There have been a number of allegations, but no hard evidence to suggest that patients are being forced to change GP for such reasons. Such behaviour would be highly unprofessional.

  Nuclear Industry Workers
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission a study of the incidence of retinoblastoma in the offspring of nuclear industry workers.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department and the Health and Safety Executive are finalising the contractual arrangements for detailed epidemiological studies into the health of offspring of individuals who are occupationally exposed to radiation. These studies will include data on the incidence of all cancers in the offspring of radiation workers where relevant.

  Sexual Behaviour
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to establish a national survey of sexual behaviour.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Stationery
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what quantity of office and correspondence paper is used annually by hon. Members and staff in the House; and how much it costs.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The approximate total cost of stationery items supplied to the House by HMSO during the year from 1 october 1989 to 31 September 1990 was £333,000. The individual quantities of each of these items could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Information Technology
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what proposals he has to make the Official Report and other parliamentary documents available to hon. Members and the public on compact disc.

  Mr. MacGregor
  HMSO and Chadwyck-Healey Limited plan to launch the Official Report on compact disc (CD-ROM) during 1991. This is a joint venture and the discs will be made available commercially, although the pricing structure has yet to be finalised. The intention is to include initially at least the previous Session plus the current Session, with cumulatively updated discs being issued following each recess. Users with an IBM-compatible personal computer equipped with a CD-ROM drive will be able rapidly to search and access the text by keying in a significant word or combination of words.

  A separate joint venture involving HMSO and Context Limited should also see the appearance in 1991 of statutory instruments on CD-ROM.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 19 November,Official Report, column 24, he will set out details of the specific energy conservation projects, better housekeeping and energy-conscious design of facilities in the House.

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

DEFENCE

  The Guff
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the level of pay and allowances, and the standard of equipment, including clothing, provided to British troops in the Gulf.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My right hon. Friend has already made it clear that no member of the armed forces will suffer financially as a result of being posted to the Gulf.430
  Sufficient desert pattern combat clothing has been delivered to meet the needs of the personnel in theatre. More is on order for the additional troops that will deploy with 4 Brigade and 1 Armoured Division. Equipment provided to British troops in the Gulf has been trialled and tested extensively, much of it in hot, dry climates. The equipment in the Gulf is performing well.

  Contracts
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of defence contracts in the calendar year 1989 was awarded directly to small and medium-sized enterprises.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I regret that this information is not readily available at the present time.

  Ministry of Defence Police
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to reduce the numbers of Ministry of Defence police based at Brizlee Wood, Northumberland; and if he has anything to add to his answer of 23 November,Official Report, column 234.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Mr. Hamilton) to the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on 3 December 1990,Official Report, column 51. Brizlee Wood is one of the sites concerned.

  United States Nuclear Laboratories
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, South of 21 November,Official Report, column 135, he will set out (a) the number of officials who have visited, respectively, Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia research laboratories, (b) the purpose for each visit, (c) the cost of each visit, (d) the dates of each visit and (e) the benefits of the visits to which he made reference.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It has been the policy of successive British Governments not to disclose such detailed information on visits made under the terms of the 1958 US-UK agreement for co-operation on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes.

  Dartmouth Naval College
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future of the Dartmouth naval college; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Following my right hon. Friend's statement on 25 July on "Options for Change", the future of the whole of the naval estate and support services is under consideration. Any announcements of changes will be made at the appropriate time.

  Iraq
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current assessment of Iraq's capability of constructing a nuclear explosive device.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We assess that Iraq is not currently capable of constructing a nuclear explosive device.

  Atomic Weapons Establishments
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there have been any visits to the atomic weapons establishments at(a) Aldermaston, (b) Burghfield and (c) Llanishen by scientific experts from (i) the United States and (ii) the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in the current year.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  In the current year United States officials have visited all three of these establishments under the terms of the 1958 United States/United Kingdom agreement for co-operation on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes. There have been no visits by Soviet officials.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funds were allocated to the atomic weapons establishment in 1990; and what will be the level of funding in 1991.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It is not our practice to disclose information of this kind on funding of the nuclear programme.

SCOTLAND

  Cleveland Fuels (Pollution)
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the chairman of Clydeside against Pollution opposing Cleveland Fuels proposals to install an incinerator at Clyde street, Renfrew; and what reply he has sent.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A letter from the group Clydeside against Pollution was received on 4 December 1990 and was acknowledged by Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate on 7 December 1990. In that it makes further representation about the application by Cleveland Fuels Ltd. for registration of an incinerator works in Renfrew under section 9(1) of the Alkali etc. Works Regulation Act 1906, Her Majesty's industrial pollution inspectorate will take account of its contents during their consideration of the application.

  Govan Initiative
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Govan Initiative has used public funds to purchase or lease the premises at 6 Harmony Row, Govan.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  No.

  University Students
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has commissioned on the reasons for the reduction in numbers of students in the Scottish universities since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  There was no reduction in the numbers of students in Scottish universities between 1979–80 and 1988–89. The number of full-time undergraduate students at Scottish universities rose over the period from 38,570 to 42,870, an increase of more than 10 per cent.

  Council Houses
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many council houses he expects will be completed during 1990–91.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In their housing plan checklists which were submitted to the Scottish Development Department in November, local authorities estimate that they will complete approximately 1,181 houses in the financial year 1990–91.

  Homelessness
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are classed as homeless in(a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland as a whole.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Over the 12 months to 31 March 1990, the numbers of households which applied under the homeless persons legislation and were assessed by local authorities as homeless, as recorded in the returns submitted to the Scottish Development Department, were as follows:

  Number

  Inverclyde district

  142

  Strathclyde region1

  4,812

  Scotland1

  10,962

  1 provisional.

  Residential Homes
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if police forces give information to directors of social work departments on any criminal records of persons who apply for registration of ownership of homes which care for persons who are severely mentally handicapped; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Yes. Information of this kind is provided by the Scottish criminal records office on request to designated senior officers in social work departments.

  Local Government Finance
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many suggestions he has received concerning alternatives to the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  My right hon. Friend regularly receives correspondence proposing improvements to the community charge and possible alternatives to it. These views will be taken into account during the Government's review of the community charge.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many merchant seamen have been granted exemption from poll tax obligations by way of decisions taken by(a) community charge registration officers and (b) sheriffs upon appeals made by merchant seamen against decisions made by community charge registration officers.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Information on decisions as to where individuals are solely or mainly resident is not held centrally.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the progress of his latest review of the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.
  433
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The Government have made it clear that the review is to be conducted on a Great Britain basis and will involve the Secretaries of State for the Environment, for Scotland and for Wales. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will of course, be paying particular attention to Scottish aspects of the review.

  Forestry Grants
  Sir Hector Monro
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Government have any plans to review the rates of grant for forestry planting.

  Mr. Lang
  The Government considered the rates of grant for broadleaved planting as part of their recent review of broadleaves policy, the outcome of which was announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) in reply to a question from my hon. Friend on 23 July,Official Report, columns 6–11.

  We concluded that against the background of the considerable expansion in broadleaved planting that had taken place since we introduced our new broadleaves policy in 1985, and given the substantial rise in grant rates which accompanied the introduction of the woodland grant scheme in 1988, there was no evidence that the planting grants on offer were inadequate. At the same time, however, we were able to announce that woodland management grants would be introduced under the woodland grant scheme for both broadleaved and conifer woodlands from 1 April 1992, with enhanced rates of grant for woodlands of special environmental value. This move has been widely welcomed.

  We have also received the rates of grant for conifer planting and, as with broadleaves, we have concluded that there is no convincing case at present for general increases under the Forestry Commission's grant schemes. There has been a drop in conifer planting, but it is our view that this has been due not to any inadequacy in grant rates as such but to a combination of factors, including the price and availability of suitable land and the general economic situation.

  Nevertheless, it remains an important part of our forestry policy that a higher proportion of planting should take place on low ground of better quality than hitherto. We have therefore decided to increase the better land supplement of £200 per hectare, which is available as a top-up grant under the woodland grant scheme for planting on arable land or grassland which has been cultivated and improved within the previous ten years. The new rates will be £400 per hectare for conifer planting and £600 per hectare for planting with broadleaves, and will apply to any eligible planting done under the scheme on or after 1 October 1990. The supplement is not available under the farm woodland scheme, for which special annual payments are made by the agriculture departments.

  The cost of the higher supplements will be in the region of £1 million per annum; this will be met from within existing resources.
  434
  I am sure that these increases in the better land supplement will lead to considerably more planting on better land "down the hill" and that they will be welcomed by landowning and environmental interests alike.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of the adult population is now in higher education; what was the figure in 1978–79; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: The number of adults in full-time higher education in Scotland in 1988–89, expressed as a percentage of the Scottish population aged 21 to 34 was 3·5 per cent. The equivalent figure for 1985–86 was 3 per cent. Information on the numbers of adults in higher education in years before 1985–86 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  The provisional figure for the proportion of young Scots entering higher education in 1989–90 has risen to over 24 per cent. compared with 21 per cent. in 1988–89.

  Goods and Services
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on(a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Scottish Office purchasing information systems do not differentiate between acquiring and commissioning goods and services. Information on the Scottish Office total purchasing expenditure, from 1986–87, is, however, reproduced in the annual report of the Treasury's central unit on purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people have been prosecuted for non-payment of the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Key
  The Department does not have this information, but I understand that most authorities in England have now started their enforcement procedures.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East,Official Report, 26 November, column 259, he will give further information for those local authorities for which information is missing in the material deposited in the Library.

  Mr. Key
  Five local authorities have sent in returns to my Department since the previous answer I gave to the hon. Member.
  435

  Birmingham

  Purbeck

  Authority Three Rivers

  Warwick

  York

  Number of people who have made a payment in respect of a personal community charge by 30 September 1990

  474,409

  32,379

  53,554

  89,750

  64,949

  Number of people liable who have not made a payment in respect of a personal community charge by 30 September 1990

  187,704

  1,309

  6,360

  11,750

  11,594

  Proportion of charge payers making a payment Per cent.

  71·7

  96·1

  89·4

  88·4

  84·9

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the projected shortfall in collection of the poll tax in Liverpool for the current financial year.

  Mr. Key
  The Department does not have this information, but I understand that in the current financial year Liverpool has budgeted for £7,500,000 for community charge debts.

  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the personal community charges set in the current year in the boroughs of Gravesham and Thurrock.

  Mr. Key
  The figures are as follows: Gravesham £294; Thurrock £417.

  Mr. James Lamond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to transfer the educational component of local authority spending to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have announced that we shall be undertaking a fundamental review of local government finance and structure.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for changes to the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received seeking the repeal of the community charge.

  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement about his policy on a review of the poll tax.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on further proposals he is now considering for reform of the community charge.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will undertake a fundamental review of the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier today.

  Home Improvement Grants
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has had any discussions with the local authorities associations about the operation of the home improvement grant system.
  436
  Mr. Yeo
  Officials from my Department have done so regularly, most recently on 30 November.

  National Rivers Authority
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the number of prosecutions undertaken by the National Rivers Authority.

  Mr. Heseltine
  I understand that the National Rivers Authority brought 3,997 successful prosecutions for all types of offences during its first year of operation. Of these, 3,549 were for fisheries offences, 370 for water pollution offences, 59 for navigational offences and 19 for water resources offences. I shall be reviewing progress with Lord Crickhowell in the near future.

  I attach great importance to securing improvements in environmental standards wherever they are needed. We have established an environmental and economic framework within which decisions will be taken.

  Council Housing
  Mr. Litherland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many additional council houses he anticipates being completed during 1990–91.

  Mr. Yeo
  Local authorities are expecting to complete about 13,000 houses during 1990–91. The Government see housing associations as the main providers of additional subsidised housing for rent. Public funding for associations through the Housing Corporation will increase from £1·1 billion this year to over £2 billion by 1993–94. Together with their increased ability to draw in private funds, this will permit a sustained increase in output of subsidised housing by associations over the next few years.

  Homelessness
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many children are currently housed by local authorities in bed-and-breakfast accommodation.

  Sir George Young
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of people who will be homeless this Christmas.

  Sir George Young
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that was given by my hon. Friend the then Minister of Housing and Planning on Tuesday 27 November 1990 to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth).

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Bowls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with tenants of housing associations in London on the subject of home ownership.

  Sir George Young
  My right hon. Friend receives representations on this subject from a variety of sources, including housing association tenants and their representatives.

  Buy British Policy
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has a buy British policy.

  Mr. Heseltine
  We seek to achieve value for money and to honour our international obligations.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council to discuss reorganisation.

  Mr. Trippier
  Ministers from my Department have met the chairman of the Nature Conservancy Council on a number of occasions during the last 18 months at which the Government's proposals to reorganise the Nature Conservancy Council were discussed.

  Methane Gas
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps can be taken to reduce or eliminate any hazard resulting from the escape of methane gas from domestic rubbish dumps.

  Mr. Trippier
  A number of technical solutions are available to reduce or eliminate the hazard resulting from the escape of landfill gas, which contains methane, from landfill sites containing domestic waste. Guidance on these measures is given in the Department's waste management paper No. 27—"Control of Landfill Gas".

  Water Charges
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to require water companies to charge for their services by means of(a) a flat-rate charge per properly or (b) a water poll tax.

  Mr. Trippier
  No. Methods of charging for their services are for individual water companies to determine.

  Housing Action Trusts
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing action trusts have been established.

  Mr. Yeo
  No housing action trusts have so far been established. However, discussions are proceeding with the council and tenants in the London borough of Waltham Forest, and Hull city council is consulting tenants about the proposal for a housing action trust for the North Hull estate.

  Rented Housing
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to build houses for rent at reasonable prices for those people who cannot afford to buy houses.

  Sir George Young
  The Government see housing associations as the main providers of additional subsidised housing where it is needed. Public funding for the Housing Corporation will increase from £1·1 billion this year to over £2 billion by 1993–94. Together with their increased ability to draw in private funds, this will permit a sustained increase in output of low-cost housing by associations over the next few years.

  Victoria Tower
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Ealing, North, 30 November,Official Report, column 500, if he will indicate the depth beneath ground level of the support structures for the scaffolding recently erected on the Victoria Tower; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir George Young
  The answer is 21 m.

  Catalytic Reduction Technology
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent assessment he has made of the potential environmental benefits of selective catalytic reduction technology in respect of large combustion plants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department has recently received a report on NOx abatement technologies which includes an assessment of the performance of selective catalytic reduction technology. The report is currently being considered.

  Birds
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all changes to the protection or quarry status of bird species in the United Kingdom since the enactment of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

  Mr. Baldry
  There have been no changes to the status of any bird species since the Act came into force.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether capercaillie and black grouse are still quarry species in the United Kingdom; and if he has any plans to alter their status.

  Mr. Baldry
  Both capercaillie and black grouse may be hunted in the open season. There are no plans at present to alter these arrangements.

  Bathing Waters
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will set maximum limits for the presence of salmonella and enterovirus in bathing waters;

  (2) what plans he has to ensure compliance with the salmonella and enterovirus standards in the EC bathing water directive.
  439
  Mr. Baldry
  The EC bathing water directive sets limits for salmonella and enteroviruses. The limits are zero salmonella in 1 litre and zero enteroviruses in 10 litres in 95 per cent. of bathing water samples. It is widely accepted that these standards are deficient and have no regard to risks to public health: the Environment Select Committee has recently endorsed this view. The European Commission has brought forward proposals for a committee of adaptation to review the bathing water directive. One of its remits would be to look at those standards. This Government have supported the need for such a review. Pending adoption of revised standards we shall continue to monitor and report in accordance with the directive, but our assessment of compliance will be based on its coliform standards.

  Community Forests
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made towards the establishment of community forests on the outskirts of towns and cities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  Project teams have been set up in east London, south Staffordshire and Tyne and Wear to prepare business plans for the forests launched in those areas. In addition the Countryside Commission is considering proposals for forests at various other locations.

  RECHAR
  Mr. Brandon-Bravo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the rules governing local authority finance in those areas which militate against local authorities being able to fully take up grants under European Community programmes, in particular the RECHAR scheme.

  Mr. Yeo
  In setting annually the level of public expenditure programmes for local authorities, account is taken of anticipated European Community receipts so that these programmes are larger than they would otherwise be. However, in addition for 1990–91 the other services block was "top sliced" by £25 million for distribution as supplementary credit approvals to local authorities in receipt of European regional development fund. In the light of representations received from local authorities it is proposed to increase the top slice to £45 million for this purpose in 1991–92.

  Emissions
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy with regard to the application to large combustion plants by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution of the BATNEEC provisions in the Environment Protection Act where these provisions require stricter standards than those in the national emission reduction plan.

  Mr. Baldry
  Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution must, among other things, ensure the use of BATNEEC and compliance with any plan made by the Secretary of State. Where one of these requirements is more onerous than the other, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution must include conditions in authorisations which achieve the more onerous standards.
  440
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to exempt the electricity generation industry from the new BATNEEC guidance notes being issued by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

  Mr. Baldry
  No.

  Public Paths
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from Hampshire on his policy regarding the reclassification of public paths; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  We have received a number of representations both from local councils and individuals. While I appreciate the concern expressed about the possible effects of reclassifying roads used as public paths (RUPPs) as byways open to all traffic (BOATs), the regulation of use by vehicles, were necessary, is a separate management issue. There are already appropriate powers available to highway authorities. However, the rights of way review committee is presently considering a number of issues relating to the use of vehicles in the countryside, and I look forward to hearing its views.

  Fire Advisory Panel
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he takes to ensure that the advice he receives from his fire advisory panel is completely impartial.

  Mr. Yeo
  The fire advisory panel has been established to provide a forum for the discussion of technical issues related to fire safety aspects of the Building Regulations 1985. The panel draws its membership from across the whole field of fire safety in buildings, and from both the public and private sectors, and this wide spectrum of professional expertise safeguards the impartiality of the panel's advice. A further safeguard is provided by the need for proposals from the panel for changes to the regulations to be considered by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee, which has the statutory responsibility of advising the Secretary of State on them.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to revise the membership of his fire advisory panel.

  Mr. Yeo
  Membership of the fire advisory panel is kept under regular review. A technical expert from the Loss Prevention Council has recently been invited to join the panel.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he takes to ensure that the membership of his fire advisory panel is fully representative of all aspects of the fire safety limits.

  Mr. Yeo
  Membership of the fire advisory panel includes representatives from the Home Office, the Scottish Development Department, and the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) as well as of my Department. Non-governmental members include fire safety consultants, architects, building control officers, representatives of the fire service, and technical experts from universities, fire testing organisations, the building
  441
  materials industry, and the fire insurance industry. The secretariat is provided by the fire research station. The panel therefore already has available a wide range of experience and expertise, but whenever gaps are identified, steps are taken to fill them.

  Landfill Gas
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on contracts recently placed by his Department to prepare guidelines for the safety and environmental management of landfill gas recovery.

  Mr. Baldry
  Such a contract was let in June 1990. It is jointly funded by the Department of the Environment, the Department of Energy, via the Energy Technology Support Unit, and the Office of Gas Supply. It should be completed by next summer.

  Radioactive Substances
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to which international treaties and conventions which cover the impairment of the environment caused by the spillage, leakage or discharge of radioactive substances is the United Kingdom a party.

  Mr. Baldry
  The United Kingdom is party to many international treaties and conventions concerned with the discharge of radioactive substances to the environment. In particular, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Communities conventions on early notification of a nuclear accident require that signatories should inform the relevant international organisation whenever there is an accident from which an international transboundary release is likely to occur that could be of radiological significance for another state.

  Litter
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has made an order under section 90(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to describe land as litter control areas for the purposes of designation by local authorities;

  (2) if he will list those organisations he intends to consult about the implementation of section 90(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

  Mr. Baldry
  No order has yet been made under section 90 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. We do, however, intend to consult on a draft order in the near future and are currently finalising the list of those to be consulted. I will ensure that the hon. Member is sent a copy. If he wishes to suggest the names of bodies which should be consulted, I invite him to pass them on to my office.

  Beach Pollution
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government response to the Environment Select Committee report on pollution of beaches will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Government response is being published today and a copy has been placed in the Library. We welcome the report as pollution of beaches is a matter of great public concern and is something that we are taking active steps to combat.
  442
  The Government are committed to improving the quality of bathing waters. In 1990 77 per cent. of our 446 identified bathing waters met European standards compared with only 51 per cent. in 1986. A major investment in the sewerage system around our coasts of £1·4 billion was announced last year to bring all our bathing waters up to European standards.

  The Select Committee report coincided with a major Government review of their policies on disposal of sewage to sea. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in March that the discharge of raw sewage from coastal towns is to be banned. Over £2 billion is to be spent on additional treatment and £600 million of this will be spent on bathing waters over the next five years.

  The Select Committee has also focused on the relationship between risks to health and sea bathing and concluded that the risk of contracting serious disease is minimal. The Government accept that more research is necessary into the risks of contracting minor infections and, with the National Rivers Authority, will fund a continuation of the existing programme.

  We also believe that the public should be better informed about bathing water quality. I announced an initiative earlier this year for a voluntary scheme for local authorities to publicise, at the beach or at other prominent sites, up-to-date information on bathing water quality which will be provided by the National Rivers Authority. The local authority associations in England and Wales have endorsed the idea and we are pressing ahead finalising the arrangements for the scheme to be ready for the start of next year's bathing season. A poster is being developed for local display which will give easily understood information on bathing water quality as part of our policy on improved access to environmental information.

  Goods and Services
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish tables showing the amount spent on(a) acquiring and (b) commissioning goods and services by his Department in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: Departmental purchasing information systems do not differentiate between acquiring and commissioning goods and services. However, information on departmental purchasing expenditure from 1986–87 is set out in the annual reports of the central unit on purchasing, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Advertising
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish a table showing the amount spent in each of the last five years by his Department on(a) advertising in the press, (b) advertising on television and radio, (c) other advertising and promotion and (d) promotion videos and sound cassettes.

  Mr. Heseltine
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: The information in respect of paid publicity and associated staff costs for my Department, including PSA, is as follows:

  443

  £ million

  1985–86

  3·5

  1986–87

  4·2

  1987–88

  4·8

  1988–89

  6·9

  1989–90

  31·5

  Expenditure is not broken down between different publicity media.

  The increase in expenditure in 1989–90 arises mainly from the flotation of the 10 water plcs, and from specific information campaigns on new legislation on local government finance and housing and to encourage the use of lead-free petrol.

  Council Houses
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold(a) nationally and (b) in the London borough of Ealing, in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Yeo
  Tables giving available information on each local authority's sales for each financial year up to June 1990 were laid in the Library on 29 November. The equivalent figures for England are as follows:

  Local authority sales and transfers England: (thousands)

  Sales to owner occupiers

  Other transfers1

  Total sales and transfers

  1979–80

  54

  —

  54

  1980–81

  68

  —

  68

  1981–82

  128

  —

  128

  1982–83

  181

  —

  181

  1983–84

  119

  3

  122

  1984–85

  91

  —

  91

  1985–86

  82

  —

  82

  1986–87

  85

  1

  86

  1987–88

  103

  10

  113

  1988–89

  145

  12

  156

  1989–90

  134

  14

  148

  21990–91

  27

  11

  38

  1 To housing associations and private developers.

  2 1st quarter only.

EMPLOYMENT

  Employment Training
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the cost in income support plus the £10 bonus of payments to employment training trainees in 1988–89 and 1989–90; and what was the average weekly income support and the £10 bonus during each of those two years.

  Mr. Jackson
  Employment training was launched in September 1988. Expenditure on employment training trainee allowances was £151·7 million in 1988–89, and £527·4 million in 1989–90.

  The average allowance per trainee on employment training was approximately £48 per week in 1988–89 and £50 per week in 1989–90.

  Youth Training
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate the number of those persons aged 16 and 17 years who are not undertaking a YTS placement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The latest, mid-1989, estimated total population figure of persons aged 16 and 17 years in Great Britain is 1,552,266. The number of persons in those age groups undertaking a YTS placement in July 1989 was 408,900.

  Tourism
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) in what manner his Department intends to input the tourist industry's view into the ongoing review of the poll tax;

  (2) what recent representations he has received from the tourist industry on the 100-day rule and bed-and-breakfast accommodation;

  (3) what plans there are for amending the 100-day rule within the British tourist industry.

  Mr. Forth
  Through their frequent contacts, Ministers and officials in the Department ensure that their counterparts at the Department of the Environment (DOE) are kept fully informed of the views of the tourism industry about the community charge and the uniform business rate. This will also apply to the planned comprehensive review of local government finance.

  The Department has received many representations, both directly and via the tourist boards, about bed-and-breakfast accommodation and the uniform business rate, all of which have been critical of the "100-day rule". We therefore welcome the DOE's plans to draw up alternative regulations, drawing on the responses to its extensive consultation exercise.

  Ports (Accidents)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the fatal accident statistics and serious injury statistics for each employee for the years 1984 onwards for the port of London and each of the Medway ports.

  Mr. Forth
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Tenosynovitis
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what research has been conducted by his Department into means of preventing tenosynovitis; and in which industries workers suffer from tenosynovitis;

  (2) how many actions for damage to health by tenosynovitis have been initiated in each of the last five years;

  (3) what is his estimate of the number of people who suffer from arm or wrist damage from the repetitive work syndrome called tenosynovitis.

  Mr. Forth
  Tenosynovitis is one of a number of musculo-skeletal disorders affecting the hand and arm which can be brought on by working conditions,
  445
  particularly by repetitive grasping and twisting performed under time pressures. These upper limb disorders can occur throughout industry and are not specific to particular sectors.

  The Health and Safety Executive has recently published a booklet, "Work related upper limb disorders: a guide to prevention", drawing on the following research which it has funded:
  "Clinical epidemiological study of relations between upper limb soft tissue disorders and repetitive movements at work". Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh. Research Report TM/88/19;
  "Development of an aid to identifying task elements which may predispose individuals to work related upper limb disorders". Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh. Research Report TM/90/08;
  "Occurrence and mechanism of occupational repetition strain injuries". University of Birmingham. ISBN 070441094X

  There are no reliable estimates of the number of workers affected by tenosynovitis. But the first study listed found a 4·8 per cent. incidence of tenosynovitis (21 cases) from a sample of 437 individuals presenting to orthopaedic clinics with upper limb disorders and who had worked during the previous two years.

  I regret that information on actions for damage to health by tenosynovitis is not available.

  Employment Agencies Act
  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of refusals or revocations of licenses granted under the provisions of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 have been on account of(a) a criminal conviction, (b) civil proceedings against the applicant and (c) other grounds of unsuitability.

  Mr. Jackson
  Of the 55 refusals or revocations of licences(a) 25 were on grounds of criminal convictions (b) one on grounds of civil proceedings and (c) 29 on other grounds of unsuitability.

  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many appeals against refusals or revocations of licences under section 4 of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 have been lodged with him since 1973; and with what result.

  Mr. Jackson
  Since 1976, when the Act came into force, there have been 36 appeals of which eight were successful.

  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the actual grounds on which any licences have been refused or revoked under the provisions of the Employment Agencies Act 1973.
  446
  Mr. Jackson
  The grounds on which licences have been refused or revoked are: convictions for criminal offences, lack of financial probity, civil debt, failure to conduct an employment agency or an employment business properly and unsuitability of the relevant premises.

  Mr. Gorst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on how many occasions in the last 10 years licences granted under the Employment Agencies Act 1973 have been(a) refused or (b) revoked under the provisions of section 3 of that Act.

  Mr. Jackson
  In the last 10 years, 33 licences have been refused and five licences have been revoked.

  Crown Premises
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to replace the system of Crown notices to cover health and safety at work at Crown premises with a regime that incorporates all Crown premises under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988.

  Mr. Forth
  Generally the Crown is required to comply with the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and the relevant statutory provisions, which include the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988. However, the Crown is immune from prosecution, and therefore the arrangements for enforcement are earned out through an alternative system of Crown notices. There are no plans to introduce legislation to change this position.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with organisations representing disabled people regarding the introduction of rehabilitation leave to encourage employers to retain workers who become disabled.

  Mr. Jackson
  [holding answer 11 December 1990]: The Royal National Institute for the Blind told my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State of a proposal that they are developing for rehabilitation leave. His response was that we should like to see employers taking more positive action on addressing the needs of any people who become disabled while in employment and that the employment service can help employers to do this.

  FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES LEGISLATION: CONSOLIDATION
  FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES LEGISLATION: CONSOLIDATION
  PRISONS: SUICIDE PREVENTION
  PRISONS: SUICIDE PREVENTION
  OIL EXPORTS TO EASTERN EUROPE
  OIL EXPORTS TO EASTERN EUROPE
  THE GULF: BRITISH COMMANDER'S VIEWS
  THE GULF: BRITISH COMMANDER'S VIEWS
  THE GULF OPERATION: COSTS AND ASSISTANCE TO THE UK
  THE GULF OPERATION: COSTS AND ASSISTANCE TO THE UK
  THE GULF: TRANSPORT OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL
  THE GULF: TRANSPORT OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIAL
  POLLUTION OF BEACHES: REPORT
  POLLUTION OF BEACHES: REPORT
  WHEEL CLAMPING: ORANGE BADGE VEHICLES
  WHEEL CLAMPING: ORANGE BADGE VEHICLES
  FORESTRY PLANTING GRANTS
  FORESTRY PLANTING GRANTS