Written Answers of 23 February 1990

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Interests
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward proposals for a Standing Order to require all commercial interests to be duly declared at oral Question Time.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  In the first instance this is a matter for the Select Committee on Members' Interests and the hon. Member should write to the Chairman.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Student Loans
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the new courses referred to in the Official Report, 15 February, column 464, for which 50,000 students will be eligible for student loans who are not presently eligible for student grants.

  Mr. Jackson
  Some full-time home students will be eligible for loans but not for mandatory awards. This group will include some students on courses leading to qualifications such as the BTEC higher national certificate, and other qualifications offered by professional institutions and public bodies. The full range of eligible courses is defined by schedule 1 of the Education (Student Loans) Bill.

  London Schools
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received a copy of the confidential report on London schools which sets out examination results and subjects taken by children in the Inner London education authoritiy area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has received a copy of the report on the school examination results in inner London for the year 1988.

  The results are not good. I am sure that the new inner London local education authorities will give a high priority to improving them, and will be assisted in this by the Government's education reforms.

  Teacher Shortage, Manchester
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children are sent home from schools in Manchester each day because there are no teachers to cover for any absences.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  This information is not available to the Department.

  Education, St. Helens
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to reach a decision on the reorganisation of both secondary and primary education in the metropolitan borough of St. Helens.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My right hon. Friend notified St. Helens education authority on 30 November 1989 of his decision to approve the proposals for the reorganisation of the Church of England primary schools in Rainford. He is currently considering proposals for the reorganisation of county secondary schools in St. Helens, and for the significant enlargement of Carmel Roman Catholic sixth form college. Decisions on these proposals will be reached as quickly as is compatible with a full consideration of all the issues involved.

  Schools, Bradford
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to ensure that the 33 first and 10 middle schools in Bradford continue to receive funding of more than £1·2 million in 1990–91, under the local management scheme to meet special needs and social disadvantages; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The levels of funding to be allocated by LMS formulae with reference to individual factors such as specific needs and social disadvantage are for local determination. Ministerial approval is limited to the criteria and ground rules which govern the distribution of resources.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received urging that 33 first schools and 10 middle schools in Bradford continue to receive funding to meet special needs and social disadvantages.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  None.

  Under-fives
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the quality of provision for children under five years old.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Government welcome the good practice in schools and other centres which Her Majesty's inspectors have documented in recent reports, including "The Education of Children Under Five" a copy of which is in the Library. They believe much more needs to be done. A committee of inquiry under my chairmanship is considering how to achieve improvements in the educational content of all forms of provision for three and four-year-olds.

PRIME MINISTER

  US Forces, Europe
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister what is her policy on the minimum number of United States troops which should be stationed in Europe; what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with the United States Administration on this policy; and whether she has any plans to revise her policy in the light of recent discussions between the United States of America and the Soviet Union.
  931
  The Prime Minister
  The presence of substantial numbers of United States troops in Europe makes an essential contribution to Western security. The United States Government have made it very clear that they intend to maintain this contribution. The agreement at Ottawa between the United States and the Soviet Union, by which the two countries' stationed forces in the central region of Europe would each be subject by the CFE treaty to a ceiling of 195,000, is fully compatible with this.

  Mid-Staffordshire Constituency
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to the Mid-Staffordshire constituency.

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

  10 Downing Street
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the percentage change since 1979 in the cost of the upkeep of No. 10 Downing street.

  The Prime Minister
  This information is not readily available for earlier years and cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost. However, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 18 October 1989 at column 128.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister when was the last occasion on which she visited (i) a bed and breakfast hostel for the homeless and (ii) homeless people at other venues.

  The Prime Minister
  During my visits to various regions I visit a wide variety of people. I have not recently paid an official visit to a bed and breakfast hostel for the homeless, or held a formal meeting with homeless people.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is taking forward, with urgency, action following our review of the homelessness legislation. This includes the allocation of additional resources to relieve homelessness pressures in London. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and the Minister for Housing and Planning have had a number of meetings with homeless people in London and with voluntary agencies which work with the homeless.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Security Searches
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will request co-operation from employers in Northern Ireland to ensure that employees genuinely delayed in lengthy hold-ups during security searches will not be financially penalised or threatened with loss of employment.

  Mr. Cope
  Continuing terrorist activity requires the police and armed forces to take measures for the protection of life and property and the police and Army do their utmost to keep any resulting delay and inconvenience to a minimum. The Government hope that all law-abiding citizens will understand the need for these measures and co-operate with them since they are taken for the benefit of the community at large.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was(a) the district rate and (b) the regional rate for the last three years in percentage and financial terms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  The figures for the last three years for the average district rate and the regional rate are as follows:

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Average district rate

  60·07p

  62·62p

  64·11p

  Percentage change from previous year

  +5·00

  +4·25

  +2·38

  Regional Rate

  113·53p

  122·59p

  138·07p

  Percentage change from previous year

  +2·90

  +7·98

  +12·63

  The regional rate for 1990–91 will be announced in early March.

  Security Forces
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve public confidence in the security forces.

  Mr. Cope
  Securing and maintaining confidence in both the fairness and effectiveness of the security forces is a major Government objective. To this end careful and constant attention is being given to ways of improving relations between the security forces and all parts of the community in Northern Ireland. A number of measures have been taken; others are in hand.

  Explosives
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what quantities of explosives have been recovered by the security forces in Northern Ireland in each year since 1968.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 21 February 1990]: Readily available information on explosives found is as follows:

  Year

  Explosives

  (tons)

  1969

  0·1

  1970

  0·3

  1971

  1·2

  1972

  18·5

  1973

  17·2

  1974

  11·7

  1975

  4·9

  1976

  9·7

  1977

  1·7

  1978

  0·9

  1979

  0·9

  1980

  0·8

  1981

  3·4

  1982

  2·3

  1983

  1·7

  1984

  3·8

  1985

  3·3

  1986

  2·4

  1987

  5·8

  1988

  14·7

  1989

  1·4

  Fair Employment Agency
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list all the firms which have been investigated by the Fair Employment Agency from its inception until the latest available date.
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  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 21 February 1990]: The organisations listed are those which have been investigated by the Fair Employment Agency (now renamed the Fair Employment Commission) for which reports have been published. It is not the commission's policy to reveal the names of organisations which are under investigation or where investigations are complete but reports are still unpublished.

  Formal investigations completed by the agency (for which reports have been published)

  Name of organisation

  1. Northern Ireland Electricity Service

  2. British Broadcasting Corporation

  3. British Broadcasting Corporation (second phase)

  4. Short Brothers plc

  5. Harland and Wolff

  6. Strathearn Audio (closed down)

  7. Grundig (closed down)

  8. Tilley Lamp

  9. Davidsons (Sirocco)

  10. Hughes Tool

  11. Ford Motor Company

  12. Hugh J. Scott

  13. James Mackie

  14. Standard Telephone and Cables

  15. Essex International

  16. Molins

  17. Du Pont

  18. Arntz Belting

  19. Belfast Telegraph

  20. Northern Ireland Civil Service

  21. Fire Authority for Northern Ireland

  22. Northern Ireland Housing Executive

  23. Unipork

  24. Northern Ambulance Service

  25. Eastern Ambulance Service

  26. Southern Ambulance Service

  27. Western Ambulance Service

  28. Southern Health and Social Services Board

  29. Abbey National Building Society

  30. Anglia Building Society

  31. Gateway Building Society

  32. Halifax Building Society

  33. Leicester Building Society

  34. Leeds Permanent Building Society

  35. Nationwide Building Society

  36. Progressive Building Society

  37. Woolwich Building Society

  38. Ulster Museum

  39. Allied Irish Bank

  40. Northern Bank

  41. Bank of Ireland

  42. Ulster Bank

  43. Trustee Savings Bank

  44. Commercial Union

  45. Pearl Assurance

  46. Prudential Assurance

  47. Brittannic Assurance

  48. Royal Insurance

  49. General Accident Assurance

  50. United Friendly

  51. Refuse Assurance

  52. Irish News

  53. Newsletter

  54. Derry City Council

  55. North Eastern Education and Library Board

  56. Northern Ireland Railways

  57. Western Health and Social Services Board

  58. Ulsterbus/Citybus

  59. Hyster

  60. Queen's University

  61. Charles Hurst

  62. Issac Agnew

  63. Irish Road Motors

  64. Phillips Ltd.

  65. Bairds Ltd.

  66. Prentice

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  67. J. E. Coulter Ltd.

  68. Dencourt Motors

  69. Desmond Motors

  70. Lindsay Cars

  71. James Eakin and Sons

  72. Dornan Services

  73. C.A.R.S. Ltd.

  74. R. Kennedy and Company

  75. Neville Johnston

  76. Sydney Pentland

  77. A.V.X.

  78. Stability Electrics

  79. NI Airports

  80. Trusthouse Forte

  81. Civil Aviation

  82. Emerald Hotels

  83. Serviceair

  84. Gallahers Ltd.

  Religious Discrimination
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many specific cases of claims of religious discrimination have been upheld by the Fair Employment Agency in each year from its inception until the latest available date; and of these how many were of (1) Protestants being the victims of discrimination and (2) Roman Catholics being the victims of discrimination.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 21 February 1990]: Information is as follows:

  Findings of unlawful discrimination by the Fair Employment Agency

  Protestant

  Roman Catholic

  Total findings

  From 1977 to 31 March 1979

  1

  4

  5

  31 March 1980

  —

  3

  3

  31 March 1981

  —

  2

  2

  31 March 1982

  2

  2

  4

  31 March 1983

  —

  4

  4

  31 March 1984

  2

  5

  7

  31 March 1985

  2

  6

  8

  31 March 1986

  4

  1

  5

  31 March 1987

  —

  12

  12

  31 March 1988

  —

  3

  3

  31 March 1989

  —

  6

  6

  1 April 1989 to present

  1

  5

  6

  12

  53

  65

  Total findings of unlawful discrimination to date (20 February 1990)

  12

  53

  65

  Stevens Inquiry
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the Stevens inquiry into allegations that members of the security forces are leaking information to paramilitary groups; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: The investigation by Mr. Stevens and his team still continues. I understand, however, that he expects to submit a full report to the Chief Constable of the RUC in the near future. Thereafter the Government will address expeditiously any implications of the report that are for them, and will consider whether any further measures are needed.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys-based adult population figures were replaced as a basis for the underlying data for calculating revenue support grant by information from the community charge register; if he will publish a table giving for each local authority the difference between the two and the financial effect of this on that authority's standard spending assessment; and if he will make a statement on the accuracy of these measures.

  Mr. Chope
  We announced our intention to base certain revenue support grant calculations on information from the community charges register in July 1989, following representations from the local authority associations and individual authorities that this was the most appropriate basis. OPCS-based estimates were used for illustrative exemplifications of the effects of our proposals when we issued a consultation paper in November last year because they were then the only population data available. I have placed in the Library a table showing for each charging authority the difference between OPCS-based estimates and those derived from community charges registers. Apart from one minor aspect, standard spending assessments are based on estimates of the whole population and the number falling within certain age bands and are therefore calculated using OPCS estimates rather than community charges registers.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report the information placed in the Library with his written reply dated 14 February, Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult in each region etc.

  Mr. Chope
  Where tables relating to local government finance run to more than about a page of A4 it is our practice to place the tables in the Library rather than publishing the figures in the Official Report.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government will provide for a national referendum on the poll tax.

  Mr. Chope
  No.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those chemicals or chemical compounds that are classed as toxic waste in England and Wales.

  Mr. Trippier
  Waste which is dangerous or difficult to dispose of is classed as "special waste" and the substances used in its definition are listed in regulation 2 and schedule 1 to the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980 (SI 1980 No. 1709). On 25 January we published a consultation paper reviewing the 1980 regulations and proposing a new definition of special waste. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those firms that are licensed to import toxic waste into England and Wales.
  936
  Mr. Trippier
  United Kingdom firms do not require a licence to import toxic waste. However, the waste must go to suitably licensed waste disposal facilities and the shipment must be notified under the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations 1988 or the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980, as appropriate.

  Council House Sales (Camden)
  Sir Geoffrey Finsberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much lower or higher on average the determinations of the district valuer are on council house sales in the London borough of Camden for the past three years than the price quoted by Camden; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In the year ending 31 December 1989, the district valuer made 440 determinations of value under section 128 of the Housing Act 1985 on the application of tenants of the London borough of Camden. The value determined was lower than the borough's in 321 cases by an average of £11,201 or 11·03 per cent., higher in 19 cases and the same in 100 cases.

  In the year ending 31 December 1988, the equivalent figures were 287 determinations, 258 reductions (by an average of £12,665 or 13·4 per cent.), no increased valuations and 29 unchanged valuations. In the year ending 31 December 1987, there were 26 determinations, 24 reductions (by an average of f 10,812 or 10·83 per cent.), no increased valuations and two unchanged valuations.

  Water Services
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has received any requests from water authorities to help finance a system of charges for water services following the abolition of domestic rates, other than by meters; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if the Director General of Water Services has requested financial assistance to help with research into any alternative to charging for water services following the abolition of domestic rates, other than by water meters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  No.

  Downing Street
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 9 January,Official Report, column 592, what was the cost of all works associated with the erection of railings at the Whitehall end of Downing street that did not involve security matters.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 22 February 1990]: The sole purpose of these railings is to enhance the security of Downing street and all works were directed to achieve that objective.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision is made for public scrutiny of expenditure on No. 10 Downing street.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 22 February 1990]: Vote expenditure by the Property Services Agency at No. 10 Downing street is subject to the same arrangements for public scrutiny as apply to all such expenditure by the agency.

TRANSPORT

  Roads, London
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) by how much levels of traffic in London would rise if the public transport proposals suggested in the London assessment studies were adopted in isolation and the road building options were not;

  (2) by how much levels of traffic in London would rise if the road proposals suggested in the London assessment studies were adopted in isolation and the public transport options were not.

  Mr. Atkins
  Tests carried out for the London assessment studies of the way road and rail traffic levels would change if either major roads or major railways were to be built without the other indicate Londonwide differences of only 1 to 2 per cent. Changes would be greater locally, depending upon the schemes tested. Further work would be needed to assess traffic levels should any of the options, which comprise both road and public transport schemes, be taken forward.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will update the number of responses he has so far received to the London assessment studies consultations; and if he will list in percentage form how many of the total are(a) in support of and (b) in objection to the proposals.

  Mr. Atkins
  No. Interim counts would involve disproportionate cost.

  London Underground
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many incidents have been reported of tube doors opening in between stations on each line on the London Underground for each of the last 12 months; and what measures exist to prevent this happening;

  (2) how many incidents have been reported of tube doors opening on the wrong side of the platform on each line on the London Underground for each of the last 12 months; and what measures exist to prevent this happening.

  Mr. Portillo
  No incident in either category was reported during 1989, although there was one case of a train leaving Piccadilly Circus station with two doors open, due to malicious tampering with a valve. This good record is attributable to the training undertaken by London Underground Limited staff, the design of the equipment and the methods by which the doors are operated.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times passengers have been asked to detrain on each line on the London Underground, for each of the last 12 months; and what were the reasons for these decisions.

  Mr. Portillo
  This is a matter within London Underground's management responsibility, for which it should answer.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times tube services have been interrupted for more than 20 minutes on each of the lines on the London Underground, for each of the last 12 months; and what were the reasons for these delays.
  938
  Mr. Portillo
  This is an operational matter for London Underground Limited.

  Hidden Report
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much additional funding his Department will make available to British Rail for the implementation of the safety measures mentioned in the Hidden report.

  Mr. Portillo
  BR is currently assessing the costs of implementing the Hidden report, and will include them in its 1990 corporate plan. We will continue to ensure that BR has adequate funds for safety.

  A12, Brentwood
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to alter the A12 in the vicinity of Brentwood to a six-lane highway; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  We have no plans to widen the existing A12 near Brentwood. The proposed new motorway between the M25 and Chelmsford provides the best solution to relieving not only that section of A12 but the M25, in terms of both economics and advantages to road users.

  Electrified Track Closures
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passenger lines of electrified track have been closed by British Rail since 1970; and what was the mileage of these lines.

  Mr. Portillo
  Since 1970, British Rail has closed four electrified passenger lines of approximately 34 miles in total.

  Goods Vehicles
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what provisions were made for full consultations when the reviews of the goods vehicles operators' licensing provisions was undertaken in 1986 and 1989; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what representations he received from individuals or organisations on the review of the goods vehicle operators' licensing provisions in 1986 and 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department sought views from the road haulage industry, traffic commissioners, the transport tribunal, local authorities, parish councils, the police, trade unions, environmental interest groups and a number of private individuals who had expressed an interest.

  Both reviews attracted wide-ranging and evenly balanced opinion. Overall reactions suggest that our approach is about right.

  Airline Failures
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in the light of the recent failure of a scheduled service airline, he has any plans to introduce a compensation scheme similar to that which applies to charter airlines under the air tour operators licence scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  There are no plans to introduce such a scheme at present. However, the International Air
  939
  Transport Association, of which most international scheduled service airlines are members, has guidelines to protect passengers in these circumstances. Passengers holding tickets for flights with an airline providing scheduled services which ceases trading but which is a member of the association should be able to transfer at no extra cost to a flight of another airline which is also a member.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek powers to enable him to commit public funds to ensure the early completion of the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Portillo
  No.

ENERGY

  Plutonium Exports
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many permissions, and on what dates since the United Kingdom joined the European Community, the United Kingdom has sought from the European Commission through Euratom, for the right to export civil plutonium created in the United Kingdom and allocated to the European Community under Euratom treaty article 86 to(a) the United States of America, (b) Japan and (c) any other state outside the European Economic Community.

  Mr. Baldry
  In accordance with articles 59 and 62 of the Euratom treaty producers must seek the authorisation of the Commission for exports outside the Community of special fissile material produced within a member country and kept under safeguards. Since 1979 such authorisation has been applied for and granted only once. This covered an export to Canada in 1983.

  Sizewell B
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) whether he has undertaken a comparative cost-benefit analysis of proceeding with the construction of the Sizewell B pressurised water reactor nuclear power station and an enhanced programme of investment in energy conservation and efficiency.

  (2) whether he will undertake a comparative assessment of the costs of continuing the construction of the Sizewell B pressurised water reactor with an expanded programme of investment in energy conservation and efficiency.

  Mr. Baldry
  Sizewell B will maintain the PWR technology as an option for the future, contribute to diversity and security of supply, and help to reduce fossil fuel emissions. For these reasons the Government attach the highest importance to the completion and operation of the station.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Accountants
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the number of accountants seconded to his Department by accountancy firms during 1988 and 1989.
  940
  Mr. Redwood
  The numbers were as follows:

  1988: 7

  1989: 4

  Professional Qualifications
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the organisations which have or will be seeking recognition as qualifying bodies under the Companies Act 1989.

  Mr. Redwood
  Formal applications cannot yet be made. The following bodies have inquired about the procedures for seeking recognition of a professional qualification under part II of the Act:

  The Association of International Accountants.

  The Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.

  The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

  The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

  The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

  The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland.

  South Africa
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's ban on new investment in South Africa.

  Mr. Ridley
  We have made clear our view that the steps President de Klerk has taken have transformed the political climate in South Africa. He has opened the way to a peaceful end to apartheid through negotiation. This deserves a constructive response from the international community.

  In 1986 European Community Foreign Ministers and, separately, Heads of Government participating at the Commonwealth review meeting agreed to impose a number of measures against South Africa, including a ban on new investment in South Africa. The then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced the implementation in the United Kingdom of the ban on new investment in a written answer to a parliamentary question on 30 October 1986, Vol. 103, column 220. In our case the measure was voluntary.

  When imposing the measures European Community Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the urgent need for a genuine national dialogue, across lines of colour, politics and religion. To this end they called on the South African Government to release unconditionally Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, to lift the bans on the African National Congress, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and other political parties. Separately they expressed their wish to see the state of emergency brought to an end.

  The steps President de Klerk has taken open the way to such a dialogue. It would be logical, therefore, to respond by lifting the measures imposed at that time.

  When the participants in the Commonwealth review meeting in London in 1986 agreed to impose certain measures they referred in their communiqué to the deteriorating situation in South Africa and to a spiralling cycle of violence and counter-violence. They called on the South African Government to initiate a process of dialogue and said that if this call received a positive response and the South African Government took the steps demanded of them, they would review the situation and, if appropriate, rescind the measures. The then

  941
  Secretary of State for Trade and Industry referred to that undertaking when announcing our ban on new investment in 1986.

  Accordingly Her Majesty's Government are now withdrawing the advice on new investment in South Africa which they issued in 1986. It will, as before, be for companies and firms to make their own judgment about whether to invest in South Africa. The Government will no longer discourage them.

  Our goal remains the peaceful end of apartheid through negotiations leading to a democratic and non-racial South Africa. We shall continue our efforts to contribute to the rapid achievement of that goal.

  Import Restrictions
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in each of the last three years and in respect of which items of trade the United Kingdom Government has invoked article 36 to restrict imports into the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 22 February 1990]: Under article 36 of the treaty of Rome my Department operates longstanding restrictions on imports from Community members of firearms and ammunition and certain fissile materials. My Department has not, over the last three years, used article 36 to introduce new measures on Community products. Other Government Departments operate similar longstanding restrictions on such products as drugs, explosives and indecent or obscene articles for reasons of health, safety or public policy.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Attorney-General whether, further to his reply of 21 December 1989, to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby,Official Report, column 455, any person with a professional accountancy qualification is being prosecuted for offences under section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act 1986.

  The Attorney-General
  No person with a professional accountancy qualification is at present being prosecuted for offences under section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act 1986.

  Miss L Ritchie
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Attorney-General when the protection division of the Public Trustee Office will complete its consideration of the application relating to Miss L. Ritchie and the estate of the late Rita Dennison, deceased.

  The Attorney-General
  There is currently no outstanding application in either the Court of Protection or the protection division of the Public Trust Office to consider.

  There is, however, an application in Warrington county court under the Law of Property Act 1925 and this application will be considered when the parties apply to the court for the matter to be set down for trial.

  County Courts
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all the county courts in England and Wales and the current level of unopened correspondence in each of them.

  The Attorney-General
  I am informed that there is no unopened correspondence at any of the 275 county courts in England and Wales and I refer the hon. Member to my previous reply on 21 February 1990.

  "The Blooding"
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General when he intends to complete his review of the report concerning Leicestershire police and the book "The Blooding".

  The Attorney-General
  Two reports have been received from the police which are being considered by the Director of Public Prosecutions. He expects to reach a decision concerning criminal proceedings in the near future.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General when he last met the Director of Public Prosecutions; and whether he discussed the Director of Public Prosecution's evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on relations between police forces and the Crown prosecution service.

  The Attorney-General
  I last met the Director of Public Prosecutions on Wednesday 14 February when we discussed matters of departmental interest. It is not my practice to particularise these.

  Lord Chancellor's Department
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes will be made to the Lord Chancellor's Department's cash limit and running costs for 1989–90.

  The Attorney-General
  Pursuant to the answer which I gave my hon. Friend on 29 January, column 28, arid subject to parliamentary approval of the revised supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the Lord Chancellor's Department, class XI, vote 5, will be further increased by £4,000,000 from £260,278,000 to £264,278,000. This increase is necessary to maintain progress on the court building programme and will be charged to the Reserve.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Single Parents
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is(a) the weekly benefit entitlement when not working of a single parent with one child aged 15 years and (b) the weekly income of a single parent with one child aged 15 years with earnings of (a) £10, (b) £15, (c) £20, (d) £30, (e) £40 and (f) £50.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information requested is set out in the table.
  943

  Net income after housing costs at various levels of gross earnings from October 1989

  Gross earnings (per week) of parent

  Net income after housing costs

  £

  a. Not working

  63·69

  b. £10·00 part-time

  73·69

  c. £15·00 part-time

  78·69

  d. £20·00 part-time

  78·69

  e. £30·00 full-time

  81·68

  f. £40·00 full-time

  83·18

  g. £50·00 full-time

  84·46

  Notes:

  1. The assumptions and methods are those used in the tax benefit model table, copies of which are available in the Library.

  2. At earnings £30·00, £40·00 and £50·00 it is assumed that the person works over 24 hours a week and therefore qualifies for family credit. At these levels of part-time earnings, net income after housing costs would remain constant at £78·69 as the person would remain on income support.

  Pensions
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners aged over 75 years have been awarded the new additional pension introduced by the Government.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Around 2·5 million pensioners who were already entitled to income support or housing benefit will have benefited automatically from the premium changes introduced in October 1989. This includes pensioners aged 75 or over and disabled pensioners aged 60 or over.

  Information is not yet available on which to estimate the number of pensioners who newly qualified for benefit from October as a result of the changes. However, over the five months from the start of the publicity campaign in July 1989 until the end of November 1989 there were 232,000 successful income support claims from pensioners. This compares with 82,000 successful claims over the previous five months.

  Information on new claims for housing benefit is not yet available.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many additional(a) families and (b) children in families will be eligible for income related benefits as a result of the freeze in child benefit (i) since April 1987 and (ii) since April 1989.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 9 February 1990]: It is impossible to give any meaningful estimate of the number of people who have or will become dependent on income-related benefits as a direct consequence of not uprating child benefit in April 1988, 1989 and 1990 because the effects cannot be viewed in isolation. It is important to remember that eligible populations and their constituents for all the income-related benefits change constantly as family incomes and circumstances change. Gross earnings have risen, and our policies to reduce tax and national insurance contributions have succeeded in enabling families with children to keep more of their earnings. In addition, we have channelled extra help to families with children through the income-related benefits.

  Family Incomes and Expenditure
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish tables employing the assumptions in his answer to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 22 June 1988,Official Report, columns 575–80, but using expenditure and benefit figures appropriate for families in Greenock and Port Glasgow, together with a column showing the extent of the difference resulting from the April 1988 social security changes.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: I regret that the information requested is not available for Greenock and Port Glasgow. Moreover, the passage of time and subsequent changes to the benefit system have rendered increasingly meaningless any attempt to make hypothetical comparisons between what people get now and what they might have got under a system which was almost universally recognised as being riddled with anomalies and failing to target help sensibly. With this in mind, the Government do not intend to publish tables making such comparisons any longer.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many social fund applications are currently outstanding in offices covering the London borough of Newham.

  Mr. Scott
  The latest information available is for January 1990. For the offices serving the London borough of Newham 306 applications were brought forward as uncleared from December 1989. These were made up of 234 loan and 72 grant applications.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current level of refusals for social fund community care grants in London social security offices.

  Mr. Scott
  The number of refusals can be derived from the information on applications processed and awarded which is in the Library.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of income support recipients are now having deductions made from benefit as a result of paying back social fund loans(a) nationally, (b) regionally and (c) in each local Department of Social Security office area.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: The information requested is in the tables. The percentages have been calculated by referring to provisional data on the number of loans being recovered at the end of January 1990 compared with the number of income support recipients.

  Loans currently being recovered as percentage of income support recipients at national, regional and local office levels

  Per cent.

  National

  9·2

  North East Region

  11·39

  North West Region

  9·9

  Midland Region

  8·7

  945

  Per cent.

  London North Region

  6·07

  London South Region

  6·24

  Wales and South West Region

  14·3

  Scottish Region

  17·1

  North East Region

  Per cent.

  Ashington

  11·64

  Barnsley East

  19·71

  Barnsley West

  12·97

  Berwick

  5·15

  Bishop Auckland

  10·27

  Blyth

  9·08

  Bradford East

  10·33

  Bradford South

  11·77

  Bradford West

  9·44

  Bridlington

  5·57

  Castleford

  11·77

  Chester-le-Street

  8·85

  Darlington

  10·78

  Dewsbury

  7·10

  Doncaster East

  11·65

  Doncaster West

  11·88

  Durham

  8·90

  Eston

  12·16

  Gateshead

  10·00

  Goole

  7·74

  Grimsby

  7·35

  Halifax

  10·57

  Harrogate

  5·14

  Hartlepool

  10·69

  Hemsworth

  11·01

  Hartlepool

  5·54

  Houghton-le-Spring

  13·12

  Huddersfield

  8·25

  Hull East

  11·45

  Hull West

  10·29

  Jarrow

  14·53

  Keighley

  7·35

  Leeds East

  10·95

  Leeds North

  13·79

  Leeds North West

  7·91

  Leeds South

  10·20

  Leeds West

  9·05

  Middlesbrough

  17·54

  Newcastle East

  12·22

  Newcastle St. James

  12·64

  Newcastle West

  15·52

  Northallerton

  5·34

  North Shields

  10·69

  Peterlee

  12·16

  Pontefract

  8·59

  Redcar

  13·90

  Rotherham North

  10·43

  Rotherham South

  10·76

  Scarborough

  5·95

  Scunthorpe

  11·32

  Seaham

  10·30

  Sheffield North East

  16·89

  Sheffield North West

  14·35

  Sheffield South East

  14·94

  Sheffield South West

  10·50

  Skipton

  4·19

  South Shields

  11·97

  Stanley

  10·26

  Stockton

  14·25

  Sunderland North

  17·37

  Sunderland South

  13·39

  Wakefield

  10·73

  Wallsend

  12·12

  Wath-on-Dearne

  14·01

  York

  8·21

  946

  North West Region

  Per cent.

  Accrington

  6·85

  Ashton under Lyne

  7·25

  Barrow in Furness

  7·64

  Belle Vale

  14·63

  Birkenhead North

  13·87

  Birkenhead South

  11·73

  Blackburn

  7·62

  Blackpool North

  3·75

  Blackpool South

  7·76

  Bolton

  7·79

  Bootle

  15·94

  Breckfield

  10·93

  Burnley

  8·19

  Bury

  6·38

  Buxton

  7·17

  Carlisle

  8·00

  Cheetham

  10·10

  Chester

  8·64

  Chorlton

  9·55

  Crewe

  7·87

  Crosby

  13·22

  Edge Hill

  13·72

  Ellesmere Port

  15·10

  Failsworth

  5·16

  Farnworth

  12·90

  Garston

  27·46

  Huyton

  7·26

  Hyde

  1·31

  Kendal

  18·60

  Kirkby

  12·74

  Lancaster

  9·08

  Leigh

  9·19

  Liverpool City

  17·35

  Longsight

  2·23

  Macclesfield

  15·77

  Middleton

  10·60

  Norris Green

  15·14

  North wich

  14·20

  Oldham

  8·77

  Openshaw

  10·43

  Penrith

  3·62

  Preston North

  8·21

  Preston South

  5·55

  Rochdale

  9·60

  Rossendale

  7·91

  Rusholme

  10·09

  St. Helens

  10·36

  Sale

  6·95

  Salford North

  8·47

  Salford South

  8·81

  Skelmersdale

  12·49

  Southport

  2·61

  Stockport North

  9·34

  Stockport South

  10·32

  Toxteth

  19·49

  Wallasey

  11·42

  Warrington

  9·19

  West Derby

  12·76

  Whitehaven

  8·05

  Widnes

  16·10

  Wigan

  10·96

  Wilmslow

  6·30

  Workington

  7·34

  Wythenshawe

  13·58

  Midland Region

  Per cent.

  Birmingham (Bradford Street)

  8·78

  Birmingham (Edgebaston)

  8·03

  15W Birmingham (Erdington)

  12·31

  Birmingham (Handsworth)

  12·30

  Birmingham (Ladywood)

  11·83

  Birmingham (Northfield)

  11·99

  Birmingham (Perry Barr)

  9·57

  947

  Per cent.

  Birmingham (Ravenshurst)

  7·44

  Birmingham (South Yardley)

  8·51

  Birmingham (Sparkhill)

  1·48

  Birmingham (Washwood Heath)

  9·95

  Boston

  4·09

  Burton on Trent

  6·20

  Cannock

  6·83

  Chesterfield

  7·25

  Corby

  10·98

  Coventry (East)

  13·75

  Coventry (West)

  8·02

  Derby (Becket Street)

  5·68

  Derby (Heritage Gate)

  6·25

  Derby (London Road)

  8·32

  Dudley North

  8·35

  Dudley South

  6·47

  Grantham

  5·37

  Hereford

  6·02

  Ilkeston

  8·64

  Kidderminster

  7·69

  Leamington

  5·41

  Leicester (Burleys Way)

  9·67

  Leicester (Lower Hill)

  9·64

  Leicester (Norton Street)

  6·78

  Leicester (Yeoman Street)

  11·12

  Lichfield

  8·22

  Lincoln (Newlands)

  8·38

  Lincoln (Orchard Street)

  9·05

  Loughborough

  6·15

  Mansfield

  9·18

  Newcastle (Staffs)

  7·09

  Northampton

  5·68

  Nottingham (Castle Gate)

  9·85

  Nottingham (David Lane)

  10·04

  Nottingham (Shakespeare Street)

  11·47

  Nottingham (Station Street)

  8·12

  Nuneaton

  8·02

  Redditch

  5·96

  Rugby

  7·03

  Shrewsbury

  5·52

  Skegness

  2·95

  Smethwick

  7·66

  Stafford

  5·74

  Stoke North

  7·80

  Stoke South

  8·41

  Sutton in Ashfield

  6·63

  Telford

  10·97

  Walsall East

  8·55

  Walsall West

  11·16

  Wellingborough

  6·44

  West Bromwich

  9·24

  Wolverhampton North

  14·02

  Wolverhampton South

  10·63

  Worcester

  6·72

  Worksop

  7·61

  London North Region

  Per cent.

  Acton

  5·63

  Aylesbury

  3·67

  Barking

  5·69

  Barnet

  4·43

  Basildon

  4·32

  Bedford

  5·97

  Braintree

  1·04

  Bury St. Edmonds

  3·88

  Cambridge

  3·42

  Canning Town

  11·33

  Chelmsford

  8·59

  Clacton

  7·14

  Colchester

  3·05

  Cricklewood

  5·78

  Diss

  19·68

  Dunstable

  1·81

  Ealing

  1·11

  Edgeware

  8·02

  948

  Per cent.

  Edmondton

  3·09

  Euston

  4·69

  Finsbury Park

  1·42

  Grays

  8·92

  Great Yarmouth

  6·72

  Hackney

  9·36

  Harlesdon

  10·53

  Harlow

  3·03

  Harrow

  3·13

  Hemel Hemstead

  2·66

  Hendon

  6·53

  Hertford

  3·97

  Highgate

  6·44

  High Wycombe

  4·17

  Hoxton

  9·89

  Ilford

  11·16

  Ipswich

  5·05

  Kings Lynn

  4·47

  Leystone

  6·50

  Lowestoft

  6·85

  Luton

  8·36

  Milton Keynes

  7·86

  Neasden

  6·23

  Norwich (C)

  6·10

  Norwich (M)

  7·71

  Notting Hill

  8·79

  Oxford

  7·94

  Paddington

  3·32

  Peterborough

  10·17

  Plaistow

  6·82

  Poplar

  7·68

  Romford

  3·88

  St. Albans

  4·80

  Shoreditch

  8·73

  Southall

  8·97

  Southend

  4·94

  Stepney

  5·81

  Stevenage

  6·24

  Edmonton

  9·56

  Thames North

  3·21

  Tottenham

  10·40

  Uxbridge

  5·58

  Walthamstow

  6·68

  Watford

  5·38

  Woodgrange Park

  9·75

  Wood Green

  7·33

  London South Region

  Per cent.

  Aldershot

  6·08

  Andover

  9·60

  Ashford

  6·34

  Balham

  5·43

  Basingstoke

  7·66

  Battersea

  5·18

  Bexley

  9·66

  Bloomsbury

  4·08

  Bognor Regis

  7·00

  Bracknell

  3·19

  Brighton

  8·64

  Brixton

  4·15

  Bromley

  8·56

  Camberwell

  6·02

  Canterbury

  3·03

  Chatham

  2·99

  Chelsea

  8·17

  Chichester

  5·01

  City

  5·69

  Crawley

  10·38

  Croydon

  4·92

  Crystal Palace

  8·42

  Dartford

  3·94

  Dover

  12·74

  Eastbourne

  2·58

  Eltham

  9·23

  Epsom

  6·16

  949

  Per cent.

  Fareham

  4·24

  Folkstone

  10·51

  Gravesend

  6·77

  Greenwich Park

  12·19

  Guildford

  8·02

  Hastings

  3·20

  Havant

  5·76

  Hither Green

  9·49

  Hounslow

  3·16

  Hove

  4·01

  Isle of Wight

  7·67

  Kennington Park

  6·68

  Kensington

  4·92

  Kingston

  2·44

  Lewes

  6·86

  Lewisham

  3·61

  Maidstone

  7·15

  Mitcham

  5·72

  New Forest

  10·52

  New Maiden

  6·35

  Newbury

  5·46

  Orpington

  3·30

  Oval

  6·51

  Peckham

  4·09

  Portsmouth North

  6·56

  Portsmouth South

  5·25

  Reading

  4·10

  Redhill

  4·74

  Sittingbourne

  5·25

  Slough

  4·44

  Southampton

  2·87

  Southwark

  6·08

  Streatham

  4·31

  Sutton

  6·74

  Thames South

  3·21

  Thanet

  4·53

  Tunbridge Wells

  4·70

  Twickenham

  4·46

  Wandsworth

  3·08

  Westminster

  9·14

  Winchester

  3·69

  Wimbledon

  6·98

  Woking

  5·24

  Woolwich

  2·75

  Worthing

  5·54

  Wales and South West region

  Per cent.

  Aberdare

  14·63

  Abertillery

  12·50

  Aberystwyth

  6·12

  Ammanford

  6·59

  Anglesey

  8·44

  Bargoed

  14·01

  Barnstaple

  5·59

  Barry

  9·02

  Bath

  5·73

  Blackwood

  9·52

  Bournemouth

  4·84

  Bridgend

  7·60

  Bridgwater

  6·80

  Bristol Central

  8·70

  Bristol East

  5·81

  Bristol Horsfield

  8·01

  Bristol South

  9·10

  Bristol West

  3·17

  Caernarfon

  8·36

  Caerphilly

  19·88

  Cardiff Central

  9·07

  Cardiff East

  12·38

  Cardiff West

  12·50

  Carmarthen

  6·37

  Cheltenham

  5·39

  Chippenham

  5·26

  Colwyn Bay

  6·85

  Cwmbran

  8·93

  950

  Per cent.

  Deeside

  8·83

  Devonport

  11·79

  Ebbw Vale

  10·45

  Exeter

  6·27

  Gloucester

  8·94

  Haverfordwest

  8·62

  Launceston

  4·13

  Llanelli

  10·14

  Merthyr Tydfil

  12·83

  Morriston

  13·04

  Neath

  8·32

  Newport

  11·09

  Newtown

  5·22

  Pembroke Dock

  10·80

  Penzance

  3·50

  Plymouth

  7·89

  Pontypridd

  11·60

  Poole

  4·29

  Porth

  9·62

  Porthmadog/Dolgellau

  4·65

  Port Talbot

  11·45

  Tonypandy

  13·19

  Rhyl

  5·95

  St. Austell

  7·33

  Salisbury

  7·09

  Stroud

  4·42

  Swansea

  11·05

  Swindon

  7·99

  Taunton

  5·15

  Torbay

  5·28

  Trowbridge

  6·09

  Truro

  5·32

  Weston-Super-Mare

  5·46

  Weymouth

  5·20

  Wrexham

  8·58

  Yeovil

  3·98

  Scottish Region

  Per cent.

  Aberdeen North

  10·16

  Aberdeen South

  8·71

  Airdrie

  24·75

  Arbroath

  8·71

  Ayr

  14·81

  Bathgate

  13·77

  Bellshill

  25·11

  Cambletown

  10·86

  Clydebank

  24·47

  Coatbridge

  21·75

  Cowdenbeath

  12·37

  Cumbernauld

  12·36

  Dumbarton

  21·24

  Dumfries

  8·82

  Dundee East

  13·11

  Dundee West

  13·96

  Dunfermline

  14·76

  East Kilbride

  13·46

  Edinburgh City

  14·44

  Edinburgh East

  13·25

  Edinburgh North

  13·45

  Edinburgh South

  11·35

  Edinburgh West

  13·85

  Elgin

  8·18

  Falkirk

  15·50

  Fort William

  7·68

  Galashiels

  8·42

  Glasgow Anniesland

  26·28

  Glasgow Bridgeton

  21·36

  Glasgow City

  21·89

  Glasgow Craigton

  22·85

  Glasgow Cranstonhill

  13·27

  Glasgow Laurieston

  18·36

  Glasgow Maryhill

  26·19

  Glasgow Parkhead

  24·14

  Glasgow Partick

  17·00

  Glasgow Provan

  30·99

  951

  Per cent.

  Glasgow Rutherglen

  23·15

  Glasgow South Side

  26·41

  Glasgow Springburn

  26·24

  Greenock

  19·83

  Hamilton

  21·45

  Inverness

  8·67

  Irvine

  23·60

  Johnstone

  15·33

  Kilmarnock

  15·44

  Kirkcaldy

  12·31

  Lerwick

  4·34

  Leven

  12·20

  Motherwell

  21·09

  Oban

  7·43

  Paisley

  18·13

  Perth

  9·13

  Peterhead

  10·01

  Port Glasgow

  24·02

  Stirling

  12·05

  Stornoway

  5·18

  Stranraer

  10·31

  Wick

  5·81

  Note: Calculations based on latest available information on Income Support caseload as at November 1990.

HEALTH

  Capital Investment
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in descending order the levels of capital investment of each health district in the Northern region since 1974, and then give the figures adjusted for inflation.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information is not available in the form requested. Information derived from the annual accounts of the Northern regional health authority (RHA) and the district health authorities (DHAs) comprising the Northern region since the establishment on 1 April 1982 of DHAs is shown in the table.

  Northern Region—District Health Authorities total capital expenditure 1982–83 to 1988–89 (inclusive)

  Districts

  £000

  £000

  (cash)

  (at 1988–89 prices)

  Newcastle Upon Tyne

  50,098

  58,778

  South Tees

  38,050

  43,646

  South Cumbria

  34,845

  40,124

  Northumberland

  31,587

  36,799

  South Tyneside

  24,473

  27,130

  North Tyneside

  21,309

  25,937

  Hartlepool

  20,308

  24,235

  Gateshead

  20,215

  24,901

  Sunderland

  16,409

  19,350

  East Cumbria

  14,780

  17,615

  Durham

  12,373

  14,899

  South West Durham

  8,132

  9,600

  West Cumbria

  8,033

  9,397

  Darlington

  7,675

  8,824

  North Tees

  5,783

  6,766

  North West Durham

  3,235

  3,794

  Districts total

  317,305

  371,795

  Notes:

  1. The cash based figures are the aggregate totals derived from the series of annual accounts. In deriving the aggregate figures at 1988–89 prices each year's figures have been seperately expressed at 1988–89 prices by the use of the gross domestic product deflators.

  2. Capital expenditure recorded in the annual accounts of the Northern RHA in respect of district schemes has been included in the figures for the districts concerned but capital expenditure incurred by
  952
  the RHA for the region as a whole is excluded.

  3. Capital investment in particular regions and districts tends to fluctuate year on year mainly reflecting changes in the pattern of capital investment throughout the country and at district level it is also influenced by other local factors.

  4. Prior to 1 April 1982 many of the DHAs predecessor health districts formed part of larger area health authorities and in those cases district based figures were not collected centrally.

  HIV 2
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make it his policy to screen all blood supplies for HIV 2.

  Mr. Freeman
  Samples from blood donors who have visited those countries where HIV 2 is common are tested for antibodies to the virus. This selective screening policy has been in existence since June 1988.

  Combined tests for the antibodies to HIV 1 and HIV 2 were recently developed and the desirability of extending screening for antibodies to HIV 2 to all blood donations is under review in light of the results of their evaluation.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of disabled employees in his Department and in the regional health authorities; and what is the applicable statutory quota on the recruitment of disabled persons.

  Mr. Freeman
  In the Department of Health in February 1990 there are 31 registered disabled employees, representing 0·74 per cent. of the work force. In addition, two appointments have recently been made under the sheltered placement scheme and another person with a disability is working for the Department at home under a remote working arrangement.

  Responsibility for employment matters in the NHS rests with individual employing authorities. Figures recently published by the employment service show the number of registered disabled people employed by regional health authorities, at May 1989, to be:

  Regional Health Authority

  Registered disabled staff

  Per cent, of work force

  Northern

  11·0

  0·4

  Yorkshire

  15·0

  0·5

  Trent

  113·5

  0·4

  East Anglia

  3·0

  0·2

  North West Thames

  3·0

  0·9

  North East Thames

  0·0

  0·0

  South East Thames

  4·0

  0·3

  South West Thames

  4·0

  0·4

  Wessex

  4·0

  0·3

  Oxford

  11·0

  0·6

  South Western

  9·0

  0·5

  West Midlands

  46·0

  0·9

  Mersey

  9·0

  0·4

  North Western

  10·0

  0·2

  1 Staff employed between 10 and 30 hours a week are counted as half a unit.

  The figures are likely to understate the number of people with disabilities because many choose not to register as disabled.

  Employers of more than 20 staff have a statutory duty to employ a 3 per cent. quota of registered disabled people. This is not binding on the Crown, but Government Departments, including the Department of Health, and health authorities aim to meet or improve on this quota.
  953
  We have made clear to authorities the importance that we attach to equal opportunities for disabled people in employment, for example through our endorsement of the then Manpower Services Commission's code of practice on the employment of disabled people. We have also encouraged the formation of direct links between NHS personnel managers and the major organisations development unit of the disabled peoples service.

  Child Care
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by Her Majesty's Government to establish and develop positive child care policies to date; and if he will make a statement outlining his proposals for future child care initiatives.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government's positive child care policies have been reflected in legislation over a number of years culminating in the Children Act 1989 which updates and consolidates previous child care legislation in respect of England and Wales and will be implemented in October 1991. Regulations and guidance will follow as part of the process of implementing the Act. In addition, the Government have set up a number of specific initiatives in the child care field in England including a central training initiative on child abuse; the extension of the training support programme to inclde local authority child care staff; a central training initiative to promote the development of work with children who have been abused and young perpetrators of abuse; and a new under-fives initiative to fund local projects for young children and their families.

  Free Prescriptions
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to entitle men aged 60 to 64 years to free National Health Service prescriptions;

  (2) what would he the cost of extending entitlements to free National Health Service prescriptions to men aged 60 to 64 years.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is not possible from the information available to estimate accurately the cost of extending the present arrangements for exemption from NHS prescription charges to include men aged 60 to 64 years. The existing arrangements, particularly those for persons on low income, ensure that no one, regardless of age, needs to forgo necessary medication on financial grounds, and we therefore have no plans to change them. As a result of these arrangements over 75 per cent. of prescription items are dispensed free.

  Hospital Laundering
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures exist to ensure that the cost of laundry services provided by National Health Service laundries is properly monitored and controlled.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is for individual health authorities to lay down procedures that monitor the costs and control the laundry services they receive.

  Sweet Cigarettes
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward legislation to ban the renewed sale of imitation sweet cigarettes to children; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Existing legislation covers items which can be shown to be intrinsically unsafe. While we deplore any attempt to encourage children to regard smoking as a game, we believe it would be very difficult to try to define in legislation confectionery products which might be regarded by some people as imitations of cigarettes. We believe the better course is for the Government, and groups of people concerned with the risks of smoking to maintain public awareness of these risks, particularly among children and young people.

  Nurses
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of places available to state-enrolled nurses to convert to registered general nurses in 1989 and 1990; what is the total number of applications received for these courses; what is the average waiting time for successful applicants; and if there are any plans to increase the number of places available for state-enrolled nurses wishing to undertake the conversion courses to registered general nurses.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Not all the information requested is held centrally.

  Information supplied by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting shows that 2,639 enrolled nurses were on conversion courses at 4 January 1990. By 14 February 1990 conversion courses in 210 educational institutions had been approved by the board. This compares with six by 31 March 1985.

  Enrolled nurses converting to the first level qualification of registered general nurse must receive training which meets the EC equivalent for a nurse responsible for general care. The number of places available may be constrained in some areas by the availability of clinical placements, particularly in obstetrics and mental illness-handicap. We are asking health authorities to make plans for further conversion courses and to consider the more flexible modes of conversion agreed by the board which build on additional experience gained since qualification. We have also provided funding to the first 13 Project 2000 demonstration districts for an expansion of 232 places for enrolled nurses in 1989–90. We are considering further bids from schools and colleges of nursing to commence Project 2000 training in 1990–91 and are ensuring that these plans contain firm proposals for conversion courses.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he intends to reply to correspondence from Dr. Bryan Scaife of Queens Park medical centre, Stockton on 'Tees sent to him by the hon. Member for Stockton, South;

  (2) when he intends to reply to a letter from Dr. Bryan Scaife of Queens Park medical centre; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have now written to my hon. Friend.

  Community Hospital Sales (Shropshire)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on Shropshire health authority's proposals to sell off five community hospitals for use as private nursing homes;

  (2) what revenue savings will result from the proposed selling off of five community hospitals by Shropshire health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for Shropshire district health authority.

  I understand, however, that members of the health authority are considering outline proposals for the transfer of some continuing care services currently provided in its cottage hospitals to independent charitable trusts. Any such proposal to change the use of these hospitals would be consulted on by the DHA in the normal way, and might in due course come to Ministers for approval. Ministers' decisions would be on the proposals as finally approved by the health authority following consultations.

  Any savings which might result would clearly depend on the health authority's final plans. If the hon. and learned Member wants details of possible savings from the options currently under consideration or any further details of the health authority's proposals, I suggest he should contact the district chairman direct.

  North West RHA
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the allocation of funds to the North West regional health authority and South Manchester health authority for 1990–91.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: North West regional health authority's initial revenue cash limit for 1990–91 is £1,237,876,000. It is for regional health authorities to decide on the allocations to be made to their districts.

CIVIL SERVICE

  Civil Service Unions
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when he last met representatives of the Civil Service unions; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Luce
  I met members of the National Union of Civil and Public Servants on 29 January to discuss physical security of Government establishments.

THE ARTS

  National Film and Television School
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what is his policy on increasing training provision at the National Film and Television School.

  Mr. Luce
  I shall be increasing the grant to the National Film and Television School from £1·7 million in 1989–90 to £1·85 million in 1991–92. The school plays an important role in providing training for directors, camera staff and other specialists for the audio-visual industry. It is currently drawing up plans for its longer-term future which I hope to consider shortly.

  Nottingham Playhouse
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will pay an official visit to the Nottingham Playhouse to discuss funding for the performing arts.

  Mr. Luce
  I have no plans at present to do so.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  EC Computer System
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the intended use of the computer system advertised in the supplement to the official journal of the European Commission No. S244/50, dated 19 December 1989; and what new functions and facilities will it provide.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that this system will provide a computerised indexing facility for the force's general registry. No new functions or facilities will be provided, but computerisation will allow the registry to accomplish its tasks with greater speed and accuracy.

  Missing Persons
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received concerning the establishment of a national missing persons register.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The only recent representations that we have received are the questions which were asked by the hon. and learned Member earlier this month.

  Prisons (Inmate Committees)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Tooting on 16 January,Official Report, column 176, if he will list prisons in England and Wales that have inmate committees; how often such committees meet; what is their composition of members; how their agendas are prepared; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Information on inmate committees is not kept centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Chief Officers of Police (Cars)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief constables of police have chauffeur-driven cars; and if he will list them.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Transport arrangements in forces are matters for police authorities and their chief officers.

  Passports
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports have been issued by the Belfast passport office to people who lodged their applications at the Glasgow passport office in the past year; and if he will make it his policy that passports should be marked as having been issued at the office to which the application was sent, regardless of any other administrative arrangements which may be made by his Department.
  957
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Since September 1989, about 50,000 passport applications sent to the Glasgow passport office have been transferred to the Belfast office for processing under the passport department's arrangements for balancing workloads between offices to reduce delays. To show on a passport an issuing office other than that which issued the passport would be administratively difficult, confusing, and contrary to international passport practice.

  Firearms
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of shotgun and firearms certificates issued in 1989.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is not yet available. The 1988 figures for England and Wales are published in Home Office statistical bulletin 18/89, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Cable Television
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cable franchises have been allocated since 1984; to which companies and when; what is the proportion of foreign ownership in each; and how many homes have been cabled up by each contractor.

  Mr. Mellor
  Since 1984 the Cable Authority has allocated 53 cable franchises. I understand that on 1 January 1990 a total of 303,427 households were connected to cable systems, of which 88,006 were connected to broadband cable. I have placed in the Library a list of the other information requested, where this is not commercially confidential.

  Criminal Injuries (Compensation)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims in the years 1987, 1988 and 1989 received compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board for sums between £550 and £750; and what percentage this represented of the total number of awards in these years.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given yesterday to questions from the hon. Members for Don. Valley (Mr. Redmond) and for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy).

  "Error of Judgement"
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department first received a copy of the book "Error of Judgement"; and what action was taken.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Office obtained a copy of the book "Error of Judgement" shortly after publication in July 1986. On 2 September 1986, the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) discussed the content of his book with officials of the Home Office criminal department, and subsequently discussed a number of the points raised in the book with an Assistant Chief Constable of the West Midlands police. The book was considered by my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd), among a number of representations which had been made to him about the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six, before coming to his decision on 20 January 1987 to refer the whole case to the Court of Appeal.

  Police Pensions
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the difference in annual pension between police constables, sergeants and inspectors and their respective widows where their police service was completed(a) prior to 1960 and (b) since the current police pension scheme was introduced.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Retirement date

  Constable

  Sergeant

  Inspector

  £

  £

  £

  1959

  3,510(1,400)

  4,010(1,610)

  4,700(1,880)

  1989

  7,560(5,040)

  8,300(5,530)

  9,420(6,280)

  1. The figures assume that each officer had the maximum period of reckonable service of 30 years and opted to commute part of his pension for a lump sum payment.

  2. Widows' entitlements are shown in brackets; the figures in the first line reflect cost of living increases during the intervening period and assume that each officer opted for a widow's award based on one third of his pension (before commutation).

  Mr. Kenneth Carter
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now give a substantive answer to the questions for priority written answer on 8 February from the hon. Member for Stockton, South relating to the case of Mr. Kenneth Carter, a prisoner in Durham prison, to which a holding answer was given.

  Mr. Mellor
  I replied to my hon. Friend yesterday.

  North Africa (Visas)
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to impose a visa requirement on nationals of Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia who wish to enter the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Waddington
  I will shortly lay before Parliament a statement of changes in the immigration rules which will include provisions requiring nationals of Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia to obtain visas before travelling to the United Kingdom. The Governments of the three countries have been informed, and the necessary formal notice of one month under our agreements for the abolition of visas with Morocco (1958, Cm. 623) and Tunisia (1962, Cm. 1989) will be given to those two Governments. The United Kingdom has no such agreement with Algeria. The new visa requirements will come into effect on 1 April.

  This change, like that in June 1989 in respect of Turkey, should be seen in the context of the increasingly close co-operation between the member states of the European Community on immigration matters. EC Ministers with responsibility for immigration matters have for some time had under consideration possible additions to the list of countries for whose nationals all member states require visas; and among the countries which have been given particular consideration in this context are Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. A majority of member states already require visas of Algerian and Moroccan nationals, and six member states already require visas of Tunisian nationals. In the light of increasing operating difficulties with nationals of these countries, the Government have decided that the time has come for the United Kingdom also to require visas of all three nationalities. Growing

  959
  numbers of nationals of these countries are proving ineligible for entry on arrival at United Kingdom ports. This had placed strains on the immigration control and created delays and inconvenience for passengers.

  The introduction of these visa requirements should benefit all bona fide travellers, who will know before they depart that they are eligible for admission to the United Kingdom, and will be less likely to encounter delays on arrival. Our visa issuing posts in the three countries are being strengthened to ensure an efficient service. Regular visitors to this country will be eligible for multiple-entry visas.

  London Underground (Smoking)
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the level of fines imposed by magistrates on those convicted of smoking on the London Underground.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 26 January 1990]: Our records show that since November 1987 we have received five letters on this subject.

  Murder Trials
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about enabling the families of murder victims to be legally represented in court during trials; and what has been his response.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 20 February 1990]: We are acutely conscious of the sense of grievance felt by the families of some murder victims that they have no opportunity to be heard in court. Entitling the victim's family to be represented at the trial would mean fundamental changes of principle and practice in how criminal proceedings are brought and conducted, and would need careful consideration. There may be other mechanisms for ensuring that the views of families in murder cases and of victims themselves in other cases are taken properly into account. These are difficult issues on which the Government are inviting views in their victims charter published yesterday.

WALES

  Cardiff Bay Barrage
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West of 2 February,Official Report, columns 372–73, (1) which authority or company will be responsible for the cost of works undertaken within the inland bay to maintain water quality under the provisions of the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill after the 20-year period following the commencement of impoundment;

  (2) which authority or company will be responsible for the ownership and maintenance of works undertaken within the inland bay to maintain water quality under the provisions of the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill after the 20-year period following the commencement of impoundment.

  Mr. Grist
  The responsibility for the ownership maintenance and costs of works undertaken within the inland bay to maintain water quality lies with the promoters of the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill. There are 960
  provisions within the Bill to enable the development corporation's responsibilities to pass to a successor body on the dissolution of the development corporation.

  Nursing
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of places available to state enrolled nurses to convert to registered general nurses in 1989 and 1990; what is the average waiting time for successful applicants; and if there are any plans to increase the number of places available for state enrolled nurses wishing to undertake the conversion courses to registered general nurses.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of places available to second level general nurses to convert to first level general nurses in Wales in 1989 and 1990 is as follows:

  1989—130

  1990—142 (to date)

  Information about the average waiting time for successful applicants is not held centrally.

  The Government's response to Project 2000 stressed the need to increase the number of second level nurse conversion courses, and the United Kingdom Central Council and the Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting are examining the provision for more flexible modes of conversion. Health authorities in Wales have been encouraged to increase opportunities for second level nurse conversion wherever possible.

DEFENCE

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army personnel have been injured in their duties as temporary ambulance workers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Nine service personnel have been injured while assisting in providing temporary accident and emergency cover during the present ambulance workers' dispute. None of the injuries were serious.

  D Notices
  Mr. Graham Allen
  To Ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the subject of each D notice issued in the last six months.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No new D notices have been issued in the past six months, although the eight standing D notices on which the system has been based since 1982 were reprinted and reissued to the media in November 1989. At the same time, D notice No. 4, formerly entitled "Radio and Radar Transmissions", was revised, to take account of advances in technology, and is now entitled "Electronic Equipments and Electro-Magnetic Transmissions". Copies of the D notices are held by the Library of the House.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many csomplaints the Government have received about low flying planes in Scotland in the years 1987,1988, 1989 and 1990 to date.
  961
  Mr. Neubert
  The Ministry of Defence has received inquiries and complaints about military low flying training in Scotland as follows:

  Number

  1987

  729

  1988

  875

  1989

  1,440

  1990

  93

  The figure for 1990 covers the month of January.

SCOTLAND

  Police Forces
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list, for each year since 1979, the countries from Latin America and other non-democratic states that have sent delegations of police officers or military to study the police technology, crowd control techniques and computers used by Scottish police forces.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The table gives details of all centrally recorded visits by police officers and associated civilian personnel to Scotland from overseas, in the course of which interest has been shown in the subjects specified.

  Year

  Technology

  Computers

  Crowd Control

  1986

  Sudan

  Sudan

  —

  Guyana

  —

  1987

  Australia

  —

  —

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average net income from livestock farms in Scotland of 50 to 100 acres 100 acres to 200 acres and other small farms under 50 acres; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information is not available in the form requested. Data on average net income by type of farm and farm business size are published in "Farm Incomes in Scotland, 1988–89", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

EMPLOYMENT

  Youth Training
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YTS trainees receive a top-up from their employers over and above the basic YTS rate, giving the results by region.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Tourism
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate(a) the number of foreign tourists coming to Britain in 1989 and (b) the value of tourism to Britain in 1989.
  962
  Mr. Nicholls
  During the first 11 months of 1989, the latest period available, overseas residents made an estimated 16·1 million visits to the United Kingdom, 9 per cent. more than in the same period of 1988. For the same period it is provisionally estimated that overseas residents spent £6,285 million in the United Kingdom, 9 per cent. higher than for the equivalent period in 1988.

  Tourism (South Africa)
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will make a statement on the United Kingdom ban on the promotion of tourism to South Africa.

  Mr. Howard
  The Government have made clear their view that the steps President de Klerk has taken have transformed the political climate in South Africa. He has opened the way to a peaceful end to apartheid through negotiation. This deserves a constructive response from the international community.

  In 1986 European Community Foreign Ministers and, separately, Heads of Government participating at the Commonwealth review meeting agreed to impose a number of measures against South Africa, including a ban on the promotion of tourism to South Africa. The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment announced the implementation in the United Kingdom of this ban in a written answer to a parliamentary question on 30 October 1986 (c. 213, Vol. 103). In our case the measure was voluntary.

  When imposing the measures European Community Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the urgent need for a genuine national dialogue, across lines of colour, politics and religion. To this end they called on the South African Government to release unconditionally Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, and to lift the bans on the African National Congress, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and other political parties. Separately they expressed their wish to see the state of emergency brought to an end. The steps President de Klerk has taken open the way to such a dialogue. It would be logical, therefore, to respond by lifting the measures imposed at that time.

  When the participants in the Commonwealth review meeting in London in 1986 agreed to impose certain measures they referred in their communiqué to the deteriorating situation in South Africa and to a spiralling cycle of violence and counter-violence. They called on the South African Government to initiate a process of dialogue and said that if this call received a positive response and the South African Government took the steps demanded of them, they would review the situation and, if appropriate, rescind the measures. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment referred to that undertaking when announcing our ban on the promotion of tourism in 1986.

  Accordingly Her Majesty's Government are now lifting the ban on the promotion of tourism to South Africa. ft will be for individual organisations in the tourist trade to decide whether or not to promote tourism to South Africa. The Government will no longer discourage them.

  Our goal remains the peaceful end of apartheid through negotiations leading to a democratic and non-racial South Africa. We shall continue our efforts to contribute to the rapid achievement of that goal.

  Adult Training
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total estimated expenditure on adult training in each of the years 1988–89 to 1992–93 inclusive, in cash and real terms, for Great Britain.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: Expenditure on adult training' in the years 1988–89 to 1992–93 in cash prices and constant 1988–89 prices is given in the following table:

  Cash prices

  Constant prices2

  £ million

  £ million

  1988–89 outturn

  690

  690

  1989–90 forecast

  1,158

  1,082

  1990–91 planned

  1,280

  1,139

  1991–92 planned

  1,250

  1,074

  1992–93 planned

  1,271

  1,061

  1 Adult training includes the following programmes: business enterprise programme, business growth training, employment rehabilitation centres, employment training, industrial language training service, local collaborative projects, local grants to employers, national priority skills, new job training scheme, old job training scheme, residential training for the disabled, training for enterprise, voluntary project programme, wider opportunities training programme. It does not include the community programme.

  2 Cash figures adjusted to 1988–89 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the gross domestic product deflator.

  Employment Training
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure both outturn and planned on employment training and those programmes subsumed by employment training for each of the years 1985–86 to 1992–93, in both cash and real terms, for Great Britain.

  Employment Training

  Trainees on practical training placements with employers and on projects on the census date December 1988—December 1989 (Estimated)

  Percentage

  Region

  December1

  March

  June

  September

  December

  Project

  Employer

  Project

  Employer

  Project

  Employer

  Project

  Employer

  Project

  Employer

  South East

  46

  31

  39

  31

  36

  31

  34

  25

  29

  28

  London

  43

  17

  48

  18

  42

  19

  44

  18

  42

  17

  South West

  47

  24

  45

  26

  44

  30

  n/a

  n/a

  37

  29

  West Midlands

  65

  22

  58

  20

  59

  21

  58

  20

  59

  24

  East Midlands and Eastern

  n/a

  n/a

  57

  27

  49

  26

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  52

  23

  51

  25

  48

  25

  47

  23

  50

  24

  North West

  58

  24

  49

  28

  54

  27

  52

  24

  49

  24

  Northern

  66

  16

  53

  24

  53

  24

  52

  25

  51

  24

  Wales

  56

  20

  45

  27

  43

  28

  40

  26

  39

  27

  Scotland

  69

  18

  62

  21

  60

  24

  65

  21

  64

  22

  Great Britain

  58

  21

  52

  24

  50

  25

  50

  23

  49

  24

  1 Returns include trainees on CP wages.

  n/a=Not available because of low number of returns.

  Radiation (Exposure)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make it his policy to reduce the maximum exposure of workers to radiation to 10 mSv a year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 21 February 1990]: No. On 5 February 1990 the Health and Safety Commission published a consultative document inviting comments on
  964
  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: The following table shows planned expenditure and outturn expenditures on employment training and the programmes subsumed by employment training1 for each of the years 1985–86 to 1992–93 in both cash and real terms, for Great Britain.

  Cash prices

  Constant prices2

  Planned

  Outturn

  Planned

  Outturn

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  1985–86

  909

  867

  1,061

  1,012

  1986–87

  1,205

  1,255

  1,361

  1,417

  1987–88

  1,479

  1,328

  1,586

  1,424

  1988–89

  1,361

  1,290

  1,361

  1,290

  1989–90

  1,230

  31,112

  1,150

  31,039

  1990–91

  1,210

  n/a

  1,077

  n/a

  1991–92

  1,180

  n/a

  1,057

  n/a

  1992–93

  1,200

  n/a

  1,002

  n/a

  1 Programmes subsumed by employment training were: community programme, job training scheme, new job training scheme, residential training for the disabled, voluntary projects programme, wider opportunities training programme.

  2 Cash prices adjusted to 1988–89 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the gross domestic product deflator.

  3 Forecast.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of employment training trainees in(a) employer/work-based schemes and (b) project-based schemes for each quarter between December 1988 and December 1989 and for each of the standard regions, Scotland, Wales and Great Britain.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: Information is not available in the precise form requested. Information is available only for the eight Training Agency regions in England and for Scotland and Wales and is given in the following table.

  additional guidance on dose limitation. This proposed that decisions on whether doses are as low as reasonably practicable should take account of the latest revisions of estimated risk from exposure to ionising radiations and additional action where a worker's annual dose exceeded 15 mSv on average. My right hon. and learned Friend is awaiting further advice from the Health and Safety Commission as to any additional measures that may now be seen as necessary.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Soviet Union
  Mr. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise with the Soviet Union, under the terms of the Helsinki agreement the question of the provision of direct flights between the Soviet Union and Israel.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We welcome the greatly increased flow of Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union. The question of direct flights between Israel and the Soviet Union is not covered by the Helsinki final act, and is for the two countries themselves to decide.

  EC Directives
  Mr. Butterfill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many European Community directives have been(a) implemented, (b) not implemented and (c) infringed, by each European Community country; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  Under the EC treaties it is for the Commission to monitor the implementation of Community legislation. The most recent information available on the implementation and application of Community law was contained in the fifth annual Commission report to the European Parliament (Official Journal of the European Communities, c. 310; volume 31 of 5 December 1988), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Publication of the sixth annual report is expected shortly.

  In respect of single market measures alone, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 9 January by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Corporate Affairs to my hon. Friend the Member for Corby (Mr. Powell), which gave details of implementation and confirmed the United Kingdom's excellent record.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Taxation
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost of enabling married couples who wish to share the benefits of married couples allowance equally between them from 1990 to do so; and what would be the income distribution of those couples who would financially gain.

  Mr. Lilley
  The costs to the Exchequer of allowing married couples who wish to share the married couple's allowance equally between them are uncertain, but they might be up to £20 million per annum. In addition there would be a substantial cost of extra staff required by Inland Revenue. About 50,000 couples where the wife pays tax at the higher rate and the husband at the basic rate would benefit, as would some other couples where the husband receives income subject to composite rate tax. Estimates are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional. I regret that further information is not available.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to revise the estimate of direct costs of abolishing income tax rates 966
  above 40 per cent. in the 1988 Financial Statement and Budget Report, in the light of the Exchequer's receipts since then.

  Mr. Lilley
  No. Updating the estimates of the direct costs of the higher rate tax cuts on the basis of later information on incomes or tax receipts would be misleading as increases resulting from the incentive effects of lower marginal tax rates would inflate the calculated costs.

  It is not possible to isolate the incentive effects of the 1988 Budget measures on income and employment. However, the buoyancy of income tax receipts in 1988–89 and 1989–90 suggests that the tax yield from the improvements to the supply side of the economy have helped to offset the direct costs of the reductions in the basic and higher rates of income tax.

  Leasing Schemes
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of money disputed between the Inland Revenue and taxpayers involved in leasing schemes based on the artificial manipulation of capital allowances which the Revenue's special investigation section are challenging through the special commissioners of income tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  The total amount of tax in dispute in all such cases is approximately £135 million. Separate figures are not available for cases before the special commissioners.

  Profit-related Pay
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the change in employment in each year in firms with profit-related pay and in firms without profit-related pay.

  Mr. Lilley
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Domestic Premises (Sales)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for sales of domestic premises in 1988–89(a) the number of transactions in each region and (b) the number which were exempt for falling under the duty threshold.

  Mr. Lilley
  The available information is given in the following table. Reliable estimates for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not available.

  Sales of residential property in 1988–89 by region in England and Wales

  Total number of transactions

  Number not above stamp duty threshold of £30,0001

  (thousands)

  (thousands)

  North

  92

  58

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  193

  117

  East Midlands

  156

  68

  East Anglia

  73

  11

  South East

  457

  52

  Greater London

  279

  25

  South West

  202

  37

  West Midlands

  157

  62

  North West

  221

  126

  967

  Total number of transactions

  Number not above stamp duty threshold of £30,0001

  (thousands)

  (thousands)

  Wales

  99

  51

  England and Wales

  1,928

  608

  1 Excludes 63,000 purchases of new leases with premiums below £30,000 which have different rules as to calculation of duty according to the premium and rental elements.

  Source: Surveys of Conveyancing 1988 and 1989.

  Works of Art
  Mr. Faulds
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxes the vendor of a major work of art is liable to pay on the price obtained; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  Assuming that the work of art is not being sold as part of a trading activity, the vendor may be liable to capital gains tax on any gain realised on disposal. If the work of art has previously been conditionally exempted from capital taxation an inheritance tax charge may also be triggered. Special rules apply if the sale is by private treaty to an approved museum, art gallery or heritage body.

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for manufacturers, less food, drink and tobacco, the percentage and value increase between 1984 and 1989 in purchases of (i) imported and (ii) home-produced manufactures less food, drink and tobacco, together with the value of sales including income from employment and gross profit etc. as separate items.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  This information is not available. No estimates yet exist of purchases by manufacturers in 1989.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether he will publish in the Official Report for the input-output tables for the years 1979, 1984 and 1989, a table showing for manufacturing industry less food drink and tobacco the value of purchases of (i) imports and (ii) home-produced manufactured goods less food and drink and tobacco, together with the value of sales and the contribution made by employment and gross profits etc.;

  (2) whether he will publish in the Official Report, input tables for the United Kingdom for 1984, 1986 and 1989, which exclude food, drink and tobacco from manufacturing on both sides of the account and, if required, a reconciliation with the trade figures; and if he will addk for manufactures so defined the total input showing income from employment and gross profit etc.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The information requested is available for 1984 only, within cost limits. The table for 1984 following the classifications and definitions used in table 2.6 of the "United Kingdom National Accounts" (the CSO Blue Book), 1988, has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Workplace Nurseries
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to collect information to enable him to make a reliable estimate of tax liability on the benefit of subsidised workplace nurseries provided by employers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  Employers give details of employee's taxable expenses and benefits to tax offices on form P11D. The forms for years up to 1988–89 do not separately identify the taxable benefits of subsidised workplace nurseries.

  Conveyancing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table further to table 15.1 of Inland Revenue Statistics 1989, showing for 1988 the same information on conveyances of freehold and leasehold residential property in the London borough of Lambeth.

  Mr. Lilley
  I regret that reliable information is not available at the level of detail requested.

  Housing Stock
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the ratio of the capital value of the housing stock to the rateable value in each of the standard regions; and if he will provide a separate figure for council housing.

  Mr. Lilley
  An estimate of the capital value of the housing stock is contained in the book "United Kingdom National Accounts 1989". The other information could not be produced in the form requested without a disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.

  Royal Mint
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to respond to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Royal Mint especially in regard to quality assurance procedures (British standard 5750) and fixed costs borne by the taxpayer in regard to marketing, promotion and sales.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Public Accounts Committee heard evidence on the Comptroller and Auditor-General's report on 19 February. It will issue its own report in due course and the Government will then give their considered response. I therefore do not wish to anticipate what the Public Accounts Committee will say at this stage.

  Community Charge Records
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will indicate what instructions or guidance have been given to the Inland Revenue in relation to access to community charge records for income tax purposes.

  Mr. Lilley
  None.

  Tax Relief
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much it would cost to restrict(a) personal tax allowances, (b) age allowance, (c) mortgage interest tax relief and (d) tax relief for occupational and private pensions to the basic rate in 1990–91 and in a full year.
  969
  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 12 February 1990]: Estimates of the direct revenue yield in a full year at 1990–91 levels of income from restricting the main income tax reliefs and allowances to the basic rate are as follows:

  £ million

  Personal allowances

  1,100

  Age allowances

  nil

  Retirement annuity relief1

  100

  1 Including relief for retirement annuity payment made by employees.

  It would be premature to provide an estimate for mortgage interest relief, since the cost will depend on the amounts of mortgage lending and level of interest rates. Similarly, the estimate for employees' superannuation and personal pension contributions would depend on take-up.

  Estimates are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional. The estimates allow for the introduction of independent taxation and assume that the tax regime for 1989–90 has been indexed to 1990–91 in accordance with the rules for statutory indexation.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total sale price received and the net asset value of each public undertaking sold since 1980.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 20 February 1990]: The information the hon. Member requested is as follows. In the case of the 10 water companies I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for water to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 5 February 1990, Official Report, columns 436–37.

  Net asset values do not take account of contingent liabilities (for example, liabilities to employees, etc).

  Balance of Trade
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish in the Official Report the data on which he based his conclusion that the balance of payments deficit in manufactured goods in 1989 was due to excessive consumption; and if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the balance of trade in manufactures less erratics in 1978 and 1989 in terms of 1988 prices together with the percentage of gross domestic product spent by consumers on goods other than fuel. food, drink and tobacco.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 22 February 1990]: It is not possible to make precise estimates of the contributions of various elements of expenditure to the increase in the deficit in trade in manufactured goods. Data on the trade deficit, and on the components of consumers' expenditure, are available in the Library. The balance of trade in manufactures at constant 1988 prices can be derived from the CSO databank which can be accessed through the Library.

  Building Societies
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost to building societies as a result of the composite rate of tax; and what assessment he has made of the extent of the relief that could he extended to borrowers if the tax were ended.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 22 February 1990]: Building societies and other deposit-takers account for composite rate tax on interest paid to depositors and I am not aware of any particular cost to those institutions. It is not clear that any relief would be extended to borrowers if the tax were ended.