Written Answers of 26 February 1990

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Physics Departments
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which university, university college and polytechnic departments of physics have closed in the last five years; and which such departments are expected to close within the next five years.

  Mr. Jackson
  This information is not collected centrally. The future of individual physics departments is a matter for institutions to determine, in consultation with the relevant funding council.

  Dyslexia
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the changes in provision for dyslexic children since the Education Act 1981; and if he will make a statement on the effect of these measures on the educational and vocational opportunities of these children.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  It is for LEAs to make appropriate education provision—and to assess its effects—for all pupils in their area including those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, or "specific learning difficulties" as it is also known.

  The Government look to LEAs and to schools to ensure that suitable provision is, indeed, made for children with dyslexia, including teaching of reading and writing by methods appropriate to their needs.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures and initiatives have been taken to enable children who were identified as dyslexic at school to pursue and obtain further education and vocational qualifications without being disadvantaged by their difficulties.

  Mr. Jackson
  As part of their general duty to provide adequate facilities for further education for their area, local education authorities are required to have regard to the requirements of persons with learning difficulties, whether or not dyslexia has been specifically diagnosed. It is open to LEAs to seek information or advice from such bodies as the adult literacy and basic skills unit, which receives Government funding.

  Further Education
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide details of the numbers of students attending(a) full-time and (b) part-time courses at colleges of further education for each year since 1985, together with the proportion whose courses were part of the off-job training of an approved YTS.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information available is as follows:2

  Numbers of students on further education courses in England

  Thousands

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  11988–89

  Full-time of which YTS (per cent.)

  340

  347

  354

  359

  6·2

  5·2

  5·3

  5·7

  Part-time day of which YTS (per cent.)

  626

  648

  676

  702

  14·8

  14·9

  17·9

  17·7

  Evening only of which YTS (per cent.)

  596

  634

  643

  694

  0·2

  0·3

  0·3

  0·3

  1 Provisional.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out the total allocation to local authorities for capital spending on further education colleges for 1990–91.

  Mr. Jackson
  Allocations made to local education authorities for capital spending on further education colleges for 1990–91 totalled £65 million as follows:

  £ million

  Major Building Works1:

  Committed expenditure2

  17·2

  Starts in 1990–91

  32·6

  Minor works

  6·1

  Equipment and Furniture

  6·1

  Reserve

  3·0

  Total

  65·0

  1 Projects in excess of £200,000.

  2 For DES approved projects which started in earlier years.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide the numbers of students who have taken examinations for further education qualifications in each year since 1985, together with the numbers in each year who had preceded that exam with a course at(a) a college of further education, (b) a private sector provider, such as a YTS managing agent and (c) a course at another public sector establishment, together with the proportion of passes in each case.

  Mr. Jackson
  The available information is as follows:

  Students on Further Education courses in England leading to a specified qualification

  number of students (thousands)

  1985–86

  944

  1986–87

  987

  1987–88

  1,034

  1 1988–89

  1,096

  1 Provisional.

  Alcohol Research
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the total spending of(a) the Medical Research Council and (b) the Science and Engineering Research Council on alcohol research involving animals since 1980.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is as follows:

  (a) since 1980 the Medical Research Council's expenditure on alcohol research involving animals was £276,000;

  3

  (b) alcohol research involving animals is outside the remit of the Science and Engineering Research Council activities and there has therefore been no expenditure.

  School Playing Fields
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any estimate of the amount of land available for use as school playing fields; and what information he has on the comparable figures for 1979 and 1984.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  This information is not held by the Department.

  Secondary Education, Plymouth
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the years 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91, what capital expenditure on projects relating to the reorganisation of secondary education in Plymouth was approved by his Department.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Department does not make capital allocations for individual projects at county and voluntary controlled schools. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I have given today to his question about the total sums allocated to Devon for each of these years. It is for Devon LEA to decide how to use the resources available to it in the light of local needs and circumstances.

  Education Spending
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the years 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91, what was the total sum allocated by his Department to English local education authorities and to Devon county council, respectively.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to capital allocations. The sums allocated in 1988–89 and 1989–90 and the amounts available in annual capital guidelines for 1990–91 are set out in the table. Allocations and annual capital guidelines are not directly comparable. The total for England in 1988–89 includes additional capital allocations which were mainly targeted at inner city areas. Each local education authority's annual capital guideline reflects the extent to which its plans for spending on schools and colleges matched the national priorities of providing new places in areas of population growth, cost-effective schemes for the removal of surplus places, continuing to remedy deficiencies in existing school buildings and new major building projects at colleges. In each of these years Devon's allocation as a percentage of its plans was above the national average.

  Gross bilateral aid to Sri Lanka 1984–1988 in constant 1990 prices

  £ thousand

  Year

  Gross Bilateral aid

  Total Financial aid

  ODA project aid (excluding ATP)

  of which ATP

  CDC project aid

  Total technical cooperation

  1984

  35,980

  32,827

  22,159

  3,839

  4,633

  3,153

  1985

  22,509

  18,777

  7,964

  595

  8,150

  3,732

  1986

  20,065

  15,417

  48

  9,800

  3,259

  4,648

  1987

  22,388

  16,768

  —

  6,296

  8,551

  5,620

  1988

  24,400

  16,063

  5,725

  5,064

  3,433

  8,336

  1 Also includes debt relief and disaster relief.

  Source: British aid statistics.
  4

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  England

  386,700

  352,000

  485,000

  Devon

  8,434

  14,177

  12,984

  Notes: Figures are in cash terms and in thousands.

  Capital Project Bids
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science for each of the years 1988–89, 1989–90, and 1990–91, what were the total bids for capital projects by English local education authorities and by Devon county council, respectively.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The information requested about local education authority plans for capital expenditure is as follows:

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  England

  952,630

  1,032,489

  1,326,529

  Devon

  10,732

  23,329

  28,679

  Note: Figures are in cash terms and in thousands.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to publish additional information on the working of the student loans scheme.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I am today making available, and have placed in the Library, a note which sets out detailed rules and procedures for the operation of the scheme. I intended to do so, following undertakings given by my hon. Friend in Committee, as soon as I had held discussions with representatives of the higher education institutions. While some details remain to be finally settled, I think it right to publish this material now.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, by type and by value at 1990 prices, what aid has been given, in each of the last five years, to Sri Lanka.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The following are the figures requested. Further details are contained in ODA's publication "British Aid Statistics" which is in the House of Commons Library:

WALES

  Waste Disposal
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to evaluate the levels of toxic waste pollution, and constituent pollutants, contained at sites in Tythegston, Llanwern and Plantation lane, Newtown.

  Mr. Grist
  The Welsh Office study of contaminated land identified possible toxic waste sites including Tythegston and Llanwern, and provided an assessment of the toxicity of each. The information available indicated that the Plantation lane site at Newtown contained only domestic waste.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the major waste tip removal schemes either earmarked or under way in the counties of Gwent, Mid Glamorgan, West Glamorgan, Dyfed and Powys.

  Mr. Grist
  As part of the land reclamation programme the Welsh Development Agency is responsible for reclaiming waste tips. It is extremely rare for such tips to be completely removed: they are usually reduced in height and reprofiled, with excess material accommodated within the derelict site or on adjoining land. The number of projects involving the reclamation (not removal) of waste tips currently in progress and in the Welsh Development Agency's programme of future work is as follows:

  Welsh Development Agency funded waste tip projects

  County

  In progress

  In programme

  Dyfed

  —

  8

  Gwent

  3

  14

  Mid Glamorgan

  5

  38

  Powys

  —

  7

  West Glamorgan

  1

  9

  Total

  9

  76

  Rural Unemployment
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give consideration to the compilation of statistics covering Wales along the lines of the estimates produced by the English Rural Development Commission of rural unemployment in England.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  There are no plans to produce such estimates. Unemployment rates are available for all travel-to-work and county areas in Wales but these areas are not categorised as rural or urban.

  Drugs and Medicines
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will give statistics on a county basis of the volume and type of drugs and medicines returned in Wales to pharmacist and other agencies in response to campaigns launched by the Government and area health authorities;

  (2) if he will give, by volume and method, the costs of the disposal of the most prolific of the drugs and medicines returned to pharmacists by patients in response to campaigns launched by the Government and area health authorities.

  Mr. Grist
  Past campaigns have been organised at local level and detailed information is not readily available centrally.
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  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what funds will be made available to help Welsh pharmacies to dispose of medicines returned by patients in response to campaigns launched by the Government and area health authorities to reduce the amount of dangerous medicines held beyond their useful dates;

  (2) what means of disposal have been suggested by the Welsh Office as the best practicable method of destroying medicines returned by patients to pharmacists in response to campaigns launched by the Government and area health authorities.

  Mr. Grist
  These matters are currently being considered by a working group of the Welsh pharmaceutical committee. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when I have considered any proposals which may be put to me by the committee.

  School Sports
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will undertake a survey of school sports in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  We expect to publish shortly a report by Her Majesty's inspectorate of a survey of physical education in the secondary schools of Wales.

  General Practitioners
  Mr Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a list of electoral wards in Wales which will qualify for deprivation payments to general practitioners; if he will indicate the Jarman index score for each one; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The details of these issues have yet to be finalised. FPCs and the profession will be notified as soon as possible.

  Treatment Centres
  Mr Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, after implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill, payment for care at a treatment centre will continue to be paid for out of a central fund; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The costs of treatment centres will continue to be met centrally after the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill. The Department is considering how this will be achieved most effectively under the new arrangements.

  River Severn
  Mr Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has proposals to improve the standards of maintenance on the banks of the River Severn in Montgomeryshire to avoid further land erosion; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Maintenance of river banks to protect against erosion is the responsibility of their owners.

  Deeside Community Hospital
  Mr Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of the building of the Deeside community hospital:
  7
  (2) when he expects the completion of phase I of the Deeside community hospital.

  Mr. Grist
  Responsibility for the Deeside community hospital scheme rests with the Clwyd health authority. We understand that construction work on phase I is currently on target for completion in December 1991.

  Roof Tax
  Mr Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the economic consequences of the introduction of a roof tax in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has already said, the principal disadvantages of such a tax include its unfair and arbitrary impact on homeowners and tenants, its discouragement of home improvements and the lack of any clear link between the spending of a local authority and the size of an individual's tax bill.

PRIME MINISTER

  Accountancy and Audits
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to use normal commercial accountancy and audit methods in all public sector departments.

  The Prime Minister
  Commercial accountancy and auditing methods have been or will be introduced in Government Departments where it is considered appropriate to use them. But as my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury explained in Official Report, 22 January 1990, column 540, normally only cash-based appropriation accounts will be published for Departments or parts of Departments which do not become next steps agencies.

  Soviet Union
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has recently met representatives of the Adam Smith Institute, the Centre for Policy Studies and the Institute of Economic Affairs to discuss the promotion of free market democracy in the Soviet Union.

  The Prime Minister
  No. But we are actively supporting moves towards genuine democracy and a market economy in the Soviet Union.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list each category of parliamentary questions which it is her policy not to answer.

  The Prime Minister
  Of those questions not transferred, none.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will place in the Library the letter written to Mr. Colin Wallace by Mr. Charles Powell on 16 February.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  European Community
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government in relation to the treaty revision proposal which the Foreign Affairs Council agreed on 5 February should be submitted to the European Council on amendments to the treaty in relation to the final phases of European monetary union; and if she will seek to clarify the implications for the United Kingdom of the treaty proposal before the meeting of the European Council.

  The Prime Minister
  The Foreign Affairs Council on 5 February concluded that the Irish Government should table a treaty revision proposal, based on the relevant conclusions of the Strasbourg European Council. The opinion of the European Parliament is required on the question of convening an IGC under article 236 of the treaty of Rome. This was a procedural technicality to put into effect the Strasbourg presidency conclusions.

  The President of the European Council at Strasbourg noted that the necessary majority existed to convene a conference charged with preparing an amendment of the treaty with a view to the final stages of EMU. The Government have made it clear we believe that the convening of the IGC was premature, but that we will nevertheless participate in it.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will take steps to ensure that Parliament is fully advised of the outcome of meetings of the various Councils of Ministers; and if she will make a further statement on the outcome of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 5 February.

  The Prime Minister
  My hon. Friend will be aware that it is normal practice for the outcome of meetings of the Council of Ministers to be reported promptly to the House.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 8 February, Official Report, columns 716–17, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which gave a full report on the meeting to which my hon. Friend refers.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  General Synod
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church Commissioners spent on the General Synod and its activities in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners do not fund the General Synod.

  Primary Schools (Wavertree)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, if Church funding will be available to maintain the three Anglican primary schools in Wavertree, Liverpool.

  Mr. Alison
  None of the commissioners' funds are, by law, available for school purposes. I cannot speak for any other Church of England body which might be involved.

  Redundant Churches
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners intend to make any redundant churches available for civil marriages under the recent White Paper proposals.

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners will wish to consider the implications of the White Paper in consultation with the redundant churches fund and others concerned in the Church before coming to any conclusion.

  "Living Faith in the City"
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what consideration the commissioners have given or plan to give to the recently published Church of England report "Living Faith in the City".

  Mr. Alison
  The commissioners are studying "Living Faith in the City" with interest and have already noted its positive comments on the commissioners' involvement in the urban priority areas.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Energy Production
  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will express in coal tonne equivalents the amount of energy required to generate £1,000 of gross domestic product in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) the European Community as a whole.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The amount of energy required to generate £1,000 of gross domestic product for 1987, the latest period for which comparable figures exist, for(a) the United Kingdom is 0·85 tonnes of coal equivalent, (b) the European Community as a whole, is 0·8 tonnes of coal equivalent.

  These figures have been derived by expressing the gross inland energy consumption as a proportion of the gross domestic product measured in market prices. The gross domestic product for the United Kingdom and the European Community as a whole were calculated using purchasing power standards for comparison purposes. Further details on the definition of the gross domestic product used are given in the Eurostat publication "National Accounts ESA".

  Taxation
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the categories of income tax payers for whom the average percentage burden of total taxation is higher now than in 1979.

  Mr. Lilley
  Since income tax rates have been reduced and the main personal allowances increased by substantially more than the rate of inflation, taxpayers will now pay a lower proportion of their income in tax than in 1978–79 unless their incomes have risen even more rapidly than allowances. Average earnings have risen rather more than this. For taxpayers of working age whose incomes have increased in line with average earnings, average rates of income tax are lower for everyone except some married 10
  men with earnings of less than three quarters of average earnings. None the less, on the same basis, real take-home pay is higher than in 1978–79 at all levels of earnings.

  Payroll Giving
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people participated in the payroll giving scheme in each year of the scheme's existence; what total sums were given to charities as a result of the scheme in each year; and what was the cost to the Exchequer in each year.

  Mr. Lilley
  Estimates are as follows:

  Payroll giving scheme

  Donors (thousands)

  Donations (£ million)

  Cost of tax relief (£ million)

  1987–88

  55

  1·0

  0·3

  1988–891

  125

  3·5

  1·0

  1989–901

  175

  7·0

  2·0

  1 Provisional.

  Independent Taxation
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of independent taxation in(a) 1990–91 and (b) 1991–92.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 8 January at column 566 for the effect on receipts in 1990–91. The corresponding reduction in income tax receipts in 1991–92 is estimated to he £1·3 billion. The estimate includes the effect on the composite rate of tax on bank and building society interest in 1991–92, but makes no allowance for possible behavioural effects. The reduction in capital gains tax receipts in 1991–92 is tentatively estimated to be about £50 million.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised by local authorities in rates in each year since 1979; and what increase in income tax would have raised an equivalent sum at constant prices.

  Mr. Lilley
  The amount raised in total local authority rates in each year since 1978–79 is as follows:

  £ billion

  £ billion at 1989–90 prices1

  1978–89

  5·8

  13·6

  1979–80

  6·8

  13·8

  1980–81

  8·7

  14·9

  1981–82

  10·7

  16·6

  1982–83

  12·1

  17·5

  1983–84

  12·3

  16·9

  1984–85

  13·0

  17·0

  1985–86

  13·9

  17·3

  1986–87

  15·7

  19·0

  1987–88

  17·1

  19·7

  1988–89

  18·9

  20·2

  1 Cash figures adjusted to 1989–90 price levels by excluding the effect of general inflation as measured by the GDP deflator at market prices.

  11
  In 1988–89 an extra 10p on both the basic and higher rates of income tax is estimated to have a direct yield of about £19 billion. This estimate ignores behavioural effects which would probably be significant.

  Non-industrial Staff
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing(a) the changes in numbers in central Government non-industrial staff in each year since 1979 and (b) comparable figures for local government, broken down by county and district.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The numbers of central Government non-industrial staff, on a full-time equivalent basis, in post as at 1 July are as follows:

  Thousands

  1979

  560·2

  1980

  544·9

  1981

  537·1

  1982

  523·2

  1983

  514·8

  1984

  500·9

  1985

  496·0

  1986

  501·8

  1987

  507·7

  1988

  504·6

  1989

  498·9

  In respect of local government, information in the form and detail apparently requested could be assembled only at disproportionate cost. Employment information which is readily available, for each county and district in England, is in terms of headcount, and is given for the latest period and a year earlier in quarterly press notices issued on behalf of the joint staffing watch through the Department of the Environment. Copies of these press notices and similar joint staffing watch data for Scotland and Wales are available in the Library. Figures of total local authority employment at mid-year are contained in the article on employment in the public and private sector, published in the December 1989 edition of Economic Trends.

  Age Allowances
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance the Inland Revenue issues to local officers on how to award pensioners' age allowances; what arrangements are in place to ensure consistency in treatment of such allowances; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Inland Revenue issues guidance to local offices on all aspects of the income tax system. The guidance is aimed at producing consistency of treatment in applying the relevant legislation. If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind, I shall be happy to look into it if he will let me have details.

  VAT
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there have been any changes concerning the regulations covering the levying of value added tax upon share dealing in the London market.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Value Added Tax (Finance, Health and Welfare) Order 1989 (SI 1989/2272) exempted from VAT 12
  with effect from 1 January 1990 the making of arrangements for or the underwriting of transactions in securities. The order implemented the requirements of article 1(1) of Council directive 89/465/EEC (OJ No. L226, 3.8.89, p.21).

  Retail Prices Index
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing to one place of decimals for each year since 1978 the share of gross domestic product accounted for by the items covered in the retail prices index.

  Mr. Ryder
  The data are not readily available in the form requested. There are in any case substantial differences in definition and coverage between gross domestic product and the household expenditure represented in the retail prices index.

  Mortgages
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in tabular form, and at constant prices, the amounts which would be payable each month(a) at current interest rates and (b) at the lowest interest rate achieved since June 1987, on a standard repayment mortgage repayable over 25 years of each of the regional average mortgages listed in his answer of 19 February, Official Report, column 518.

  Mr. Lilley
  The monthly interest payments for average new mortgages in each year, after deduction of basic rate tax relief, are given in the table. They are based on the current 14·5 per cent. mortgage interest rate and on the 9·8 per cent. rate which existed in June 1988.

  Monthly payment1

  Region

  Average new mortgage £

  9·8 per cent. interest rate £

  14·5 per cent. interest rate £

  Northern

  28,400

  173·95

  257·38

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  29,600

  181·30

  268·25

  East Midlands

  34,700

  222·13

  328·67

  East Anglia

  44,600

  302·98

  448·29

  Greater London

  60,900

  436·10

  645·25

  South East

  53,200

  373·22

  552·21

  South West

  43,700

  295·63

  437·42

  West Midlands

  33,800

  214·78

  317·79

  North West

  31,300

  194·37

  287·58

  Wales

  30,200

  185·38

  274·29

  Scotland

  26,500

  162·31

  240·16

  Northern Ireland

  24,200

  148·23

  219·31

  United Kingdom

  38,300

  251·53

  372·17

  1 Assuming endowment mortgage.

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total loss or gain to the average mortgagor claiming mortgage interest relief resulting from changes since the 1988 Budget in(a) direct taxation, (b) increases in the rate of interest on mortgages and (c) interest payments net of mortgage tax relief.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 9 February 1990]: The average outstanding mortgage in 1987–88 was £17,000. The table compares the income tax and NIC payments and mortgage interest payments on a mortgage of £17,000 for a married man with a gross income of £18,000, the average for a mortgagor in 1989–90, under (i) the tax and NIC rates

  13
  and allowances and the mortgage interest rate of 1987–88 with allowances indexed to 1989–90 levels and (ii) the rates, allowances etc. actually in force in 1989–90. The comparison ignores any repayment of capital there may have been between 1987–88 and 1989–90.

  £ per year

  11987–88

  1989–90

  Change

  Income tax and NIC2

  5,246

  4,771

  -475

  Mortgage interest payment net of tax relief

  1,378

  1,772

  + 394

  1 After indexation.

  2 Before relief due under MIRAS and assuming that the income is all earned and that the wife has no earnings, that no allowances or reliefs are available other than the married man's allowance, that the man is contracted into SERPS, and that the post-October 1989 NIC rates and limits apply for 1989–90.

  Note Assuming average mortgage interest rates of 11·1 per cent. for 1987–88 and 13·9 per cent. for 1989–90.

  Credit Cards
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he holds on(a) the number of cheque guarantee cards and credit cards presently in circulation and (b) those cheque guarantee cards which can also be used as credit cards.

  Mr. Ryder
  Data are not collected centrally in the form requested.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to introduce proposals to prevent banks from operating cheque guarantee card systems when, irrespective of their customers' wishes, those cards also operate as credit cards.

  Mr. Ryder
  It is a matter for a bank's commercial judgment whether it offers its customer a package which includes a combined credit and cheque guarantee card. However, under section 51 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, it is an offence to give a person a credit card if he has not asked for it.

  Tax Appeals
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Board of Inland Revenue's practice in seeking a taxpayer's agreement that an appeal to the special commissioners should be heard instead by the general commissioners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  The Board of Inland Revenue is publishing today, with my approval, a press release explaining when and in what circumstances an inspector may seek a taxpayer's agreement (or failing that a direction by the general commissioners) that an election for an appeal to be heard by the special commissioners should be disregarded.

  In deciding when the appeal should be listed for hearing, inspectors of taxes are to treat appeals to the special commissioners no differently from appeals to the general commissioners. Inspectors are only to ask taxpayers to agree that an election for hearing by the special commissioners should be disregarded when a decision is needed to arrange the listing, and then only where the inspector is satisfied that it is a delay appeal as opposed to a contentious appeal.

  Benefits (Tax)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total gross figure of P11D benefits on which income tax is charged for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: The taxable value of P11D benefits in 1989–90 is estimated to be £4·4 billion. This estimate is based on projections from data relating to 1987–88 and is provisional.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Nepal
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received any representations since 1 February regarding human rights abuses in Nepal, and in particular the suppression of opposition parties.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have received a number of representations, but none has referred to the position of opposition parties in Nepal.

  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Nepal about human rights.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My noble Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office discussed human rights issues with both the Nepalese Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during his visit to Kathmandu last week.

  EC Treaty Revision
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the formal treaty revision which the Foreign Affairs Council of 5 February agreed to propose through the agency of the Irish Government will be subject to majority vote; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  All amendments to the treaty of Rome must be agreed unanimously by member states and ratified by national Parliaments. The discussion at the FAC on 5 February was on a procedural technicality to put into effect the Strasbourg presidency conclusions on convening an intergovernmental conference.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Hughes) of 8 February,Official Report, column 717, why the Foreign Affairs Council on 5 February agreed that the Irish Government should table a formal treaty revision proposal; what is the general purpose of the proposed treaty provision; and if he agreed to the proposed treaty revision proposal on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.

  Mr. Maude
  The Foreign Affairs Council on 5 February considered the procedural technicalities required to give effect to the relevant conclusions of the Strasbourg European Council, in particular the requirement to obtain an opinion from the European Parliament.

  The President of the European Council at Strasbourg noted that the necessary majority existed to convene a

  15
  conference charged with preparing an amendment of the treaty with a view to the final stages of EMU. We have made it clear that, though we believe the convening of the intergovernmental conference was premature, we will nevertheless participate in it.

  Turkey
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Turkey with regard to the denial of human rights to Armenians within that country: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  We regularly remind the Turkish Government of our expectation that they will respect the human rights of all people in Turkey. The Foreign Secretary did this most recently with Mr. Bozer, when he was in London shortly before his recent appointment as Foreign Minister.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons have left Hong Kong over the most recent 12 months for which figures are available: and if he has any record of the nations to which they have moved.

  Mr. Maude
  The Hong Kong Government estimate that about 42,000 people left the territory during the calendar year 1989. Of these, some 95 per cent. went to the four most popular destination countries which are Canada, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand.

  EC Treaties
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Southend, East of 15 February,Official Report, column 327, if the reservation by Her Majesty's Government to act on their own if necessary relates to measures enacted under the Community treaties; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No. Legislation can be modified or amendment only by the body that enacted it.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will bring forward legislation to protect small investors and the creditors of companies who relied on the reports of negligent auditors on the same terms as loan creditors who rely on their own commissioned accountant's reports;

  (2) if he will introduce legislation to make auditors liable in negligence to third parties who rely on their published accounts to make investment decisions.

  Mr. Redwood
  We have no plans to do so.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of instances when his Department has noted disclosure of an auditor's shareholding in a company.
  16
  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not collected. Ethical guidance issued by the professional accountancy bodies advises auditors generally not to hold shares in audit clients except in given circumstances.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in how many instances his Department has noted loans made by auditors to their clients.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not collected. Ethical guidance issued by the professional accountancy bodies advises accountancy practices not to make loans to clients.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has concerning the rate at which audit fees for large companies have been rising.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information about audit fees is not collected.

  Ferranti
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what letters he has received from investors, directors or others commenting on the role of Peat Marwick in the Ferranti affair.

  Mr. Redwood
  None.

  Accountancy Firms
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby of 8 January,Official Report, column 518, he will provide details of (a) the investigations and (b) the inspectors which have come from the accountancy firms criticised by the joint disciplinary scheme.

  Mr. Redwood
  Publicly announced appointments under the Companies Act of inspectors from accountancy firms which have been criticised previously by the joint disciplinary scheme are as follows:

  Name of company

  Firm of accountants

  Inspector

  Milbury plc

  Grant Thornton

  Mr. M. G Lickiss

  Westminster Property Group

  County NatWest Limited

  Grant Thornton

  Mr. D. L. Spence

  County NatWest Securities Limited

  Blue Arrow plc

  Grant Thornton

  Mr. M. D. Boohan

  House of Fraser Holdings plc

  Robson Rhodes

  Mr.H.G.C.Aldous

  The Bestwood plc Atlanta

  Robson Rhodes

  Mr. J. Venning

  Fund Managers

  Limited

  Inspectors' Reports
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those inspectors' reports completed since 1979 which remain unpublished.

  Mr. Redwood
  The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

  Company Name

  Date of Report

  Intervestor SA

  31 August 1979

  Elliott Group of Peterborough Limited

  125 September 1979

  216 October 1980

  Helmville Limited

  13 November 1979

  17

  Company Name

  Date of Report

  Wilson-Mandleberg Limited

  30 April 1980

  Brush Aggregates Limited

  30 June 1980

  Parsons, Sherwin and Company Limited

  03 July 1980

  Andromeda Electronics Limited

  01 September 1980

  Reliance Plastering Limited

  04 September 1980

  Alarmount Properties Limited

  27 November 1980

  Portcarne Holdings Limited

  Mancrest Limited

  H. & C. Davis Company Limited

  223 December 1980

  Dunlop Holdings Limited

  310 March 1981

  212 November 1981

  Metalman Engineering Limited

  15 May 1981

  Brymore (Steels) Limited

  15 May 1981

  Phoenix Shipbuilders Limited

  25 May 1982

  Allied Suppliers (Ireland) Limited

  29 April 1983

  Hartley Baird plc

  21 December 1983

  Riafield Limited

  30 December 1983

  Cubar Construction Co. Limited

  28 August 1984

  Euroseas Securities Limited

  5 March 1985

  130 December 1985

  Alexander Howden Group plc

  226 June 1987

  Hartley Baird plc

  23 May 1986

  Pharmaceutex (IV Fluid) Limited

  4 June 1986

  Drivehouse Limited

  Furdrove Limited

  Corporate Management Planning Limited

  24 September 1986

  British Anzani plc

  28 November 1986

  Euroflame Holdings plc

  27 June 1987

  Medway Secondary Metals Limited

  21 October 1987

  House of Fraser Holdings plc

  23 July 1988

  Signal Life Assurance Co. Limited

  16 November 1988

  Guinness plc

  124 November 1988

  Aldermanbury Trust plc

  120 December 1988

  113 January 1989

  Consolidated Gold Fields plc

  15 April 1989

  Graylaw Holdings Limited

  28 November 1989

  Link Service Stations Limited

  Bank Street Securities Limited

  28 November 1989

  Pennine Commercial Holdings plc

  128 November 1989

  The Animal Defence Society Limited

  31 December 1989

  Minet Holdings plc

  216 January 1990

  WMD Underwriting Agencies Limited

  424 July 1986

  1 Interim.

  2 Final.

  3 Second interim.

  4 Interim published.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the costs associated with each of the inspectors' reports published in 1988–89.

  Mr. Redwood
  The inspectors' reports published during 1988–89 with their costs are as follows:

  Name of Company

  Date of Publication

  Cost £

  Emray plc (Now Equity and General plc)

  5 May 1988

  23,993

  Milbury plc

  Westminster Property Group Limited

  27 October 1988

  1,136,065

  Sumrie Clothes plc (Now Summer International plc)

  14 December 1988

  58,101

  Bremner plc

  7 June 1989

  153,156

  County NatWest Limited

  County NatWest Securities Limited

  20 July 1989

  1,088,880

  Consolidated Gold Fields plc

  6 September 1989

  150,771

  One of the Emray inspectors was a departmental officer whose cost is not separately identifiable. The report on The
  18
  Greenbank Trust plc was published on 5 August 1988. The inspectors were departmental officers and the costs of the inspection are not available.

  Fire Retardant
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about impregnation with fire retardant of babies' accessories and the linings of prams, pushchairs and cots.

  Mr. Forth
  I have received a number of representations from suppliers of nursery furniture regarding fire retardant treatments for cover fabric.

  The fire resistance of nursery furniture was the subject of full consultations in the context of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and the 1989 amendment regulations.

  These regulations require that from 1 September 1990 most types of covers on nursery furniture (except baby nests) must pass the match test. The required level of fire resistance can be achieved by alternatives to the use of fire-retardant chemicals. These include the use of certain natural fabrics such as cotton over a fire resistant interliner, or the use of inherently match resistant fabrics.

  Overseas Companies
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many overseas companies have set up operation in Britain in the past year.

  Mr. Redwood
  An analysis by country of incorporation of all companies which are incorporated outside Great Britain but have, in 1988–89, established a place of business here and register documents under part XXIII of the Companies Act 1985, is contained in table G1 of the "Companies in 1988–89", a copy of which is in the Library. The number of overseas companies having subsidiaries here which were incorporated in the past year is not known.

  Company Policies
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies employing more than 250 people have included in their annual reports a description of their actions to keep the employees informed on company policies and arrangements of their income, according to section 1 of the Employment Act 1982, for each year since 1983.

  Mr. Redwood
  This information is not available. Companies House staff carry out certain basic checks on accounts, but the contents are not scrutinised in detail except in response to specific complaints.

  Takeovers
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to analyse and identify the obstacles to company takeovers in other member states of the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a report from Coopers and Lybrand in 1989 on barriers to takeovers in the European Community. This contains an inventory of the barriers that exist and an
  19
  assessment of their relative importance. The Department has also published a consultation document on barriers in the Community which summarises the principal barriers and the way they operate.

  National Engineering Laboratory
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last visited the National Engineering Laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  I visited the National Engineering Laboratory in 1971 when I was last a Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will tabulate, by type and value, at 1990 prices the trade between Britain and Sri Lanka for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Redwood
  Information on United Kingdom trade with individual countries is published in tables ii (imports) and v (exports) of Business Monitor MM20 "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", which is available in the Library.

  Investment Services Directive
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what he expects to be the content of the proposed investment services directive; and when he expects that directive to be published.

  Mr. Redwood
  The draft investment services directive sets key standards for the authorisation of investment firms within the EC. It provides a "single passport" for an investment firm so that, once authorised in its home state, it can carry on investment business throughout the EC without the need for further authorisation.

  The directive contains provisions relating to the prudential supervision of investment firms. It sets out the responsibilities of home and host member states. Most conduct of business rules remain a matter for host state authorities. The directive contains provisions liberalising access to stock exchanges and other organised securities markets in the EC. It provides for co-operation beween regulators and also contains reciprocity provisions covering relations with third countries.

  The Commission submitted a text of the directive to the Council of Ministers on 3 January 1989, which was published in Official Journal No. C43 on 22 February 1989. The Commission submitted a revised text to the Council on 12 February 1990. This text has not yet been published in the Official Journal.

  Fireworks
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to put stricter controls over the purchase and use of fireworks; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  No. I believe that the right policy is to enforce rigorously the existing law against abusing fireworks, to educate the public to treat them with respect, and to check for safety any fireworks that do not comply with the new British standard.

  Accountants
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made towards establishing the new arrangements for the making and supporting of accounting standards.

  Mr. Redwood
  In October I announced that Sir Ronald Dearing had agreed to become chairman-designate of the Financial Reporting Council. His task was to negotiate terms with all concerned so that the new arrangements for making and enforcing accounting standards were in place in the summer. Sir Ronald has reported to me and the Governor of the Bank of England that he has established a firm basis on which to proceed to full implementation of the new arrangements. In particular he has received satisfactory assurances of the initial funding from the Consultative Committee of Accounting Bodies (CCAB), the International Stock Exchange (ISE), and the Bank of England on behalf of the banking community. I have told Sir Ronald that my Department will also be making a contribution of about one third of the costs to be incurred. The proposed budget not only covers the costs of the envisaged activities of the Financial Reporting Council and the Accounting Standards Board but includes a substantial provision for legal expenses by the review panel in the event of contested procedings on defective accounts.

  Sir Ronald has drawn up detailed proposals for the constitution of the new bodies. The chairman of the Financial Reporting Council will be supported by three deputy chairmen, and together the four will constitute an executive body responsible for finance and appointments. The deputy chairman, like the chairman, will be appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry acting jointly with the Governor of the Bank of England and will be senior representatives of the accountancy profession, the world of business and the financial community. On Sir Ronald's recommendation, and with the governor's agreement, I have asked Mr. Philip Couse (chairman CCAB), Sir Trevor Holdsworth (president CBI) and Mr. Andrew Hugh Smith (chairman ISE) to serve as deputy chairmen-designate, and I am delighted to say that they have agreed to do so. Formal appointments will be made when the Financial Reporting Council is established. In the meantime the group will give priority to indentifying the first chairman of the Accounting Standards Board.

  It is a considerable achievement to have concluded the necessary consultations and developed detailed proposals in so short a time, and I congratulate Sir Ronald on the excellent progress he has made. I have asked him to proceed without delay to implement the proposals so that the new arrangements are ready to take over from the present Accounting Standards Committee on 1 August.

  Estate Agents
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will extend the consumer protection provisions of the Trades Description Act to estate agents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 20 February at column 607.

ENVIRONMENT

  British Waterways Board
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish his response to the Environment Select Committee's report on the working of the British Waterways Board.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) on 6 February at column 584.

  Councillors' Allowances
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the local authority budgets for 1990–91 covering councillors' allowances will be based upon the present system of remuneration until he makes a decision on the introduction of a new system of councillors' allowances.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Until the regulations under section 18 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 for the new system of remuneration for councillors come into force, the present system continues.

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions an application for an import licence under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976 has been refused on the ground that an animal is unlikely to survive for any appreciable time if it is kept in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department has no record of the number of import applications which have been refused on these grounds.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken, or proposes to take, to implement the resolution passed at the seventh meeting of the conference parties of CITES in Lausanne in 1989 regarding the transport of live animals checklist scheme.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply given to him on 29 January 1990 at column 68.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the criteria for assessing, in relation to the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976, whether an animal is unlikely to survive for any appreciable time if it is kept in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  Our scientific advisers, the Nature Conservancy Council, has provided us with a list of species which generally do not survive well in captivity, except in specialist hands. This list was compiled by a committee of experts following consultation with various non-governmental bodies.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what conveniently available figures he has for the annual cost to his Department of administering Council regulation EEC 3626/82; and what proportion of this cost is borne by the importers;
  22
  (2) what is the approximate annual cost to his Department of administering the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976; and what proportion of this cost is borne by the importers.

  Mr. Trippier
  We estimate that the cost to the Department in 1989–90 of administering Council regulation EEC 3626/82 will be £487,000. The cost of administering the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act was approximately £123,000. None of these costs is borne by the importers.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment where it is shown that the welfare aspects included in article 4, section 2(c) of convention on the international trade in endangered species in wild fauna and flora have not been met, what representations are made to the CITES secretariat, or the exporting country, to ensure they are met in the future.

  Mr. Trippier
  When serious deficiencies in the transport of live animals come to light, they are taken up with the veterinary authorities of the exporting country. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 20 December,Official Report, at column 350.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what definition of a full-time student he applies in respect of eligibility for the community charge rebate for students.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The eligibility criteria for the student relief are set out in the Personal Community Charge (Students) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/443). Advice to charging authorities on the application of these regulations is contained in community charge practice note No. 23, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines are given to local authorities administering the community charge, concerning the savings which(a) a married couple, (b) partners cohabiting and (c) single people may have before the £8,000 threshold is applied; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I have been asked to reply.

  The housing benefit guidance manual (chapter 6), together with the community charge benefit guidance manual, provides local authorities with detailed guidance on the assessment of capital for married and unmarried partners, and for single claimants. Copies of both manuals are in the Library.

  Local Government Finance
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each standard spending assessment element used to calculate the standard spending assessment of Tonbridge and Mailing borough council in 1990–91, stating the amount of standard spending assessment attributed to each element.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The elements of the standard spending assessment for Tonbridge and Mailing are as follows:
  23

  £ million

  Other services

  5·364

  Capital financing

  0·466

  Total

  5·830

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what figures he used for calculating the revenue support grant entitlement of Tonbridge and Mailing borough council in 1990 in accordance with paragraph 2.5 of the revenue support grant distribution report (England) for(a) standard spending assessment for the area of the receiving authority, (b) DA per adult, (c) CCSS, (d) relevant population, (e) distributable amount, (f) net TSS, (g) rate support grant and (h) population of England.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The figure for the standard spending assessment for the area of Tonbridge and Malling is £57·443 million, the distributable amount (DA) per adult is £292·51, the community charge for standard spending (CCSS) is £277·94, the relevant population of Tonbridge and Malling is 76,916, the distributable amount for 1990–91 is £10,428·5 million, net total standard spending (TSS) is £29,805·3 million, revenue support grant to be paid to receiving authorities is £9,467·6 million and the sum of the relevant populations of all charging authorities in England is 35,652,150.

  Water Privatisation
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applicants for water shares had their cheques cashed and have not received their shares.

  Mr. Trippier
  As at Friday 23 February, the receiving banks for the water share offers were dealing with about 750 requests for replacement interim share certificates.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the basis on which applications for water shares by small investors were scaled down.

  Mr. Trippier
  Full details of the scaling down of applications by customers receiving preference, and by others, were published in the national press on 12 December. Each of the 10 offers was substantially oversubscribed, and this necessitated scaling down of most applications. Allocations favoured applicants for the lowest denominations and, among those applicants, preference was given to qualified customers.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish a list of the major shareholders in the water industry.

  Mr. Trippier
  The registers of holders of interim rights in the water plcs are open to inspection. In addition, it is a requirement of the Companies Act that persons having an interest in 5 per cent. or more shares in any plc must give details of their interest to the company, and this information is open to public inspection.

  Councillors (Employment)
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if people who will be employed by any new arm's length company formed with the new legislation 24
  directed at local government and are members of local authorities will be able to continue service as a councillor; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  After paragraph 21 of schedule 11 to the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 comes into force, a person employed by a company which is (in accordance with part V of that Act) under the control of a single local authority will be disqualified from membership of that authority. This will apply whether or not the company is an arm's length company.

  Councillors (Payments)
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has made with local authority associations on the question of the new formula for payment for attending council meetings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities has received a letter from the chairmen of the Association of County Councils, the Association of District Councils and the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, setting out certain points agreed by these associations. He has made it clear that the introduction of the new scheme of remuneration for councillors will be deferred until 1 July 1990 while these points are considered.

  Water Charges
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage increase in charge for each of the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92 was proposed to him by the West Kent Water Company before he announced his proposals for limiting increases in the charges of the statutory water companies in the reply to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) of 7 February,Official Report, column 640.

  Mr. Trippier
  We took account of all representations made by West Kent Water Company before announcing our proposals for K on 7 February. It would not be appropriate for me to disclose the details of the company's representations as they were made on a commercial in confidence basis.

  Meriden Gap
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing special measures to reduce the pressure for development in the Meriden gap between Birmingham and Coventry.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The area in question is in the green belt and is, therefore, subject to the strictest planning control; the Government will continue to attach great importance to maintaining effective green belt policies in areas like the Meriden gap.

  Housing, Solihull
  Mr. Mills
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to reduce the number of houses requiring land provision by Solihull council, contained in his strategic guidance for the west midlands published in February 1988 from 7,500 to 7,000.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The housing figures in the strategic guidance for the west midlands (now incorporated in
  25
  planning policy guidance note 10) were confirmed after extensive discussions with the relevant local authority in 1988. They are now being used in structure and unitary plan preparation. Any change in one component would have repercussions elsewhere and I cannot agree to make this proposed reduction.

  Housing Management Grants
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responses he has received to the consultation paper on the new section 16 grant regime of the Housing and Planning Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The proposals outlined in the consultation paper were generally welcomed by respondents although some views were expressed about the expected local authority contribution and the level of su4pport for ongoing training. I have carefully considered the representations made. I can see no reason to depart from the recommendations of the review committee.

  (a) Isis House

  Instances of IO attending police stations

  Offenders interviewed at police stations

  Calls cleared by telephone

  Number IO available

  1989

  January

  156

  196

  118

  4

  February

  164

  240

  147

  11

  March

  169

  226

  131

  14

  April

  183

  256

  117

  18

  May

  119

  181

  126

  4

  June

  127

  190

  90

  1

  July

  164

  265

  141

  17

  August

  138

  190

  126

  11

  September

  104

  164

  137

  18

  October

  165

  218

  130

  7

  November

  145

  215

  116

  7

  December

  119

  164

  120

  5

  1990

  January

  133

  177

  146

  2

  (b) ISIU, Harmondsworth

  Calls from the police1

  Number of immigration officers available

  1989

  January

  174

  0

  February

  202

  0

  March

  188

  0

  April

  185

  0

  May

  175

  0

  June

  182

  5

  July

  193

  7

  August

  212

  4

  September

  180

  1

  October

  185

  3

  November

  220

  1

  December

  187

  2

  1990

  January

  272

  2

  1 Enquiries cleared by telephone are not recorded separately and before November 1989 only the number of calls received was recorded —not the number of offenders; thereafter 1 call logged= 1 potential offender.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each month since January 1989 how many immigration offenders were identified as a result of police call-outs at(a) Isis house and (b) ISIU Harmondsworth.
  26
  Bids for promotion grant are now being invited from secondary agencies, and tenant groups wishing to apply for grant to develop a particular management option can now do so.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each month since January 1989 how many calls were made by the police to(a) Isis house and (b) ISIU Harmondsworth (i) where an immigration officer attended, (ii) which were cleared by telephone and (iii) where there was no immigration officer able to attend; and how many suspects were involved in each of the above three categories.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Immigration offenders identified as a result of police call-outs

  (a) Isis House

  (b) ISIU Harmondsworth

  1989

  January

  111

  95

  February

  156

  134

  March

  118

  94

  April

  137

  117

  May

  105

  83

  June

  108

  97

  July

  132

  91

  August

  120

  95

  September

  103

  100

  October

  126

  109

  November

  107

  133

  December

  79

  82

  1990

  January

  78

  106

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suspected immigration offenders against whom action was taken by officers in each month since July 1989 at(a) Isis house and (b) ISIU Harmondsworth were (i) alleged illegal entrants, (ii) the

  27
  subjects of deportation orders, (iii) seaman deserters, (iv) overstayers, (v) people working in breach of conditions and (vi) people claiming British nationality; and how

  (a) Isis house—Offenders dealt with by category

  Claimed British nationality

  Illegal entrants

  Subjects of deportation orders

  Seaman deserters

  Overstayers1

  Working in breach1

  Total

  Illegal entrants

  Over-stayers

  Working in breach

  1989

  July

  101

  14

  3

  53

  20

  9

  8

  1

  0

  August

  83

  18

  2

  75

  34

  9

  7

  2

  0

  September

  65

  7

  0

  48

  21

  2

  2

  0

  0

  October

  80

  21

  0

  65

  24

  5

  4

  0

  1

  November

  80

  21

  1

  72

  32

  9

  7

  2

  0

  December

  85

  9

  1

  52

  33

  5

  5

  0

  0

  1990

  January

  95

  12

  0

  61

  29

  10

  9

  1

  0

  1 Includes cases in which no further action was taken, a police caution was issued or a report was submitted to headquarters.

  Available information about those served with notices of intention to deport or prosecuted for immigration offences relates to overstayers and those found working in breach of their conditions. This is set out below.

  Overstayers

  Working in breach

  Notice of intention to deport

  Police prosecutions

  Notice of intention to deport

  Police prosecutions

  1989

  July

  45

  0

  14

  2

  August

  71

  1

  28

  3

  September

  44

  3

  19

  1

  October

  58

  1

  17

  2

  November

  68

  1

  25

  2

  December

  45

  1

  28

  1

  1990

  January

  57

  0

  16

  4

  (b) ISIU Harmondsworth—Offenders dealt with by category:

  Illegal Entrants

  Subjects of Deportation Orders

  Seaman Deserters

  Overstayers

  Working in Breach

  1989

  July

  75

  3

  0

  31

  29

  August

  66

  4

  1

  37

  33

  September

  86

  6

  0

  40

  28

  October

  90

  6

  0

  34

  30

  November

  119

  10

  0

  34

  32

  December

  82

  15

  1

  28

  27

  1990

  January

  93

  10

  1

  52

  47

  Note: Those claiming British nationality are not recorded separately.

  Overstayers

  Working Breach

  Notice of Intention to Deport

  Police Prosecutions

  Notice of Intention to Deport

  Police Prosecutions

  1989

  July

  31

  0

  27

  2

  August

  37

  0

  21

  2

  September

  40

  0

  25

  3

  October

  31

  3

  27

  3

  November

  34

  0

  30

  2

  December

  24

  4

  27

  0

  1990

  January

  46

  6

  45

  2

  28
  many in each category were (1) served with notices of intention to deport and (2) prosecuted in the courts in relation to the immigration offence.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:
  29
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times in each month since July 1989 immigration officers at(a) Isis house and (b) ISIU Harmondsworth took action as a result of (i) police call-outs, (ii) denunciations, (iii) Home Office file inquiries, (iv) information provided by other Government agencies,

  (a) Isis House

  Action taken following

  Police call out

  Denunciations

  Home Office file inquiries

  Other Government agencies

  Middle/major tier operations

  Others

  1989

  July

  132

  16

  17

  0

  0

  12

  August

  120

  17

  29

  0

  25

  11

  September

  103

  8

  11

  0

  3

  10

  October

  126

  10

  22

  0

  0

  18

  November

  107

  28

  35

  0

  3

  22

  December

  79

  7

  12

  1

  54

  14

  1990

  January

  98

  23

  16

  7

  15

  21

  (b) ISIU, Harmondsworth

  Action taken following

  Police call out

  Denunciations

  Home Office file inquiries

  Middle/major tier operations

  Others1

  1989

  July

  91

  17

  14

  7

  6

  August

  95

  12

  8

  6

  5

  September

  100

  15

  13

  25

  6

  October

  109

  22

  9

  3

  11

  November

  133

  20

  18

  18

  5

  December

  82

  23

  22

  16

  5

  1990

  January

  106

  15

  18

  24

  20

  1 Includes information provided by other Government agencies.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make available to the House the report produced by the immigration service as a result of Operation Goldring.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. The report concerns inquiries into applications for settlement on the basis of marriage and includes information about named individuals and agencies. It would not be appropriate to make this information available while the Department is considering the case for further action.

  Alcohol (Animal Tests)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many(a) dogs and (b) baboons have been used in licensed alcohol research during each calendar year since 1985;

  (2) how many animals have been used in licensed experiments in the United Kingdom in connection with research into the link between alcohol and violent behaviour during each calendar year since 1980;

  (3) what information he has about the number of animals which have become physically addicted to alcohol as a result of licensed alcohol research in the United Kingdom since 1980.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information on scientific procedures relating to alcohol research has been collected separately only since 1987, and has been published in table 3 of "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals,
  30
  (v) information arising from a major or middle-tier operation and (vi) information arising as a consequence of another inquiry.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Great Britain, 1987" (Cm. 515) and 1988 (Cm. 743), copies of which are in the Library. These statistics disclose that there were eight procedures involving dogs in alcohol research in 1988, none involving dogs in 1987, and none involving non-human primates in either year. The information recorded centrally does not reveal the further details about alcohol research for which the hon. Member has asked.

  Residence Directive
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the residence directive which has been agreed in principle by the Home Affairs Council makes provision for the residence in the United Kingdom of dependants of European Economic Community nationals who are citizens of nations other than members of the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Yes. I explained to the House the provisions relating to family members during my speech on the proposed directives on 8 February at columns 1100–24.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the purpose of the minute of the recent meeting of the Council of Home Office Ministers which dealt with the possible extension of the definition of dependants for the purposes of the residence directive;
  31
  whether the Commission will be presenting proposals to deal with the issues raised in the minute; and if the issues covered by the minute will be dealt with by majority vote.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 21 February at columns 810–11. If the proposed right of residence directives are adopted on the revised legal bases favoured by the United Kingdom and a number of other member states, any future amendment to them would require unanimity.

  Television Licences
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Stockton, South of 7 December 1989,Official Report, column 461, if he will now make a statement on the issue of concessionary television licences at Willey Flatts, in Yarm, about which he has also received correspondence from the hon. Member for Stockton, South.

  Mr. Mellor
  I regret that we cannot identify the Willey Flatts scheme, nor trace any correspondence from my hon. Friend about it. If he will provide the full address, including the postcode, I shall be happy to investigate further.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Irish Foreign Minister; and what discussions took place concerning the possible release of the six men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Mr. Sedgemore) on 25 January 1990 at column 1044.

  Firearms
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made by the Council of Home Office Ministers on the proposed mutual recognition of firearms licences; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the European Commission's proposals for a Council directive on the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons. The Commission has now put forward a revised draft of the directive but no discussions have yet taken place within the Council on the revised draft. We are however currently considering the amended proposals very carefully. The indications are however that, as drafted, the revised directive is unlikely to be acceptable to us as it fails to provide those safeguards necessary to preserve security and maintain law and order.

  Police (Corruption Inquiry)
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to public funds of the inquiry by West Yorkshire police into alleged police corruption involving certain Merseyside officers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand that the charges which have been agreed by the West Yorkshire police for the investigation have totalled £43,600.

  Demonstrations
  Mr. Tracey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the cost of policing the students' march in London on 15 February; which roads were closed and between what hours; how many arrests were made; and whether he will consider issuing instructions to the Commissioner banning large marches on public roads during weekdays.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the Commissioner that on 15 February, between 12.45 pm and 2.40 pm, approximately 18,000 students marched from Battersea park to Hyde park. Some roads along the route were closed for a period as the march progressed, but information about the length of time particular roads were closed is not available. There were nine arrests during the march.

  Section 12 of the Public Order Act 1986 enables the police to impose conditions on persons organising or taking part in a public procession if they reasonably believe it may result in serious public disorder, serious damage to property, serious disruption to the life of the community, or if its purpose is to coerce. In London any decision to impose conditions under the section is an operational matter for the Commissioner alone to decide.

  I will write to my hon. Friend when information on the additional cost of policing the march is available.

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what computer codes have been or will be used to assist in the assessment of fire risk as part of his Department's consideration of public fire safety; and if such codes are open to public scientific scrutiny.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Home Office statistical Department uses codes to computerise information recorded on the fire report forms received from United Kingdom fire brigades in respect of all major fires. The Home Office codebook is a complex document designed for use by trained coding staff. Work is currently under way in the Home Office to revise both the fire report form and associated coding. Interested parties are being consulted, and the final version will be distributed to all United Kingdom fire brigades.

  Northamptonshire Constabulary
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish(a) the authorised establishment and (b) the actual strength of the Northamptonshire constabulary in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is as follows:

  Northamptonshire Police

  31 December

  Authorised establishment

  Actual strength

  1979

  978

  926

  1980

  978

  971

  1981

  1,066

  1,003

  1982

  1,066

  1,000

  1983

  1,018

  1,001

  1984

  1,025

  1,010

  1985

  1,031

  1,017

  33

  31 December

  Authorised establishment

  Actual strength

  1986

  1,054

  1,041

  1987

  1,074

  1,075

  1988

  1,106

  1,090

  1989

  1,121

  1,119

  From 1 April 1990, the authorised establishment of the force will be increased by 20 posts.

  ID Cards
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to introduce national identity cards; what contingency plans he has for the introduction of identity cards should the need arise; whether he plans to study the advantages of introducing a national identity card in future; whether he has any plans to explore the technological specification for a national identity card; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The advantages and disadvantages of a compulsory system of identity cards were examined last year, when it was concluded that the former were outweighed by the latter. My right hon. and learned Friend accordingly has no plans to introduce such a system now, nor in any contingency which is at present foreseeable, and there would be no purpose in exploring the technological aspects of a compulsory card.

  Gun Clubs
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 23 January,Official Report, column 592, regarding gun clubs, if he will specify what he means by a reasonable time which will be allowed to them in which to comply with the revised criteria; and if he will make a further statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Home Office officials will shortly be writing to each approved club explaining the new criteria and indicating the date by which it should comply. Clubs will be given about three months from the date of issue of the letter in which to adapt to the new controls.

  CPS (North Wales)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any complaints from the Chief Constable of North Wales about the conduct by the Crown prosecution service of north Wales of criminal proceedings against persons accused of assaults against police officers.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received any representations from the chief constable of north Wales about the relationship between the police and the Crown prosecution service.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No. Within the forum provided by the Director of Public Prosecution's senior liaison committee, on which the Home Office is also represented, the chief constable of north Wales, in his capacity as chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers' crime committee, has raised matters of mutual interest to the police and the Crown prosecution service and has drawn attention to the effect of certain Crown prosecution service requirements on the police service.

  Rates Arrears
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many repossession orders for non-payment of rates have been issued in each year since 1976 within each(a) district, (b) borough and (c) city council area; and how many individuals have been imprisoned due to rates arrears in the same period.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 15 February 1990]: I am assuming that the information requested relates only to Wales. Information on repossession orders for non-payment of rates is not collected centrally. According to records held centrally, which are approximate, two people were known to have been committed to custody by courts in Wales for non-payment of rates in 1976. The corresponding figures for 1982 and 1988 were seven and four respectively. Statistics for other years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information for England and Wales is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (table 6.3 of the latest volume, for 1988, Cm. 825) copies of which are in the Library.

  Community Service
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the criminals failing to complete their community service orders are returned to court for re-sentencing.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: The available information is published in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1988" (table 7.28), a copy of which can be found in the Library. The information relates to the proportion of offenders sentenced to community service orders who breached that order. "Breach" means either the failure to comply with the requirements of the order, or the commission of a further offence. The court may either allow the order to remain in force, or revoke the order and resentence for the original offence.

  Alcohol (Sale to Children)
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were carried out in the past two years in West Yorkshire of people guilty of selling alcohol to children; if he will give the details year by year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 16 February 1990]: Information for 1987 and 1988 is given in the table. Data for 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990.

  Persons proceeded against for the illegal sale of alcohol to children West Yorkshire

  1987

  1988

  Prosecutions

  15

  13

  Convictions

  11

  12

  Football Membership Scheme
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what compensation terms he is offering to companies who had invested in designing the technology necessary to introduce a football identity card.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I have been asked to reply.
  35
  The question of compensation does not arise. The companies responded in competition to the invitation to tender for the national membership scheme issued by consultants on behalf of the football authorities. The companies were fully aware that in considering whether to implement the scheme the Government would take account of Lord Justice Taylor's final report on the Hillsborough stadium disaster and that the Football Membership Authority would not be appointed until a statutory instrument had been made subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Preventable Loss
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the extent of preventable loss arising from theft or misappropriation in his Department.

  Mr. Cope
  Each Department of the Northern Ireland Civil Service reports losses borne on its voted moneys in a losses statement appended to the end of the relevant appropriation account. These accounts are certified and reported to Parliament by the Comptroller and Auditor-General (Northern Ireland). The 1988–89 volume of the Northern Ireland Appropriation Accounts (HC2) was printed on 4 December 1989. Departments are obliged to report all losses above a prescribed threshold to the Department of Finance and Personnel.

  In addition, Northern Ireland Departments are required to notify the Treasury Officer of Accounts of the Department of Finance and Personnel and the Comptroller and Auditor General (Northern Ireland) of all discovered fraud (including computer frauds) proven or suspected within a Department or non-departmental public body which are perpetrated by members of its own staff, or members of the public or by contractors.

  For the year 1988–89 the following were reported:

  Number of cases

  Loss £

  Recovered £

  Internal fraud (by staff)

  12

  30,638

  1,380

  External fraud (non-staff)

  21

  78,676

  9,542

  Also, for the year ending 31 December 1988 the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) reported 3,757 cases of fraudulent claims for various benefits which resulted in a total payment of £621,109.

  The Northern Ireland Office does not prepare assessments on the extent of preventable loss arising from theft or misappropriation. Financial controls operate throughout the Department to ensure, as far as is reasonably possible, that loss arising from theft or misappropriation is prevented. In addition the Department's internal audit unit provides an assurance as to the adequacy, effectiveness and application of existing financial controls. There were no cases of fraud reported during the 1988–89 financial year. Financial controls would be reassessed in the light of evidence of losses from theft or misappropriation.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the methodology used in arriving at the regional rate.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the explanation of the regional rate methodology given in the information note "Northern Ireland Regional Rate" placed annually in the House of Commons Library in support of the statutory rule which gives effect to the regional rate. The Rates (Regional Rate) Order (Northern Ireland) for the current year was laid before Parliament on 7 March 1989. Similar arrangements will be made for 1990–91.

  Fair Employment Commission
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many businesses in Northern Ireland have now registered with the Fair Employment Commission as directed under the Fair Employment (NI) Act 1989; and what is the estimate of the number of businesses which have failed to register, but are required to do so.

  Mr. Needham
  As at 16 February 1990, a total of 1,662 concerns had registered with the Fair Employment Commission. The commission is currently not in a position to state how many concerns have failed to register. The commission's legal department is taking action to obtain information from approximately 80 concerns in order to establish whether they should have registered.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to introduce regulations that allow voters to opt out or opt in to the sale of their name and address from electoral registers; whether he has discussions with the Data Protection Registrar concerning the sale of the names and addresses from the electoral register; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  No. The operation of the electoral registration system requires that the information in the register should be freely available. The provisions of the Representation of the People (NI) Regulations 1986 governing the publication and supply of the register reflect this fact and the conclusion that its use for other purposes could not effectively be prevented. The Data Protection Registrar was consulted before the provisions governing the sale of the electoral register in data form were introduced.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to introduce regulations to alert voters to the fact that their name and address are routinely disclosed from the electoral register for other purposes; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  We have no such plans. The electoral register is a public document.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to introduce regulations to protect voters who may be vulnerable to attack if their name and address appeared on an electoral register that is available for sale or inspection by the public; and whether he will make a statement.
  37
  Mr. Cope
  We have no plans to do so at present, but we shall continue to keep the matter under careful review.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Marchioness
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Attorney-General when the Director of Public Prosecutions expects to complete his consideration of whether to bring criminal proceedings in connection with the sinking of the Marchioness.

  The Attorney-General
  The police investigation into the sinking of the Marchioness commenced immediately after the incident and is continuing. A number of reports have been submitted to the director (the most recent on 20 February 1990) which he is now considering with the benefit of advice from Treasury counsel.

  The director recognises the degree of public interest which attaches to the case and will ensure that it is dealt with as expeditiously as is consistent with thorough investigation and proper consideration of the evidence.

HEALTH

  Doncaster Health Authority
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take in response to the decision taken by the Doncaster health authority regarding the expression of interest; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None. The decision on whether to submit a formal application for NHS trust status, when Parliament has approved the necessary legislation, is a matter for the sponsors of the expression of interest in the unit concerned. When formal applications are prepared, RHAs will ensure that they are given local publicity and will seek the views of those with an interest including the health authorities concerned. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will consider these views alongside the application, before deciding whether to approve it.

  British Medical Association
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to carry through assurances covered in his letter to the British Medical Association on 10 October 1989 into legislative proposals to Parliament.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My letter of 10 October 1989 to the British Medical Association reiterated assurances that firm budgets for drugs will not operate as cash limits and that the management arrangements proposed for operating the indicative prescribing budget scheme will not infringe in any way the right of a general practitioner to prescribe all those medicines which individual patients might need. This has always been Government policy and the proposals in the NHS and Community Care Bill are consistent with these assurances.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Callaghan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average number of patients on general practitioner lists for England and Wales and the Rochdale health authority area.
  38
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The figures requested for England and Wales and the Rochdale health authority area are 1,990 and 2,124 respectively, in 1988. In 1979 the average number of patients on general practitioner lists for England and Wales was 2,277, in the Rochdale health authority area the figure was 2,664.

  Charter for Children
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received concerning the charter for children, and the recommendations of the National Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  For many years the Department has provided grant aid to the National Association for the Welfare of Children in Hospital. We welcomed production of the charter. Recently we have received representations suggesting that district health authorities should refer to the charter in framing contracts for the provision of children's health services following implementation of the National Health Service review. We will commend this suggestion to health authorities.

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will supply information on the achievement of the resource allocation working party target, for each year since its inception, in relation to all districts in the Mersey region.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not held centrally.

  Disabled People (Services)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in view of the evidence in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" that there is widespread failure by local authorities to fulfil their duties under section 4 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 and section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, he will use his powers under section 36 of the National Assistance Act 1948 to take urgent action in all individual cases brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  While the report revealed differences in the extent to which social services departments have agreed new policies and introduced new operational plans in the light of section 4 of the Act, it did not reveal evidence of widespread failure to comply with that section. Requests to invoke section 36 of the National Assistance Act 1948 are considered on their merits. The Department takes up serious cases directly with the authority concerned.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in view of the evidence in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" that money allocated through rate support grant for the implementation of sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 gets lost elsewhere, he will reconsider his decision not to ring-fence funds transferred from the social scurity budget for community care in 1991; and if he will make a statement.
  39
  Mr. Freeman
  No. We believe that Government support for community care expenditure, as with other important local authority functions, is best provided through the revenue support grant. This will ensure maximum local accountability and encourage value for money by enabling local authorities to make decisions about community care based on local factors. A large specific grant under direct control of central Government would weaken the improved accountability of local authorities to those who will be providing funds through the community charge scheme.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in view of the evidence in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" that his Department's circulars on the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 have been widely ignored or misunderstood, what action he will take to ensure that there is greater compliance with the guidance he will issue on the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  While the report indicated that with some sections of the Act, some authorities had still to translate intention into action, and some were confused about how section 10 of the Act should be interpreted, it did not produce evidence that departmental guidance on the Act had been widely ignored or misunderstood. The guidance we intend to issue to help local authorities implement our proposals for community care will be drawn up in close consultation with them and will be linked to the statutory requirements outlined in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill. The social services inspectorate will closely monitor compliance with the guidance.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in view of the evidence in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" concerning the implementation of section 8 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986, what action he intends to take to ensure that his policies in the White Paper "Caring for People" in relation to support for informal carers are put into practice; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We will be requiring local authorities to publish community care plans, setting out information to be provided to service users and their carers about the social care services available to them. We intend local authorities to involve other interested agencies including carers in drawing up their plans. The social services inspectorate will play an active part in inspecting these plans, monitoring performance and offering advice and guidance to authorities and to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health. Where necessary we will not hesitate to intervene in order to stimulate improvements.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in view of the evidence in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" concerning the implementations of section 9 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 he will now produce, in conjunction with the local authority associations and 40
  voluntary organisations, model guidelines on the provision of information to people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The report showed that local authorities are aware of the need to improve their information services and many are planning to produce booklets and leaflets. We will be monitoring further progress in this area. In view of the differences in local circumstances, we do not think model guidelines would be helpful.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, in view of the evidence in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" concerning the implementations of section 10 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 he will now seek information from local authorities in England about persons co-opted on to social services committees under that section and the procedures for selecting them; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have no plans to extend detailed inquiries about the operation of section 10 to all local authorities. A copy of the report has been sent to all directors of social services. The implications of the findings in respect of this and other sections will be discussed at a seminar on 6 March arranged by the social services inspectorate to explore ways of developing services to disabled people in the light of the report. The seminar will be attended by managers of social services departments, representatives from voluntary organisations concerned with disability, and disabled people and their carers.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he intends to take on the recommendation in the social services inspectorate report "Developing Services for Disabled People" that the problems with London in respect of implementing the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 warrant further investigation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The seminar to which I referred in my replies to the right hon. Member today is expected to take particular note of the problems highlighted by the report concerning implementation of the Act in London, and to consider the steps which might be taken to tackle them.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he will take in relation to local authorities which fail to fulfil their duties under sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 in respect of disabled young people leaving full-time education at the end of next summer term; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  While the report highlighted the difficulties some authorities may face in setting up arrangements for disabled school leavers next summer it would not be right to assume from this that there will be failure to comply with these sections. A follow-up report on the operation of these sections last summer is in preparation and will be published shortly. There will be further discussions of these issues at the seminar on 6 March which can be expected to give a clearer indication of the position across a wide range of local authorities.

  Health Authorities (Computer Processing)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which regional health authorities have transferred their computer processing to which commercial organisations; and in each case what has happened to those who were employed by the authorities in work related to computer processing.

  Mr. Freeman
  Details of those regional health authorities that have transferred their computer processing to commercial organisations are as follows:WESSEX—Have transferred all computer processing to the private sector. Two centres exist containing former RHA computer staff covering both IBM and ICL installations. One is run by ISTEL and the other by Wessex Integrated Systems, a subsidiary of CIPFA Facilities Management Ltd. The staff are all working in the private sector except for a small core organisation responsible for strategic advice, overall monitoring and contract compliance.
  TRENT—Have transferred their RHA computer centre to ISTEL. The computer centre employed 88 staff and 83 of these have transferred to ISTEL's payroll; the remaining five will remain on the RHA payroll but are contracted to work for the new organisation.
  WEST MIDLANDS—A management buyout of the RHA's Management Service Division was concluded on 20 December. The new company is called QA Business Services and all staff have transferred to it.
  Four other Regions—Yorkshire, Mersey, Northern and East Anglian are at varying stages of negotiation with commercial organisations.

  Abortions
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the procedures for abortion included within the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys statistics under the terms(a) other surgical, (b) other medical and (c) other and combined methods.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to ensure that all selective reductions of pregnancy are being registered under the terms of the Abortion Act 1967.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I am advised that doctors should perform selective reduction of pregnancy only if the requirements of the Abortion Act 1967 are fulfilled. All operating practitioners are required to notify the Chief Medical Officer, within seven days, of each abortion they perform.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill, on 20 February, if his Department has sought or received information from the Humana hospital regarding the selective reductions of pregnancy carried out there.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department does not release information of a confidential nature about treatment given to patients in hospitals or elsewhere.

  Powered Wheelchairs
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the reports on the powered wheelchair study being carried out by the Disablement Services Authority.
  42
  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for the Disablement Services Authority, which established the study and will, no doubt, act on its results.

  Hospital Optometrists
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has issued any instructions altering the pay rates of hospital optometrists; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A new pay and grading structure. for hospital optometrists had been agreed and the new pay rates were promulgated in "Advance Letter (OP) 1/90" issued on 19 January 1990, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The agreement gives an increase on all pay scales of 6·5 per cent. from 1 April 1989, assimilation to a new pay spine from 1 December 1989 and regrading under the new structures to be completed by 1 July 1990. The new spine gives salaries in the following ranges:

  Grade A— £9,239 to £12,158

  Grade B—£12,644 to £23,682

  Grade C—£22,771 to £31,164 (or £37,915 with full use of five discretionary points available to employing authorities under the agreement).

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total paid, or liabilities entered into, by the West Midlands ambulance service in respect of support and services supplied by the police, the Army and other organisations from the start of the ambulance dispute to the latest available date.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The cost of military assistance to individual health authorities has not yet been assessed. The costs of assistance by police and other organisations are met directly by the health authorities concerned and information is not available centrally.

  Organ Donations
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to instruct area health authorities to include questions regarding donation of organs on hospital admissions forms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have no plans to issue such instructions.

  Milk Tokens
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what publicity he intends to give to the possibility of exchanging the devalued milk token for a giro for the full cost of a pint of milk at local Department of Social Security offices.

  Mr. Freeman
  There does not appear to be any need for publicity on this particular aspect of the milk token scheme. Local social security offices will continue, as before, to exchange a milk token for a giro where, exceptionally, a beneficiary has been unable to obtain milk. Local offices will continue to offer advice on all benefits when needed.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what safeguards he has included to ensure that the value of the token can be spent only on milk when a milk token is exchanged for a giro;
  43
  (2) whether recipients of milk tokens are able to claim their statutory right to a free pint of milk a day by exchanging their tokens for a giro for the actual cost of a pint of milk at their Department of Social Security offices.

  Mr. Freeman
  Cash is given in lieu of milk tokens when beneficiaries, exceptionally, cannot obtain milk with the token. This is done only when local social security offices are satisfied that the token cannot be used to obtain milk and beneficiaries are advised that the cash is intended for milk.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what staffing provisions he has made within the Department of Social Security to cope with the expected number of potential claimants who will wish to exchange their milk tokens for giro.

  Mr. Freeman
  Staffing provisions already take account of this practice which has been carried out by social security local offices for a number of years.

  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will restore the value of the milk token to a level sufficient to cover the cost of a pint of milk delivered to the doorstep or purchased in a neighbourhood shop.

  Mr. Freeman
  The reimbursement price system brought into effect on 28 January 1990 reflects the size and value to

  Patients treated in NHS hospitals, North Western and South Manchester health authorities. 1978, 1979 and 1988–89

  1978

  1979

  1988–89

  Per cent. increase 1978 — 1988–89

  North Western Regional Health Authority

  In-patient cases treated

  511,674

  509,049

  640,548

  25·2

  Day case admissions

  68,080

  70,608

  126,486

  85·8

  New out-patients

  707,676

  699,717

  779,346

  10·1

  Total out patient attendances

  3,149,423

  3,156,219

  3,512,983

  11·5

  South Manchester District Health Authority

  In-patient cases treated

  57,545

  57,110

  72,389

  25·8

  Day case admissions

  5,502

  6,975

  18,940

  244·2

  New out-patients

  68,354

  69,137

  75,183

  10·0

  Total out patient attendances

  354,740

  361,288

  379,472

  7·0

  Source: 1978, 1979; SH3 return. 1988–89; SH3a, KH09, KH18 and KP70 returns.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the amount of funding other than Government funding for each training and enterprise council.

  Mr. Eggar
  It will be for each training and enterprise council to decide how it will generate income from sources other than Government funding.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give, in respect of each training and enterprise council appointed, the number of competitive bidders there were.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have not received any competing bids to set up a training and enterprise council (TEC) from different groups covering the same area.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all the training and enterprise councils together with their likely operational date.
  44
  the dairy industry of the welfare milk scheme, which enables liquid milk to be obtained on the doorstep or from any shop.

  NHS Trusts
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis people were invited to attend the meetings on National Health Service trusts held on 23 and 24 October 1989, 14 and 15 December 1989, and 22 and 23 January.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  People were invited to these meetings on the basis that they represented units which have indicated that they were considering preparing applications to become NHS trusts in April 1991, if Parliament approves the necessary legislation. A representative from each regional health authority was also invited.

  North Western RHA
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) inpatients, (b) outpatients and (c) day patients were treated by the North Western regional health authority and South Manchester health authority in 1988 and 1989; and how many were treated in 1978 and 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: The information requested is given in the table.

  Mr. Eggar
  Fifty-five employer-led groups have been given development funding to establish training and enterprise councils (TECs). The areas involved are listed in my written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, South (Mr. Bruce)Official Report, 13 February 1990, columns 207–08. These groups are now preparing their proposed corporate and business plans for consideration by the national training task force.

  We expect the first TECs to become operational in spring 1990 and others will follow.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the board members of each training and enterprise council together with their occupation.

  Mr. Eggar
  Employer-led groups are currently drawing up corporate and business plans for training and enterprise councils (TECs). These plans will include the proposed board of directors of each TEC. A full list of board members is not therefore currently available.
  45
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations have been made to him by training and enterprise councils about funding.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have received a number of representations on funding from training and enterprise councils as they prepare their corporate and business plans.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether training and enterprise councils will be required to publish an annual analysis of their activities or other means of public information.

  Mr. Eggar
  Each training and enterprise council (TEC) will be required to publish a summary of its corporate and business plan. In addition each TEC will be required to publish an annual report and a statement of audited accounts.

  Visually Handicapped People
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what assessment he has made of the training needs of workers with visually handicapped people;

  (2) what discussions have been held with the Association of Directors of Social Services on the resourcing of training of specialist workers with visually handicapped people;

  (3) what steps he is taking to ensure that there are adequate numbers of specialist workers with visually handicapped people; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The number of specialists employed by local authority social service departments to work with visually handicapped people is a matter for individual authorities to decide in the light of their assessment of local need. In 1985, the Department commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research to carry out a comprehensive review of the training and work of specialist workers with visually handicapped people. This was followed, in 1988, by an external management and financial review of the three specialist training bodies concerned. Officials have held discussions based on the recommendations in the reports of these reviews with a

  Table 1: Unemployment, not seasonally adjusted

  Birkenhead TTWA1

  Wirral and Chester TTWA1

  Merseyside

  England

  Great Britain

  Number

  Percentage rate2

  Number

  Percentage rate2

  Number

  Percentage rate2

  Number

  Percentage rate2

  Number

  Percentage rate2

  January 1979 (Registrants)

  17,003

  10·6

  —

  —

  83,666

  12·0

  1,108,433

  5·4

  1,391,220

  5·9

  June 1983 (Claimants)

  29,632

  18·5

  35,359

  17·2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Percentage change

  74·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  January 1990 (Claimants)

  —

  —

  21,761

  10·5

  84,423

  14·1

  1,277,107

  6·2

  1,586,632

  6·6

  Percentage change

  —

  —

  -38·5

  —

  0·9

  —

  15·2

  —

  14·0

  —

  1The definition of travel-to-work areas changed in 1984. The current travel-to-work area within which Birkenhead falls is Wirral and Chester. Data is for the current area back to the earliest available date (June 1983). Earlier data is given for the old travel-to-work area of Birkenhead.

  2 Narrow based rate.

  46
  variety of interests, including representatives of local authorities, voluntary organisations and the relevant specialist training bodies. The recommendations in the reports have also been drawn to the attention of the Association of Directors of Social Services.

  Action Credit
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is the policy of his Department to treat action credit participants as employees in the same way as employment training and YTS participants for the purposes of(a) the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, (b) the Sex Discrimination Act 1986 and (c) the Race Relations Act 1976; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Participants in the action credit pilot scheme have the same rights under(a) the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, (b) the Sex Discrimination Act 1986 and (c) the Race Relations Act 1976, as other employees.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the level of unemployment both in actual numbers and expressed as a percentage, according to the latest figures and in 1979 for(a) Birkenhead travel-to-work area, (b) Merseyside, (c) England and (d) Great Britain; and if he will express the change in the number unemployed in each of the four categories in percentage terms.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is contained in the following tables.

  Where available, unemployment data are normally given on a seasonally adjusted, consistent basis, with unemployment rates expressed as a percentage of the work force, as given in table 2. The unadjusted data given for England and Great Britain in table 1 can be used to make comparisons with the smaller area figures, for which seasonally adjusted data are not available. However, comparisons over time shown in table 1 are affected by changes to the count as well as seasonal influences, in particular the change from the registrant to the claimant count in 1982.
  47

  Table 2: Unemployment, seasonally adjusted

  England

  Great Britain

  Number

  Percentage rate1

  Number

  Percentage rate1

  January 1979

  842,300

  3·8

  1,049,900

  4·0

  January 1990

  1,221,000

  5·1

  1,512,200

  5·5

  Percentage change

  45·0

  —

  44·0

  —

  1Workforce rates.

  Benefit Claimants
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed claimants, based on the national monthly returns between 9 October 1989 and the period ending 24 December 1989 and for each region and for Great Britain as a whole(a) have been issued with warning letters for not actively seeking work, (b) had their claims referred to an adjudicating officer for not actively

  National monthly return—actively seeking referrals and disallowances refusal of employment referrals and disqualifications Period ending: 29 December 1989

  Actively seeking employment

  Refusal of Employment

  Regions

  Claimants issued warning letters

  Claims referred to adjudication officer

  Allowed

  Disallowed

  Claims referred to adjudication officer

  Not disqualified

  Disqualified

  Northern

  430

  50

  5

  17

  17

  4

  10

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  481

  80

  3

  18

  61

  6

  2

  East Midlands and Eastern

  515

  68

  33

  11

  89

  21

  20

  London and South East

  2,689

  463

  84

  71

  536

  54

  59

  South West

  474

  107

  16

  28

  45

  6

  4

  Wales

  548

  99

  16

  16

  53

  6

  11

  West Midlands

  585

  79

  20

  13

  86

  17

  7

  North West

  831

  76

  30

  20

  45

  9

  8

  Scotland

  917

  96

  20

  19

  42

  13

  2

  National

  7,470

  1,118

  227

  213

  974

  136

  123

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Interests
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he has received any representations on the latest report of the Select Committee on Members' Interests; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have received no formal representations.

  School Visits
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what representations he has received about the delay experienced by a party from Swindon comprehensive school, near Rotherham, on 20 February before it was possible to commence their visit to this place, and if he will urgently consider improvement of the arrangements concerning such visits.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  None. Proposals to duplicate the screening facilities in the Norman Porch in order to speed up access for visitors have already been agreed with the other place and English Heritage. It is hoped that these arrangements will be ready by late spring.
  48
  seeking work, (c) had their claims allowed or disallowed and (d) have been referred to an adjudicating officer for refusing suitable employment; and how many of those in (d) have had their benefits disqualified.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The table shows the statistical information for the period 9 October to 29 December 1989 on questions of actively seeking employment and refusal of employment.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Order Paper
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the current estimated annual cost of producing the House's Order Paper.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The actual cost of producing the Order Paper in 1989 was £770,000.

  Traffic Safety
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will give fresh consideration to the need to make representations to Westminster city council for traffic measures to improve the safety of hon. Members whose offices are in Old Palace Yard and other locations which involve frequent road crossings.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I understand that after further consideration of Westminster city council's proposals the Accommodation and Administration Sub-Committee accepts that the regulation of pedestrians in the vicinity of Parliament square is essential to the improved flow of traffic. They consider that a crossing from Old Palace Yard would seriously impede that objective. It is, however, hoped that more effective control of traffic and pedestrians at other points will achieve an overall improvement in the balance between pedestrian safety and traffic flow.

  Chief Whips (Archives)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make available accommodation for the archives of Government Chief Whips.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  No.

  Government Accountability
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he has any proposals to strengthen the powers of the House to hold the Government to account for their actions; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  No. Ministers are already fully accountable to Parliament.

  Timetable Motions
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will bring forward an amendment to Standing Orders to provide that the Report stage and Third Reading of all Bills will be timetabled only if a minimum of two weekends has passed since Committee stage.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have no plans to do so.

  Offical Residence
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if there are any plans to designate an official residence for the Lord President of the Council.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  There are no such plans.

  House Stationery
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when he intends to introduce recycled paper for all House stationery.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The Services Committee has fully endorsed the principle of advancing the use of stationery made from recycled material by Members and Departments of the House. To this end the authorities of the House have been asked to liaise with HMSO to identify the extent to which it would be appropriate and practicable to use recycled paper for stationery and for parliamentary publications. Their report will be considered as soon as it is received.

  Members' Interests
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he wll bring forward proposals to strengthen the Register of Members' Interests.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have no proposals at present. The appropriate body to consider any changes in the first instance is the Select Committee on Members' Interests.

TRANSPORT

  Travel Concessions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated cost of providing free bus travel to pensioners and disabled persons in England and Wales for the year 1989–90.
  50
  Mr. Portillo
  Total local authority expenditure on all travel concessions for pensioners, disabled persons and children in 1989–90 in England and Wales is estimated at £350 million. No information is available on how much of this expenditure is on free bus travel for pensioners and disabled persons.

  Air Fares
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the normal business fares and cheapest fares available for flights between(a) London and (b) Manchester to (i) Stockholm and (ii) Moscow.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The normal business fares are as follows:

  £

  London-Stockholm

  216

  Manchester-Stockholm

  275

  London-Moscow

  427

  Manchester-Moscow

  487

  The cheapest fares are as follows:

  Return £

  London-Stockholm

  189

  Manchester-Stockholm

  235

  London-Moscow

  270

  Manchester-Moscow

  356

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to differences in the costs of air tickets from Manchester and London to European destinations of similar distance from the two cities; if there is any action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Air fares from Manchester or from any other airport reflect the costs of providing the service concerned and the effects of the degree of competition on the route served. Fares from Manchester to European destinations tend to be higher than fares from London for a similar distance because of the lower level of demand which reduces operators' opportunities for achieving economies of scale.

  The best way of reducing fares all round, including those from Manchester, is through increased competition. Government policy is to remove restrictions in aviation agreements between Governments so that airlines are free to compete on fares and other aspects of their services, subject only to proper safeguards against anti-competitive behaviour. We have had considerable success in liberalisation, both bilaterally and within the European Community.

  Marchioness
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is(a) the earliest and (b) the latest date by which he understands the marine accident investigation branch report into the sinking of the Marchioness will be (a) completed, (b) submitted to him and (c) published.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The inspector who led the inquiry into the Marchioness accident has submitted his findings and recommendations to the chief inspector of marine
  51
  accidents who is now preparing his report for submission to the Secretary of State. The Accident Investigation Regulations provide for any whose reputations may be adversely affected to see the proposed text of the chief inspector's report so that if any relevant sections are not agreed an alternative can be published as an appendix to the report. This important procedure will take a minimum of two months. Publication is expected to follow as soon as is practicable thereafter.

  East London River Crossing
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received on the east London river crossing; and what percentage of the total(a) support and (b) object to the proposals.

  Mr. Atkins
  The decision that the east London river crossing should be built was taken in July 1988 and orders under the Highways Act 1980 have been made, fixing the route of the new trunk road. Further draft orders were published in January 1990 proposing a new design for the bridge across the River Thames and changes to the junctions with the A 13, Windsor terrace and the A2016. At the end of the objection period for these further draft orders on 22 February, over 6,200 representations had been received, many in a standard form as a result of campaigns by certain pressure groups. These are being analysed and a breakdown is not available at present.

  British Rail
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the latest projected figures for investment in British Rail over(a) the period 1990–1993 and (b) the period 1990–2000.

  Mr. Portillo
  Chapter 7 of the Public Expenditure White Paper includes British Rail plans to invest £3·7 billion in the financial years 1990–91 to 1992–93, a 75 per cent. real increase over the previous three years. British Rail has included a projection for 1993–94 in its corporate plan, but no projections have been made for subsequent years.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the total sums which his Department has(a) authorised for investment in the British Rail network and (b) paid to British Rail by way of public service obligation and any other Exchequer grants for the current British Rail financial year and for each of the two preceding years.

  Mr. Portillo
  All the information requested was published in chapter 7 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans 1990–91 to 1992–93" (Cm. 1007). British Rail's financial year, like the Government's, starts on 1 April.

  Road Building
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the latest projected figures for investment in road building in the United Kingdom over(a) the period 1990–93 and (b) the period 1990–2000.

  Mr. Atkins
  Planned expenditure on trunk road building in England is as follows:

  £ million

  1990–91

  1,282

  1991–92

  1,322

  1992–93

  1,403

  52

  £ million

  Total

  4,007

  Yearly expenditure plans are made only for the three-year PES period. Road expenditure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a matter for the respective Secretaries of State. The figures do not include private finance.

  Local road building projections are a matter for local highway authorities. Chapter 7 of Cm 1007 lists the information available to the Department about local roads schemes over £1 million in 1990–91 in England.

  Public Transport
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest projected figure for investment in public transport over(a) the period 1990–1993 and (b) the period 1990–2000.

  Mr. Portillo
  Information about the investment plans of the nationalised transport industries is contained in the public expenditure White Paper. For those industries for which my Department is responsible, the figures are:

  £ million

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  British Rail

  1,052

  1,258

  1,421

  London Regional Transport

  560

  630

  610

  Civil Aviation Authority

  90

  85

  106

  The figures shown for LRT exclude investment in the Jubilee line extension for which provision is shown separately in the White Paper. Planned investment in this project during the plan period is as follows:

  £ million

  1990–91

  40

  1991–92

  190

  1992–93

  300

  The proportion of total local authority resources allocated to public transport is a matter for local discretion. Information on the resources available for local authority capital programmes in 1990–91 is given in paragraphs 76–77 of the Department of Transport chapter of the White Paper (Cm. 1007). No data are available for future years.

  The investment plans of private sector transport operators are a matter for them.

  No information is available on public transport investment plans beyond 1993.

  Merseytravel
  Mr. Heffer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many delegations have written to him requesting a meeting to discuss Merseytravel's case for Government assistance; and how many he has met.

  Mr. Atkins
  I received three requests to meet delegations; hon. Members from Merseyside made their views known to me, both orally and in writing. I took these into account before making my decision, which was based primarily on the written submissions prepared by Merseytravel.

  A61 (Environmental Damage)
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish the report of a study carried out by his Department's research laboratory on the A61 in Outwood in the Normanton constituency, giving the findings of the effects on the environment that traffic using this road is having on the local community; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when he expects to have the report on the traffic nuisance study carried out in December 1989 on the A61 in Outwood, in the Normanton constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  The survey of traffic nuisance on the A61 at Outwood is being carried out as part of a wider study by the transport and road research laboratory to develop methods of assessing the environmental effects of roads and traffic. This involves surveys at 10 sites round the country, selected to represent a range of traffic conditions. The work is not aimed at identifying or solving problems at specific sites, and it is not intended to publish the findings of the Outwood survey separately or otherwise than in the form of statistical summaries. The information gained should enable the Department to refine its procedures for the environmental appraisal of road schemes by giving a firmer indication of the extent to which a new road, bypass or road improvement will reduce the nuisance caused by traffic. The work so far has been of an explanatory nature only. The main part of the study is likely to be completed by late 1991 and published soon afterwards.

  I regret that, because of an error in identifying the constituency in which this survey was to take place, the hon. Member was not informed in the usual way. An apology has been sent to the hon. Member by my Department.

  Hazardous Cargoes
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what controls there are on the transportation of dangerous liquid on the public highway.

  Mr. Atkins
  The carriage of dangerous liquids by road is subject to the following regulations:

  The Dangerous Substances (Conveyance by Road in Road Tankers and Tank Containers) Regulations 1981;

  The Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances Regulations 1984, as amended;

  The Road Traffic (Carriage of Dangerous Substances in Packages etc.) Regulations 1986, as amended.

  Public Utilities Streetworks Act
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the 73 recommendations mentioned in the report of Professor M. R. Home on a review of the Public Utilities Streetworks Act 1950 have so far been implemented.

  Mr. Atkins
  Action has been put in hand or completed on all those recommendations in the Horne report which were accepted by the Government in their reponse published in July 1986. About two thirds of the report's recommendations require primary legislation and a consultation document was issued in May 1989 describing the proposed provisions to be included in a Bill which the Government intend to bring forward at a suitable opportunity.
  54
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek to amend the Public Utility Streetworks Act 1950 to take account of the increased use of roads over the past five years and the traffic delays caused by excavations in road surfaces so as to accord with modern traffic flow requirements.

  Mr. Atkins
  Yes. Our proposals for legislation to reform the 1950 Act pay particular attention to the need to reduce the amount of traffic disruption caused by street works.

  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to increase the controls on contractors for failure to reinstate road surfaces under the Public Utilities Streetworks Act 1950.

  Mr. Atkins
  Our proposals for legislation to reform the 1950 Act include new requirements on undertakers of works to ensure that their reinstatements conform to prescribed standards for a fixed guarantee period.

  Crash Barriers
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to install crash barriers along all Britain's motorways.

  Mr. Atkins
  Central reserve safety fencing is an integral feature of motorway design. It is installed on all motorways except where the carriageways are widely separated.

  Transport Investment
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has undertaken of the relative costs and benefits of investment in(a) car transport and (b) cycle transport.

  Mr. Atkins
  None. Investment in private means of transport is a matter of personal choice.

  Cyclists
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been undertaken by his Department concerning the effect of greater numbers of cyclists on decreasing vehicle pollution and global warming; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  We have not undertaken such a specific study, but preliminary results from our cycle routes programme of research suggests that where modal shift to cycling takes place, the transfer is marginal. The evidence suggests that it tends to be from public transport and walking as much as from cars.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the first train to go through the Channel tunnel.

  Mr. Portillo
  This is a matter for Eurotunnel. Its projected completion of the tunnel system is 15 June 1993.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Income Support
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for income support have been made since April 1988 at the local offices of his

  (a) West Leeds

  (b) Leeds

  (c) West Yorkshire

  (d) England

  1988–89

  Claims received

  8,669

  53,949

  158,155

  3,040,010

  Claims awarded

  6,549

  43,036

  124,860

  2,373,514

  1989–90

  Claims received1

  7,948

  46,947

  138,592

  2,660,959

  Claims awarded1

  5,581

  34,667

  102,141

  1,901,468

  1 Figures (which are provisional and subject to amendment) do not include claims received or determined after December 1989.

  Benefits
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the latest figures of how many people are dependent on(a) income support, (b) family credit and (c) housing benefit, broken down into claimants, dependants and children and into England, Scotland and Wales.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information is set out in the tables.

  (a) Claimants, partners and dependants in receipt of income support for May 19881 3

  Thousands

  Claimants

  Partners

  Dependants

  Total

  England

  3,594

  696

  1,830

  6,121

  Scotland

  499

  92

  236

  827

  Wales

  259

  53

  129

  441

  Great Britain

  4,352

  841

  2,195

  7,388

  (b) Non-income support recipients of housing benefit May 19882 3 4 5

  Thousands

  Claimants

  Partners

  Children

  Total

  England

  1,950

  640

  380

  2,970

  Scotland

  310

  100

  80

  480

  Wales

  110

  40

  30

  180

  Great Britain

  2,370

  780

  430

  3,630

  Family credit recipients as at 30 September 19895

  Thousands

  Claimants

  Partners

  Children

  Total number dependant on family credit6

  England

  257

  160

  545

  962

  Scotland

  39

  23

  77

  140

  Wales

  22

  15

  46

  84

  Great Britain

  318

  198

  668

  1,186

  1 Source: Annual statistical enquiry.

  2 Source: Housing Benefit Management Information System— May 1988.

  3 Figures rounded.

  4 Figures relate to non-Income Support recipients on Housing Benefit.

  5 It should be noted that some Family Credit recipients may also be in receipt of Housing Benefit.

  6 The totals are subject to rounding.

  56
  Department in (a) west Leeds, (b) Leeds, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) England as a whole; and how many of these claims were accepted.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The information is in the table.

  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to publish comparative data on the United Kingdom benefits scheme and that available in other Community member countries.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Since 1979 the Department has produced an annual publication entitled "Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the European Communities". Copies of this publication are in the Library.

  Social Fund
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list in the Official Report the social security offices which received an extra allocation of money for the social fund.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is as follows:

  London North Region

  Ealing

  Euston

  Highgate

  Paddington

  Poplar

  Tottenham

  Wood Green

  Walthamstow

  London South Region

  Ashford

  Brighton

  Camberwell

  Crawley

  Croydon

  Kennington Park

  Oval

  Peckham

  Portsmouth, South

  Southwark

  Midlands Region

  Birmingham, Northfield

  Birmingham, Perry Barr

  Birmingham, Washwood Heath

  Chesterfield

  Coventry, East

  Leicester Lower Hill Street

  Mansfield

  Nottingham, Castle Gate

  Nottingham, David Lane

  Nottingham, Shakespeare Street

  Nottingham, Station Street

  Stoke, North

  Stoke, South

  North East Region

  Bishop Auckland

  57

  Bradford, South

  Dewsbury

  Eston

  Hartlepool

  Hemsworth

  Houghton le Spring

  Huddersfield

  Hull, East

  Keighley

  Leeds, North West

  Middlesbrough

  North Shields

  Peterlee

  Redcar

  Sheffield, South East

  South Shields

  Stockton

  Sunderland, South

  Wakefield

  Wath-on-Dearne

  York

  North West Region

  Birkenhead, South

  Blackburn

  Buxton

  Failsworth

  Huyton

  Liverpool, Belle Vale

  Liverpool, Breckfield

  Liverpool, City

  Liverpool, Garston

  Liverpool, Norris Gardens

  Liverpool, West Derby

  Manchester, Central

  Manchester, Longsight

  Manchester, Wythenshawe

  Middleton

  Salford, North

  St. Helens

  Scotland Region

  Aberdeen, North

  Arbroath

  Bathgate

  Campbletown

  Clydebank

  Dundee, West

  Glasgow, Anniesland

  Glasgow, Craigton

  Glasgow, Laurieston

  Glasgow, Provan

  Glasgow, Springburn

  Kilmarnock

  Leven

  Peterhead

  Stornoway

  Stranraer

  Wales and South West Region

  Aberdare

  Anglesey

  Bargoed

  Barry

  Bridgend

  Bristol, South

  Caerphilly

  Carmarthen

  Chippenham

  Deeside

  Haverfordwest

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Morriston

  Newport (Gwent)

  Port Talbot

  Porth

  Trowbridge

  Truro

  58

  Weymouth

  Wrexham (Group)

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following the High Court judgment on the handling of the social fund, he will now remove the budget limit on social fund payments and recompense retrospectively those claimants whom the High Court judgment has now indicated have been deprived of their rights in the past; and if he will now make a full statement on his response to the High Court decision.

  Mr. Nicholas Scott
  The High Court judgment concerned three applications for judicial review relating to different aspects of the social fund. Its essential points were:

  The power to give directions for the control and management of the social fund was confirmed.

  The directions on how social fund inspectors are to review decisions have been confirmed, but the guidance was found not to be consistent with the directions.

  The guidance on how the budget is to be taken into account in making decisions was found to be too prescriptive, and therefore not valid as guidance.

  We are consulting the social fund commissioner about the revision of guidance to social fund inspectors in the light of the second point of the judgment.

  So far as the third point is concerned, a letter was sent to all Department of Social Security offices by electronic mail on the day of the judgment, advising social fund officers that the local office budget and the level of priority that might usually be met are factors to be taken into account in reaching a decision and that the state of the local office budget is not the overriding factor. We intend to issue revised guidance shortly, taking account of the court's decision. That revised guidance will also take into account the fact that the requirements of the Social Security Act itself explicitly provide that social fund officers must have regard to the budget, and that the court itself recognised the clear intention of Parliament that the scheme should be subject to strict monetary limits. The revised guidance will be placed in the Library.

  We are considering whether further steps may be needed to ensure that the social fund is able to continue operating flexibly in accordance with the requirements of the primary legislation.

  In the Government's view a firm budgetary framework is essential to the sensible operation of the fund and nothing in the judgment calls that into question.

  One-parent Benefit
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of one-parent families living in the London borough of Lambeth claiming one-parent benefit in 1988 and 1989.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that the information is available only at a disproportionate cost.

  Partial Incapacity
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on his proposals to help people who are partially incapable of work.

  Mr. Scott
  We plan to introduce, from April 1992, a disability employment credit which will help disabled people who are partially incapable of work take up and
  59
  return to employment by providing assistance with low earnings similar to that given to families through family credit. We estimate that about 50,000 people might be entitled to this new benefit. The DEC will be available to people receiving a new disability allowance or those who have been receiving invalidity benefit, severe disablement allowance or the income. support or housing benefit disability premium before starting work, and who satisfy a doctor that they are only partially capable of work. We are also improving incentives to rehabilitation in employment by increasing by £6·50 the therapeutic earnings limit in invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance and by extending invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance to people who undertake an employment rehabilitation course.

  Family Income
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the latest available figures for the number of(a) one-parent families headed by a woman, (b) one-parent families headed by a man and (c) two-parent families who rely on (i) state benefits, (ii) earnings from employment, (iii) maintenance payments and (iv) other items as their main source of income.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Many families have income from more than one source. The estimates contained in the table are therefore based on families' main source of income.

  Estimated numbers of lone parents and two parent families by main source of income

  Great Britain

  Main source of income

  Lone parent families

  Two parent families

  Earnings

  280,000

  4,890,000

  State Benefits

  700,000

  720,000

  Maintenance

  40,000

  20,000

  Other items

  20,000

  60,000

  Source:

  Family Expenditure Survey 1987. This is a sample survey and may be subject to sampling error. Estimates are approximate only.

  The Family Expenditure Survey sample size is small and does not support a reliable analysis of lone parent families separately for families headed by a man and those headed by a woman. Information is therefore for all lone parent families.

  Notes:

  Earnings: Defined as earnings from employment and self-employment.

  State Benefits: Includes all types of Social Security Benefits.

  Maintenance: As well as alimony and separation allowances, this also includes allowances for foster children and allowances from friends, relatives, armed forces and Merchant Navy personnel. A further break-down within this category is not possible.

  Other items: Includes for example income from investments.

  5. The estimates for numbers dependent on "Maintenance" and "Other items" as the main source of income are based on a very small sample and are therefore subject to a high degree of uncertainty.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the take-up using (i) the expenditure measure and (ii) the case-load measure for(a) family income supplement and (b) family credit, for the latest years available for each benefit on a consistent basis giving the figures for (1) employees, (2) self-employed and (3) employees and self-employed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The latest available information for family credit take-up is for April to December 1988 and is shown in the table. Since 1988 there has been a major TV 60
  and press advertising campaign and by the end of September 1989 the caseload had risen to around 320,000 compared with about 280,000 before the advertising began. Estimates of the effect of this campaign on the percentage take-up level cannot be made until information becomes available from the 1989 family expenditure survey about the total eligible population in that year.

  Expenditure-based take-up per cent.

  Caseload-based take-up per cent.

  (a) Family Income Supplement 1985–86

  54

  48

  (b) Family Credit 1988

  65

  50

  Notes:

  1. These figures are obtained from the Technical Notes, copies of which are available in the Library.

  2. No information is available for the self-employed.

  3. Owing to the small sample size, these estimates are subject to sampling error.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the clearance time in days for family income supplement for 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88, consistent with table 14·30 in chapter 14 of the Public Expenditure White Paper.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information on the same basis is available only for 1987–88, when the average clearance time was 16 working days.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the error rates for family income supplement in 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, and 1987–88, consistent with table 14·31 of chapter 14 of the Public Expenditure White Paper.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Family income supplement error rates were as follows:

  per cent.

  1984–85

  3·2

  1985–86

  2·4

  1986–87

  3·1

  1987–88

  2·4

  However, information on error rates in family income supplement was collected on a less comprehensive and less sophisticated basis than is the case for family credit.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his best estimate of the number of people paying class 3 national insurance contributions and the cost of reducing those contributions in line with his October 1989 reductions for the low paid.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  It is estimated that around 250,000 people pay some voluntary class 3 national insurance contributions each year. The October 1989 contributions changes could not be directly applied to the class 3 rate because voluntary contributions are not earnings related.

  Disability
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how his recent proposals on disability benefits will affect people who are blind or partially sighted.
  61
  Mr. Scott
  A number of proposals set out in "The Way Ahead: benefits for disabled people" (Cm 917) will benefit people who are blind or partially sighted. The new disability allowance, which will extend help to less severely disabled people of working age and below, will benefit people with seeing disabilities who have mobility or care needs. Blind people disabled early in life who have not been able to build up a national insurance contributions record will gain from the introduction of an age-related addition in severe disablement allowance; and those who are partially capable of work will be helped by the new disability employment credit, which will make it easier for disabled people to take up or remain in work. Blind people will also benefit from the following changes to be introduced in April: the extension of mobility allowance to people who are both deaf and blind; the increase, over and above the normal annual increase, in the adult disability premium in income support and housing benefit by £1 for a single person and £1·60 for a couple; and the more than doubling of the disabled child premium in income support and housing benefit, from £6·50 to £15·40 per week. Registered blind people automatically qualify for the disability premiums.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many hours of work and what level of earnings were taken to indicate potential entitlement when his Department analysed Office of Population Censuses and Surveys data for potential recipients of disability employment credit.

  Mr. Scott
  We propose that the structure of the disability employment credit should follow the main features of family credit, but precise details are being considered. The tentative estimate of 50,000 DEC recipients referred to in "The Way Ahead. Benefits for disabled people" (Cm 917) is consistent with a range of possible entitlement criteria for the number of hours worked and level of earnings.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those disability organisations he has invited to discuss "The Way Ahead" with him.

  Mr. Scott
  We have sent a copy of "The Way Ahead: benefits for disabed people" (Cm 917) to the following organisations, inviting their comments:

  Access Committee for England;

  Age Concern;

  ARMS;

  Arthritis Care;

  Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus;

  Association to Combat Huntingdon's Chorea;

  British Diabetic Association;

  British Epilepsy Association;

  Centre on Environment for the Handicapped;

  Disability Alliance;

  Disability Benefits Consortium;

  Disabled Living Foundation;

  Disablement Income Group;

  Help the Aged;

  Joint Committee on Mobility for Disabled;

  Leonard Cheshire Foundation;

  MENCAP;

  MIND;

  Motor Neurone Disease Association;

  Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;

  National Council for Carers;

  Outset;

  Parkinson's Disease Association;

  RADAR;

  62

  RNIB;

  RNID:

  Scottish Council on Disability;

  Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped;

  SENSE—National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association;

  Spastics Society;

  Spinal Injuries Association; and

  Wales Council for the Disabled

  We will welcome comments from all interested organisations in the course of our detailed work on the proposals, in particular on the new disability allowance and disability employment credit.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to assist disabled pensioners.

  Mr. Scott
  Measures introduced last October targeted £200 million additional help on less well-off elderly and disabled pensioners. These changes mean that 2·6 million pensioners will gain, by up to £2·50 a week in the case of single people and £3·50 a week for couples. Government proposals to improve the structure of disability benefits set out in "The Way Ahead: benefits for disabled people" (Cm. 917) will also help disabled pensioners by removing the upper age limit for paying for help with mobility needs and extending attendance allowance to people who are terminally ill without any waiting period.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what criteria his Department has used in estimating that 140,000 people will benefit from the lower rate of the proposed disability allowance.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Belfast, South (Rev. M. Smyth) on 31 January 1990 at column 193.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are in receipt of mobility allowance; how many have been disqualified from receiving the allowance during the past year; and for what reasons the allowance has been dropped.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: The estimated average number receiving mobility allowance during 1989–90 is 615,000. During 1989, 449 recipients of the allowance ceased to qualify because of an improvement in walking ability; 272 because they no longer satisfied the residence and presence conditions; and 82 because they were undergoing imprisonment or detention in legal custody.

  Tax and Insurance Demands
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to curtail unannounced visits to farmers by Department of Social Security officials attempting to recover income taxes and national insurance payments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Inspectors of the Department of Social Security have a duty to ensure that the Social Security Acts and regulations are being complied with. To achieve this they make visits to employers and self-employed persons. Many of these visits are pre-arranged by telephone and/or letter but some are unannounced. If such a visit is inconvenient arrangements can be made for an alternative meeting. There are no proposals to change or curtail such visiting arrangements.
  63
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any proposals to establish a register of gangmasters to provide a point of approach for Department of Social Security officials when serving income tax and national insurance demands; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  There are no plans to establish such a register of gangmasters. Demands to gangmasters for arrears of their own or their employees' national insurance contributions are normally issued by post to the gangmaster's place of business or home address as appropriate.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what instructions or circulars have been issued by his Department in connection with the ambulance dispute; how, for the purpose of income support claims, his Department categorises the dispute; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  No new procedural instructions or circulars in connection with the ambulance dispute have been issued by the Department. Standing guidance on trades disputes is given in chapter 33 of the adjudication officers guide and part 5 of the income support manual. Copies are available in the Library.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) further to the written answer dated 14 February,Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult for each region, etc., whether he will provide in each case an estimate of the numbers receiving housing benefit;

  (2) further to the written answer dated 14 February, Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult for each region, etc., whether he will provide in each case an estimate of the numbers receiving rate relief.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, further to the written answer dated 14 February,Official Report, column 222, concerning the amount of poll tax payable in 1990–91 per adult for each region, etc., whether he will provide in each case an estimate of the numbers on family income supplement chargeable to poll tax.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  For family credit, which has replaced family income supplement, information is available only on the basis of the number of adults in families receiving the benefit, and the only breakdown available is in respect of social security regions. The details are in the table:

  Number of adults in family credit families

  Social security region

  Number

  North Eastern

  94,000

  London North

  54,000

  London South

  44,000

  Wales and South Western

  78,000

  Midlands

  93,000

  64

  Social security region

  Number

  North Western

  90,000

  Scotland

  62,000

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, for each week since the start of January this year, the number of applications which have been made for community charge/poll tax benefit; the number which have been accepted; the amounts of benefit awarded as between (i) up to 50p per week, (ii) 50p to £1 per week, (iii) £1 to £2 per week, (iv) £2 to £5 per week, (v) £5 to £10 per week and (vi) over £10 a week; and if he will provide a classification of successful applicants as between(a) pensioners, (b) lone parents, (c) unemployed persons, (d) sick or disabled persons, (e) low wage earners and (f) other categories.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Social Security Spending
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North (Mr. Howell) 15 January,Official Report, column 120, regarding his Department's expenditure, (1) if he will give his estimate of each year's increase in expenditure accounted for by (a) an increase in the number of claimants and (b) a real-terms increase in benefit levels;

  (2) what has been the expenditure change in real terms between 1978–79 and 1989–90, for each of the beneficiary groups in table 14.9 at chapter 14 of the public expenditure White Paper, resulting from (a) an increase in the number of claimants and (b) increases in the real terms level of benefits; and, in relation to the elderly, what percentage in the real terms increase in benefit levels is attributable to the state earnings-related pensions scheme.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 29 January 1990]: Increases in expenditure brought about by the introduction of new benefits and enhancements to existing benefits do not always fall neatly into the categories (a) and (b). Factors such as the growing number of married women claiming contributory benefits can increase claimant numbers but produce an apparent fall in real average payments, whereas the reality is that the household's real income from social security is higher than it would have been previously. For this reason it would be disproportionately costly to devote resources to an attempt to give most of the information requested.

  Between 1978–79 and 1989–90, 2·6 out of the 24 per cent. real increase in benefit expenditure on the elderly, and 2·9 out of the 34 per cent. real increase in total spending on benefits, is attributable to the commencement and growth of spending on additional pensions with contributory benefits.

  Mr. Clifford Forsythe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the social security benefits that are available, categorised under(a) contributory benefits,(b) non-contributory benefits, (c) means-tested benefits, (d) discretionary benefits, (e) other benefits and (f) employer-funded benefits.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: The main social security benefits are shown as

  65
  follows. Employer-funded benefits are not listed separately as they cover a wide range of contingencies including occupational pension schemes, redundancy payments, death benefits, maternity provision and private health schemes. Benefits in category (c) (income related) are also non-contributory.

  (a) Contributory

  Sickness Benefit

  Invalidity Benefit

  Maternity Allowance

  Retirement Pension

  Unemployment Benefit

  Widow's Payment

  Widowed Mother's Allowance

  Widow's Pension.

  (b) Non-contributory

  Child Benefit

  One Parent Benefit

  Guardian's Allowance

  Severe Disablement

  Industrial Injuries

  Disablement Benefit

  Over 80 Pension

  Reduced Earnings Allowance

  Retirement Allowance

  Industrial Death Benefit

  War Widow's or Dependants' Pension

  Attendance Allowance

  Invalid Care Allowance

  Mobility Allowance

  Lump Sum for Vaccine Damage

  War Disablement Pension

  Workmen's Compensation Supplement

  Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit

  Social Fund (Funeral, Maternity and Cold Weather Payments).

  (c) Income-Related

  Income Support

  Family Credit

  Housing Benefit

  Rent/Rate Rebate

  Community Charge Benefit

  Help with National Health Service charges.

  (d) Discretionary

  Social Fund (Community Care Grants, Budgeting and Crisis Loans).

  (e) Other

  Statutory Sick Pay

  Statutory Maternity Pay.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost to the Exchequer of extending the capital cut-off limit for community charge rebate scheme to £8,000 for spouses rather than for each couple.

  Date

  Destination

  Commodity

  Quantity(t)

  Price (pence per pound)

  February 1989

  USSR

  Wheat

  900,000

  3·7

  March 1989

  Poland

  Barley

  27,121

  3·4

  March 1989

  USSR/Poland/other destinations

  Wheat

  1,047,211

  14·1–4·3

  April 1989

  Poland

  Barley

  21,561

  3·6

  April 1989

  Poland

  Wheat

  67,706

  4·3

  April 1989

  USSR/Poland/other destinations

  Wheat

  233,305

  14·3

  October 1989

  USSR

  Barley

  1,244,550

  3·3

  November 1989

  USSR

  Wheat

  980,000

  4·3

  66
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling) on 22 February 1990.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Horse Exports
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has had about checks at ports and airports in the United Kingdom post-1992 in respect of the export of live horses.

  Mr. Maclean
  There have been many representations for the retention of existing horse export controls after 1992.

  Food Safety
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much of his allocation for food safety research in 1989–90 had been spent as of 12 February; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is not readily available but we estimate that in 1989–90 the Department will spend the moneys allocated to research and development on food safety and applied nutrition.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his spending of £8·5 million on food safety research in 1989–90 includes work on food spoilage and applied nutrition; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Yes. The Department's food safety research programme includes work on applied nutrition and spoilage organisms which are detrimental to the quality of food.

  Food Surpluses (Sales)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the amount of special sales agreed by the European Economic Community over the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and if he will list the nations to which these food exports were sent and the average price of such sales in terms of pence per pound.

  Mr. Curry
  At any one time CAP arrangements provide for a number of sales schemes from intervention and from the open market. These tend to follow established patterns. However, the following sales to non-EC countries, agreed over the last 12 months, have distinguishing features:
  67

  Date

  Destination

  Commodity

  Quantity (t)

  Price (pence per pound)

  December 1989

  USSR

  Barley

  1,620,000

  3·7

  January 1990

  USSR

  Wheat

  3,220,000

  4·1

  February 1990

  Eastern Europe and USSR

  Rice

  12,150

  8·4

  The table above does not include goods exported free of charge as part of either the Community's food aid programme or the package of measures recently agreed to assist countries in Eastern Europe.

  1 The quantities destined for the USSR and Poland (which it is not possible separately to identify) benefited from an additional subsidy of 0·14 pence per pound.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total production of tobacco in the European Economic Community in each of the five most recent annual periods for which figures are available; what has been the cost to the European Economic Community of supporting the production and storage or purchase of tobacco in each of these years; and what has been the total expenditure in disposing of tobacco by means of exports to other nations in each of those years.

  Mr. Curry
  Total production of tobacco in the European Economic Community is shown in the table:

  Tonnes

  1984

  348,610

  EC10

  1985

  360,171

  EC10

  1986

  382,818

  EC12

  1987

  383,277

  EC12

  1988

  395,014

  EC12

  Expenditure on a given harvest impinges on the following year's budget. A breakdown of expenditure on the 1984 to 1988 harvests is shown in the table:

  Year

  Total expenditure (mecu)

  Premia (mecu)

  Intervention (mecu)

  Export refunds (mecu)

  19851

  863

  819

  12

  32

  19861

  782

  734

  16

  32

  19872

  804

  732

  27

  43

  19882

  966

  895

  28

  43

  19892

  1,139

  972

  105

  62

  1 EC10

  2 EC12

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures have been taken to reduce the expenditure of the European Economic Community on tobacco production and storage.

  Mr. Curry
  An agricultural stabiliser was introduced in the tobacco sector in 1988. It achieved a saving of 11 million ecu for its first year of operation.

  Recent price-fixing decisions have resulted in reductions in prices and premia for the less marketable varieties. Measures to restrict and control intervention have also been introduced. However, existing market management measures have not been as effective as we would have wished. The Commission has shown a welcome determination to tackle the costs of the tobacco regime. In the current price-fixing discussions we are pressing for even more effective steps to promote budgetary discipline.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the tobacco grown 68
  within the European Economic Community is of (a) the high tar and (b) the low tar variety; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  European Community production of the high tar varieties represented 65 per cent. of the 1988 harvest, with low tar varieties representing 35 per cent.

  We are concerned to ensure that support given to the tobacco regime does not undermine efforts being made under the Europe against Cancer programme to reduce the incidence of disease and early death attributable to smoking. The Commission's plan of action under this programme stresses the need to reduce production and redirect it towards varieties which are least harmful to health. One consequence of recent reductions in support for the less-marketable and higher tar varieties has been a 25 per cent. fall in production of some of these since 1987. The maximum tar directive, which will probably be adopted in May this year, will limit the tar content of cigarettes marketed in the European Community to 15 mg by 1992 and 12 mg by 1997 and contribute considerably towards limiting production of these varieties.

  We shall continue to press for measures directed at reorientation of production towards the more marketable and lower tar varieties.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total amount of Community-produced tobacco which was used for consumption(a) within the European Economic Community and (b) outside the European Economic Community in the most recent annual period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  There are no data available on the consumption of European Community raw tobacco. However, in 1988 the Community produced 395,014 tonnes and exported 149,869 tonnes to third countries.

  Food Prices
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the increase in retail food prices over the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the increase in retail food prices which will stem from the elimination of the green pound differential.

  Mr. Curry
  In the year to January 1990 the food component of the retail price index rose by 8 per cent. The Government are committed to eliminating the monetary gap associated with the green pound by the end of 1992 at the latest. The effect of devaluing the green pound will depend on movements in the market rate for sterling over this period. As a broad guide, elimination of the present monetary gap by devaluation of the green pound might add some I to 1·5 per cent. to retail food prices on average.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has reached a decision on setting up the central veterinary laboratory and the veterinary medicines directorate as executive agencies.

  Mr. Gummer
  The feasibility studies set in hand by my predecessor following his written reply of 20 April 1989 to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridlington (Mr. Townsend) have now been concluded. I am satisfied in the light of these studies that setting up the central veterinary laboratory and the veterinary medicines directorate, both at Weybridge, as executive agencies will bring benefits in terms of further increases in the efficiency and effectiveness with which these two parts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conduct their business on behalf of customers in other parts of the Ministry and outside it. I accordingly propose to launch the two agencies with effect from April next. I propose to appoint Dr. T. W. A. Little as chief executive of the central veterinary laboratory and Dr. J. M. Rutter, the present director of the veterinary medicines directorate, as its chief executive.

  North Sea Dumping
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licence applications have been made over the past five years to the Oslo commission by the British Government to allow the dumping of wastes in the North sea; and what was the nature of the wastes in question.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 13 February,Official Report, at column 199. Since that date information has been submitted to the Oslo commission on a fifth waste, a chalk solution from sugar refining.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list, by works and by geographical location, the sources of the most significant volumes and tonnages of materials dumped under licence in the North sea over the past five years.

  Mr. Curry
  Most of the material dumped from the United Kingdom under licence in the North sea in the past five years has been material dredged from ports and harbours. The most significant volumes (in excess of 1 million tonnes per annum) have been dredged from the firth of Forth, the Tees, the Humber and the Harwich. Stone from certain collieries on the Durham and Northumberland coast has also been dumped at sea in quantities exceeding 1 million tonnes per annum.

  Three quarters of the sewage sludge dumped came from London. More than half the volume of liquid industrial waste disposed of at sea was from the ICI works at Billingham.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements exist for the monitoring of the effects of industrial waste dumping in the seas around Britain.

  Mr. Curry
  Monitoring is undertaken at least every two years in all disposal sites for solid industrial waste and in or close to all sites for liquid industrial waste. In addition there is a separate programme for surveillance of water 70
  quality of coastal areas. The Ministry also undertakes a programme of surveillance of quality of fish and shellfish in coastal waters and there is a continuing programme of assessment of fish disease in United Kingdom waters.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy for each county of England and Wales for the four-week period ended 16 February.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information is as follows:

  County

  Number

  Avon

  20

  Bedfordshire

  3

  Berkshire

  6

  Buckinghamshire

  10

  Cambridgeshire

  6

  Cheshire

  26

  Cleveland

  1

  Clwyd

  7

  Cornwall

  50

  Cumbria

  14

  Derbyshire

  5

  Devon

  60

  Dorset

  63

  Dyfed

  27

  Essex

  5

  Glamorgan South

  1

  Gloucestershire

  26

  Gwent

  6

  Gwynedd

  1

  Hampshire

  44

  Hereford and Worcester

  18

  Hertfordshire

  5

  Humberside

  6

  Isle of Wight

  2

  Kent

  30

  Lancashire

  6

  Leicestershire

  30

  Lincolnshire

  11

  London

  2

  Manchester

  1

  Norfolk

  13

  Northamptonshire

  4

  Northumberland

  1

  Nottinghamshire

  2

  Oxfordshire

  22

  Powys

  5

  Shropshire

  27

  Somerset

  67

  Staffordshire

  18

  Suffolk

  10

  Surrey

  9

  Sussex East

  14

  Sussex West

  29

  West Midlands

  1

  Warwickshire

  15

  Wiltshire

  71

  Yorkshire North

  31

  Yorkshire South

  2

  Yorkshire West

  5

  Total

  838

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the number of bovines which have been identified since 30 September 1989 as bovine spongiform encephalopathy suspects at(a) slaughterhouses and (b) livestock markets; and of these how many were subsequently confirmed as bovine spongiform encephalopathy cases.
  71
  Mr. Maclean
  The information for the quarter October to December 1989 is as follows:

  Location

  Number reported

  Number confirmed

  Slaughterhouses

  22

  21

  Markets

  20

  15

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what records he keeps in respect of cattle infected with BSE; whether he now records the movement of progeny of BSE-infected cattle; and if he will wake a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  For each suspected case of BSE, the Ministry collects information necessary to study the epidemiology of the disease, including breeding history, feeding records and clinical history.

  Movements of all cattle must be recorded in accordance with the Movement of Animals (Records) Order 1960 (as amended).

  Rabies
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the number of deaths due to rabies in each of the countries of the European Community during each of the last five years for which data are available.

  Mr. Maclean
  During the last five years there have been five human deaths from rabies and in every case the disease was acquired in other parts of the world. The details are as follows:

  Year

  Country

  Where acquired

  1986

  West Germany

  India

  1987

  United Kingdom

  India

  1988

  Belgium

  Zaire

  1988

  United Kingdom

  Bangladesh

  1988

  United Kingdom

  Pakistan

  Source: WHO Rabies Bulletin Europe.

  Turkeys
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has received from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society about the number of inspections made on its behalf of turkey-rearing units owned by companies that compound their own foodstuffs to ascertain whether they are complying with the law relating to antibiotics.

  Mr. Maclean
  In 1989 inspectors of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain made 925 visits to premises registered for the manufacture of medicated feedingstuffs. It is not possible to identify separately how many of these were to turkey rearing units.

DEFENCE

  Foreign Exchange Costs
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the estimated foreign exchange costs, both direct and indirect, of the British forces in(a) the Federal Republic of Germany, (b) Cyprus and (c) Gibraltar for the last 12 months.
  72
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated direct foreign expenditure costs of the British forces in Cyprus and Gibraltar in 1989–90 are some £100 million and £50 million respectively. In respect of the foreign exchange costs of British Forces Germany, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 10 January 1990, at column 633. No reliable estimate can be made of the foreign exchange content of sterling expenditure in connection with these forces.

  Air Misses
  Mr Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many air misses were recorded in the airspace over, and in the vicinity of, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth in 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Neubert
  Two such air misses were reported in this period.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many private security firms have had their contracts with his Department terminated prematurely as a result of unsatisfactory performance.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  We have terminated a total of three contracts with private security firms prematurely as a result of unsatisfactory performance. Only two firms have been involved, however.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) of 16 February,Official Report, column 430, if he will list the defence establishments at which the private security firms are currently deployed in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Ireland and (d) Wales.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not our practice to give details of security arrangements at individual defence establishments.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the critera used by his Department to determine which establishments should be guarded by private security firms.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not our practice to disclose the criteria used to determine which MOD establishments should be guarded by private security firms.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the procedures for monitoring the performance of private security firms employed by his Department.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  All contracts held by private security firms employed by the MOD are subject to monthly assessment by the Department. Companies that consistently fail to meet their contractual obligations will have their contracts terminated.

  Bishopton ROF
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations have taken place with the Defence Police Federation in connection with the proposed withdrawal of Ministry of Defence police from Royal Ordnance Bishopton; and if he will make a statement.
  73
  Mr. Neubert
  The decision to withdraw Ministry of Defence police from Royal Ordnance Bishopton in June this year was taken in December 1989. The Defence Police Federation was informed immediately, and so was given six months' notice of withdrawal. It sought a meeting with officials which took place on 15 December at which the reasons for withdrawal were explained to it. There will be no redundancies among MDP officers as a result of the withdrawal as all officers concerned will be redeployed.

  "Clockwork Orange"
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communication his Department had with General Sir Peter Leng, former Land Forces Commander in Northern Ireland, on Saturday 17 February, after learning from Mr. James Adam that General Leng had made a statement about the sanctioning of Clockwork Orange.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  General Sir Peter Leng informed MOD officials on Saturday 17 February that he had no reason to disagree with any statements recently issued by Ministers concerning Clockwork Orange or other matters pertinent to the case of Mr. Wallace.

  Running Costs
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current annual cost of maintaining Royal Navy vessels in the Caribbean;

  (2) what is the current annual running cost of the Armilla patrol.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not practicable to separate the costs of individual fleet tasks, since financial provision for manpower, fuel, supplies and other items is made to cover the operations of the fleet as a whole.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current annual running cost of the Army detachment stationed in Belize.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated cost of maintaining an Army garrison in Belize in 1989–90 is £18 million. This includes a small element for capital costs.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current annual running cost of the Royal Air Force detachment stationed in Belize.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated cost of maintaining a Royal Air Force detachment in Belize in 1989–90 is £11 million.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current average annual running costs of(a) a Buccaneer strike/attack squadron, (b) a Jaguar offensive support squadron, (c) a Nimrod maritime patrol squadron and (d) a Tornado F3 air defence squadron.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The approximate annual running cost of a Buccaneer strike/attack squadron is £33·74 million; for a Jaguar offensive support squadron £30·63 million; for a Nimrod maritime patrol squadron £35·33 million; and for a Tornado F3 air defence squadron £49·76 million.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current annual cost of(a) a regular Army
  74
  soldier, (b) a Territorial Army soldier, (c) a Royal Navy sailor, (d) a Royal Naval Reserve sailor, (e) a Royal Air Force airman and (f) a Royal Auxiliary Air Force airman.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the figures for the average annual running costs of a Tornado GR1 squadron and a Challenger regiment provided on page 48 of the 4th report of the Defence Committee, HC 383, Session 1988–89, include both units based in the United Kingdom and those in West Germany;

  (2) whether the figures for the average annual running costs of units provided on page 48 of the 4th report of the Defence Committee, HC 383, Session 1988–89, include those Royal Navy units undergoing refit or on standby.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.

  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current annual running cost of(a) an armoured regiment, (b) an infantry battalion and (c) an artillery field regiment stationed in the United Kingdom;

  (2) what is the current annual running cost of (a) an armoured regiment, (b) an infantry battalion, (c) an artillery field regiment and (d) an Army Air Corps regiment stationed with the British Army of the Rhine.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: Running costs vary according to a unit's composition and its precise task at the time. Running costs for 1989–90, to the nearest £ million, are as follows:

  British Army of the Rhine £ million

  United Kingdom £ million

  Armoured regiment

  13

  13

  Infantry battalion

  15

  11 to 13

  Artillery field regiment

  13 to 16

  14

  Army Air Corps regiment

  21

  —

  These figures are at current prices. They do not include civilian support costs.

  Military Training
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the combined acreage of land used for military training in Scotland.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Military training in Scotland takes place on 24,659 acres of land in Ministry of Defence ownership. In addition we have training rights, in some cases very limited, over a further 173,280 acres.

  Harrier GR5
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Harrier GR5s have been delivered to date.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  A total of 57 Harrier GR5s have been delivered. This figures includes two prototypes.

  Nimrod AEW
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which year the first Nimrod AEW aircraft was originally intended to come into service.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Nimrod AEW should have entered RAF service for training in 1982 and for operations in 1984.

  IUKADGE Command and Control
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the exact amount of the cost implications of the delay to the introduction of the IUKADGE command and control system, referred to in his answer of 26 June 1989,Official Report, column 370.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member's earlier question on this subject,Official Report, 6 July 1989, column 266.

  AWACS
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current status of the E-3 AWACS programme.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The E-3 AWACS programme is proceeding in accordance with the schedule announced to the House of Commons in 1986. Delivery of the first aircraft will be made in early 1991.

  Foxhunter Radar
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Foxhunter radar yet performs according to the original specifications given when it was ordered.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Work on improving Foxhunter is well in hand. Radars to an agreed interim standard continue to be delivered for installation in the Tornado ADV by the RAF, providing an operational capability superior to that of the equipment being replaced. These will shortly be followed by radars to the full technical standard.

SCOTLAND

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about growth in expenditure on the National Health Service since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Gross expenditure on the National Health Service in Scotland has grown from £1,064 million in 1979–80 to a planned £3,064 million in 1990–91, an increase of 36 per cent. in real terms.

  Data Protection
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will introduce regulations to prevent the use of information for purposes other than those associated with the management or collection of the community charge, which has been disclosed to a charging authority by a community charges registration officer for the purpose associated with the community charge; what other duties there are for a community charge registration officer or charging authority to use or disclose community charge data for other purposes; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The community charges register is available for inspection to the extent specified and for the purposes set out in section 20 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and in the 76
  Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 1988. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to change these arrangements.

  Section 20C of the 1987 Act which was inserted by the 1989 Act requires community charges registration officers to supply to the Secretary of State, on request, information that was obtained by them for the purpose of carrying out their functions, provided that the information is not personal information as defined in that section. The section also provides that regulations may permit registration officers to supply such information to any person on request and may charge a prescribed fee for doing so. No regulations under this section have yet been made.

  Self-governing Schools
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a list of those schools in Strathclyde region which are eligible to apply for self-governing status.

  Mr. Lang
  Any education authority school, other than a nursery school, for which a school board is established is eligible to call a ballot of parents on self-governing status. Information on which individual schools have boards is not held centrally, but provisional figures for Strathclyde suggest that almost all secondary schools, nine out of 10 primary schools and half the special schools in the region are eligible.

  Legal Reforms
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on his reforms for(a) administration of estates and (b) multi-disciplinary practices.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend received 27 responses to his 1989 consultation paper "The Legal Profession in Scotland" which made reference to the confirmation of executors which is the only part of the administration of estates reserved to solicitors. He received 24 responses to his proposals for multi-disciplinary practices as set out in his 1987 discussion document "The Practice of the Solicitor Profession in Scotland". He has also received a number of representations about the provisions of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Bill which relate to confirmation of executors and multi-disciplinary practices.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has conducted into the effect of the proposed legal reforms on rural practices.

  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has conducted into the effect of the proposed legal reforms on rural practices.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I refer the right hon. and hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 18 January 1990.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response he has received to his proposals for multi-disciplinary practices.
  77
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend invited views on proposals to remove the existing statutory barriers which prevent solicitors from entering into multi-disciplinary practices in his consultative paper "The Practice of the Solicitor Profession in Scotland", which was published in November 1987. Twenty-four organisations and individuals, mainly from the legal, financial and property sectors, submitted responses.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met members of the Scottish Law Society to discuss legal reform.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend meets members of the Law Society of Scotland from time to time, both formally and informally, for discussions on a wide range of topics. The last such formal occasion was his address to the Society's special conference on his policy statement "The Scottish Legal Profession: The Way Forward" on 23 October 1989.

  Conveyancing
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responses he has received from Scottish-based organisations regarding conveyancing reform.

  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what responses he has received from Scottish-based organisations regarding conveyancing reform.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Thirty Scottish-based organisations, mainly from the legal, financial and 78
  property sectors, responded to the proposals on conveyancing in the consultation paper "The Legal Profession in Scotland", published in March 1989.

  Nurses
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many student nurses qualified in the summer of 1989; and how many of them now have nursing posts within the National Health Service.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In the period 1 May to 30 September 1989 1,111 students in Scotland qualified for registration as first level nurses. Information on how many of them entered the National Health Service is not held centrally.

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in the regrading of nurses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Nurses in clinical practice were regraded with effect from 1 April 1988. The new grading structure for senior nurse education posts was introduced with effect from 1 April 1989. A new grading structure for senior nurse management posts is currently being negotiated with the staff side.

  Illegal Poisoning
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions there have been involving the use of poisons against wildlife in each of the past 10 years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Disability
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those disability organisations he has met in the past year.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has not met formally any of the disability organisations in the past year, but he launched the Scottish Council on Disability's computerised information service on 19 May 1989 and on 30 May 1989 he launched from the esplanade of Edinburgh castle the International Spinal Research Trust's "PUSH-2" event—a five-week wheelchair push to London by three young paraplegics. On 1 December 1989 my hon. Friend the Minister of State opened the Scottish Council on Disability's new mobile advice centre. On 22 January 1990 he opened a conference on care in the community at which disabled organisations were represented.

  Scottish Office officials are in regular contact with many of the organisations representing people with disabilities.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional budget allocation he has made for provision for the disabled in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Responsibility for services for the disabled is a matter for health boards and local authorities within the resources available to them. Provision for hospital and community health expenditure by health boards has been increased by 8·3 per cent. and revenue support grants to local authorities by 7·5 per cent. for next year.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has any unit or civil servant specifically allocated to the task of ensuring provision for the disabled in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  One branch of the Scottish Home and Health Department has a co-ordinating role for matters relating to the physically disabled but functional topics are dealt with by officials in the various Departments which comprise the Scottish Office.

  Electoral Registers
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of electors on the current electoral registers, published on 15 February 1990, in each of the parliamentary constituencies in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information, which will be published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in its EL series of monitors, is not yet available centrally.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of electors on the current electoral registers, published on 15 February 1990, in each regional electoral division and in each district ward in each of the local government areas of Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information will be available in April. I will send it to the hon. Member as soon as it is ready, and place a copy in the Library.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are homeless in each of the district council areas.
  80
  Lord James Douglas Hamilton
  The only figures available relate to the number of applicants assessed as homeless by local authorities under part II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which will not be equal to the numbers currently homeless. These figures, as recorded by local authorities, are given in the following table:

  Applicants assessed as homeless under Part II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 by district, Scotland, 1988–89

  District

  Number

  Borders

  Berwickshire

  6

  Ettrick and Lauderdale

  21

  Roxburgh

  29

  Tweeddale

  n/a

  Central

  Clackmannan

  17

  Falkirk

  458

  Stirling

  158

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Annandale and Eskdale

  48

  Nithsdale

  144

  Stewartry

  21

  Wigtown

  55

  Fife

  Dunfermline

  254

  Kirkcaldy

  258

  North East Fife

  88

  Grampian

  Aberdeen

  625

  Banff and Buchan

  111

  Gordon

  36

  Kincardine and Deeside

  8

  Moray

  41

  Highland

  Badenoch and Strathspey

  —

  Caithness

  12

  Inverness

  51

  Lochaber

  22

  Nairn

  16

  Ross and Cromarty

  18

  Skye and Lochalsh

  20

  Sutherland

  8

  Lothian

  East Lothian

  355

  Edinburgh

  1,167

  Midlothian

  87

  West Lothian

  119

  Strathclyde

  Argyll and Bute

  96

  Bearsden and Milngavie

  26

  Clydebank

  632

  Clydesdale

  8

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  89

  Cumnock and Doon Valley

  38

  Cunninghame

  147

  Dumbarton

  461

  East Kilbride

  132

  Eastwood

  7

  Glasgow

  1,312

  Hamilton

  82

  Inverclyde

  111

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  147

  Kyle and Carrick

  294

  Monklands

  214

  Motherwell

  121

  Renfrew

  261

  Strathkelvin

  91

  Tayside

  Angus

  177

  Dundee

  403

  Perth and Kinross

  98

  Islands Councils

  Orkney Islands

  n/a

  Shetland Islands

  63

  Western Isles

  37

  Off Licences
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many representations he has received calling for the Sunday opening of off-sales licensed premises; and if he will list the organisations making these representations.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish Home and Health Department has received 50 representations from organisations and from individuals in favour of allowing off-sales licensed premises to open on Sunday in Scotland. The organisations making these representations were as follows:

  Strathclyde Licensed Trade Association

  British Retailers Association

  Delting Community Council

  Arbroath Community Council

  Lossiemouth Community Council

  East Lothian Licensing Board

  Kirriemuir Community Council

  Wigtown Licensing Board

  St. Andrew's and Deerness Community Council

  Law Society of Scotland

  Midlothian Licensing Board

  Headteachers' Association of Scotland

  Falkirk Licensing Board

  Tollcross Community Council

  Annandale and Eskdale District Council

  Eskbank Trading Post

  Clackmannan District Council

  Clydebank District Council

  North East Fife District Licensing Board

  Scottish Licensed Trade Association

  Scottish Consumer Council

  Bearsden and Milngavie District Council

  Cumnock and Doon Valley District Licensing Board

  Kirkcaldy District Council

  Kincardine and Deeside District Council

  Salsburgh Community Council

  Greenhills Community Council

  Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland

  Association of Scottish Police Superintendents

  Stakis plc

  City of Dundee Licensing Board

  Kyle and Carrick District Council

  Stirling District Council

  Midlothian District Council

  Berwickshire District Council

  MacArthur Stewart and Company

  Co-operative Union Ltd.

  Stewartry District Council and Licensing Board

  Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland)

  Edinburgh District Licensing Board

  South Ronaldsay and Burray Community Council

  Banff and Buchan District Council

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth District Council

  Scottish Grocers' Federation

  Scotch Whisky Association

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the results of his Department's monitoring of the effects of the introduction of charges for eyesight checks.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Figures on the number of National Health Service sight tests carried out between 1 April and 31 December 1989 will shortly be available. The results of a survey on the total number of sight tests carried out in Scotland in the first quarter of 1990 compared with earlier periods should be available by the early summer.

  Dental Checks
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the results of his Department's monitoring of the effects of the introduction of charges for dental checks.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The total number of courses of dental treatment scheduled for payment in Scotland in the calendar year 1989 was 3,144,000. The corresponding figure for 1988 was 3,054,000. There is no evidence that the introduction on 1 January 1989 of the charge for a dental examination has deterred people from seeking dental treatment.

  Police
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the ratio of police officers to population in(a) Aberdeen, (b) Dundee, (c) Edinburgh and (d) Glasgow; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In the ratios set out in the table no account has been taken of police offices, for example, engaged on CID and traffic duties who have responsibilities over areas wider than those specified, and the figures do not provide a sound basis for comparing the level of policing provided in the areas concerned.

  Area

  Ratio

  Aberdeen

  1:433

  Dundee

  1:406

  Edinburgh

  1:343

  Glasgow

  1:298

  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the ratio of police officers to population in Cumbernauld, Glenrothes, Irvine, Livingston and East Kilbride.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  In the ratios set out in the table, no account has been taken of police officers, for example, engaged on CID and traffic duties who have responsibilities over areas wider than those specified, and the figures do not provide a sound basis for comparing the level of policing provided in the areas concerned.

  Area

  Ratio

  Cumbernauld

  1:666

  Glenrothes

  1:459

  Irvine

  1:411

  Livingston

  1:668

  East Kilbride

  1:711

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State of Scotland when he next expects to meet the trade unions representing ambulance staff.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no such meeting arranged.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State last visited Cumbernauld; and if he will make a statement.
  83
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I paid a housing visit to Cumbernauld and Kilsyth district council on Friday 16 February. During the visit I announced a supplementary HRA capital allocation for 1989–90 for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth district council of £0·200 million. I also noted the district council's representations about its provisional housing capital allocations for 1990–91 and undertook to keep these in mind when final capital allocations for housing are determined in March.

  Domestic rateable subjects at 1 April 1988

  Bands of Rateable Value

  Eastwood

  Renfrew

  Scotland

  £0–£300

  Number

  20

  3,018

  92,208

  Rateable Value (£)

  4,769

  690,126

  18,536,701

  £301–£600

  Number

  1,535

  32,981

  977,803

  Rateable Value (£)

  797,321

  16,298,156

  469,876,982

  £601–£900

  Number

  6,065

  31,647

  690,653

  Rateable Value (£)

  4,626,100

  22,776,083

  490,089,150

  £901–£1,200

  Number

  6,961

  7,958

  189,542

  Rateable Value (£)

  7,240,368

  8,116,213

  195,189,046

  £1,201–£1,500

  Number

  3,160

  2,770

  72,356

  Rateable Value (£)

  4,203,661

  3,680,946

  95,936,291

  Over £1,500

  Number

  3,608

  1,985

  45,661

  Rateable Value (£)

  6,905,634

  3,543,330

  83,352,425

  Crof houses/Separately assessed caravans

  Number

  7

  81

  21,501

  Rateable Value (£)

  1,617

  27,446

  4,848,297

  Total

  Number

  21,356

  80,440

  2,089,724

  Rateable Value (£)

  23,779,470

  55,132,300

  1,357,828,892

  British Steel
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make an economic assessment of the total impact on jobs and industrial production of the closure of British Steel's production operations in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  British Steel has put forward no proposals for the closure of its production operations in Scotland, and Sir Robert Scholey has recently confirmed that his December 1987 statement on the future of the Scottish steel plants still stands. The closure of British Steel plants in Scotland would, of course, have serious consequences for the economy of Lanarkshire in particular.

  Electricity
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will publish a table showing the relative prices of generating electricity expressed in pence per kilowatt hour of the different means of power generation available to the Scottish electricity boards;

  (2) what are the latest cost estimates from the South of Scotland Electricity Board for advanced gas-cooled reactor generated power from Scottish power stations;

  (3) what are the latest price estimates prepared by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, expressed in pence per kilowatt hour, of advanced gas-cooled reactor

  Rateable Values
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will provide for the districts of Eastwood and Renfrew, and for Scotland, the number and rateable value of houses, etc., immediately prior to the introduction of the community charge with rateable values in the following bands:(a) up to £300, (b) £301 to £600, (c) £601 to £900, (d) £901 to £1,200, (e) £1,201 to £1,500 and (f) over £1,500.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This information is set out in the table.

  generated power from Hunterston B and Torness power stations; and what are the assumptions on which these estimates are based.

  Mr. Lang
  Information on the generation costs and the quantity of electricity sent out from the principal forms of power generation used by the Scottish electricity boards is contained in their annual reports. Details of expenditure and output relating to individual power stations are operational and commercial matters for the boards.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment he has made on the impact on the Scottish economy of proposed gas-powered electricity generation stations located in the north-east of England; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what assessment he has made on the likely impact on electricity exports from Scotland of the proposed projects to build gas-powered electricity generating capacity in the north-east of England;

  (3) what meetings or discussions he has held with the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board on its participation in the Neptune consortium; on what date he first learned of the project; if the board sought his approval for its involvement; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) when he was informed by the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board of British Steel's participation in the Neptune consortium.
  85
  Mr. Lang
  I welcome the recent reports of consideration being given to possible developments on Teesside involving the exploitation of natural gas available from the North sea. Such developments are clearly of enormous importance for the United Kingdom economy as a whole and strongly indicate the Government's objective of encouraging competition in both electricity supply and in gas production.

  The possible involvement of the North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board in one of these developments would utilise its long experience in design, construction and operation of major power stations, such as Peterhead, where the board has already taken the lead in gas-fired generation. and provide long-term employment for its skilled staff. In addition, Scottish-based companies will be well placed to participate in the supply of major components for construction of the plant. There is, therefore, every reason to suppose that the Scottish economy will benefit from these opportunities.

  I understand that these developments would involve supplies of electricity dedicated to certain large consumers. The potential for the Scottish electricity industry to offer supplies to the system in England and Wales by means of the transmission grid interconnector therefore remains.

  Discussions on these developments are at a very early stage but, given the lengthy gestation period for projects of this nature, it is appropriate for the board now to be considering opportunities to expand its business after privatisation.

  The North of Scotland Hydro Electric Board informed me earlier this month of its intention to consider its involvement in the potential development and of various aspects of the development, including the identity of possible large customers. The proposals are not yet at a stage at which any formal consents are required and consequently no approvals have been sought.

  Buses
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he intends to ensure fair competition between competing employee-based bids under paragraph 15 of the Scottish Bus Group disposal programme he has prepared under section 1 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The disposal programme sets out the basis on which the Scottish Transport Group is required to consider bids, including the information required in bids and the basis on which a preference will be given to bids involving employee participation. My right hon. and learned Friend is satisfied that the arrangements will ensure fair competition between all bids.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he intends to ensure sustained and fair competition under section 2 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 1989 where there is an association between the management of neighbouring companies after privatisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The basis on which bids for Scottish Bus Group companies will be considered is set out in the disposal programme which my right hon. and learned Friend recently published under the Transport (Scotland) Act 1989. Copies of the disposal programme 86
  are available in the House of Commons Library. Any mergers between bus companies after privatisation will be subject to competition law.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consultation he intends to undertake with employees in relation to privatisation of the Scottish Bus Group where there are competing bids involving a controlling interest by employees for a particular subsidiary.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  None. It is the responsibility of the Scottish Transport Group to implement the disposal programme for the Scottish Bus Group. The disposal programme makes it clear that a price preference will be given to bids involving a controlling interest by employees, and that there could be more than one such employee-based bid. The group is required to seek my right hon. and learned Friend's consent for sales.

  Courts
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Lord Advocate will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for East Lothian dated 4 January about reporting restrictions on a case at Haddington sheriff court.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate will be writing to the hon. Member shortly.

  Child Care
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that people and their spouses running private facilities for children are vetted to record any criminal records.

  Mr. Lang
  Regional and islands authorities are responsible under the Nurseries and Child-Minders Regulation Act 1948 for registering child care establishments and childminders. Enhanced arrangements for vetting those who have substantial access to children were introduced in September 1989 and applicants for registration as private child care providers will be vetted for criminal convictions by the Scottish Criminal Records Office at the request of the regional or islands authority as registration authority. The authority also has discretion to request checks on other persons who may have substantial access to children.

  Private Security Firms
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that staff employed by private security firms are vetted to record any criminal records.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The responsibility for ensuring that appropriate background checks are made on employees rests with individual companies.

  Dentistry
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the new dental hospital for Edinburgh is expected to come into commission.
  87
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This depends upon the outcome of Lothian health board's forthcoming appraisal of possible sites.

  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Scottish Office is prepared to provide the necessary earmarked capital and recurrent expenditure to support the university of Edinburgh's postgraduate dental institute, for which proposals were put to him in December.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I have already made it clear that the Government will meet the capital cost of the proposed institute. The revenue aspects will require detailed consultation with all the parties involved, once we have the results of the appraisal to be conducted by Lothian health board.

  Child Workers
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy that a survey be conducted of the extent to which children are missing their education through working in paid employment during school hours or through tiredness due to hours worked outwith school hours; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: Children in employment are protected by the Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937, which defines the lowest age (13) at which a child may be employed, precludes employment during school hours and limits the hours and times of day a child may work. In addition, education authorities are empowered to make byelaws imposing further restraints. The existing safeguards, if properly applied, are sufficient to prevent problems of school absence or tiredness and I do not think a survey would be helpful.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present number of(a) male and (b) female higher education students in Scotland; and how many of them come from low income families.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: In 1988–89 there were 46,085 male and 38,883 female undergraduate and postgraduate students in higher education in Scotland. The family income of these students is not available.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy have been recorded since 1988 in Scotland; and if he will list them by regional areas.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: Bovine spongiform encephalopathy was made notifiable on 21 June 1988. To date 277 confirmed cases have been recorded in Scotland. A breakdown of cases on a regional basis is as follows:

  Number

  Borders

  10

  Central

  12

  Dumfries

  50

  88

  Number

  Fife

  12

  Grampian

  60

  Highland

  17

  Lothian

  9

  Orkney

  4

  Shetland

  1

  Strathclyde

  81

  Tayside

  21

  Milk Production
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cows are registered for milk production in Scotland; and how many in Renfrewshire.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: At June 1989 there were 363,458 dairy cows in Scotland of which 246,570 were producing milk and 8,735 dairy cows in the old administrative county of Renfrewshire of which 5,261 were producing milk.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the milk production for Scotland in 1987, 1988 and 1989; and what is the milk production for farms in Renfrewshire in the years 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 23 February 1990]: Milk production figures for Scotland and the old administrative county of Renfrewshire are detailed in the table. These figures relate to the period, 1 April to 31 March for each of the years concerned.

  Scotland million litres

  Renfrewshire million litres

  1986–87

  1,301·2

  42·8

  1987–88

  1,235·0

  40·0

  1988–89

  1,192·9

  39·2

  Lothian Health Board
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration was given in the calculation of the allocation of funds to Lothian health board for 1990–91 to(a) clearing the deficit from the current year and (b) avoiding the creation of a new deficit in 1990–91.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 22 February 1990]: The prime determinant in health boards' allocations is the population for whom the board has to provide hospital and community health services. Account is taken of factors such as the age, sex and morbidity of each board's population. Allowance is also made for the movement of patients between boards and the provision of certain services by only some boards. Boards are expected to plan services within their annual allocations.

  Woodlands
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the genuinely native pinewoods in the Forestry Commission's ownership which have been subjected to clear felling or underplanting with either non-native pine or alien conifers in the last 30 years, giving areas of pinewood so treated in each case and the extent of underplanted native pine that has subsequently been cleared of alien conifers.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 19 February 1990]: Open areas within the native pinewoods

  89
  have been planted over the last 30 years with pines grown from both native and non-native seed, and with other conifer species. The areas within each pinewood which have been planted with pines from non-native seed or with other conifers, and the areas which have subsequently been cleared, are given in the following table.

  Name of wood

  Area planted (hectares)

  Area cleared (hectares)

  Inshriach

  18·0

  —

  Glenmore

  3·0

  All

  Glenmoriston

  15·0

  —

  Glen Affric

  172·0

  17·0

  Glen Cannich

  123·0

  3·0

  Guisachan and Cougie

  72·0

  —

  Achnashellach

  10·0

  —

  Glen Garry

  11·5

  1·5

  Arkaig and Mallie

  58·0

  —

  Glen Loy

  1·5

  All

  Callop

  1·5

  All

  Rannoch

  169·0

  8·0

  Glen Orchy

  0·5

  All

  No record has been kept of the areas of native pine which have been felled in these woods.

ENERGY

  Flue Gas Desulphurisation
  Mr. Cunliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the date on which the electricity generating industry of England and Wales will achieve the 12,000 MW flue gas desulphurisation programme.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government are determined to comply with the requirements of the EC large combustion plants directive. The retrofitting of Drax power station is already under way and further retrofits are in prospect.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the progress made in the programme to fit British power station capacity with flue gas desulphurisation equipment.

  Mr. Baldry
  Contracts have already been placed for the installation of FGD equipment at the 4 GW Drax power station and further retrofits are in prospect.

  Oil Production
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet the representatives of the United Kingdom Offshore Operators' Association (UKOOA) regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the serious accident rate on the United Kingdom continental shelf and the Norwegian sector, expressed as a rate per 1,000 employees in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Figures for the United Kingdom continental shelf are as follows:
  90

  Year

  Serious accidents per 1,000 employees

  1985

  3·5

  1986

  4·5

  1987

  2·1

  1988

  2·9

  1989

  2·8

  The statistics for 1985–88 appear in the reports on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom. The figure given for 1989 will be included in the next report. The figures relate to injuries to persons but do not include deaths.

  Comparable information for the Norwegian sector of the North sea is not available.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many new offshore fields were approved by his Department in 1989.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  During 1989 my Department gave consent to plans for the development of six new oil fields and three new gas fields on the United Kingdom continental shelf.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total loss of oil and gas production on the United Kingdom continental shelf as a result of unprogrammed shutdowns since 5 July 1988.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Some 30 million tonnes of oil production has been deferred as a result of major unprogrammed shutdowns between July 1988 and the end of January 1990. The amount of gas production associated with this is very small and the long-term loss of both oil and gas will be minimal.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what increase or decrease he expects in the output of North sea oil in the current year.

  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what increase or decrease he expects in the output of North sea oil in the current year.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I expect an increased recovery of output of North sea oil this year.

  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Energy what progress was made during 1989 in reducing the number of fallow blocks in the United Kingdom continental shelf.

  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress was made during 1989 in reducing the number of fallow blocks in the United Kingdom continental shelf.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The number of fallow blocks has been reduced during 1989 from 125 to just under 90, a fall of over a quarter, and prospects for a further significant reduction this year look good. I shall continue to press this initiative with determination.

  Sir Fergus Montgomery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy by how much employment in the offshore oil and gas industry has increased since 1986.

  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the change in employment in the offshore oil and gas industry since 1986.
  91
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the change in employment in the offshore oil and gas industry since 1986.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Employment in the offshore oil and gas industry has risen from 22,300 in 1986 to 30,700 in 1989, an increase of almost 40 per cent.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many wells were drilled on the United Kingdom's continental shelf in the 1980s and in the 1970s.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many wells were drilled on the United Kingdom's continental shelf(a) in the 1980s and (b) in the 1970s.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many wells were drilled on the United Kingdom's continental shelf in the 1980s and in the 1970s.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The total numbers of exploration, appraisal and development wells drilled on the United Kingdom continental shelf in the periods 1970–79 and 1980–89 were 1,200 and 2,703 respectively

  Nuclear Electric
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of Nuclear Electric; and what matters he discussed.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have met the chairman of Nuclear Electric on a number of occasions to discuss aspects of the nuclear industry.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the earliest date on which Nuclear Electric could operate without any form of Treasury guarantee.

  Mr. Baldry
  Work on Nuclear Electric's financial structure is continuing.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Stevens
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy by how much spending on the promotion of energy efficiency has risen since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The budget of the Energy Efficiency Office in the current year is £15 million, six times the level of spending in 1979–80 of £2·4 million.

  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the Association for the Conservation of Energy, and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I have no plans to meet the Association for the Conservation of Energy.

  Coal Production
  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the current level of production of coal from deep mines in Scotland.

  Mr. Baldry
  British Coal tells me that, so far this year, deep-mined output in Scotland is nearly 1·6 million tonnes, broadly the same as the output achieved in the 92
  same period last year, but at a productivity rate 75 per cent. higher. This is a remarkable achievement, and I congratulate both mineworkers and management.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many applications for renewable sources of energy have been received for inclusion under the non-fossil fuel obligation.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many applications for renewable sources of energy have been received for inclusion under the non-fossil fuel obligation.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The area boards have received about 300 applications.

  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how the development of renewable sources of energy will be encouraged after the privatisation of the electricity industry.

  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how the development of renewable sources of energy will be encouraged after the privatisation of the electricity industry.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  After privatisation the Department will continue to undertake a major research and development programme aimed at developing commercially viable and environmentally acceptable renewable technologies. Over the next few years expenditure on the programme is expected to increase significantly. Funding will rise by 13·5 per cent. to over £20 million in 1990–91.

  Renewables will also benefit from the non-fossil fuel obligation. The area boards have already received around 300 applications for inclusion in the initial obligation. An additional 600 MW of capacity within the obligation reserved exclusively for renewables will be introduced in a series of tranches during the 1990s. If it should appear desirable in the light of experience, the additional tranches could be brought forward or the total increased.

  Electricity Prices
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the percentage increase in electricity prices for both domestic and industrial consumers between March 1988 and May 1990; and by how much these increases exceeded the rate of inflation.

  Mr. Baldry
  Between the first quarter of 1988 and the fourth quarter of 1989, the latest period for which information is available, domestic electricity prices increased by 16 per cent. in current terms. That is an increase of 3 per cent. above the rate of inflation as measured by the GDP deflator of 12 per cent.

  Between the first quarter of 1988 and the third quarter of 1989, the latest period for which information is available, industrial prices increased by 4 per cent. in current terms, 7 per cent. below the rate of inflation as measured by the GDP deflator of 10 per cent.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most up-to-date estimate of the level of(a) domestic and (b) non-domestic electricity prices in 1991–92 and 1992–93.
  93
  Mr. Baldry
  Electricity prices are a matter for the industry and I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend on 12 February.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the members of the British Iron and Steel Producers Association to discuss electricity prices for 1990–91.

  Mr. Wakeham
  BISPA is a member of the energy intensive users group which I and my Department meet regularly.

  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consultations he has undertaken regarding the level of electricity prices for 1990–91.

  Mr. Baldry
  Electricity prices are a matter for the industry. However, I frequently meet the representatives of the electricity industry and a wide range of issues are discussed.

  Mrs. Currie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the increase in domestic electricity prices since 1984.

  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the increase in domestic electricity prices since 1984.

  Mr. Baldry
  Domestic electricity prices between the fourth quarters of 1984 and 1989 resulted in a reduction of 8 per cent. in real terms.

  Opencast Mining
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about British Coal's proposals to develop opencast sites.

  Mr. Baldry
  I have received a number of representations about opencasting in general, and about particular proposals to develop individual sites.

  British Coal
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Coal; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Coal; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I meet the chairman of British Coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

  Nuclear Installations Inspectorate
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chief inspector of the nuclear installations inspectorate; and what he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Although I meet the chief inspector of Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate from time to time, I have no plans to do so in the immediate future. Officials of my Department are, of course, in regular contact with the nuclear installations inspectorate on matters relating to nuclear safety.

  European Community Energy Ministers
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to attend a meeting of the European Economic Community Council of Energy Ministers.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The next meeting of the European Community Council of Energy Ministers is due to take place on 21 May 1990. Either I or my right hon. Friend the Member for the City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) will attend.

  British Gas
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Gas; and what issues he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I meet the chairman of British Gas regularly and discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the level of investment by British Gas since it was privatised.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  This is a matter for British Gas plc.

  Electricity Supply Industry
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make it his policy to exempt employees of the electricity supply industry from the provisions of the Financial Services Act 1986, when discussing financial projects for their industry with bona fide journalists and academics engaged in studying the industry.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Electricity Act 1989 has not amended the Financial Services Act 1986 to exempt employees of the electricity supply industry from its provisions when discussing financial projects for the industry with bona fide journalists and academics engaged in studying the industry, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy sees no reason why such employees should be so exempted in future.

  Amoco Application
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to make a decision on Amoco's proposals for a central area transmission system.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to make a decision on Amoco's proposals for a central area transmission system.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave on 19 February to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan,Official Report, col. 528.

  Director-General of Electricity Supply
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the Director-General of Electricity Supply; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I meet the Director-General of Electricity Supply from time to time to discuss aspects of electricity supply industry regulation.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement on the current progress of electricity privatisation.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government intend to implement the new structure of the industry on 31 March and to complete its privatisation within this Parliament.

  Neighbourhood Energy Action
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chief executive of Neighbourhood Energy Action; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I meet the director of Neighbourhood Energy Action from time to time to discuss matters relating to the improvement of energy efficiency in low-income households.

  North Sea Gas
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest assessment of the remaining reserves of North sea gas.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Gas reserves at the end of 1988 were estimated to be 1,195 billion cubic metres at the proven plus probable level. The estimate for reserves remaining at the end of 1989 will be presented to Parliament in the 1990 Brown Book due to be published in the spring.

  National Power
  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chief executive of National Power; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I meet the chief executive of National Power regularly to discuss many aspects of his business.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the Health and Safety Executive; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I met representatives of the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive in December last year. Officials of my Department meet Executive personnel on a regular basis.

  Gas Standing Charges
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Gas to discuss the trend in standing charges since the privatisation of the gas industry.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Gas to discuss the trend in standing charges since the privatisation of the gas industry.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Standing charges are a matter for British Gas plc. However, I understand that standing charges have fallen in real terms by 19 per cent. since privatisation.

  Electricity Council
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to meet the chairman of the Electricity Council; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I meet the chairman of the Electricity Council regularly to discuss various matters.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the rate of improvement in energy efficiency since 1979(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other European countries.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) earlier today.

  Landfill Gas Schemes
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what encouragement his Department has given to the development of landfill gas schemes.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet) earlier today.

  Combined Heat and Power
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what initiatives the Energy Efficiency Office is taking to promote the use of combined heat and power.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  My Department is actively promoting combined heat and power through the best practice programme. In particular my Energy Efficiency Office has planned a series of regional CHP marketing events to be held in 1990.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to reduce acid rain emissions from coal-fired power stations.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government are determined to implement in full the EC large combustion plants directive. This directive commits the United Kingdom to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from existing plants, such as fossil fuelled power stations, but does not specify the means by which this has to be done. Retrofitting flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) equipment will play an important part. Contracts have already been placed for 4GW of FGD equipment at Drax power station, and further retrofits are in prospect. However, other measures, such as the burning of low-sulphur fuels, including gas, are likely to contribute.

  Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most up-to-date estimate of the date on which the fossil fuel or nuclear levy will fall to 5 per cent. or less.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron) earlier today.

  Offshore Oil
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met trade union representatives involved in the offshore industry; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 December 1989 at column 99.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has received any representations concerning trade union representation for offshore workers in the North sea.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The Department received a number of representations from hon. Members and others and consulted trade unions fully before the Offshore Installations (Safety Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 were made. The regulations came into force on 18 September 1989.

  I have also been in correspondence with MSF on trade union recognition offshore which is a matter for employers and the particular trade unions concerned. I will he meeting members of MSF and its parliamentary committee soon.

  Department of Energy (Future Role)
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he is undertaking of the continuing need for a Department of Energy.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 15 February at column 361.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what further plans he has to privatise the activities of his Department.

  Mr. Wakeham
  We plan to privatise the electricity supply industry in England and Wales and, in due course, British Coal. I have at present no further plans of this kind.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what savings his Department has made in its expenditure following the privatisation of industries which were his Department's responsibility.

  Mr. Wakeham
  As a direct result of privatisations already carried through, my Department has saved 20 staff out of a total of around 1,000. The associated savings in administrative costs currently amount to around £400,000 a year.

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates he has made of the number of elderly people who would benefit significantly from energy conservation measures in their homes; and what average saving in annual energy costs per household might be achieved.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The installation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures could improve comfort and reduce fuel bills in most households including those where the occupants are elderly. It is estimated that savings of 20 per cent. or more could typically be achieved through the adoption of straightforward measures.
  98
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy by how much spending on the promotion of energy efficiency has risen since 1979.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The budget of the Energy Efficiency Office in the current year is £15 million—six times the level of spending in 1978–79 of £2·4 million.

  Magnox
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive and Her Majesty's chief inspectorate of nuclear installations to discuss the future operational life expectancy of the Magnox nuclear power stations.

  Mr. Baldry
  On present plans I expect to meet the Director General of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and the chief inspector of HSE's nuclear installations inspectorate in May. Officials in my Department have regular contact with personnel from the Health and Safety Executive's NII.

  Friends of the Earth
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet representatives of Friends of the Earth; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mr. Wakeham
  I met representatives of Friends of the Earth last October. I have no present plans for a further meeting.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on current Government policy in respect of(a) the transportation by land and air of nuclear waste or spent fuel of all grades in or over the United Kingdom and (b) the importation of other nations' nuclear wastes for reprocessing or storage in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Baldry
  The transport of all radioactive materials is allowed only subject to very rigorous requirements. Regulations are laid down by the Department of Transport and these are based on internationally agreed standards of safety recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The containers approved for radioactive materials are designed in such a way that there would be no significant radiological hazard even in a severe accident. Therefore, safety does not depend on means of transport or route employed.

  Nuclear wastes are not imported into the United Kingdom. Since 1976, BNFL's contracts for the reprocessing of overseas spent fuel have contained options for the return of wastes arising. The Government intend that reprocessing contracts with overseas customers should continue to contain such options, that the options should be exercised and that wastes should be returned.

  THORP
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has regarding the negotiation of a contract between British Nuclear Fuels plc and the German company VEBA to reprocess German nuclear waste at the THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield,
  99
  Cumbria; whether any United Kingdom or West German Government agency is acting as an intermediary between the two companies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The contractual negotiations that have taken place directly between British Nuclear Fuels plc and several German utilities are a commercial matter for the companies involved. They relate to reprocessing at Sellafield of spent fuel from German reactors, not of waste. In line with Government policy, the contracts, when concluded, will provide for the return to the Federal Republic of Germany of wastes arising from the reprocessing.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current expected cost of the THORP nuclear waste reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria; and what is the anticipated date on which it will begin operations.

  Mr. Baldry
  The expected total cost of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield is some £1·8 billion. British Nuclear Fuels plc has secured business worth up to £5 billion which will pay for its investment in the plant. The fuel receipt and storage facility is operational now and commercial reprocessing is expected to begin in late 1992. The facility will reprocess spent fuel and not waste.

  Energy Prices
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to allow energy prices to be determined by market forces.

  Mr. Wakeham
  Prices of petroleum products are already determined by market forces. It is the Government's policy that where systems of regulation exist they are designed to promote competition and over a period of years to produce prices which reflect the appropriate market forces. The Government seek to ensure that the price of energy reflects the true costs of production including a fair return on investment.

  Sizewell B
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is his most up-to-date assessment of the cost of construction, commissioning, operating and reprocessing spent fuel rods arising at the Sizewell B pressurised water reactor nuclear power station, following his decision to cancel the three other proposed pressurised water reactor stations;
  100
  (2) what is his most up-to-date assessment of the effect of his decision to cancel the three other proposed pressurised water reactors on the cost of proceeding with Sizewell B.

  Mr. Baldry
  The costs of Sizewell B are a matter for Nuclear Electric. The company will be providing my Department with a latest estimate for the construction cost of Sizewell B when they have completed their current review.

  Miners (Union Contributions)
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of his discussions with the Union of Democratic Mineworkers on 23 January; whether he discussed the method of payment of union contributions of members of the National Union of Mineworkers in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

  Mr. Wakeham
  A number of matters were discussed when my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) met the president of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers on 23 January. No reference was made during the meeting to the method of payment of union contributions.

  Nuclear Power Stations
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his assessment of the impact of the future operational life expectancy of the Dungeness B, Hartlepool and Heysham I advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear power stations on the level of the nuclear or fossil-fuel levy over the next 10 years.

  Mr. Baldry
  As my right hon. Friend announced on 12 February, the non-fossil fuel obligation will be set initially for the period up to 1997–98. No AGR station is planned to close before the end of this period. The life expectancy of AGR stations will not therefore affect the level of the levy up to 1997–98.

  Nuclear Energy
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information is available to him as to the comparative costs of nuclear power at(a) Dungeness and (b) Torness.

  Mr. Baldry
  This is a commercial matter for the Nuclear Electric division of CEGB and for the SSEB. I have therefore asked the chairmen to write to the hon. Member.

  SALMON: RESEARCH AND MONITORING
  SALMON: RESEARCH AND MONITORING
  WASTE DISPOSAL: NORTH SEA DECLARATION TIMETABLE
  WASTE DISPOSAL: NORTH SEA DECLARATION TIMETABLE
  CENTRAL VETERINARY LABORATORY AND VETERINARY MEDICINES DIRECTORATE
  CENTRAL VETERINARY LABORATORY AND VETERINARY MEDICINES DIRECTORATE
  TRUSTS: VESTING OF CAPITAL
  TRUSTS: VESTING OF CAPITAL
  TRUSTS: TAXATION
  TRUSTS: TAXATION
  POST OFFICE: FUND-RAISING SCHEME FOR CHARITY
  POST OFFICE: FUND-RAISING SCHEME FOR CHARITY
  STUDENTS: LOAN SCHEME
  STUDENTS: LOAN SCHEME
  STUDENTS: FAMILY BACKGROUNDS
  STUDENTS: FAMILY BACKGROUNDS
  STUDENT GRANT: COST OF ABOLISHING PARENTAL CONTRIBUTION
  STUDENT GRANT: COST OF ABOLISHING PARENTAL CONTRIBUTION
  GRADUATES: EARNINGS COMPARISON
  GRADUATES: EARNINGS COMPARISON