Written Answers of 23 January 1990

DEFENCE

  Nuclear Accidents
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what accidents with nuclear weapons involving United States military forces, aircraft or ships and submarines afforded operational rights on United Kingdom territory have taken place on United Kingdom territory or in United Kingdom territorial waters since 1979.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There has never been an accident in United Kingdom territory involving damage to a United States nuclear weapon.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many low-flying sorties by military jet aircraft of the NATO air forces, were carried out for the last year for which he has figures; and what were the figures for(a) five years and (b) 10 years ago;

  (2) how many low-flying sorties by military jet aircraft of the Royal Air Force were carried out for the last year for which he has figures; and what was the figure (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago.

  Mr. Neubert
  Central records are not held in a form which would allow the information requested to be readily provided. Of the total number of low-flying sorties carried out in the United Kingdom low flying system in 1988, 84 per cent. were carried out by British military aircraft, 15 per cent. by United States aircraft based in the United Kingdom and under 2 per cent. by other NATO aircraft and others by special agreement.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are(a) the minimum and (b) the maximum heights authorised by his Department for low-flying sorties by military jet aircraft over the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Neubert
  Low-flying training by military jet aircraft in the United Kingdom low flying system normally take place between the heights of 2,000 ft and 250 ft. A limited amount of training by military jet aircraft is also authorised down to 100 ft in three specially designated areas in northern Scotland, central Wales and the Borders.

  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the criteria laid down by his Department for low-flying sorties by military jet aircraft over the United Kingdom, carried out by(a) the Royal Air Force and (b) other NATO air forces.

  Mr. Neubert
  The United Kingdom low flying system is primarily reserved for low-flying training by British military and United Kingdom-based United States air force aircraft. Other NATO air forces carry out some limited low-flying training in the United Kingdom,586
  normally associated with exercises or on an exchange basis, but this element accounts for under 2 per cent. of the total low-flying activity in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there has been any increase in the amount of low-flying activity over the Hexham constituency during the past year and during the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  Central records are not held in a form which would allow the information requested to be provided. The overall amount of low-flying activity in the United Kingdom did, however, increase in the years up to 1986, largely as a result of the introduction into service of the Tornado GR1 aircraft, but has been reasonably constant since then. I have no reason to believe that this position was not reflected in the Hexham constituency.

  Ethnic Minority Recruitment
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he is able to make a statement on the outcome of the study into ethnic minority recruitment into the armed services.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A copy of the report by independent consultants has today been placed in the Library of the House.

  The report was commissioned by the MOD after a survey had revealed that only 1·1 per cent. of recruits to the armed forces during 1987–88 came from the ethnic minorities. My hon. Friend the Member for Kettering (Mr. Freeman) made clear at the time his wish to see more members of the ethnic minorities joining the services and asked the consultants to advise on why comparatively few applied to the services, why their applications were less likely to succeed and how the situation could be improved.

  The report falls into three parts. The first deals with the results of research designed to establish attitudes towards employment generally and towards employment in the armed forces in particular. The results suggest that in most respects the attitudes of young people from the ethnic minorites are not markedly different from those of their white counterparts. However, they are less likely to consider a career in the armed forces for a number of reasons, including in many cases the fear that they will encounter racial discrimination.

  The second part of the report reviews the services' existing recruitment criteria and practices as they affect the ethnic minorities. It concludes that the selection process is thorough and objective, conforming generally to the Commission for Racial Equality's code of practice and the Institute of Personnel Management's equal opportunities code. However, the report identifies scope for building upon existing good management practice and also some possible areas where indirect discrimination could arise, though there was no evidence that this was happening.

  The third part of the report suggests ways in which the situation might be improved. It proposes a long-term marketing strategy to encourage a more positive attitude towards the services by young people from the ethnic minorities; a short-term marketing strategy to target recruiting efforts more effectively towards members of the ethnic minorities who are interested in a career in the services; an internal strategy for improving selection procedures; and some organisational changes intended to

  587
  achieve a more co-ordinated and effective implementation of these strategies. In all the report contains 23 separate recomendations.

  We welcome the report and have accepted all but two of the recommendations. We intend to adopt a policy of giving positive encouragement to applications from members of the ethnic minorities. This will involve, among other things, projecting a more positive message in our advertising, making recruiting offices more welcoming, special training for recruiting staff, greater use of recruiters from the ethnic minorities in selected areas and the building up of more contact between the services and young people from the ethnic minorities. In addition, we will be introducing a more detailed form of ethnic monitoring of applicants to help us identify where special difficulties are being encountered during the selection process and we shall be looking critically at a number of the selection tests employed to ensure that any possibility of indirect discrimination is eliminated.

  We are concerned at the finding that fear of racial discrimination deters members of the ethnic minorities from applying to join the services. The services are equal opportunity employers, under the terms of the Race Relations Act, and we will continue to make it clear that no form of racial discrimination will be tolerated and that all complaints will be properly investigated. Many service men and service women from the ethnic minorities are already pursuing successful careers in all three services: we intend to give greater publicity to their achievements as an encouragement to others.

  Implementation of the report will be closely monitored by Ministers, who attach great importance to increasing the number of recruits from the ethnic minorities, while recognising, as does the report, that a sustained effort will be required if attitudes are to be changed and that dramatic increases in the number of ethnic minority recruits are unlikely in the short term.

  This last point is confirmed by the provisional results of the 1988–89 survey of applicants by ethnic origins, which show very little change from the 1987–88 results: 1·6 per cent. of applicants and 1·1 per cent. of successful recruits identified themselves as belonging to the ethnic minorities.

  Copies of the final results of the 1987–88 survey and the provisional results of the 1988–89 survey have been placed in the Library of the House. As last year, the provisional 1988–89 results will be published in the Statement on the Defence Estimates.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Mr. Kevin Taylor
  Mr. Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department is he will order an immediate inquiry into the handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr.

  Acceptances for settlement in total, and for spouses and dependants of certain nationalities

  Numbers of acceptances

  Total acceptances (all nationalities)

  Acceptances of spouses and dependants

  New Commonwealth1

  Pakistan

  Hong Kong BDTCs2

  Spouses and children

  Elderly and other dependants

  Spouses and children

  Elderly and other dependants

  Spouses and children

  Elderly and other dependants

  1974

  68,880

  14,690

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  1,140

  3—

  1975

  82,410

  24,940

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  1,610

  3—

  1976

  80,740

  25,940

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  1,500

  3—

  588
  Kevin Taylor, formerly of Wood Road lane, Summerseat, Bury, by Greater Manchester police; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Barrow and Furness (Mr. Franks) on 22 January 1990 at column 514.

  Immigration
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by nationality the numbers of people who have immigrated to the United Kingdom during the last 12 months for which he has figures.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The number of people accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in 1988, analysed by individual nationality, is published in table 2 of the Home Office volume, "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1988" (Cmd 726). An analysis by geographical and nationality group of those accepted in the 12 months ending 30 September 1989 is published in table 1 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Issue 45/89, "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Third Quarter 1989". A copy of both these publications is in the Library.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, in the Official Report, the total number of immigrants accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom for each year since 1974 inclusive, specifying how many in each were dependants of immigrants already settled in the United Kingdom from (a) the new Commonwealth, (b) Pakistan and (c) United Kingdom colonies.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The available information for the groups requested is shown in the following table. The figures of acceptances of spouses and dependants relate to the nationality of the spouse or dependant, not of the sponsor. They include spouses and dependants of sponsors born in the United Kingdom as well as of those who were themselves accepted for settlement, either at an earlier stage, or at the same time as the spouse or dependants. Information on spouses and children from Pakistan, along with those from India and Bangladesh, distinguishing those where the sponsor was born in the United Kingdom and those where he or she has earlier been accepted for settlement, is published in tables 3, 7 and 10 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Issue 44/89, "Immigration from the Indian Sub-Continent 1988", a copy of which is in the Library. However, corresponding information is not available for the other nationality groups requested.
  589

  Total acceptances (all nationalities)

  Acceptances of spouses and dependants

  New Commonwealth1

  Pakistan

  Hong Kong BDTCs2

  Spouses and children

  Elderly and other dependants

  Spouses and children

  Elderly and other dependants

  Spouses and children

  Elderly and other dependants

  1977

  69,310

  16,760

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  1,090

  3—

  1978

  72,330

  18,870

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  880

  3—

  1979

  69,670

  17,210

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  1,040

  3—

  1980

  69,750

  16,490

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  1,160

  3—

  1981

  59,060

  14,440

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  980

  3—

  1982

  53,870

  14,260

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  680

  3—

  1983

  53,460

  13,430

  3—

  5,830

  3—

  680

  3—

  1984

  50,950

  13,050

  3—

  4,910

  3—

  790

  3—

  1985

  55,360

  14,160

  3—

  5,970

  3—

  700

  3—

  1986

  47,820

  11,460

  3—

  4,800

  3—

  520

  3—

  1987

  45,980

  11,220

  3—

  3,330

  3—

  550

  3—

  1988

  49,280

  11,900

  1,750

  3,610

  450

  660

  120

  1 excluding Hong Kong.

  2 British Dependent Territory Citizens.

  3 Figures for elderly and other dependents are shown for 1988, but for earlier years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  n/a = not available.

  Litter
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for dropping litter in the last 12 months.

  Mr. John Patten
  In 1988, the latest year for which figures are available, there were 1,760 prosecutions for litter offences in England and Wales. Information on prosecutions in 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990.

  Horse Racing
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he has reached a decision on an inquiry into racing finances; how the review of betting shop hours of opening, announced by the Department of Trade and Industry on 21 December 1989, fits into the general inquiry; and what is the likely timetable of this review;

  (2) whether he is still considering the Lloyds bank report on the privatisation of the horserace totalisator board; and when he proposes to start an inquiry into opening hours of betting shops; and whether he will mount a wide-ranging inquiry into every aspect of racing finances.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  As to an inquiry into the financing of horse racing and greyhound racing, and the deregulation review of the opening hours of licensed betting offices, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 17 January to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Holt). Advice from Lloyds merchant bank on the feasibility of privatising the horserace totalisator board remains under consideration.

  Firearms
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition his Department uses of a replica firearm.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Controls on imitation firearms are contained in the Firearms Act 1982. The 1982 Act provides that any imitation firearm which has the appearance of being a firearm to which section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 applies and is so constructed as to be readily convertible to
  590
  fire live ammunition, is subject to the same controls as those imposed on actual firearms by the Firearms Act 1968.

  Under the 1982 Act, the test of whether an imitation firearm is readily convertible to fire live ammunition is whether it can be so converted without special skill on the part of the person converting it and the work involved does not require tools or equipment other than such as are in common use by persons carrying out construction and maintenance works in their homes.

  Gun Clubs
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps are proposed to impose tighter controls on gun clubs.

  Mr. Waddington
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Sir H. Monro) on 14 November at column 208, which set out proposals to amend the criteria applied to gun clubs approved by the Secretary of State under section 15 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988. I said that before reaching a final decision on the proposed new controls I would ask the firearms consultative committee for its views. I have now received and carefully considered the advice of the committee.

  As I originally proposed, I have decided on the grounds of public safety that any club which operates a scheme of uncontrolled day or temporary membership shall no longer be approved by me. However, in response to representations which have been made to me, by the committee and by many members of the shooting community, I accept that some provision should be made to ensure that the continued recruitment of new members to gun clubs is adequately safeguarded. I shall therefore permit novice members to receive instruction in an approved club in the safe handling of firearms, but without access to ammunition, on no more than four occasions a year. Such arrangements for a novice must be made by the club secretary at least 48 hours in advance. Approved clubs will also be allowed to hold guest days, on no more than four occasions per year, when limited numbers of people known to the club may be invited to visit the club by its secretary. On these limited occasions guest members would, under constant personal supervision, be allowed to

  591
  handle firearms and ammunition. Clubs will be required to give reasonable prior notice to the local police of when they intend to hold such guest days. The police have statutory powers of inspection of approved clubs under the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1988.

  I have also decided to implement my proposals, which the committee fully endorsed, that probationary members of approved clubs, when in possession of firearms or ammunition, must be under constant personal supervision by a range master or by a full member of the club who holds a firearm certificate, and that they should undergo a probationary period of not less than six months, during which they should receive a course of instruction on the safe handling and use of firearms. The committee will be providing further advice to me on the nature and standards of such instruction. I have also decided to implement my proposal that the number of probationary members of a club should not exceed the number of full members. Full members of approved gun clubs will continue to be allowed to become members of other approved clubs.

  I have also decided that probationary members should be sponsored by one current full member of the club and one person who knows the applicant personally.

  In considering individual applications by clubs for my approval, variations from these criteria may be permitted in exceptional circumstances, but considerations of public safety will always remain paramount.

  I am satisfied that these new criteria for club approvals are justified in the interests of public safety.

  The new criteria will be implemented with immediate effect in respect of any new applications for approval. Clubs currently approved will be advised of the changes and permitted a reasonable time in which to comply with the revised criteria.

  I understand that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland will adopt the same policy for his approval of clubs.

  National Joint Unit Records
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many searches of the national joint unit records were undertaken following a request by police officers at ports of entry in each year from 1980 to 1989, inclusive.

  Mr. Waddington
  [holding answer 17 January 1990]The information requested is not recorded separately. The number of searches of national joint unit records following requests from police officers either at ports of entry or elsewhere was as follows:

  Number

  1980

  48,090

  1981

  50,687

  1982

  44,696

  1983

  44,906

  1984

  47,779

  1985

  55,328

  1986

  59,481

  1987

  81,060

  1988

  77,472

  1989

  101,766

  It is thought that the majority of these searches were carried out in response to requests by police officers at ports.

PRIME MINISTER

  Romania
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received on recent political and economic developments in Romania.

  The Prime Minister
  I have received a number of representations, all of which have welcomed the end of Ceausescu's tyranny and the prospect of democracy in Romania. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, recently visited that country. The Government have donated 1·8 tonnes of medical supplies and have so far contributed £1·42 million towards food and medium-term economic aid to Romania through the European Community.

  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Romania.

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

  Czechoslovakia
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Czechoslovakia.

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

  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make an official visit to Czechoslovakia.

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

  Bournemouth
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Bournemouth during 1990.

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

  Engagements
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 23 January.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Drugs
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what allocations he has made to local education authorities for initiatives aimed at combating
  593
  the misuse of drugs in the latest available year in terms of (a) education support grant and (b) in-service training programmes.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Allocations to local education authorities under the new education support grant for preventive health education, and the associated LEA training grants scheme national priority area, both of which give priority to education about drugs, are as follows:

  Allocations to Local Education Authorities for Preventive Health Education in 1990–91

  Education Support Grant

  LEA Training Grant Scheme

  London Boroughs

  £'000

  £'000

  Barking and Dagenham

  16·8

  10·0

  Barnet

  25·0

  17·0

  Bexley

  25·0

  14·0

  Brent

  25·0

  14·0

  Bromley

  25·0

  15·0

  Camden

  25·0

  8·0

  Croydon

  25·0

  18·0

  Ealing

  26·2

  15·0

  Enfield

  28·5

  16·0

  Greenwich

  23·0

  14·0

  Hackney

  25·0

  10·0

  Hammersmith & Fulham

  23·0

  7·0

  Haringey

  25·0

  11·0

  Harrow

  25·0

  13·0

  Havering

  20·0

  15·0

  Hillingdon

  25·0

  13·0

  Hounslow

  32·7

  13·0

  Islington

  25·0

  9·0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  25·0

  5·0

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  30·8

  8·0

  Lambeth

  26·6

  11·0

  Lewisham

  25·0

  13·0

  Merton

  25·0

  9·0

  Newham

  53·1

  15·0

  Redbridge

  25·0

  13·0

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  25·0

  7·0

  Southwark

  38·0

  12·0

  Sutton

  18·9

  10·0

  Tower Hamlets

  25·0

  10·0

  Waltham Forest

  25·0

  13·0

  Wandsworth

  25·0

  11·0

  Westminster

  25·0

  7·0

  Metropolitan Districts

  Barnsley

  25·0

  14·0

  Birmingham

  140·9

  72·0

  Bolton

  25·0

  19·0

  Bradford

  45·9

  35·0

  Bury

  24·2

  11·0

  Calderdale

  25·0

  14·0

  Coventry

  27·0

  21·0

  Doncaster

  27·2

  21·0

  Dudley

  25·0

  20·0

  Gateshead

  25·0

  12·0

  Kirklees

  32·0

  26·0

  Knowsley

  72·0

  11·0

  Leeds

  59·7

  44·0

  Liverpool

  44·0

  33·0

  Manchester

  38·8

  31·0

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  29·8

  17·0

  North Tyneside

  25·0

  13·0

  Oldham

  26·2

  16·0

  Rochdale

  25·0

  15·0

  Rotherham

  25·0

  18·0

  St· Helens

  25·0

  14·0

  Salford

  25·0

  15·0

  Sandwell

  25·0

  21·0

  Sefton

  32·7

  19·0

  Sheffield

  44·2

  31·0

  Solihull

  23·6

  14·0

  594

  Education Support Grant

  LEA Training Grant Scheme

  South Tyneside

  25·0

  11·0

  Stockport

  25·6

  19·0

  Sunderland

  23·0

  21·0

  Tameside

  25·0

  15·0

  Trafford

  25·0

  13·0

  Wakefield

  27·4

  20·0

  Walsall

  25·0

  19·0

  Wigan

  29·4

  23·0

  Wirral

  51·0

  22·0

  Wolverhampton

  —

  17·0

  Shire Counties

  Isles of Scilly

  0·5

  —

  Avon

  80·0

  57·0

  Bedfordshire

  42·7

  36·0

  Berkshire

  54·3

  47·0

  Buckinghamshire

  52·5

  39·0

  Cambridgeshire

  54·6

  41·0

  Cheshire

  51·0

  66·0

  Cleveland

  32·5

  41·0

  Cornwall

  33·8

  29·0

  Cumbria

  42·0

  32·0

  Derbyshire

  48·4

  59·0

  Devon

  75·0

  58·0

  Dorset

  46·3

  35·0

  Durham

  42·0

  40·0

  East Sussex

  40·0

  35·0

  Essex

  61·5

  97·0

  Gloucestershire

  42·9

  34·0

  Hampshire

  90·7

  94·0

  Hereford and Worcester

  54·9

  43·0

  Hertfordshire

  58·0

  65·0

  Humberside

  62·6

  58·0

  Isle of Wight

  25·0

  8·0

  Kent

  74·5

  95·0

  Lancashire

  100·0

  94·0

  Leicestershire

  43·4

  59·0

  Lincolnshire

  40·0

  36·0

  Norfolk

  58·6

  45·0

  North Yorkshire

  35·9

  43·0

  Northamptonshire

  42·6

  40·0

  Northumberland

  18·4

  20·0

  Nottinghamshire

  48·5

  64·0

  Oxfordshire

  41·5

  32·0

  Shropshire

  33·5

  27·0

  Somerset

  36·1

  29·0

  Staffordshire

  66·5

  69·0

  Suffolk

  51·4

  39·0

  Surrey

  44·1

  53·0

  Warwickshire

  40·0

  32·0

  West Sussex

  51·8

  39·0

  Wiltshire

  44·9

  36·0

  Total

  4,000

  3,000

  Access Funds
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his Department's estimate of(a) the average and (b) the maximum amount payable from the access funds; and whether any such estimates were taken into account when calculating the amount of money allocated to the funds.

  Mr. Jackson
  The amount payable to individual students will be at the discretion of the higher and further education institutions which will be administering the access funds from this autumn. It is not therefore possible to make estimates of the sort requested. The overall provision for the funds reflects the Government's judgment of what is affordable and appropriate to meet the funds' objectives.

  Disabled Students Allowance
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the disabled students listed in his answer to the hon. Member for Exeter of 16 November,Official Report, columns 382–83, received no disabled students' allowance because they were in receipt of minimum grant.

  Mr. Jackson
  Information about the amount of grant actually received by students who qualify for the disabled students allowance is not collected centrally.

  In 1987–88, the latest year for which figures are available, 25 per cent. of all mandatory award holders received no maintenance payments from their local education authorities because their parents', their spouses' or their own assessed contribution was sufficient to cover the entire grant entitlement. It is not known whether the same proportion applies to students qualifying for the disabled students allowance.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total expenditure in each of the last three years by his Department on the disabled students allowance.

  Mr. Jackson
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  In the academic years 1985–86 to 1987–88, the latest year for which figures are available, amounts assessed in respect of the disabled students allowance were as follows (cash prices):

  £

  1985–86

  106,036

  1986–87

  192,123

  1987–88

  157,586

  The sums actually paid by LEAs will be less than this because parental, spouses' and students' own contribution to the grant will in some cases be sufficient to cover a proportion of the assessed disabled students allowance.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much of the access funds associated with individuals' difficulties caused by student loans will be allocated to Scotland.

  Mr. Jackson
  The access funds are intended to help students who are in financial difficulties in spite of the availability of top-up loans, not because of them. A total of £1·4 million has been allocated to the Scottish Education Department for distribution to students at non-university higher and further education institutions in Scotland. Universities in Scotland will receive an allocation for their students from the Universities Funding Council. The council's total allocation is £5·6 million and it is for it to decide how much to allocate to individual universities.

  Polytechnic Colleges
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has yet reached a decision on the creation of a new category of polytechnic colleges; and if he will make a statement.
  596
  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend is close to completing his consideration of this question and expects to write to the PCFC with his conclusions very shortly.

  Local Education Authorities
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to abolish local education authorities.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  No.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to set up the national curriculum working parties in(a) music, (b) art and (c) physical education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I hope that an announcement will be made soon.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration has been given to the introduction of road safety into the national curriculum.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Aspects of road safety are or will be covered within national curriculum foundation subjects. It is for schools to decide how best to provide road safety education.

  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the sufficiency and adequacy of supply of books and equipment appropriate to deliver the national curriculum.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Since the national curriculum builds on current best practice, large-scale replacement of books and equipment should be unnecessary. The adequacy of current stocks for the national curriculum will vary between LEAs and schools. The Government are using the education support grant mechanism to support expenditure on books and equipment for this purpose. Otherwise, it is for each local education authority to determine how to deploy the total resources available to it in order to meet the requirements of the national curriculum, including for books.

  Haberdashers' Aske's Schools
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy on the payment of capital costs in respect of the establishment of a Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college in Deptford while it remains open to the governors of the present Haberdashers' Aske's schools to withdraw the notices to discontinue these schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  No capital grant payments have yet been made by my right hon. Friend for the establishment of a Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college. The timing of payments, and what capital costs they meet, will depend on a number of factors including the power of the governing body of the schools to withdraw notice to discontinue the schools.

  School Funding
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimates he has made of the amount of money raised by parents to fund basic school costs.
  597
  Mr. MacGregor
  The Government are aware that many parents are willing to contribute additional financial support to schools, and welcome that. But my Department does not collect data on the scale of such contributions, or the uses to which they are put. Her Majesty's inspectorate collects some information as part of its routine inspection of schools, but not on a systematic basis. Its most recent assessment is set out in paragraph 56 of the senior chief inspector's first annual report, "Standards in Education 1987–88". A copy is available in the Library.

  Surplus School Places
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total number of surplus school places available for removal represented by decisions made by him or pending in respect of proposals for the closure or reorganisation of schools for each year from 1986–87 to the latest available year.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The information in respect of proposals on which my or my predecessors' decision to approve has been made, or which local education authorities have, in the absence of local objections, determined to implement themselves, is given in the following table; figures in respect of proposals on which a decision is still pending are not available. The figures are in respect of the calendar years in which the decisions were made.

  Calendar year

  Number of places

  1986

  62,828

  1987

  45,326

  1988

  27,170

  1989

  41,831

  Eastern European Studies
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received the report on eastern European studies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I have received a copy of the report that was made to the Universities Funding Council, the successor body to the University Grants Committee that commissioned it. I shall respond to the report when I have completed my consultations with other Government Departments and organisations to which some of its recommendations relate.

  Computers
  Mr. Loyden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received from parents objecting to their children using computers as part of their school lessons.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend and I have received a number of representations from parents who are members of the Brethren. They object to their children using some applications of information technology such as computers, and are seeking the right to withdraw their children from the IT aspects of the national curriculum. The Government's view is that IT education is a vital part of preparing pupils for adult life and employment, and should therefore be a requirement rather than an option under the national curriculum in maintained schools. It 598
  remains open to parents with objections to aspects of the national curriculum to make alternative educational arrangements.

  Pupils' Dress
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what advice he has issued to local education authorities concerning the admission to schools of pupils wearing dress reflecting religious belief; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what information he has on the policy of city technology colleges concerning the admission of children wearing dress reflecting religious belief; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Uniform and dress rules are matters for determination by individual local education authorities and schools, including city technology colleges. We look to LEAs and governing bodies, in devising these rules, to take account of the cultural and religious backgrounds of pupils. The Commission for Racial Equality has recently issued a code of practice for the elimination of racial discrimination in education, which my right hon. Friend has commended to school and college governing bodies. It includes guidance on dress and uniform.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many complaints he has received in each of the years 1985 to 1989 that a local education authority was in breach of its duty to identify and assess a child with special educational needs, as laid down in sections 4 and 5 of the Education Act 1981; on how many of these occasions he has used his default powers under sections 68 and 99 of the Education Act 1944; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Higher Education (Fees)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the outcome of his consultations on the introduction of differential fees in higher education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Department's consultation paper, "Shifting the Balance of Public Funding of Higher Education to Fees", issued on 25 April last year, proposed a two-stage plan for increasing the responsiveness of higher education institutions to student demand.

  In the light of responses, we confirmed last July the first stage increase in the maximum fee for full-time undergraduate students met through the award arrangements from £607 to £1,675 for the academic year 1990–91.

  The consultation paper set a later deadline for responses to the second stage proposal for differential fees. Such fees would apply the market force of student demand more evenly across courses of different costs. Again, the overwhelming majority of the responses supported this proposal. A significant number of those consulted stressed the advantages of setting three fee levels, broadly on the same basis as those set for fees for overseas students, rather than the four proposed.

  The Government have accordingly decided to introduce differential full-time undergraduate maximum

  599
  tuition fees to be met through mandatory student awards for most first degree and designated comparable courses in publicly funded institutions from the academic year 1991–92 onwards. At 1990–91 prices, these fees will be set for three band levels as follows:

  Band

  £

  1

  Classroom-based courses

  1,675

  2

  Laboratory/Workshiop-based courses

  2,500

  3

  Clinical courses

  4,500

  We shall now consult the funding bodies and representatives of universities, polytechnics and colleges about the detailed arrangements for allocating courses to bands and the consequent adjustment between institutional grant and fees provision within the agreed expenditure plans in respect of the student numbers to which they relate.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the special programme of aid for ex-Communist countries in eastern Europe.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We already have a know-how fund for Poland of £50 million, and a similar fund for Hungary of £25 million will come into operation from April. We have announced that we shall extend these funds to cover other east European countries once they are fully committed to reform.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Parking
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what steps he is taking to ensure the strict enforcement of the parking restrictions in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I understand that, following two recent incidents, security staff have been instructed to ensure that the roadways through the inner courtyards are not blocked by vehicles making deliveries and that no unauthorised parking takes place.

  Manchester Evening News
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he will make inquiries as to why copies of the Manchester Evening News are no longer regularly available in the Tea Room and Smoking Room.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Until recently six copies of the Manchester Evening News were suplied free of charge and delivered by hand to the House by the publisher. Under new arrangements introduced by the publisher, three copies are now posted to the House.

  The authorities of the House have discussed these new arrangements with the publisher, who has agreed to re-provide six copies and to see what can be done about speeding up delivery arrangements. Meanwhile, copies of the Manchester Evening News will be placed in the Tea and Smoking Rooms as soon as they are received.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Barlow Clowes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he proposes any investigation into the role of Spicer and Pegler, now Spicer and Oppenheim, in the Barlow Clowes affair.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The terms of reference of the Companies Act 1985 inspectors investigating the affairs of Barlow Clowes Gilt Managers Limited and the affairs of James Ferguson Holdings plc enable them to inquire into the role of Spicer and Oppenheim if they consider it necessary for the purpose of their investigations.

  GATT
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Her Majesty's Government support the view of the EEC Commission, in the current General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations, that there can be no negotiations on the United States proposal for ending agricultural dumping within five years; what assessment he has made of the impact of this view on the prospects for a successful outcome of the negotiations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  The proposals tabled by the United States on agriculture in the current Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations, including that to eliminate export subsidies within five years, would cause a number of difficulties for the European Community. However, these proposals, like the others which have been tabled, including those by the Community, will be the subject of further negotiation. The Government are urging the Community to respond positively to proposals for more open trade in all areas and are keen to see a good liberal settlement for the Uruguay round as a whole. I am hopeful that a settlement can be reached in the agriculture negotiations which satisfies all parties, as this is likely to be an important element for the successful conclusion of the Uruguay round, and one to which the United Kingdom attaches great importance.

  Public Safety
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to introduce legislation to provide exemption from penalty under the Official Secrets Act for any scientist who speaks openly on matters affecting public safety.

  Mr. Douglas Hoggo
  The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has no plans to introduce such legislation.

  Methanol
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the end uses of methanol for the most recent year for which figures are available and the number of United Kingdom manufacturers.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  ICI is the only company which manufactures methanol in the United Kingdom.

  The main use for methanol is as a feedstock for the production of a wide range of other chemicals.

  The majority of methanol consumed in the United Kingdom is used in the production of formaldehyde (a

  601
  component of melamine resin), methyl tert butyl ether (an octane enhancer for unleaded fuel), acetic acid, chloromethanes, methyl methacrylate (a resin), and methylamines (solvents and photographic developers).

  Insider Dealing
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list what current inquiries his Department are carrying out into suspected insider dealing rings in the City of London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]Investigations into possible insider dealing offences are not normally announced. However, an announcement may be made in a particular case if it is considered to be in the public interest to do so. There are at present 18 cases where inspectors have been appointed by my Department to investigate possible insider dealing offences. In only one of those cases was the appointment announced. That investigation concerns possible offences with respect to the securities of Consolidated Gold Fields plc in the period from 3 August 1988 to 20 September 1988.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Attorney-General how many people used the legal advice and assistance green form scheme analysed by numbers of bills paid to the Legal Aid Board during the years commencing 1 April 1987 and 1 April 1988; and whether legal aid is reaching more people than ever before.

  The Attorney-General
  The Legal Aid Board did not take over the administration of the legal aid schemes until 1 April 1989. The figures requested for 1987–88 are available in appendix 1A of the Law Society's legal aid annual report for 1987–88. In 1987–88, 1,077,454 bills were paid and the figure for 1988–89 was 994,606.

  The number of full civil legal aid certificates issued compared with figures for five and 10 years ago indicates that more people than ever before are taking up legal aid. The figures are as follows:

  Number

  1979–80

  190,677

  1984–85

  221,209

  1989–90

  1259,000

  1 Estimated.

  Over the same period, expenditure on legal aid as a whole increased some fivefold.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Social Fund
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have been refused social fund loan applications by social fund offices in each of the ILOs of Redcar, Eston, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool, on the grounds that the applicants could not afford to repay such loans.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 12 January 1990]The precise information requested is not available. Social fund 602
  officers may refuse an application for one or more reasons and each reason given is recorded. The information in the table gives the number of occasions between 1 April 1989 and 1 December 1989 when "inability to repay" was recorded as a (but not necessarily the only) reason for refusal:

  Social Security local office

  Number of refusals

  Redcar

  61

  Eston

  8

  Middlesbrough

  131

  Stockton

  108

  Hartlepool

  74

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Namibia
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what considerations were taken into account by the international contact group of nations on the question of the exclusion of Walvis bay from incorporation into the independent state of Namibia.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In view of the apparently irreconcilable views of the parties concerned on the status of Walvis bay, the five Governments in the contact group decided not to include any provision on this question in their proposal for achieving Namibian independence.

  Bulgaria
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations with Bulgaria.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We are pleased with recent moves towards democracy in Bulgaria, including the decision to restore their rights to the minorities in that country. We hope to have closer and more fruitful relations in future.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has received concerning Government plans to allow Hong Kong's ivory stockpiles to be exempted from the agreed worldwide ban on ivory trading; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have received a number of representations, both in favour of and against the entering of a reservation on behalf of Hong Kong. We took all these into consideration. We received no formal representations from other countries.

  Whaling
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made representations to the Japanese Government concerning its research whaling agreements; what representations he has made to them about a total ban on whaling; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised the
  603
  Japanese scientific research whaling programme with Foreign Minister Nakayama on 12 January, as did my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister with Prime Minister Kaifu. The Japanese Government are well aware of our views on whaling.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the chemical industry regarding the implementation of a chemical weapon convention.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Officials of this Department and other Government Departments concerned meet regularly with representatives of the United Kingdom chemical industry to discuss issues involved in the chemical weapons convention under negotiation in Geneva.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any groups or individuals that are independent of the chemical industry will be invited to assist with the work of the national authority, established under the chemical weapon convention.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The structure and procedures of any national authority which might be established under a chemical weapons convention have yet to be decided.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the oversight of the implementation of the verification procedures under the terms of a chemical weapon convention will involve any personnel or organisations that are independent of the chemical industry.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is currently envisaged in the negotiations in Geneva for a chemical weapons convention that the implementation of verification procedures will be carried out by an international technical secretariat established by the convention.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy on the renunciation of the present reservation to retaliate in kind if subjected to chemical weapon attack, under the terms of the Geneva protocol 1925(a) before a chemical weapon convention is signed, (b) upon the signing of a chemical weapon convention and (c)at some stage during the implementation of a chemical weapon convention.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The United Kingdom, in common with a number of other states parties to the 1925 Geneva protocol, entered a reservation in the interests of national security, permitting retaliation in kind if subjected to attack with chemical weapons. This remains the United Kingdom's position.

  On the second and third parts of this question, I refer the hon. Member for Western Isles to the answer given to his earlier question on 11 December last year.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when Mr. Muhammad Jamshed, who has re-applied to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad to join his wife in the United Kingdom (Ref:604
  IMM/80967), is to be interviewed; and why Mr. Jamshed, at the interview relating to his first application, was interviewed in Pahari;

  (2) when Ruksana Riaz (serial number: 66429), who applied to the United Kingdom post in Islamabad to join her family in the United Kingdom on 5 July 1989, is going to be interviewed.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  In accordance with the guidelines on the handling of representations Members of Parliament immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the questions to the correspondence unit of the migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive replies from the unit as soon as possible.

  Nuclear Non-proliferation
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Department has concerning the policy of(a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Israel, (d) Argentina, (e) Brazil and (f) Libya towards (i) the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and (ii) the 1968 nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Of the countries listed in the hon. Member's question, Libya is a party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), and its nuclear facilities are under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. The other countries are not parties to the treaty. All of them have nuclear installations, some of which are under IAEA safeguards while others are not.

  Mr. Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department has concerning the policy of(a) France and (b) the People's Republic of China towards the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Both France and the Republic of China remain non-parties to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).

  School Fees
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of allowances and the total amount paid by the Government for boarding school fees in both the United Kingdom and overseas for the education of the children of(a) members of his Department, (b) members of the Diplomatic Services communication division and (c) the Overseas Development Administration including children of technical co-operation officers for the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]An allowance towards the cost of their children's day school education at boarding schools in the United Kingdom is paid to very few members of the diplomatic services during home postings. Details of the amounts paid are subsumed in the overall figures for boarding school allowances. Separate statistics are not kept.

  Only limited information is kept by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on schools used overseas. Each mission maintains its own list of authorised schools.

  A total of £1,784,000 was paid in overseas education allowances for children of diplomatic services officers

  605
  (including £79,000 for the communications division) and £286,000 to employees of the Overseas Development Agency (including technical co-operation officers) in the financial year 1988–89. Details of the total number of children for whom such allowances were paid are not available.

  South Africa
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any representations have been received on behalf of Sibusiso Senele Masuku and Oupa Josias Mbonane currently under sentence of death in South Africa for their alleged involvement in offences arising out of political protest; and what action he has taken about these cases.

  Mr. Maude
  [pursuant to his reply, 16 January 1990, c. 165–67]: We have in fact received a number of representations about Mr. Sibusiso Senele Masuku and Oupa Josias Mbonane. We consider intervening, exceptionally, in such cases only when all legal avenues of appeal have been exhausted. Our criteria are that the case must be clearly political and there must be strong extenuating circumstances or grounds to doubt the fairness of the judicial process. We are not prepared to make appeals in cases involving indiscriminate terrorism. With legal avenues yet to be exhausted, we have not intervened with the South African Government in these cases.

WALES

  NHS (Wales)
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the proposed reorganisation of the National Health Service in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The Government's proposals for the further improvement of the National Health Service in Wales are set out in the White Paper "Working for Patients" (Cm. 555) and in my right hon. Friend's published letter of 1 August 1989 to health authority and family practitioner committee chairmen. Insofar as the proposals require legislation, provision is included in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill which is presently before the House.

  Prescriptions
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many prescriptions were issued in each of the years from 1980 for(a) psychotropic drugs and (b) hypnotic drugs.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on number of prescriptions by type of drug is readily available only by therapeutic class. Hypnotic drugs are a class on their own, but psychotropic drugs are included in classes comprising sedatives, tranquillisers and anti-depressants.

  Number of prescriptions (Thousands)

  Hypnotics

  Sedatives/tranquillisers/anti-depressants

  1980

  1,149

  1,925

  1981

  1,138

  1,931

  1982

  1,129

  1,885

  606

  Hypnotics

  Sedatives/tranquillisers/anti-depressants

  1983

  1,103

  1,692

  1984

  1,137

  1,598

  1985

  1,104

  1,514

  1986

  1,216

  1,493

  1987

  1,211

  1,513

  1988

  1,139

  1,383

  Welsh Language Studies
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how he intends to implement those recommendations in the Welsh Language Board's strategy document, "The Welsh Language.—A Strategy for the Future," directly relating to the responsibilities of his Department;

  (2) what formal response he has made to the strategy document prepared by the Welsh Language Board and entitled "The Welsh Language—A Strategy for the Future" and its proposals for recommendations.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The proposals in the Welsh Language Board's strategy document are being considered together with other related proposals made by the board.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how his Department proposes to implement the recommendations and policy contained in the Welsh Language Board's document, "A Bilingual Policy—Guidelines for the Public Sector:"

  (2)if he will arrange to review the Welsh language policy of each body of which the Welsh Office is the sponsor Department;

  (3)if he will issue guidance to local authorities in Wales based on the Welsh Language Board's document entitled, "A Bilingual Policy—Guidelines for the Public Sector."

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh Language Board has already invited every public body in Wales to review its Welsh language policy having regard to the board's voluntary guidelines. The Welsh Office is among those currently considering its response. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will consider whether there is need for further guidelines in the light of the overall response.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what criteria he will use in considering applications from schools to be excluded from the Welsh language teaching requirements of the national curriculum.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Secretary of State has been considering this issue in the light of the responses to his consultation on proposals for Welsh in the national curriculum. As a result of that consultation the Secretary of State is publishing today a draft order in accordance with section 21(3) of the Education Reform Act, prescribing attainment targets and programmes of study for Welsh, together with an explanatory statement and an account of the consultation. Copies have been placed in the Library. Consultation on the draft order ends on 28 February and the Secretary of State intends to make a final order in April.

  The draft order and its associated document set out attainment targets and programmes of study which are designed to be achievable in schools of different kinds throughout Wales. Nevertheless there may be circumstances where a school may need to be exempted at least

  607
  temporarily. The Secretary of State has powers to make regulations under section 17 of the Act to prescribe exceptions from the national curriculum. He will be consulting soon on proposals for such regulations.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all suggestions he has received from the Welsh Language Board regarding statutory and administrative changes designed to enhance the use and status of the Welsh language, together with his response.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh Language Board's main proposals are those contained in its strategy document, its voluntary guidelines for the public and private sectors, and its draft Welsh Language Bill. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering the practical implications of the board's proposals before he responds. In addition, there has been considerable progress on a range of other matters concerning legislation and administrative practice which have been raised by the board.

  Circulars
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many circulars and circular letters have been issued by his Department's education division since 1 January 1989; and how many were(a) in Welsh and (b) bilingual.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Forty-seven circulars and circular letters have been issued, of which 13 were bilingual. None was issued in Welsh only.

  Language Studies
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he has invited the national language unit to undertake any specific tasks with regard to the teaching of Welsh and French in the national curriculum in Wales;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the role of the national language unit in the implementation of the national curriculum in Wales;

  when the national language unit was last subject to inspection by Her Majesty's inspectorate.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The national language unit is one of the agencies involved in preparing Welsh language materials for the national curriculum. Grants have been given to enable the unit to employ development officers for Welsh and modern foreign languages including French. The language unit has not been the subject of a report by Her Majesty's inspectorate.

  Simultaneous Translations
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all meetings between his Department and outside bodies at which simultaneous translation has been used, indicating the language used, since January 1989.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  There are numerous such meetings, but the Department holds no central record of such meetings.

  Appointments
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list(a) the organisations to which he has the right to make appointments and (b) the appointments to public bodies and other organisations made by him and his predecessor since 1979.
  608
  Mr. Peter Walker
  (a) The organisations to which I have the sole responsibility for making one or a majority of ministerial appointments are listed in the table:

  Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales

  Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committee Panel of Chairmen—Wales

  Agricultural Valuation Committee (Wales)

  Agricultural Wages Committee

  All Wales Advisory Panel on the Development of Services for People with Mental Handicaps

  Ancient Monuments Board for Wales

  Cardiff Bay Development Corporation

  Committee on Opportunities for Volunteering

  Committee for the Welsh Scheme for the Development of Health and Social Research

  Community Health Councils

  Court and Council of the National Library of Wales

  Court and Council of the National Museum of Wales

  Curriculum Council for Wales

  Development Board for Rural Wales

  District Health Authorities

  Family Practitioner Committees

  Forestry Commission Reference Committee Panel—Wales

  Health Policy Board

  Health Promotion Authority for Wales

  Historic Buildings Council for Wales

  Housing for Wales

  Land Authority for Wales

  Library and Information Services Council (Wales)

  Local Government Boundary Commission

  National Parks Committees

  Place Names Advisory Committee

  Rent Assessment Panel

  Saundersfoot Harbour Commission

  South Wales Sea Fisheries Committee

  Sports Council for Wales

  Standing Working Group of the Wales Advisory Body for Local Authority Higher Education

  Teamcare Valleys Steering Group

  Training Enterprise and Education Advisory Group

  Urban Investment Appraisal Panel

  Wales Tourist Board

  Welsh Committee for Post Graduate Pharmaceutical Education

  Welsh Committee on Drugs Misuse

  Welsh Development Agency

  Welsh Health Common Services Authority

  Welsh Industrial Development Advisory Board

  Welsh Language Board

  Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting

  The following organisations are those for which I have sole responsibility for a minority of ministerial appointments:

  Council of University Colleges, Lampeter

  Court and Council of University College of Wales, Aberystwyth

  Court and Council of the University of Wales, Bangor

  Court of the University College, Swansea

  Parliamentary Boundary Commission

  (b) This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Welsh Language
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the representations he has received against the Welsh Language Board's practical options for the use of Welsh in business;

  (2) if he will take steps to encourage businesses located and operating in Wales to implement the Welsh Language Board's practical options for the use of Welsh in business.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Businesses in Wales will wish to consider their own response to the board's guidelines for the private sector. No formal representations have been received following their publication.
  609
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the total direct expenditure by his Department in support of the Welsh language in each financial year between 1980–81 and 1989–90.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Direct Government support for the Welsh language is provided through grants for developments in bilingual education and for assistance to the Welsh language. The figures are shown in the following table:

  Year

  £

  1980–81

  893,000

  1981–82

  1,611,630

  1982–83

  1,755,726

  1983–84

  2,002,136

  1984–85

  1,986,825

  1985–86

  2,421,507

  1986–87

  2,527,755

  1987–88

  2,823,188

  1988–89

  3,345,987

  11989–90

  4,431,000

  1 Provision (outturn figures for other years).

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will make a statement on his approach to the principle of equal validity in respect of the Welsh language;

  (2) what consultations he is undertaking with interested people and organisations on the Welsh Language Board's recommendations for legislation for the care of the Welsh language.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Welsh Language Board has presented my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State with proposals for legislation based on the principles of equal validity. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering with the board the practical implications of these proposals.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that Welsh-speakers should have the right to require all public bodies to deal with them, in writing and verbally, in Welsh whenever practicable.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  This is one of the features of the Welsh Language Board's legislative proposals which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is currently considering.

  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the supplement to attract students to Welsh medium initial teacher training courses has been effective; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The incentive supplement was introduced in 1988 as a two-year pilot project aimed at increasing the supply of Welsh medium teachers in the secondary sector. The supplement was available only to those students who it is thought needed extra tuition in Welsh so that they have the confidence to pursue their studies and classroom training through the medium of Welsh.

  In 1988, 30 students received a supplement and 26 of these subsequently obtained teaching posts in Wales. Forty-three students received supplements in 1989.

  I have concluded that the supplement appears to have been successful in encouraging Welsh-speaking graduates to pursue Welsh medium initial teacher training courses. However, in order that a more detailed evaluation of the scheme can be undertaken, I have decided that the pilot should be extended for a further two years.
  610
  The demand for Welsh medium teaching in Wales continues to increase in both primary and secondary phases. To ensure that this demand is met, I have asked my officials to discuss with the relevant initial teacher training institutions ways in which a supplement might be provided to increase the number of students attending Welsh medium initial teacher training primary courses.

  Welsh Language Board
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library copies of all correspondence between his Department and the Welsh Language Board.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  No.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on how many occasions he has met the chairman of the Welsh Language Board to discuss the affairs of the board;

  (2) when he last held discussions with the chairman of the Welsh Language Board; what was discussed; on how many occasions he has met the Welsh Language Board; and when his officials will next meet representatives of the Welsh Language Board to discuss the board's suggested legislation.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  We have had one formal meeting with the chairman of the Welsh Language Board and his board. We have discussed issues relating to the board with the chairman on numerous occasions. Welsh Office officials meet representatives of the board as and when the need arises.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to make further appointments to the Welsh Language Board to restore the board to its original size.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no immediate plans to make further appointments.

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to expand the definition of pharmaceutical services in order to use the expertise of pharmacists in matters like health education, supervision of dispensing in residential homes, preventive work, and services to people in sheltered accommodation in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The Government's policy on developing the role of the community pharmacist was set out in chapter 6 of "Promoting Better Health" (Cm 249).

  The majority of the measures proposed in the White Paper have now been implemented. For example, new allowances have been introduced for pharmacists who participate in schemes to provide advice to residential homes, and also for those who maintain records of medicines supplied to certain patients on long-term medication. Funds have also been made available to support the enhancement of the health educational role of the community pharmacist.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he intends to make in Wales to cover the responsibilities currently undertaken by the rural dispensing committee.

  Mr. Grist
  In line with the new management arrangements for family practitioner services, it is
  611
  proposed that family practitioner committees will take all decisions of first instance in relation to dispensing. We shall be consulting the professions about the detailed arrangements for dealing with appeals as soon as possible.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of the income of pharmacies(a) in Wales generally and (b) in rural areas of Wales comes from dispensing.

  Mr. Grist
  Pharmacies' income can be derived from a variety of sources in addition to the dispensing of NHS prescriptions. The only information held centrally refers to NHS payments. In 1988–89 pharmacies in Wales received £143 million for providing pharmaceutical services.

  No separate statistics are collected centrally in respect of rural pharmacies.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice has been given to employers in Wales about their responsibility for collecting cash from poll tax defaulters.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Attachment of earnings is one of the remedies which is available to a charging authority that has obtained a liability order from a magistrates court in respect of a individual who has failed to pay the community charge. The attachment order served on employers will contain all the information necessary for the correct deduction to be made.

  Community charge practice note No. 15, "Enforcement of the Community Charge", sets out a model form and explanatory notes which a local authority may use in correspondence with individual employers. Employers will be entitled to deduct £1 towards their administrative expenses each time an attachment is made.

  Low Pay
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has commissioned research concerning new policies to lessen the incidence of low pay in(a) Clwyd, (b) Gwynedd, (c) Powys, (d) Mid Glamorgan, (e) South Glamorgan, (f) West Glamorgan, (g) Dyfed and (h) Gwent.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No. Economic expansion and new investment are increasing earnings in Wales. Between 1988 and 1989 the average weekly earnings for full-time adults in Wales increased by 9·9 per cent., which was a higher increase than in six of the other nine regions of Great Britain.

  Welsh College of Agriculture
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of students attending full-time courses at the Welsh college of agriculture, Aberystwyth, for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The total number of full-time students attending courses at the Welsh college of agriculture, Aberystwyth for each year since 1979–80 is shown in the following table:612

  Academic year

  Number of students

  1979–80

  229

  1980–81

  262

  1981–82

  288

  1982–83

  281

  1983–84

  282

  1984–85

  272

  1985–86

  276

  1986–87

  271

  1987–88

  225

  1988–89

  181

  West Wales General Hospital
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many beds there were available for use by patients at West Wales general hospital, Glangwili, Carmarthen, at the end of each calendar month from 31 March 1989 to 31 December 1989; and what are the projected figures for 31 January, 28 February and 31 March 1990.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on bed availability is collected on a quarterly basis and the information for the first three quarters of 1989 is shown in the following table. No projections of available bed numbers are made centrally.

  West Wales General hospital Average daily available beds1

  Quarter ending

  Number

  31 March 1989

  509·4

  30 June 1989

  510·8

  30 September 1989

  500·4

  1 Includes mental illness and mental handicap beds.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications he has received for the creation of fund-holding general practitioner practices.

  Mr. Grist
  A booklet explaining the fund-holding initiative was issued to all Welsh GPs on 5 January. Included with the booklet was a form enabling practices to express interest in becoming fundholders. It is far too early to put a realistic figure on the level of potential interest from the inquiries that have come in since 5 January.

  Teacher Training
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the recruitment to teacher training courses in 1988 and 1989 in the public sector and the University of Wales colleges.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Details of teacher training students recruited in 1988 and 1989 are as follows:

  1988

  1989

  Public sector

  BEd Primary

  580

  709

  BEd Secondary

  69

  66

  PGCE Primary

  167

  161

  PGCE Secondary

  97

  89

  Total

  913

  1,025

  University sector

  PGCE Primary

  136

  206

  613

  1988

  1989

  PGCE Secondary

  425

  447

  Total

  561

  653

  Recruitment to courses in the public sector increased by 12 per cent. and to courses in the University of Wales by 16 per cent.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many self-employed persons have been taken into account in recalculating the unemployment percentages for each of the employment offices in Wales; and what was the source of these figures of self-employment and the date to which they refer.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply as the methodology used to calculate unemployment rates in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State.

  The smallest areas for which unemployment rates are calculated are travel-to-work areas. Local rates calculated as a percentage of the total work force were introduced for these areas and for counties in October 1989. These calculations incorporate local allowances for the self-employed based upon census of population and labour force survey results. The latest estimates relate to June 1988 and will be updated in the light of forthcoming information. These local self-employment estimates are sufficiently reliable to be used only as a small component of the work force denominator. Estimates of the total work force for these areas are available in the Library.

TRANSPORT

  A1 (Accidents)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of accidents, serious injuries and deaths, involving heavy lorries on the sections of the(a) A1(M) and (b) A1 that runs through South, West and North Yorkshire during the last five years, giving the location of such accidents; and if he will show in his answer (i) the approximate time of the accident and (ii) what type of cargo the vehicle was carrying or equipped for.

  Mr. Atkins
  Not all the requested information is available. Details of cargo are not held on the road accident report form. The table below gives the number of accidents by time of day, and the number of casualties by severity:

  Accidents involving heavy goods vehicles in south, west, and north Yorkshire A1 and A1(M) By hour of day, 1984–1988

  Hour

  A1

  A1(M)

  Beginning:

  00:00

  5

  0

  01:00

  7

  0

  02:00

  6

  0

  03:00

  1

  1

  04:00

  7

  0

  05:00

  11

  1

  06:00

  14

  4

  614

  Hour

  A1

  A1(M)

  07:00

  26

  3

  08:00

  27

  4

  09:00

  23

  3

  10:00

  32

  2

  11:00

  23

  5

  12:00

  34

  1

  13:00

  29

  6

  14:00

  22

  2

  15:00

  21

  1

  16:00

  19

  3

  17:00

  17

  4

  18:00

  11

  1

  19:00

  9

  1

  20:00

  5

  0

  21:00

  2

  1

  22:00

  1

  2

  23:00

  6

  0

  Total

  358

  45

  Casualties in these accidents

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  Total

  A1

  44

  186

  355

  585

  A1(M)

  1

  12

  53

  66

  Total

  45

  198

  408

  651

  As over 400 accidents are involved, I shall write to the hon. Member, giving details of the time of accident, the Ordnance Survey grid reference of the accident locations, and in the case of accidents near junctions, the number of the intersecting road.

  London Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he is yet in a position to identify all the alternative sites for LATCC-2.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand that the Civil Aviation Authority has identified a number of possible sites for its new en route air traffic control centre, including one near Fareham in Hampshire, but that no decision has yet been taken.

  Road Humps
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the new regulations controlling road humps will be brought into force; and how soon the local authorities will be allowed to make road humps legally enforceable as a consequence of the new regulations.

  Mr. Atkins
  These representations are in the final stages of preparation and will be laid before the House very shortly. We have now incorporated the additional relaxations designed to allow road humps in a wider range of circumstances and at lower cost, that were canvassed in our consultation exercise and widely supported.

  Electronic Road Pricing
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his study into electronic road pricing will consider the privacy implications of the ability to monitor the movement of vehicles; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  My right hon. Friend has made it clear that he sees major practical difficulties with the implementation
  615
  of road pricing. The maintenance of individuals' rights of privacy would be an important consideration. There are no plans to introduce road pricing at the present time.

  London Road Assessment Studies
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will extend the consultation period on the London road assessment studies until 31 March.

  Mr. Atkins
  No.

  Oil Tankers, Fawley
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to make public the findings and recommendations of the inquiries into the three incidents at Fawley involving the bulk carriers MV Worthy, SS Mobil Petrel and SS British Resolution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  As the incident concerning the Mobil Petrel resulted in damage to the ship, it is being investigated by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch as a marine accident. A report of the findings will be published in due course. The MAIB is not involved in the incidents concerning the Worthy or British Resolution as they were not classified as marine accidents.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the light of the incidents involving bulk carriers at Fawley in the last four months, he has any proposals to change the way in which the port state control regulations are working; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The way in which port state control is effected and inspections are carried out is subject to continual review. Account will be taken of any lessons to be learnt from the incidents at Fawley, when investigations have been completed.

  A66
  Mr. Jopling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to start work on improvements to the A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith.

  Mr. Atkins
  Work on improvements to the A66 between Bowes and the Durham county boundary is planned to start later this year. A scheme to improve the section from Stainmore to Banksgate in Cumbria is planned to start in April 1992.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has by which to meet his target of reducing road accidents by one third by the year 2000.

  Mr. Atkins
  I refer the right hon. Member to my reply of 9 January to the hon. Member for Wakefield (Mr. Hinchliffe) Col.584–85.

  Birmingham Northern Relief Road
  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made available the inspector's report of the public inquiry for the Birmingham northern 616
  relief road to serious prospective tenderers; and whether the report will be made available to the eventual concessionaire.

  Mr. Portillo
  This report has not been made available to prospective tenderers, nor will it be made available to the concessionaire. It is not relevant to the private sector proposals.

  A2
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it the policy of his Department to provide lighting on all sections of the A2 which are of dual carriageway standard in Kent.

  Mr. Atkins
  No. Provision of lighting on sections of trunk road is considered on the merits of the cases, and reflects safety, economic and environmental factors. We have plans to light the following lengths of the A2:

  London boundary to M2

  Brenley to Harbledown

  Shepherdswell

  Lorries
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has given any general guidance to the local highway authorities and others concerned in dealing with the environmental problems caused by lorry traffic in residential areas and town centres.

  Mr. Parkinson
  I am pleased to be able to announce today the publication of two documents that address the problems that lorries can cause to local communities. "Lorries in the Community" and the "Lorries and Traffic Management" manual have been produced following a lorry management study co-sponsored by my Department, the Civil Trust and the County Surveyors Society. Copies of these documents have been placed in the House Libraries.

  "Lorries in the Community" describes problems that can be caused by lorries and possible solutions, in an easily readable form. The traffic management manual gives comprehensive advice to professional practitioners and planners on the types of measures available to deal with such problems.

  Free copies of both publications are being sent to all local highway and planning authorities in England.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Tax Allowances
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing information available to him on the tax allowances and tax reliefs given to single people and one and two-earner married couples in(a) Germany, (b) Italy, (c) France, (d) United States of America and (e) Holland with those in the United Kingdom together with the income band at each income tax rate chargeable.

  Mr. Lilley
  Available information is given in the tables, which are supplemented by notes. All amounts have been converted to sterling using the latest available purchasing power parities.
  617

  Tax allowances

  Year of income

  Single £

  One-earner married couple £

  Two-earner married couple £

  Germany

  1990

  1,421

  2,841

  2,841

  Italy

  1989

  Nil

  1,930

  1,930

  France

  1989

  1,425

  2,850

  2,850

  United States of America

  1989

  3,072

  5,543

  5,543

  Netherlands

  1990

  1,162

  2,324

  2,324

  United Kingdom

  1989–90

  2,785

  4,375

  7,160

  Notes:

  1. In Germany and France there are no personal allowances as such, but the tax tables incorporate a zero rate band. The figures given are the maximum amounts of income subject to tax on which no tax is due.

  2. In Germany there is also an employment deduction of £496.

  3. In Italy there are no personal allowances as such, but a married man may deduct £193 from tax due and therefore is not a net taxpayer unless income exceeds £1,930. In addition, employees receive an earned income credit of £215 on tax due. Thus, married employees are not net taxpayers unless their income exceeds £3,312, and single employees are not net taxpayers unless their income exceeds £2,150.

  4. In France employees may also deduct 20 per cent. of earned income and 10 per cent. for employment-related expenses.

  5. The Netherlands has a 4 per cent. employment income deduction (minimum £52, maximum £258).

  Income band at each income tax rate chargeable

  Year of income

  Taxable income bracket £

  Rate per cent

  Germany 1990

  see Note 1

  Italy 1990

  0– 2,671

  10·0

  2,671– 5,300

  22·0

  5,300– 13,272

  26·0

  13,272– 26,586

  33·0

  26,586– 66,402

  40·0

  66,402– 132,846

  45·0

  over 132,846

  50·0

  France 1989

  0– 2,850

  0·0

  2,850– 2,980

  5·0

  2,980– 3,531

  9·6

  3,531– 5,582

  14·4

  5,582– 7,176

  19·2

  7,176– 9,009

  24·0

  9,009– 10,903

  28·8

  10,903– 12,579

  33·6

  12,579– 20,959

  38·4

  20,959– 28,826

  43·2

  28,826– 34,097

  49·0

  34,097– 38,787

  53·9

  over 38,787

  56·8

  United States of America (single) 1989

  0– 11,175

  15·0

  11,175– 27,048

  28·0

  27,048– 56,084

  33·0

  over 56,084

  28·0

  (married, joint returns) 1989

  0– 18,645

  15·0

  18,645– 45,090

  28·0

  45,090– 93,566

  33·0

  over 93,566

  28·0

  (married, separate returns)

  0– 9,322

  15·0

  9,322– 22,545

  28·0

  22,545– 71,021

  33·0

  over 71,021

  28·0

  Netherlands 1990

  0– 10,718

  35·1

  10,718– 21,436

  50·0

  over 21,436

  60·0

  United Kingdom 1989–90

  0—20,700

  25·0

  over 20,700

  40·0

  Notes:

  1. In Germany tax rates rise gradually from 19 per cent. to a top rate of 53 per cent. The top rate is reached at a taxable income of £29,787 (single) and £59,574 (married couple, joint return).

  2. The income given for France are halved in the case of a single person.

  Taxation
  Sir Hal Miller
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much income tax receipts would be reduced in a full year, at 1989–90 income levels, with a 5p reduction in the basic rate of tax, assuming the basic rate limit was reduced from £20,700 taxable income to £12,000;

  (2) how much income tax receipts would be reduced in a full year, at 1989–90 income levels, with a 5p reduction in the basic rate of tax, assuming the basic rate limit was reduced from £20,700 taxable income to £15,000.

  Mr. Lilley
  The direct revenue cost in a full year, at 1989–90 income levels, of a 5p reduction in the basic rate of tax and, at the same time, a reduction in the basic rate limit from £20,700 taxable income to £12,000 is estimated to be £3 billion. If the basic rate of tax was reduced by 5p and the basic rate limit reduced to £15,000, the cost is estimated to be £5·5 billion.

  The estimates include the change in receipts of advance corporation tax and on consequent liability to mainstream corporation tax, but exclude the effects on capital gains tax and possible behavioural effects. They are based on a projection of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional.

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the auditors to each company in which the Government maintain(a) a golden share and (b) an equity investment.

  Mr. Lilley
  The auditors to each company in which the Government maintain(a) a special share or (b) a residual shareholding following privatisation (where different) are as follows:

  Auditors

  (a)

  Britoil

  Peat Marwick McLintock

  Cable and Wireless

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Jaguar

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Sealink

  Touche Ross

  British Telecom

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  British Aerospace

  Peat Marwick McLintock

  VSEL Consortium

  Peat Marwick McLintock

  British Gas

  Price Waterhouse

  Rolls-Royce

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  BAA

  Touche Ross

  619

  Auditors

  British Steel

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Mersey Docks and Harbour Company

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Anglian Water

  Price Waterhouse

  Northumbrian Water

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  North West Water

  Price Waterhouse

  Severn Trent

  Price Waterhouse

  Southern Water

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  South West Water

  Price Waterhouse

  Thames Water

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Welsh Water

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Wessex Water

  Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte

  Yorkshire Water

  Price Waterhouse

  (b)

  BP

  Ernst and Young

  British Airways

  Ernst and Young

  Excise Duties
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the price of the most widely selling category of cigarettes is accounted for by excise duties, including value added tax; what are the comparable percentages for other dutiable goods, petrol, spirits, beers and wines; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  The burden of excise duty and value added tax as a percentage of the price for the range of dutiable goods specified in the question is as follows:

  Total tax as percentage of price

  Cigarettes—20 king-size

  72·7

  Petrol—4 star leaded—per litre

  63·4

  Petrol—unleaded—per litre

  59·3

  Spirits—75 cl bottle

  69·9

  Beer—pint

  32·6

  Cider—½ pint bottle

  20·1

  Wine—still table—1 litre bottle

  59·1

  European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development seeks advice and information from think tanks and academics who support the creation of free market economies.

  Mr. Ryder
  In the current discussions to establish the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Government are encouraging any measures which will assist the bank in promoting the creation of free market economies in central and eastern Europe.

  Mortgage Interest Relief
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to the Government of mortgage interest relief in(a) 1987–88, (b) 1988–89 and (c) 1989–90, estimated; and what proportion of this accrues to higher-rate taxpayers.

  Mr. Lilley
  The information requested is given in the table. Estimates are based on projections of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes. The figures for 1988–89 and 1989–90 are therefore provisional.
  620

  Year

  Cost of mortgage interest relief £ million

  Percentage of relief at excess over basic rate Per cent.

  1987–88

  4,900

  9

  1988–89

  5,400

  6

  1989–90

  7,000

  6

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the income which would accrue to the Government from restricting mortgage interest relief to the basic rate of income tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  The additional yield to the Exchequer from restricting mortgage interest relief to the basic rate of income tax is estimated to be £430 million at 1989–90 levels of income.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Government of increasing the maximum limit for mortgage interest relief to(a) £35,000, (b) £40,000 and (c) £45,000.

  Mr. Lilley
  Provisional estimates of the direct revenue costs of increasing the ceiling for mortgage interest relief are(a) £320 million, (b) £580 million and (c) £770 million. These estimates are at 1989–90 levels of income and current interest rate levels and exclude behavioural effects, which would be substantial for the higher ceilings.

  Capital Gains Tax
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total income to the Government from capital gains tax in the years(a) 1987–88, (b) 1988–89 and (c) 1989–90, estimated; and what is his estimate of the income forgone through the existence of rollover relief in each year.

  Mr. Lilley
  Receipts of capital gains tax in financial years since 1987–88 have been as follows:

  £ million

  1987–88

  1,379

  1988–89

  2,323

  1989–90

  12,000

  1 forecast

  These figures exclude receipts from capital gains of companies taxed within corporation tax. I regret that an estimate of the total cost of rollover relief is not available.

  HMSO
  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the expenditure to date on consultants engaged on the grading structure study in Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

  Mr. Ryder
  A total of £127,000 in 1988, and £95,000 in 1989.

  National Savings
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to develop the role of the Department for National Savings; and if he will make a statement.
  621
  Mr. Ryder
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave on 19 January to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng), Official Report, column 437.

SCOTLAND

  Batteries and Accumulators
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps his Department has taken to promote research aimed at reducing the dangerous substance content and increasing the use of less polluting substitute substances in batteries and accumulators and into methods of recycling;

  (2) what steps his Department has taken to reduce the volume of spent batteries and accumulators in household waste.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Consumer Affairs on Friday 19 January, volume 165, column 444.

  Colliery Closures
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make any special provision for the development of rural areas affected by colliery closures.

  Prosecutions for rape 1984–88

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  Persons proceeded against

  43

  80

  65

  64

  82

  Persons with charge proved

  20

  39

  29

  34

  47

  Custodial sentence

  19

  39

  26

  33

  45

  Less than three years

  2

  8

  6

  5

  8

  Three years up to five years

  5

  7

  3

  5

  14

  Five years up to 10 years

  8

  19

  12

  19

  19

  10 years and over

  3

  2

  4

  3

  4

  Indeterminate sentence

  1

  3

  1

  1

  —

  Other sentence

  1

  —

  3

  1

  2

  Gynaecological Facilities
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has held with Grampian and Highland health boards for the improvement of maternity, obstetric and gynaecological provision in Grampian west unit prior to the development of local facilities; and when he expects a final agreement to be reached.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Grampian health board has improved maternity, obstetric and gynaecology provision in Grampian west unit by increased consultant visits, more clinics and improved emergency arrangements. In addition agreement has been reached on the transfer of obstetric, gynaecology and paediatric services for patients west of the Spey to Highland health board.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to be able to announce a decision on the development of maternity, obstetric and gynaecological facilities in Moray subsequent to the option appraisal exercise carried out by Grampian health board and the recent recommendation made by the board; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  When I receive Grampian health board's formal submission of its recommended option will give it due consideration.
  622
  Mr. Lang
  Substantial support is made available through the Scottish Development Agency and British Coal Enterprise. This will be continued under the Scottish Enterprise proposals. The Government are pressing for the inclusion of all mining areas in Scotland in the European Commission's RECHAR initiative.

  Offences Against Children
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many men have been prosecuted for(a) rape and (b) sexual offences against children including incest, in each case of the last five years in Scotland; how many have been convicted in each of these years; of these, how many have not been sent to prison; and how many have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment of not less than three years, between three and five years, between five and 10 years and over 10 years, respectively.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The available information is set out in the table. Information which separately identifies sexual offences against children is not held centrally.

  School Governors
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the new system of appointment for governors of further education colleges in Scotland; what scrutiny there is of appointments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  Apart from the college principal, who is a member ex officio, members of college councils will be appointed by education authorities by 1 August 1990 after consulting such employer, trade union or other organisations as appear to them to represent interests relevant to the work of the college, and after considering any nominations by individual employers. I am sure the education authorities will scrutinise carefully candidates' suitability for appointment.

  Core Curriculum
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the guidelines issued by the Scottish Education Department about the core curriculum for pupils in S3 and S4 in Scotland from 1992 are mandatory or optional; what choice will be available to pupils outside the core curriculum; whether the proposed core curriculum will apply to private schools in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
  623
  Mr. Lang
  The current guidelines on the secondary curriculum were prepared by the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum and recommended to education authorities in Scottish Education Department circular No. 7/89. Schools are expected to adopt the guidelines with such variation of detail as may be appropriate to local circumstances. The core curriculum recommended for S3 and S4 occupies about 70 per cent. of available teaching time, thus leaving some 30 per cent. for optional courses. The guidelines have been made available to the independent schools, but it is for those schools to decide what use, if any, they will make of them.

  Crofters
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will adjust the levels of grant and loans available under the crofters building grants and loan scheme in line with inflation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The levels of grant and loans are currently being reviewed and revised rates will be introduced in 1990–91.

  Mentally Ill Patients
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure a co-ordinated approach between health boards and social health departments in Scotland on the provision of proper community care for long-term hospital patients who are mentally ill along the lines of that adopted in other parts of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lang
  As stated in the White Paper "Caring for People", we intend to secure close co-operation between local authorities and health boards in the provision of appropriate community care services through the development of community care plans based on planning agreements. The National Health Service and Community Care Bill includes a provision placing a duty on local authorities to prepare such plans while the same result will be secured in the case of health boards by administrative means. We intend to monitor carefully the progress made in the implementation of plans through the reports which each local authority and health board will be required to provide.

  Training
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent by central Government on(a) the employment training scheme and (b) YTS in Scotland in each year since the scheme's inception at constant 1988–89 prices.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [holding answer 18 January 1990]The amounts spent by central Government on employment training and YTS in Scotland in each year since the inception of the schemes are set out in the tables at constant 1988–89 prices.

  (a) Employment training Spend (1988–89 prices)

  £ million

  11988–89

  25·9

  1 Half year September to March only.

  624
  Note: This figure does not include training allowances or income support costs as such information is not recorded on a regional basis.

  (b) YTS Spend (1988–89 prices)

  Year

  £ million

  1983–84

  93·5

  1984–85

  95·3

  1985–86

  90·3

  1986–87

  102·2

  1987–88

  102·2

  1988–89

  102·8

  Student Allowances
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether students of 16 years and older at the commencement of the course at a Scottish central institution who qualify for extra allowances under the SED scheme will continue to receive their allowances, following introduction of the student loan scheme; and whether they will continue to be uprated annually.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]Supplementary allowances will continue to be available to all eligible students under the student allowances scheme after the introduction of student loans in session 1990–91.

  The level of supplementary allowances for session 1991–92 and subsequent years will be considered at the appropriate time in the light of all the circumstances, including available resources.

  Health Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the review of health education has been completed; and when it will be published.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]Touche Ross management consultants submitted their report on the review of health education in Scotland on 21 December 1989. Their conclusions are currently being considered and I expect to announce the Government's views shortly.

EMPLOYMENT

  Youth Training Scheme
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the latest details from the YTS leavers survey showing(a) the range and average wages earned, (b) the hours worked and (c) the types of jobs done by those leavers for those (i) in full-time work with the same employer, (ii) in full-time work with a different employer and (iii) in part-time work, giving the information separately for male and female and Great Britain totals.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The 100 per cent. follow-up survey of YTS leavers does not gather information about wages earned or specific number of hours worked.

  The tables show the numbers and proportion of leavers who found full-time and part-time work in each occupational group. The information is given separately for all leavers, male and female.
  625

  Type of work found for leavers in a job during the period August 1987 to July 1989

  Full-time job with same employer

  Full-time job with different employer

  Part-time job

  Occupational classification

  Total

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  TOTAL

  A. Administrative and clerical occupations

  65,344

  33,504

  51·27

  31,073

  47·55

  767

  1·17

  B. Creative, educational and recreational service occupations

  4,511

  2,298

  50·94

  1,918

  42·52

  295

  6·54

  C. Health, community and personal services occupations

  11,508

  3,887

  33·78

  5,662

  49·20

  1,959

  17·02

  C40. Hairdressing occupations

  32,253

  12,651

  39·22

  15,035

  46·62

  4,567

  14·16

  D. Selling and storage occupations

  15,975

  6,619

  41·43

  8,345

  52·24

  1,011

  6·33

  E. Scientific occupations

  1,807

  897

  49·64

  886

  49·03

  24

  1·33

  F. Catering, food preparation and processing occupations

  16,329

  4,368

  26·75

  9,247

  56·63

  2,714

  16·62

  G. Agriculture and related occupations

  6,756

  3,377

  49·99

  3,108

  46·00

  271

  4·01

  J. Transport operating occupations

  3,717

  1,718

  46·22

  1,716

  46·17

  283

  7·61

  K. Construction and civil engineering occupations

  21,136

  11,209

  53·03

  9,751

  46·13

  176

  0·83

  M/N. Engineering occupations

  21,470

  11,525

  53·68

  9,861

  45·93

  84

  0·39

  P. Motor vehicle repair and maintenance occupations

  10,304

  7,282

  70·67

  2,966

  28·78

  56

  0·54

  Q. Non-metal processing occupations

  6,581

  2,467

  37·49

  4,033

  61·28

  81

  1·23

  R. Printing occupations

  3,204

  1,574

  49·13

  1,596

  49·81

  34

  1·06

  S. Clothing and textiles manufacturing occupations

  8,821

  3,177

  36·02

  5,566

  63·10

  78

  0·88

  T. Security services occupations

  3,525

  201

  5·70

  3,290

  93·33

  34

  0·96

  Y. Other occupations

  18,071

  5,293

  29·9

  11,371

  62·92

  1,407

  7·79

  Total in a job

  246,043

  112,763

  45·83

  120,188

  48·85

  13,092

  5·32

  MALES

  A. Administrative and clerical occupations

  13,558

  7,475

  55·13

  5,971

  44·04

  112

  0·83

  B. Creative, educational and recreational service occupations

  2,303

  1,240

  53·84

  930

  40·38

  133

  5·78

  C. Health, community and personal services occupations

  1,310

  299

  22·82

  845

  64·50

  166

  12·67

  C40. Hairdressing occupations

  530

  327

  22·82

  197

  37·17

  6

  1·13

  D. Selling and storage occupations

  15,289

  6,311

  41·28

  7,981

  52·20

  997

  6·52

  E. Scientific occupations

  1,121

  589

  52·54

  522

  46·57

  10

  0·89

  F. Catering, food preparation and processing occupations

  6,974

  2,197

  31·50

  4,166

  59·74

  611

  8·76

  G. Agriculture and related occupations

  5,171

  2,683

  51·89

  2,341

  45·27

  147

  2·84

  J. Transport operating occupations

  3,199

  1,518

  47·45

  1,468

  45·89

  213

  6·66

  K. Construction and civil engineering occupations

  20,775

  11,073

  53·30

  9,537

  45·91

  165

  0·79

  M/N. Engineering occupations

  19,976

  11,185

  55·99

  8,727

  43·69

  64

  0·32

  P. Motor vehicle repair and maintenance occupations

  10,157

  7,210

  70·99

  2,897

  28·52

  50

  0·49

  Q. Non-metal processing occupations

  5,575

  2,304

  41·33

  3,233

  57·99

  38

  0·68

  R. Printing occupations

  2,395

  1,221

  50·98

  1,160

  48·43

  14

  0·58

  S. Clothing and textiles manufacturing occupations

  1,671

  535

  32·02

  1,122

  67·15

  14

  0·84

  T. Security services occupations

  3,099

  159

  5·13

  2,913

  94·00

  27

  0·87

  Y. Other occupations

  10,093

  3,429

  33·98

  6,264

  62·06

  400

  3·96

  Total in a job

  123,196

  59,755

  48·50

  60,274

  48·93

  3,167

  2·57

  FEMALES

  A. Administrative and clerical occupations

  51,786

  26,029

  50·26

  25,102

  48·47

  655

  1·26

  B. Creative, educational and recreational service occupations

  2,208

  1,058

  47·92

  988

  44·75

  162

  7·34

  C. Health, community and personal services occupations

  10,198

  3,588

  35·18

  4,817

  47·23

  1,793

  17·58

  C40. Hairdressing occupations

  10,176

  7,008

  68·87

  2,912

  28·62

  256

  2·52

  D. Selling and storage occupations

  16,964

  6,340

  37·37

  7,054

  41·58

  3,570

  21·04

  E. Scientific occupations

  686

  308

  44·90

  364

  53·06

  14

  2·04

  F. Catering, food preparation and processing occupations

  9,355

  2,171

  23·21

  5,081

  54·31

  2,103

  22·48

  G. Agriculture and related occupations

  1,585

  694

  43·79

  767

  48·39

  124

  7·82

  J. Transport operating occupations

  518

  200

  38·61

  248

  47·88

  70

  13·51

  K. Construction and civil engineering occupations

  361

  136

  37·67

  214

  59·28

  11

  3·05

  M/N. Engineering occupations

  1,494

  340

  22·76

  1,134

  75·90

  20

  1·34

  P. Motor vehicle repair and maintenance occupations

  147

  72

  48·98

  69

  46·94

  6

  4·08

  Q. Non-metal processing occupations

  1,006

  163

  16·20

  800

  79·52

  43

  4·27

  R. Printing occupations

  809

  353

  43·63

  436

  53·89

  20

  2·47

  626

  627

  Full-time job with same employer

  Full-time job with different employer

  Part-time job

  Occupational classification

  Total

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  Number

  Per cent.

  S. Clothing and textiles manufacturing occupations

  7,150

  2,642

  36·95

  4,444

  62·15

  64

  0·90

  T. Security services occupations

  426

  42

  9·86

  377

  88·50

  7

  1·64

  Y. Other occupations

  7,978

  1,864

  23·36

  5,107

  64·01

  1,007

  12·62

  Total in a job

  122,847

  53,008

  43·15

  59,914

  48·77

  9,925

  8·08

  Labour Statistics
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the latest number of(a) referrals to job clubs, (b) the number of starts with job clubs, (c) the number of job club leavers and (d) the number of job club leavers getting jobs or becoming unemployed for Great Britain and each Training Agency region for each month since May 1989.

  Mr. Eggar
  From May 1989 to November 1989, 81,725 people started ith a job club. During the same period,

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  Total

  Scotland

  Starts

  1,452

  1,841

  1,202

  1,586

  2,017

  1,898

  1,909

  11,905

  Total leavers

  1,810

  1,942

  1,460

  1,661

  1,968

  1,744

  1,708

  12,293

  Job entries

  1,043

  1,116

  777

  923

  1,161

  1,005

  981

  7,006

  Other positive outcomes

  225

  254

  188

  275

  316

  228

  268

  1,754

  Northern

  Starts

  743

  860

  714

  689

  1,075

  1,082

  982

  6,145

  Total leavers

  876

  995

  723

  691

  988

  842

  878

  5,993

  Job entries

  460

  496

  367

  355

  485

  434

  414

  3,011

  Other positive outcomes

  116

  140

  116

  83

  131

  110

  127

  823

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  Starts

  919

  1,033

  991

  926

  1,339

  1,317

  1,305

  7,830

  Total leavers

  1,006

  1,240

  877

  915

  1,268

  1,133

  1,081

  7,520

  Job entries

  621

  712

  500

  537

  723

  692

  661

  4,446

  Other positive outcomes

  128

  188

  113

  124

  231

  157

  150

  1,091

  North West

  Starts

  1,731

  2,050

  1,588

  1,689

  2,210

  2,185

  2,400

  13,853

  Total leavers

  1,968

  2,096

  1,722

  1,705

  2,121

  1,910

  1,930

  13,452

  Job entries

  1,080

  1,185

  971

  920

  1,189

  1,049

  1,063

  7,457

  Other positive outcomes

  250

  263

  234

  247

  337

  265

  268

  1,864

  East Midlands and Eastern

  Starts

  798

  1,093

  833

  856

  1,110

  1,064

  1,204

  6,958

  Total leavers

  919

  978

  923

  816

  1,079

  959

  908

  6,582

  Job entries

  568

  610

  537

  476

  679

  590

  545

  4,005

  Other positive outcomes

  108

  160

  150

  161

  194

  161

  156

  1,090

  West Midlands

  Starts

  811

  1,028

  899

  971

  1,234

  1,317

  1,303

  7,563

  Total leavers

  961

  1,037

  862

  912

  1,239

  1,173

  1,171

  7,355

  Job entries

  495

  562

  451

  503

  627

  647

  624

  3,909

  Other positive outcomes

  164

  180

  163

  148

  217

  206

  173

  1,251

  Wales

  Starts

  510

  684

  599

  637

  758

  813

  781

  4,782

  Total leavers

  597

  780

  598

  563

  757

  661

  673

  4,629

  Job entries

  381

  397

  355

  326

  448

  394

  408

  2,709

  Other positive outcomes

  97

  86

  94

  98

  125

  82

  84

  666

  South West

  Starts

  527

  547

  451

  518

  605

  608

  727

  3,983

  Total leavers

  580

  608

  471

  460

  563

  557

  555

  3,794

  Job entries

  323

  354

  254

  266

  326

  345

  298

  2,166

  Other positive outcomes

  66

  95

  78

  70

  100

  84

  79

  572

  London and South East

  Starts

  2,075

  2,544

  2,394

  2,436

  3,062

  3,093

  3,102

  18,706

  Total leavers

  2,276

  2,617

  2,389

  2,277

  2,777

  2,615

  2,670

  17,621

  Job entries

  1,119

  1,133

  926

  1,008

  1,303

  1,277

  1,254

  8,020

  628
  there were 79,239 leavers, of whom 42,729 left to start work, a further 11,954 going on to some other positive outcome such as training, education or self-employment. Regional and monthly breakdowns are given in the table.

  Because of the very large number of potential referrals points, the employment service does not keep statistics of referrals.

  All job club members are unemployed and separate records are not kept of the number remaining out of work on ceasing to attend.
  629

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  Total

  Other positive outcomes

  333

  442

  396

  374

  502

  360

  436

  2,843

  National

  Starts

  9,566

  11,680

  9,671

  10,308

  13,410

  13,377

  13,713

  81,725

  Total leavers

  10,993

  12,293

  10,025

  10,000

  12,760

  11,594

  11,574

  79,239

  Job entries

  6,090

  6,565

  5,138

  5,314

  6,941

  6,433

  6,248

  42,729

  Other positive outcomes

  1,487

  1,808

  1,532

  1,580

  2,153

  1,653

  1,741

  11,954

  Unofficial Strikes
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many unofficial strikes took place in the coal industry in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (2)how many unofficial strikes took place in the construction industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (3)how many unofficial strikes took place in the docks industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (4)how many unofficial strikes took place in the motor manufacturing industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (5)how many unofficial strikes took place in the Post Office in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (6)how many unofficial strikes took place in the shipbuilding industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (7)how many unofficial strikes took place on the railways in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (8) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes in the construction industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (9) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes in the Post Office in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  Stoppages of work and working days lost in unofficial industrial disputes where a categorisation is possible

  1987

  1988

  19891

  Industry SIC 1980 (Class)

  Stoppages in progress

  Working days lost

  Stoppages in progress

  Working days lost

  Stoppages in progress

  Working days lost

  Coal (11)

  291

  198,000

  141

  81,000

  138

  49,000

  Construction (50)

  8

  11,000

  6

  3,000

  17

  61,000

  Motor vehicles (35)

  80

  65,000

  39

  30,000

  42

  86,000

  Railways (71)

  7

  1,000

  2

  less than 500

  —

  —

  Supporting and miscellaneous transport services2 (76, 77)

  5

  5,000

  7

  8,000

  6

  6,000

  Other transport equipment3 (36)

  9

  20,000

  17

  29,000

  8

  17,000

  Other transport and communication4 (75, 79)

  91

  55,000

  61

  1,100,000

  23

  10,000

  1 Data are for the period January to November 1989 and are provisional.

  2 Data for the docks industry are included with the Supporting and miscellaneous transport services.

  3 Data for the shipbuilding industry are included with the Other transport equipment sector.

  4 Data for the Post Office are included with the Other transport and communication sector.

  Restart
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many and what percentage of unemployed claimants called for Restart interviews have(a) stopped claiming benefit and (b) obtained regular full-time work, for the most recent convenient period.

  Mr. Eggar
  The aim of the Restart programme is to make contact with longer-term unemployed people and provide information and advice about opportunities to help them back to work. We do not collect information on how many people stop claiming benefit or obtain regular full-time employment as a result of being called for a Restart interview.
  630
  (10) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes in the coal industry in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (11) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes on the railways in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (12) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes in the motor manufacturing industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (13) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes in the docks industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989;

  (14) what was the total number of days lost through unofficial strikes in the shipbuilding industry in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Data on stoppages of work and working days lost in unofficial disputes, where it is possible to make this distinction, are given in table 1. The statistics requested for years prior to 1987 are not available. Statistics for the docks and shipbuilding industries are not available except at disproportionate cost. Statistics on disputes solely in the Post Office are confidential. Where data are not available for a specific industry, the statistics for the broad industry classification into which they fall are given.

  Burns Day
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to make Burns day a United Kingdom public holiday annually on 25 January.

  Mr. Nicholls
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no such plans to do so.

  Local Offices
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will establish an integrated jobcentre and unemployment benefit office in Thornaby, Cleveland.
  631
  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service is working progressively to bring jobcentres and benefit offices together under one roof. This will provide a new and improved one-stop service.

  I will ensure that the hon. Member is informed as soon as a decision about the future of the office at Thornaby has been taken.

  Private Mines
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in how many private mines registers are kept of the names and numbers of employees working underground; and if there have been(a) any warnings issued by Her Majesty's inspectors and (b) any prosecutions initiated in respect of the requirement to keep such registers.

  Mr. Nicholls
  All coal mines are required to keep registers of the numbers of persons going below ground and these are inspected as a matter of routine by the Health and Safety Executive's mines inspectors.

  There have been no warnings issued or prosecutions initiated in respect of failure to comply with this requirement in the past five years.

  Vocational Training
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department will set up bursaries for young people aged between 16 and 19 years to pursue vocational training with companies located in western Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Opportunities for young people to spend part of their initial vocational training in other European countries already exists within YTS and European Community programmes for young people, including in particular the young workers exchange programme and Petra. I am keeping the need for further initiatives under review.

  Mines Inspectorate
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what records are kept by the mines inspectorate.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The mines inspectorate keeps records under the following general subject headings:

  Accidents

  Whether fatal or major, date, time, description of injury and details of dangerous occurences.

  Premise

  Address, premise type, names of officials, reports of inspections at premises.

  Registers

  Complaints received, exemptions issued, equipment approvals issued.

  Prosecutions

  Date case heard, number of charges laid, result, fines imposed.

  Notices

  Number of Improvement and Prohibition notices issued and to whom.

  Circulars

  Internal instructions and information circulars issued; publications circulated.

  Abandoned mine plans

  Number of Ordnance survey sheets, relevant county, renovation status.

  In addition, administrative records are kept as appropriate.

  Action for Jobs
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much of the expenditure on Action For Jobs television advertising in 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88 was spent through the Central Office of Information.

  Mr. Eggar
  All the expenditure on Action for Jobs television advertising in 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88 was spent through the Central Office of Information.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Audiology
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the waiting list in audiology in Northern Ireland for(a) hearing tests and (b) fitting of hearing aids for the last three years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Needham
  Figures for audiology are not identified separately in waiting list data. In most cases a patient can expect to be assessed and, where appropriate, fitted with a hearing aid within three months of the first contact with his GP.

  Beef
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received about the profitability of the beef industry in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Ulster Farmers Union has made representations to me about profit levels in the beef industry in Northern Ireland and I have had informative and useful discussions with UFU leaders on the matter.

  Flooding
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on measures to reduce flooding.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department of Agriculture (NI) is empowered by the Drainage (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 to carry out drainage works on watercourses or works on sea defences where these have been designated by the Drainage Council for Northern Ireland and where, in the Department's opinion, works are expedient for the drainage of land. Decisions are informed by financial appraisal methods in use thoughout the United Kingdom.

  The Department's powers under this order are permissive and are directed towards a better drainage of land. The order protects the Department inter alia from liability for any damage which may happen to other land or property through or by the accidental overflowing of a watercourse.

  A high standard of flood protection is set in scheme proposals for urban areas, but the Department does not claim to prevent flooding in all circumstances.

  Total annual expenditure on drainage works in each of the next three financial years is estimated at £19 million.

  Bank Robbery, Athy
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if, under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, he will call on the Government of the Irish
  633
  Republic for an immediate report on the circumstances of the killing of a bank robber by armed police at Athy in the Irish Republic on Friday 12 January; if he will seek a judicial inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  This is not a matter which we consider appropriate to raise under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

  Fair Employment Commission
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the following employers in Northern Ireland were requested, prior to the nominated date of 15 January, to register with the Fair Employment Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Act 1989:(a) Xtra-vision Ltd, (b) The Bank of Ireland, (c) Irish Lights,
  (d) The Irish League of Credit Unions, (e) Irish National Foresters, (f) The Irish National Teachers Organisation, (g) The Irish Tourist Board, (h) Irish Life Assurance Co. Ltd, (i) Irish Transport and General Workers Union, (j) Irish Bonding Co. Ltd, (k) Bass Ireland Ltd and (l) Aer Lingus.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 16 January 1990]: Under the Fair Employment (NI) Act 1989 employers, with the exception of certain specified public sector employers, whose concerns satisfy the conditions for registration are obliged to apply for registration to the Fair Employment Commission within one month from 6 January 1990 or, if subsequently, from the time they first satisfy the condition for registration.

  To assist registration the commission has issued application forms in advance to employers believed to have more than 25 employees, but it is under no obligation to do so and the duty to apply for registration rests firmly with employers.

  The commission will not make public details of individual employers whom it has invited to register. Once initial registrations are made, however, the commission will keep a register, open to public inspection, of trades, businesses and other activities in which people are employed.

  Protected Routes
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many protected routes are maintained by the Department of Environment roads service in each district council area in Northern Ireland.

  Brucellosis: reactor animals and herd breakdowns: 1980–89

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Division

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  Armagh

  14

  8

  12

  6

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  17

  2

  Dungannon

  18

  8

  10

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  2

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Enniskillen

  65

  21

  57

  13

  4

  1

  1

  1

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  1

  Newry

  21

  9

  1

  1

  7

  1

  5

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Newtownards

  29

  9

  9

  2

  4

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  South Region

  147

  55

  69

  24

  15

  3

  6

  3

  2

  2

  2

  2

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  19

  5

  Ballymena

  37

  6

  17

  5

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  5

  2

  Coleraine

  5

  2

  3

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  9

  1

  Larne

  38

  11

  10

  3

  1

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  3

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  Londonderry

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  Omagh

  56

  20

  23

  3

  2

  2

  3

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  1

  1

  1

  North Region

  136

  39

  53

  12

  3

  3

  3

  3

  1

  1

  3

  1

  0

  0

  1

  1

  4

  3

  16

  5

  634
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]The Department of the Environment roads service maintains a total of 43 protected routes in Northern Ireland. It should be noted that some of these routes are common to more than one district council area.

  District council area

  Number of protected routes1

  1. Antrim

  6

  2. Ards

  6

  3. Armagh

  4

  4. Ballymena

  4

  5. Ballymoney

  3

  6. Banbridge

  3

  7. Belfast

  7

  8. Carrickfergus

  2

  9. Castlereagh

  5

  10. Coleraine

  5

  11. Cookstown

  3

  12. Craigavon

  6

  13. Derry

  4

  14. Down

  5

  15. Dungannon

  3

  16. Fermanagh

  3

  17. Larne

  4

  18. Limavady

  4

  19. Lisburn

  8

  20. Magherafelt

  4

  21. Moyle

  2

  22. Newry and Mourne

  6

  23. Newtownabbey

  5

  24. North Down

  6

  25. Omagh

  3

  26. Strabane

  1

  1 A protected route is one on which the creation of new accesses and the intensification of use of existing accesses is curtailed as far as is practical in order to preserve a high level of service for the main road users and in the interests of road safety.

  Cattle Diseases
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences of(a) bovine tuberculosis and (b) brucellosis have been recorded in each year since 1980; how many herds were affected; and if he will give details for each Department of Agriculture sub-office.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]: Cattle and herd breakdowns for each divisional veterinary office area in respect of tuberculosis and brucellosis from 1980 to 1989 are given in the following tables:
  635

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Division

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  Total

  283

  94

  122

  36

  18

  6

  9

  6

  3

  3

  5

  3

  1

  1

  1

  1

  4

  3

  35

  18

  Tuberculosis: reactor animals and herd breakdowns: 1980–89

  1980

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  1989

  Division

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  A

  H

  Armagh

  166

  70

  130

  42

  140

  58

  96

  49

  148

  55

  176

  58

  114

  43

  52

  33

  118

  57

  317

  100

  Dungannon

  168

  43

  209

  60

  106

  39

  106

  57

  165

  82

  178

  63

  75

  49

  69

  47

  83

  57

  103

  67

  Enniskillen

  161

  67

  150

  65

  154

  83

  138

  74

  153

  74

  123

  59

  152

  65

  190

  72

  148

  71

  146

  80

  Newry

  127

  48

  151

  68

  79

  42

  108

  60

  114

  65

  165

  74

  125

  72

  266

  80

  622

  183

  1,114

  361

  Newtownards

  222

  77

  185

  72

  248

  89

  288

  113

  322

  121

  257

  120

  197

  100

  171

  77

  261

  98

  210

  108

  South Region

  844

  305

  825

  307

  727

  311

  736

  353

  902

  397

  899

  374

  663

  329

  748

  309

  1,232

  466

  1,890

  716

  Ballymena

  186

  52

  204

  62

  165

  59

  175

  59

  77

  31

  218

  74

  84

  38

  51

  32

  49

  24

  107

  45

  Coleraine

  285

  106

  99

  52

  167

  72

  468

  131

  157

  70

  125

  71

  70

  46

  43

  18

  50

  35

  65

  51

  Larne

  255

  68

  292

  89

  326

  111

  271

  96

  341

  106

  204

  85

  167

  81

  162

  66

  84

  35

  304

  90

  Londonderry

  109

  36

  78

  27

  24

  13

  39

  11

  7

  7

  10

  12

  33

  21

  26

  14

  33

  14

  28

  20

  Omagh

  102

  36

  144

  43

  90

  38

  113

  60

  21

  19

  51

  31

  23

  16

  13

  14

  22

  19

  107

  38

  North Region

  937

  298

  817

  273

  772

  299

  1,066

  357

  603

  233

  608

  273

  377

  202

  295

  144

  238

  127

  611

  244

  Total

  1,781

  603

  1,642

  580

  1,499

  604

  1,802

  710

  1,505

  630

  1,507

  647

  1,040

  531

  1,043

  453

  1,470

  593

  2,501

  960

  Source: Animal health veterinary statistics [Tables T3A and T5]

  A = Animals

  H = Herds

  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total amount of compensation paid by the Department of Agriculture in respect of(a) bovine tuberculosis and (b) brucellosis in each year since 1980; and if he will give details for areas dealt with by each departmental sub-office.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]: The available information, giving total expenditure, is shown in the table. This information cannot be broken down by divisional veterinary office area. Net expenditure is given in brackets, that is, compensation paid less moneys released for carcases.

  Tuberculosis £

  Brucellosis £

  1980–81

  718,930

  (389,073)

  974,073

  (491,441)

  1981–82

  614,265

  (311,175)

  498,631

  (225,885)

  1982–83

  750,006

  (382,910)

  10,559

  (8,558)

  1983–84

  766,585

  (398,514)

  8,590

  (8,182)

  1984–85

  784,758

  (465,382)

  6,781

  (6,781)

  1985–86

  740,547

  (455,853)

  8,015

  (7,573)

  1986–87

  522,211

  (319,791)

  7,240

  (7,240)

  1987–88

  717,363

  (447,376)

  8,071

  (7,903)

  1988–89

  1,076,662

  (646,931)

  7,377

  (6,612)

  Parliamentary Boundary Commission
  Mr. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the qualifications of the two members of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland whom he has appointed; and what criteria he applied for these appointments.

  Mr. Cope
  Both members appointed to the Parliamentary Boundary Commission meet the criteria that they should have relevant intellectual qualities, appropriate experience and/or professional qualifications, a commitment to public service and the ability to make independent and non-partisan judgments. Following 636
  normal practice, the views of the main political parties in Northern Ireland were sought before the appointments were made.

ENERGY

  Energy and Environment Research Unit
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he or any of his Ministers have any present plans to meet the director and staff of the energy and environment research unit at the Open university.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No.

  Sizewell B
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many representations he has received calling for the Sizewell B project to be halted; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Government attach the highest importance to the completion of Sizewell B by Nuclear Electric. The station will maintain the PWR technology as an option for the future.

  Colliery Sites (Environmental and Safety Work)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much money has been spent by British Coal in each of the last five years on environmental and safety work at former colliery sites; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  This is a matter for British Coal.

  Greenhouse Effect (Report)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to obtain the report by Dr. Michael Grubb, published by the Royal Institute for International Affairs on 4 December, entitled "The Greenhouse Effect: Negotiating Targets."

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  A copy of this report is already held in the Department of Energy library.

  Private Mines
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the number of private mines which had(a) up to nine, (b) 10 to 15, (c) 16 to 20, (d) 21 to 25, (e) 26 to 30 and (f) over 30 persons working underground in 1989.

  Mr. Baldry
  My Department does not have this information. The British Coal corporation is the licensing authority and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  CEGB Statistical Yearbook
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report 1988–89 equivalents to tables 12, 13, 14 and 16 of the Central Electricity Generating Board statistical yearbook for 1987–88.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No. This is a matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department was consulted about the omission from the 1988–89 Central Electricity Generating Board statistical yearbook, annexed to its annual report, of up-to-date information replacing that given in tables 12, 13, 14 and 16 of the 1987–88 yearbook.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department was not asked for its views on the omission.

  Electricity Meters
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy who will pay for the examining and testing of electricity meters under schedule 7 to the Electricity Act 1989.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It is intended that the costs of examining, testing and certifying meters under schedule 7, paragraph 5(4)(b) to the Electricity Act 1989 will be paid by the person submitting the meters.

  It is intended that the costs of examining and testing meters under schedule 7, paragraph 7(3) to the Electricity Act 1989, will normally be paid by the electricity supplier concerned. Where persons other than an electricity supplier have required a meter examiner to carry out the duties given under schedule 7, paragraph 7, they may be asked to make a contribution towards these fees.

  Nuclear Power
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the basis of his Department's calculations that the cost of energy produced by nuclear power exceeds the cost of that generated by fossil fuels.

  Mr. Baldry
  The Department's assessments of likely nuclear and fossil-generating costs are based on information supplied by the CEGB.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Oilseed and Cereal Substitutes
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to resist EEC proposals to levy new taxes on oilseed imports and imports of cereal substitutes.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government continue to press the case against unilateral increased import protection for oilseeds and cereal substitutes.

  Scrapie
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what information he has concerning the geographical distribution of scrapie in sheep;

  (2) what information he has concerning the susceptibility of different breeds of sheep to scrapie;

  (3) whether he has any evidence to demonstrate any recent increase or decrease in the incidence of scrapie.

  Mr. Maclean
  Scrapie is not a notifiable disease and I therefore have no reliable information about its incidence, distribution or breed susceptibility.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has concerning the vertical transmissibility of scrapie in sheep.

  Mr. Maclean
  Detection of the scrapie agent in placenta and epidemiological studies of the natural disease in sheep have demonstrated that scrapie is transmissible from dam to offspring via the placenta.

  Coastal Land Erosion
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many local authorities in England have applied for central Government financial assistance to alleviate the threat of coastal land erosion between 1979 and 1989; and how much money has been granted per annum to such schemes.

  Mr. Maclean
  Since my Department became responsible for the administration of grant under the Coast Protection Act 1949 in 1985, a total of 55 local authorities have submitted proposals for approval and grant aid for schemes to protect against coastal erosion. We have no similar information for earlier years. Grant payments over the period from 1979 to 1989 have been as follows:

  £ million

  1979–80

  5·7

  1980–81

  7·1

  1981–82

  8·3

  1982–83

  11·5

  1983–84

  11·5

  1984–85

  9·1

  1985–86

  7·8

  1986–87

  14·0

  1987–88

  9·8

  1988–89

  12·8

  Cattle (Import Restrictions)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list all those countries currently imposing import restrictions on live cattle or
  639
  cattle products originating from the United Kingdom, indicating in respect of each country the nature of the restrictions.

  Mr. Maclean
  It would be impracticable to publish in the Official Report the large number of health conditions imposed by importing countries on live cattle or cattle products originating from the United Kingdom. Import conditions reflect the requirements of Community rules, where they exist and, in other cases, the rules of the countries of destination.

  For live cattle these may include confirmation, as appropriate, of country/area/holding/animal freedom from specific diseases and possibly pre-export isolation and/or testing. In the case of cattle products, import rules may require that the products in question originate from healthy animals and have been produced or processed in a way that safeguards public and/or animal health. Importing countries generally require that live cattle or cattle products be accompanied by an export health certificate signed by an official veterinarian to confirm that the necessary conditions have been met.

  Rabies
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the threat of rabies reaching the United Kingdom through infected bats; and what measures can be taken to prevent it.

  Mr. Maclean
  There is no evidence of natural transmission to terrestrial mammals of the rabies-related virus found in some species of insectivorous bat on the continent. Therefore, while it is possible that an infected bat could be blown across the Channel on strong winds, the threat is extremely small. Some 600 bat carcases, submitted by bat groups and other organisations since 1987, have been examined with negative results. Imported bats are subject to six months quarantine or, in the case of vampire bats, life. If necessary powers would be taken to deal with any bat colony which might prove infected.

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the future level of hill livestock compensatory allowance;

  (2) if it is his intention to offset the shortfall in the FEOGA contribution towards the hill livestock compensatory allowance in 1991; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what representations he has received on the future levels of hill livestock compensatory allowances; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) when he expects to make an announcement on the hill livestock compensatory allowances;

  (5) when his Department last reviewed the level of hill livestock compensatory allowance.

  Mr. Curry
  A statement on the outcome of the annual review of the economic conditions in the United Kingdom's hill and upland areas, including details of the arrangements for hill livestock compensatory allowances, will be made as soon as possible.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total expenditure in each year since 1986 on hill livestock compensatory allowances.
  640
  Mr. Curry
  The total payments in the United Kingdom on hill livestock compensatory allowances in each year since 1986 were as follows:

  £ million

  1986

  111

  1987

  113

  1988

  117

  1989

  1118

  1 Provisional.

  Slaughterhouse Regulations
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many prosecutions initiated by(a) his Department and (b) local authorities resulted in convictions for breaches of the slaughterhouse regulations in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Maclean
  Enforcement of slaughterhouse hygiene legislation is the responsibility of local authorities (district councils). No records of enforcement actions are collected centrally.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce an immediate scheme of slaughterhouse inspections by the state veterinary service without prior notification to the abattoir proprietors.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. Local authorities (district councils) are responsible for the enforcement of hygiene and welfare standards in slaughterhouses. Officers of the state veterinary service make periodic visits to all plants to give advice. It is usual, and more effective, for arrangements for these visits to be made with the local authority and the management of the plant concerned. Exceptionally, unannounced visits are made in response to reports of problems at a plant.

  Birds (Importation)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes he is making in the quarantine regulations and practice in relation to the importation of rain-forest birds and parrots.

  Mr. Maclean
  The examination by my officials of quarantine conditions for captive birds imported into this country, referred to in the reply given to the hon. Member for Linlithgow on 20 December 1989,Official Report, column 350, continues and I am therefore not yet able to say what changes may be made.

  Farmers (Borrowing)
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the total amount borrowed by farmers in the United Kingdom in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Maclean
  Information on the total amount borrowed by farmers in the United Kingdom is not available. However, figures for the total liabilities of United Kingdom agriculture which include borrowings by agricultural landlords as well as by farmers but exclude borrowing for private purposes are as follows:
  641

  1£ million

  1983

  7,300

  1984

  7,650

  1985

  8,250

  1986

  8,350

  1987

  8,550

  1988

  9,250

  1 At 31 December.

  Interest Rates
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to alleviate the effects of high interest rates on small and medium-sized farms.

  Mr. Maclean
  Policy on interest rates is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He has made plain the Government's belief that even those small businesses that are dependent on bank borrowing and are adversely affected in the short term by higher interest rates would be damaged far more by the resurgence of inflation that would otherwise occur.

  Green Pound
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current level of green pound exchange rates; and what action he intends to take to obtain a devaluation of the green pound.

  Mr. Curry
  The current level of our real monetary gaps, which represent the difference between green and market exchange rates, range from -9·567 per cent. for pigs to -17·990 per cent. for sheep. The Commission has proposed green pound devaluations as part of the 1990 price review, and these are currently under discussion in the Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to devalue the green pound.

  Mr. Curry
  The Commission has made proposals for green pound devaluations as part of the 1990 price proposals and these are currently under discussion in the Council of Ministers.

  Less-favoured Areas
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to announce the results of appeals submitted to the European Commission for the designation of less-favoured area status for land in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Maclean
  As soon as we have a decision from the European Commission.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will detail the total assistance given to the United Kingdom fishing industry in each year since 1974.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 19 January]: The information requested is contained in the relevant chapter
  642
  of the Government's expenditure plans for the years in question. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The plans show the direct expenditure on grant aid for the construction and modernisation of fishing vessels, harbour grants, decommissioning of fishing vessels, EC grant aid and expenditure on market support. There has also been substantial expenditure on research and other scientific work and on fishery protection. In 1989–90 the United Kingdom fisheries departments expect to spend £15·1 million on sea fisheries research and scientific investigation and £18·7 million on fisheries protection, including aerial surveillance.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to the number of prosecutions in each European Community country in the latest year for which figures are available for(a) fishing with incorrectly sized nets and (b) overfishing.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 19 January]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, the following tables show infringements of EC fisheries legislation which member states have reported to the Commission under regulation 3561/85 as having been brought before the relevant national courts:

  Fishing with illegal gear

  1988

  Belgium

  6

  Denmark

  11

  West Germany

  4

  France

  174

  Ireland

  4

  Netherlands

  25

  Portugal

  3

  United Kingdom

  38

  Spain

  —

  Illegal catch (resulting from direct fishery or by catch)

  1988

  Belgium

  —

  Denmark

  77

  West Germany

  —

  France

  12

  Ireland

  10

  Netherlands

  121

  Portugal

  —

  United Kingdom

  13

  Spain

  —

  It is not possible to draw conclusions from these figures which relate to information reported to the Commission rather than any comparable basis of actual infringement.

  Fish Stocks
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the national fixed percentage share of fish stocks for each European Community country in(a) 1983, (b) 1986, (c) 1989 and (d)

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 19 January]: Member states' fixed percentage shares of relevant total allowable catches were agreed as part of the common fisheries policy settlement in 1983. These fixed percentages have not changed since then, apart from minor adjustments to accommodate the accession of Spain and Portugal and the

  643
  recognition of Hague preference in 1989 and 1990. The percentage shares are reflected in the quotas allocated to each member state under each of the 102 TACS which the Community sets each year. The quota figures for 1988, Council regulation 3977/87 (Official Journal 31.12.57 No. L 375), reflect the percentage allocations without any adjustment for Hague preference.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in the light of the Tyrell committee's report, he will now introduce random testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy in all cattle slaughtered for human consumption.

  Mr. Maclean
  No. The Tyrell committee considered such testing to be of low priority.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any evidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy being caused other than by ingestion of scrapie-infected foodstuff.

  Mr. Maclean
  There is no evidence to suggest that BSE infection under field conditions has been caused by any means other than by the ingestion of feedstuffs containing a scrapie-like agent. However, research is in hand on the experimental transmission of BSE by inoculation and orally and to determine whether maternal transmission occurs.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has asked the Tyrell committee to continue its role of review and co-ordination of work into bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement on the future of the committee.

  Mr. Maclean
  The establishment of a small group to provide advice on BSE and the other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies is currently being considered. We hope to make an announcement shortly.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has reviewed the regulations governing and procedures involved in the rendering of animal waste since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and whether he proposes to modify either.

  Departments and agencies occupying accommodation at Brook lands avenue, Cambridge

  Department/Agency

  Staff in post at 1 January 1990

  Space (square feet)

  Accommodation charge2 £

  Property Services Agency1

  365

  80,517

  657,018

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  302

  91,643

  747,803

  Her Majesty's Inland Revenue

  244

  43,397

  354,121

  Ministry of Defence Land Agents

  36

  6,709

  54,747

  Her Majesty's Customs and Excise

  32

  6,735

  54,958

  The Crown Suppliers

  15

  3,139

  25,612

  English Heritage

  13

  1,871

  15,266

  Department of Transport

  4

  922

  7,527

  Department of Employment

  4

  2,489

  20,307

  Department of Energy

  3

  687

  5,604

  Ordnance Survey

  3

  1,061

  8,660

  Soil Science Survey

  3

  790

  6,447

  Department of Health

  2

  1,338

  10,918

  Rural Development Commission

  2

  1,883

  15,362

  Department of Social Security

  1

  3,611

  29,468

  Lord Chancellor's Department (storage only)

  —

  1,076

  8,783

  TOTAL

  1,029

  247,868

  2,022,601

  644
  Mr. Maclean
  Feeding ruminant-derived protein to ruminant animals has been prohibited since 18 July 1988. The time and temperature combinations necessary to inactivate the BSE agent with certainty have not yet been identified. It would therefore be inappropriate at this stage to consider modifying the existing regulations controlling rendering practices.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 29 November 1989,Official Report, column 307, if he will give the number of cases of cows having been certified as contracting bovine spongiform encephalopathy in 1989 up to the end of December.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: In 1989, 6,853 cases of BSE were confirmed in Great Britain.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who receives compensation if a bovine spongiform encephalopathy infected animal is found in(a) a livestock market or (b) a slaughterhouse; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 18 January Official Report, column 409.

ENVIRONMENT

  Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge
  Sir Eldon Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the Government Departments and agencies occupying accommodation at the Brooklands avenue site in Cambridge with effect from 1 January, indicating the number of civil servants engaged in each, the area of space occupied by each such Department or agency, the approximate cost per square foot of this accommodation, broken down by Department or agency, and the overheads attributable to each.

  Mr. Chope
  Following is the information requested.
  645
  1 Includes 2,705 square feet vacant accommodation charged to PSA.

  2 Comprises notional rent at £5·46 per square foot, maintenance at £1·60 per square foot and rates (contribution in lieu) at £1·10 per square foot. The annual cost of fuel and utilities for all Departments and Agencies is estimated at £150,000.

  Revaluation
  Mr. Richard Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the total post-revaluation rateable values by standard region and by class of property.

  1990 rateable values by broad property type

  (£ million)

  Factories

  Offices

  Warehouses

  Shops

  Other properties

  Northern

  220·9

  69·5

  59·4

  268·2

  493·8

  North West

  503·6

  259·0

  233·7

  629·2

  839·1

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  412·3

  158·3

  178·4

  484·0

  714·7

  East Midlands

  390·4

  103·9

  177·2

  377·4

  555·8

  West Midlands

  475·3

  183·6

  223·0

  499·3

  662·7

  East Anglia

  208·8

  108·5

  115·3

  249·4

  296·3

  South West

  355·4

  250·0

  209·1

  612·6

  637·3

  Greater London

  671·8

  4,496·6

  625·3

  2,160·9

  1,986·5

  Rest of South East

  1,090·0

  1,154·2

  758·1

  1,516·7

  1,825·2

  Rates
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) by what percentage the rate imposed by Bassetlaw district council increased in each year from 1980 to date;

  (2) by what percentage the rate imposed by Newark and Sherwood district council increased in each year from 1980 to date;

  (3) by what percentage the rate imposed by Nottinghamshire county council increased in each year from 1980 to date.

  Mr. Chope
  The percentage changes over the previous years are as follows:

  Bassetlaw DC Local Rate

  Newark and Sherwood DC Local Rate

  Nottinghamshire CC Precept

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  1980–81

  +88·5

  +46·3

  +12·7

  1981–82

  +176·8

  +67·7

  +29·0

  1982–83

  -25·5

  +16·9

  +27·5

  1983–84

  -0·2

  +0·7

  +9·7

  1984–85

  -0·1

  +25·1

  +12·5

  1985–86

  +23·0

  +17·2

  +8·5

  1986–87

  +12·3

  +6·0

  +17·7

  1987–88

  +9·8

  +0·9

  +7·8

  1988–89

  +9·0

  +22·5

  +7·2

  1989–90

  +7·4

  +7·9

  +3·6

  Local rate is the rate charged by the district council including the average parish rate; precept is the rate levied by the county council.

  Land and Sea Environment
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the reports on land and sea environment commissioned by his Department over the past five years; and whether they were published.

  Mr. Trippier
  My Department includes a list of DOE-published pollution papers and reports in the digests of environmental protection and water statistics. This list is complemented by the list of published research reports given in the DOE biennal R and D reports. Both publications include reports on land and marine pollution and copies of both are held in the Library of the House.
  646
  Mr. Chope
  The total non-domestic rateable values shown on the lists deposited with local authorities on 20 December by region and broad property type are shown in the table:

  "Sustaining our Common Future"
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many copies of the document "Sustaining our Common Future", produced by his Department have been printed; and what attempts have been made to give the report a wide circulation.

  Mr. Trippier
  A total of 10,000 copies have been printed of "Sustaining our Common Future", my Department's report on the substantial progress made by the United Kingdom in following up the recommendations of the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. The report has been very well received and copies have been sent to, among others, hon. Members, other Government Departments, non-governmental organisations, local authorities and business organisations, as well as overseas Governments and participants in a number of international conferences.

  Rate Support Grant
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the rate support grant as a percentage of local authority expenditure in(a) 1979–80 and (b) 1988–89.

  Mr. Chope
  Rate support grant as a percentage of local authority relevant expenditure in England was 49·3 per cent. in 1979–80 and 31·2 per cent. in 1988–89.

  Thames Path
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in the establishment of a Thames path; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment approved proposals for the establishment of a Thames path on 29 September 1989 and responsibility for its implementation now rests with the Countryside Commission and the relevant local authorities.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere now; at what rate carbon dioxide becomes absorbed by plants and plankton; at what rate carbon dioxide is being discharged into the atmosphere; what is his estimate of the amount of carbon dioxide permitted in the atmosphere before an increase in global temperature occurs; when the atmosphere will be saturated by carbon dioxide; and what will be the overall effect.

  Mr. Trippier
  The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is currently about 350 parts per million by volume. Land and ocean-based plants are estimated to absorb some 800,000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is approximately balanced by the natural annual discharges. Man-made emissions to atmosphere are estimated to be between 18,000 and 25,000 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Any increase in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide would be expected to lead to some global warming. The scale of the effect is currently under review by the UNEP/WMO intergovernmental panel on climate change. The measured rise of about 0·5 deg. C in average global temperature in the past 130 years is consistent with model predictions of the increase to be expected as concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have risen from pre-industrial values. No projections of future man-made emissions lead to saturation of the atmosphere by carbon dioxide.

  Green Telephone Line
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to establish a green telephone line in Britain.

  Mr. Trippier
  No.

  Greenhouse Effect
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what gases, other than carbon dioxide, are thought to contribute to the greenhouse effect; what is their percentage currently in the atmosphere; and which sources, man-made and natural, are the main causes for emissions of these gases.

  Mr. Trippier
  Greenhouse gases, excluding carbon dioxide, their current (1988) average atmospheric concentration and the main sources believed to be responsible for their emissions are set out in the booklet "Global Climate Change"; copies of which may be found in the House Library.

  Outdoor Leisure Maps
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the Ordnance Survey to publish a revised outdoor leisure map of the Conwy valley based on the second series maps; whether the map will be printed back to back with the Snowdon sheet; and what plans there are for new outdoor leisure maps.

  Mr. Trippier
  Ordnance Survey plans to publish a new edition of the outdoor leisure map of Conwy valley to second series specification during 1992. The map will be printed back to back with the Snowdon outdoor leisure sheet.
  648
  Ordnance Survey is continually reviewing its range of maps and services to ensure that the needs of the market are met within the resources available and that the required return on investment is achieved. The outdoor leisure map series is no exception to this and any change in outdoor leisure map coverage will be dictated by these marketing principles.

  Climate Change
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the membership of the inter-governmental panel on climate change.

  Mr. Trippier
  The IPCC has no formal membership. Its meetings are open to member states of the United Nations, and are also attended by representatives of nongovernmental, national and international environmental and energy organisations.

  Set-aside Land
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to increase the sums available for the countryside premium on set-aside land, in terms of(a) the amount available for the scheme as a whole and (b) the premium payable per hectare.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I have been delighted by the response to the countryside premium in its first year; the Countryside Commission has drawn up agreements with farmers covering over 3,500 hectares of set-aside land, which will be managed to provide benefits for both landscape and wildlife and new areas of countryside for the public to enjoy. We need, however, to gain more experience of the operation of the scheme before taking decisions on any major changes to it.

  Greenhouse Effect (Conference)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what papers were presented by his Department to the Royal National Institute for International Affairs conference on the greenhouse effect at Chatham house on 4 and 5 December.

  Mr. Trippier
  My right hon. Friend gave a paper to the Chatham house conference on 5 December on the subject of energy and the environment.

  Sites of Special Scientific Interest
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in tabular form the number of sites of special scientific interest which have been(a) irreversibly damaged and (b) damaged but reversible by (i) agriculture and forestry, (ii) activities for which planning consent was obtained and (iii) other courses, together with their proportion of total designated sites for each year since 1981.

  Mr. Trippier
  Full information on the numbers of SSSIs damaged since 1 April 1984, and the numbers of SSSIs (re-)notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, is set out in the NCC's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what powers the Nature Conservancy
  649
  Council has to negotiate financial management agreements with owners and occupiers of sites of special scientific interest for the carrying out of operations or activities for the purposes of maintaining, enhancing or restoring the nature conservation interest of such sites; and how many such agreements were made in each of the last five years.

  Mr. Trippier
  Full information on the number of management agreements reached by the NCC under section 15 of the Countryside Act 1968 is set out in the NCC's annual reports, copies of which are in the Library.

  Toxic Chemicals
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will institute an immediate inquiry into how three vanloads of toxic chemicals, including cyanide compounds and phosphoric acid, came to be dumped in the Bowesfield lane area of Stockton-on-Tees on 18 January; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  An inquiry is not required. This is a matter for Cleveland county council as the waste disposal authority for the area. I understand that it has taken prompt and appropriate action to take control of all the material involved and will be considering the need for further action under its powers in the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

  Ethanol
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for the most recent year for which figures are available the volume of natural gas used in the production of ethanol.

  Mr. Trippier
  The information requested is not centrally collected.

  Transferable Discount Schemes
  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local housing authorities which are operating approved transferable discount schemes under section 129 of the Housing Act 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  The following 43 local authorities are currently operating approved cash incentive schemes:

  London Borough Councils

  Brent

  Haringey

  Bromley

  Harrow

  Croydon

  Havering

  Ealing

  Wandsworth

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  Westminster

  District Councils

  Adur

  Rushmoor

  Arun

  Shepway

  Aylesbury Vale

  Slough

  Carrick

  South Bucks

  Colchester

  South Kesteven

  Gillingham

  Spelthorne

  Gravesham

  St. Albans

  Harlow

  Swale

  Hart

  Tandridge

  Kennet

  Taunton Deane

  Luton

  Teignbridge

  Mendip

  Test Valley

  New Forest

  Tunbridge Wells

  North Cornwall

  Watford

  Poole

  Wealden

  Rochester

  Wrekin

  Rochford

  650
  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans his Department has to require all local housing authorities to operate approved schemes under section 129 of the Housing Act 1988.

  Mr. Chope
  None. Cash incentive schemes, under which existing local authority tenants are assisted to move into homes of their own and so release vacancies for reletting, cam make a valuable contribution to housing the homeless, but it is for each authority to consider whether to seek approval for a scheme for its area.

  Refuse Tips
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has commissioned and proposes to commission on the best practice for management and after-use of large controlled household refuse tips.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]: Research into landfill practices was initiated in the early 1970s. The first major publication of results of the work was the so-called "Brown Book", the co-operative programme of research into the behaviour of wastes in landfill sites, published in 1978.

  Many of the results of the research are embodied in recent waste management papers, specifically No. 26 on "Landfilling Wastes" (1986), No. 4 on "Licensing of Waste Facilities" (1988) and No. 27 on "The Control of Landfill Gas" (1989). These papers provide technical guidance to the waste management industry.

  Currently my Department is funding a programme of research, costing over £1 million annually, into landfill practices. Topics covered include microbiology of landfill gas and leachate generation; mechanisms of gas and leachate migration and attenuation; leachate management; modelling, risk assessment and landfill monitoring and landfill reinstatement.

  My Department has arranged a conference on 1 March to present recent research results.

  Lancashire County Council
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the total revenue expenditure for Lancashire county council in 1989–90; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is his Department's estimated population for Lancashire and the amount spent by Lancashire county council per head of population, in 1989–90; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what is the total rate support grant paid or to be paid, plus any other individual grants, to Lancashire county council in 1989–90.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 18 January 1990]: The information is as follows:

  1989–90 £ million

  Rate Support Grant

  321·0

  Specific and Supplementary Grants

  79·3

  Net Revenue Expenditure1

  783·3

  Total population (June 1988)2

  1·382

  Net Revenue Expenditure per head

  567·0

  1 Rate Fund Revenue Account net current spending on services, plus net loan charges, contributions to/from other funds and accounts and

  651
  net non relevant expenditure (such as net spending on Housing Benefits).

  2 Office of Population Censuses and Surveys latest estimate of total population. The aggregate of the estimated relevant populations for the districts of Lancashire used in the exemplifications placed in the Library of the House on 11 January 1990 is 1·048 million.

  Rent Rises (South Hams)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out in the Official Report the basis of his Department's calculation that rent rises in council house property would be 95p per week as far as the housing stock in the South Hams is concerned.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: We have, for guideline purposes, assumed an increase in national rent income of 10 per cent. (£444 million). We intend to attribute this increase to councils in proportion to the value of their housing stocks, subject to adjustments to reflect existing rents and to keep guideline increases within a range from 95p to £4·50 a week. On the basis of past sales, we estimate that the value of South Hams' housing stock accounts for 0·088 per cent. of the total value of the national council housing stock. A guideline rent, calculated as a proportion of the national total without further adjustments, would be £21·37. As this is less than South Hams' current average rent of £25·75, we have assumed a guideline increase of 95p, the national minimum, which is less than would be required to keep pace with inflation. Subsidy will be paid to the authority on the assumption that its actual rent increase follows the guideline, but the council is free to determine its own rents.

  Rate Support Grant (Sunderland)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give, at 1979 prices, the amount of rate support grant given to Sunderland for each year since 1979 inclusive.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: The information is as follows:

  Rate Support Grant—Sunderland

  Cash

  Real (1979–80 prices)

  £ million

  £ million

  1979–801

  65·6

  65·6

  1980–81

  77·1

  65·2

  1981–822

  63·8

  49·1

  1982–83

  64·7

  46·5

  1983–84

  65·3

  44·8

  1984–85

  65·6

  42·9

  1985–86

  67·1

  41·6

  1986–873

  71·4

  42·8

  1987–88

  78·1

  44·5

  1988–89

  87·4

  46·4

  1989–90

  86·7

  43·0

  Note:

  The information given is not available on a comparable basis for all years ie.

  1 In 1979–80 and 1980–81 no RSG payments were made to Metropolitan County Councils and Sunderland's RSG was correspondingly higher in those years.

  2 In 1981–82—1985–86 inclusive RSG payments were made to Metropolitan Counties (and other upper tier authorities) and Sunderland's RSG was correspondingly lower.
  652
  3 In April 1986 the Metropolitan County Councils (and the GLC) were abolished and arrangements for paying grant changed accordingly.

  PSA
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many staff of the Property Services Agency are currently working in Hastings; and how many Property Services Agency staff it is anticipated will work in Hastings in each of the next three years;

  (2) what efforts he has made to find alternative Government work for those Property Services Agency staff at Hastings whom the Property Services Agency will no longer require; and what the results of those efforts have been so far;

  (3) whether he will make it his policy that sufficient Government work will be transferred to Hastings for Property Services Agency staff made surplus by the current reorganisation and preparation for privatisation.

  Mr. Christopher Chope
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: At 1 January 1990 PSA services employed 1,265 non-industrial staff at Hastings. It is not possible to forecast future staff numbers since these will depend partly on how much work the agency is able to win in competition after it is untied on 1 April 1990 and partly on decisions about where some of the agency's activities will be located.

  Other Government Departments have been asked whether they have work which could be transferred to Hastings, to provide employment for the staff PSA will be releasing there. One Department has already expressed interest and we are hoping for more.

  Pollution (Irish Sea)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the quantities and types of waste dumped into the Irish sea from sources in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: Licensing the disposal of waste at sea is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and his colleagues in Scotland and Northern Ireland. No licences have been granted for the disposal of liquid and solid industrial waste in the Irish sea and information on the disposal of sewage sludge and dredged spoil is given in the Ministry's, "Report on the disposal of waste at sea—1986 and 1987", a copy of which is in the Library (a similar report giving figures for 1988 is expected to be published shortly). Information on waste inputs generally in the Irish sea is given in the status report prepared by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

HEALTH

  Eyesight Checks
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has yet received the results of his monitoring of the effects of charging for eyesight checks.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has yet eceived the results of his monitoring of the effects of charging for eyesight checks.
  653
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has yet received the results of his monitoring of the effects of charging for eyesight checks.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has yet received the results of his monitoring of the effects of charging for eyesight checks.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The results of a survey of the number of sight tests in the first quarter of 1990 compared with earlier periods should be available by the early summer. A summary will be placed in the Library.

  Cold-Related Deaths
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about cold-related deaths.

  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about cold-related deaths.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about cold-related deaths.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about cold-related deaths.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The five-year trends from 1955 to 1985 have seen the excess winter mortality—that is, the number of deaths that occur in the winter quarter in excess of the numbers that occur in the summer—decrease, from about 47 per cent. from 1951 to 1955, to 26 per cent. between 1981 and 1985 in Scotland, and from 68·2 to 29·3 per cent. in England and Wales.

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent meetings he has had with the chief executive of the National Health Service to discuss the ambulance dispute.

  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the ambulance workers' dispute.

  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the National Union of Public Employees' dispute in the ambulance service.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now meet representatives of ambulance staffs.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received about the ambulance men's dispute.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has met representatives of ambulance workers since their current dispute commenced.

  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the current policy in the ambulance service dispute; and what action he now proposes taking.
  654
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will now meet representatives of ambulance staff.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the National Health Service chief executive to discuss the ambulance service dispute.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I meet the chief executive of the National Health Service regularly to discuss the ambulance dispute. I have no intention of meeting representatives of ambulance staffs myself.

  National Health Service Trusts
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest figure for the number of hospitals, health districts and specialist units which have expressed an interest in becoming a self-governing National Health Service trust.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  A total of 190 units have expressed interest in National Health Service trust status, including a number with more than one hospital. Twelve expressions of interest cover all the facilities within the relevant districts, and 19 are single specialty units. Eighty of these units are considering the preparation of applications for the first wave, which we would expect to be established in April 1991. However, applications will not be invited until Parliament has approved the necessary legislation.

  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision his Department has made for ambulance services within district health authorities to become self-governing trusts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government regard all hospitals and a number of other services, including ambulance services, as potentially eligible to apply for National Health Service trust status when Parliament has approved the necessary legislation. A number of ambulance services currently provided by health authorities have already expressed an interest in becoming National Health Service trusts.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State
  for Health if he will list the core services which self-governing hospitals must provide.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Core or "designated services" are simply those which can be provided only in a particular locality by a particular hospital which has become an NHS trust and to which district health authorities and GPs have no reasonable accessible alternative. This will vary in the light of local circumstances and the services available in each district. There is no basis upon which a national list could be compiled at this stage of all those local situations which will give rise to some services in some places being described as "designated services" when the first NHS trusts are established.

  Health Authorities (Maintenance)
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total figure for the estimated maintenance backlog for health authorities.

  Mr. Cunliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total figure for the estimated maintenance backlog for health authorities.
  655
  Mr. Freeman
  The first returns of information about the stock of National Health Service property, under the Korner requirements, are now being collected, but complete information will not be available until the figures for 1989–90 are received. Estimates have been received from 133 health authorities in respect of the year 1988–89. This indicates that in those authorities the total cost of bringing the estate to an overall condition which exhibits only minor deterioration amounts to about £1·2 billion.

  Helicopter Ambulance Service
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health regions have now established an emergency helicopter ambulance service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not available centrally, but I am aware that dedicated helicopter ambulances are now operating in the London area out to the M25 and also South East Thames and 656
  South Western (Cornwall) RHAs. In addition, there are joint police/ambulance service helicopter projects in operation in Sussex, Wiltshire and the Thames valley.

  Acute Services (Bromley)
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the proposal of Bromley health authority to centralise all the acute services of the district in one purpose-built hospital.

  Mr. Freeman
  Following the offer by the London borough of Bromley of a greenfield site in the geographical centre of the district, Bromley health authority is developing plans to centralise most of its acute inpatient services. The authority believes that in this way the best service will be offered to local people and the best use made of staff resources. Because of their scale, these proposals will need to be submitted to the RHA and, in due course, to Ministers for a final decision.

  National Health Service and Community Care Bill
  Mr. James Lamond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department, health authorities and family practitioner committees to prepare for the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mr. Leadbitter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department, health authorities and family practitioner committees to prepare for the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department, health authorities and family practitioner committees to prepare for the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mr. Bidwell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department, health authorities and family practitioner committees to prepare for the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  In this financial year we expect to spend a total of £85 million on preparation for implementation of the Government's proposals to improve the National Health Service. This sum includes expenditure on such items as the creation of new consultant posts in expensive specialties and on staff training in better financial management.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of the black and Asian community to discuss the National Health Service and Community Care Bill; and which groups he met.

  Mr. Freeman
  I met representatives of the Overseas Doctors Association on 11 July 1989, when we discussed a variety of subjects related to the black and Asian community, including the Government's proposals to improve the Health Service.

  On 31 January I shall be meeting representatives from the King's Fund for Health Services Development to discuss their work with ethnic minority groups. I shall also be visiting the National Community Health Resource on 7 February, again to discuss its activities in this field. I expect that during these meetings our proposals for the NHS and community care will be considered.

  There are also discussions taking place at the moment about the possibility of a conference with the Overseas Doctors Association specifically to consider the effects of the White Paper proposals for ethnic minority groups.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many local authority places will be removed from health authorities in each district in Greater London, after the enactment of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill in its present form.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information is as follows:

  District Health Authority

  Local authority members

  Barnet

  4

  Ealing

  4

  Harrow

  4

  658

  District Health Authority

  Local authority members

  Hillingdon

  4

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  5

  Parkside

  5

  Riverside

  5

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  5

  Bloomsbury

  5

  City and Hackney

  5

  Enfield

  4

  Hampstead

  4

  Haringey

  4

  Islington

  4

  Newham

  4

  Redbridge

  4

  Tower Hamlets

  4

  Waltham Forest

  4

  Croydon

  4

  Kingston and Esher

  4

  Merton and Sutton

  4

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  4

  Wandsworth

  4

  Bexley

  4

  Bromley

  4

  Camberwell

  5

  Greenwich

  4

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  5

  West Lambeth

  4

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from professional bodies and trades unions concerning the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have had a large number of representations from a wide variety of sources.

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his intention that health circular 89(5) on the discharge of patients from hospitals will apply when in-patient services are contracted under the provisions of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Yes. It is intended that this circular will continue to be implemented by district health authorities and by NHS trusts. In securing good quality services for their residents when placing contracts, district health authorities will need to consider monitoring the performance of those providing the service.

  Infertility Treatments
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve the range and availability of infertility treatments.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve the range and availability of infertility treatments.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve the range and availability of infertility treatment.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve the range and availability of infertility treatment.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  These matters are for individual health authorities to determine in the light of
  659
  local needs and priorities. I understand that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has just put proposals for funding a medical audit unit to the Department and that this will include a programme of work aimed at auditing the delivery of infertility services with a view to encouraging improvements.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to privatise the ambulance service.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have no plans to privatise this service.

  General Practitioners, Kent
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of support staff employed by general practitioners in Kent at present; and what the number was in 1979.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The total number of staff qualifying for direct reimbursement under the ancillary staff scheme in Kent increased by 78 per cent. from 1,109 (660 whole-time equivalents) in 1979 to 1,975 (1,116 whole-time equivalents) in 1988. A few general practitioners employ support staff outside the scope of the present scheme; information about these staff is not collected centrally.

  Hospital Catering
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance and resources he gives to health authorities for the maintenance of cooking and beverage preparing areas in hospitals.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is for health authorities to devote appropriate resources to the maintenance of cooking and beverage preparation areas in hospitals from the funds allocated to them. Health authorities have a duty to comply with the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and it is Government policy that they should comply with all other relevant statutes and regulations. The Department issues building guidance on the standards that it expects in new and upgraded food preparation areas.

  AIDS
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total level of Government spending on caring for AIDS patients in the years 1988–89 and 1989–90; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Spending on care for AIDS patients is not separately identified. The specific provisions made available to health authorities in England as a contribution towards the costs of work to prevent the spread of HIV infection and the provision of diagnostic, treatment care and support services for people infected with the virus, including those with AIDS, were £58·74 million in 1988–89 and £121·90 million in 1989–90. In addition, an AIDS support grant allocation to local authorities of £7 million was introduced in 1989–90.

  Dental Checks
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the effects of charging for dental checks on dental attendances.

  Mr. Wall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest estimate of the effects of charging for dental checks on dental attendances.

  Mr. Freeman
  The annual data on dental examinations in England and Wales from 1984–85 to 1988–89 show a gently rising trend and we expect this to continue. As might be expected, however, attendances increased in the months prior to the introduction of the examination charge in January 1989 and fell immediately afterwards. It is too early to form a definitive view about any longer-term effects.

  NHS (Consumer Involvement)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve consumer involvement in the running of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve consumer involvement in the running of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve consumer involvement in the running of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to improve consumer involvement in the running of the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government's proposals to improve the Health Service are based on a full recognition of the importance of the consumer of health care—the patient. Our proposals put patients first and give hospitals and their staff incentives to take account of the individual patient's needs. District health authorities will work closely with local interest groups and consider the views of users of services. Complaint procedures will be made easier. The interests of the local community will continue to be represented by community health councils, which will act as a channel for consumer views to health authorities and the family service authorities. The delegation of decision-making powers to hospital and GP level will ensure that local staff will have responsibility for responding to local needs. At least two non-executive members of each NHS hospital trust will be drawn from the local community. This all adds up to a package of measures designed to ensure that NHS consumers benefit from improved, better directed, more patient-responsive services.

  Social Work Training
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of social work training.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of social work training.
  661
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of social work training.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy) on 16 January at column 195.

  Community Care
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the role of voluntary organisations in providing care in the community; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has received regarding the Government's proposals on community care.

  Mr. David Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations concerned with community care he has met since the publication of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from voluntary organisations on the community care proposals set out in the White Paper "Caring for People".

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has received regarding the Government's proposals on community care.

  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has received regarding the Government's proposals on community care.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further representations he has received regarding the Government's proposals on community care.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations concerned with community care he has met since the publication of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Members to my replies on 12 December 1989 at columns 845-47. We have received further representations on the Government's proposals for community care. These representations have been from local authority associations, from individual directors of social services, from voluntary organisations, from carers' organisations and from independent providers of services. Most continue to express a general welcome for our proposals; detailed issues are being discussed with these and other organisations as part of our preparations for implementation of the main proposals in the White Paper, "Caring for People" in April 1991.

  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure the involvement of qualified nurses in the move to care in the community for mental patients.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  As our recent published White Paper on community care, "Caring for People",662
  reaffirms, nurses represent an important skilled resource. It will be essential that health and social services authorities and voluntary bodies make best use of both their time and skills. We propose to build on nurses' existing contributions to the health and social care needs of mentally ill and handicapped patients discharged from hospital and living in the community.

  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the Government's policy on the role of the private residential nursing home in the field of community care.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Our White Paper "Caring for People" makes it clear that we are firmly committed to a policy of community care which provides dignity and choice to frail and vulnerable people. While for most people this will be achieved by continuing to live in their own home, others would benefit from care in a more supportive environment. We believe that, along with other providers, independent sector nursing homes will continue to play an important part in meeting people's care needs.

  Resource Management
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the implementation of resource management.

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further progress will be made with the resource management initiative in the coming financial year.

  Mr. Freeman
  The resource management initiative was launched in November 1986.

  In March 1989 I announced the names of 50 hospitals starting resource management in 1989–90. I announced in December 1989 that 20 of those hospitals would invest in IT. The remaining 30 will invest substantially in IT in 1990–91. On 18 January I announced the names of 50 more hospitals which will implement the main resource management in 1990–91.

  Computerised training packages on diagnostic related groups (DRGs) and DRG group software have been issued to all acute hospitals and a cost allocation model to the 50 acute hospitals which started resource management this year. This model will be issued to all acute hospitals shortly.

  Breast Screening
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in implementing a national breast screening service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The table lists those breast screening centres in England which had become operational by the end of 1989.

  Under the programme, all women aged between 50 and 64 years will be invited to be screened by mammography every three years; older women will be screened on request. The purpose of screening is to detect changes in breast tissue which might be cancerous at an early stage when treatment can be simple and most likely to be effective.

  Plans for extending the breast screening programme to cover all district health authorities in England are well advanced; a full nationwide service comprising about 80 centres (including mobile units) is expected to become operational during 1990.
  663
  The breast screening programmes in the other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibilities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Screening centres operational as at December 1989

  Region

  Centres

  Northern

  Gateshead

  Newcastle

  Yorkshire

  Huddersfield

  Hull

  York

  Trent

  Nottingham

  Leicester

  Lincoln

  South Yorkshire

  East Anglian

  King's Lynn

  Suffolk

  Peterborough

  Norwich

  North West Thames

  Barnet

  Charing Cross

  North East Thames

  Epping

  Bloomsbury

  East London

  Chelmsford and Colchester

  Whipps Cross

  South East Thames

  Camberwell

  Canterbury

  East Sussex

  South West Thames

  Guildford

  Worthing

  Wessex

  Southampton

  Isle of Wight

  Portsmouth

  Oxford

  Aylesbury

  Northampton

  Wycombe

  Milton Keynes

  Reading

  South Western

  Cornwall

  Avon

  West Devon

  West Midlands

  Stoke on Trent

  Coventry

  Dudley

  Walsall

  Birmingham

  Mersey

  Liverpool

  North Western

  Manchester

  Bolton

  Wigan

  Family Planning
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the family planning service.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the family planning services.
  664
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the family planning services.

  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the family planning services.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government regard family planning as an important preventive service that contributes to maternal and child health and to the stability of family life. The emphasis of family planning services is on enabling people to plan and space their families as they would wish, with the consequent beneficial effects on health and the quality of life.

  The day-to-day management of family planning services is a matter for individual health authorities since they can best judge local circumstances and priorities. Planning guidelines for 1989–91, issued in July 1988, asked authorities to ensure that full use is made of family planning services as a resource in combating AIDS and to strike a balance between services provided by specialist clinics and those provided by GPs.

  Disabled Persons
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave the hon. Members for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) and for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Loyden) earlier today.

  Medical Audit
  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on the proposals for medical audit.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Encouraging progress is being made. Officials are working with members of the medical profession to develop and implement systems of medical audit. Across the country the Department has contributed £926,000 in direct funding to 43 projects which began in 1989. Regions and districts have also been funding projects of their own. Considerable further expansion is expected soon both in the hospital and community health service and in general practice. To enable this, my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State announced the provision of £31 million in 1990–91.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a further statement on the recently announced £31 million for medical audit.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A total of £24 million is being divided among the regional health authorities in their proportion to their consultant numbers, subject to their submitting satisfactory medical audit implementation plans to the NHS management executive. A total of £5 million will be used in general practice. The remaining £2 million will be retained centrally for training and for projects which have national application.

  General Practice (Computers)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners are likely to be affected by the recently announced scheme to provide reimbursement for computers in general practice.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Potentially all medical practitioners could benefit to some extent, depending upon the circumstances of their practices. Details will be published shortly in the statement of fees and allowances.

  Drugs
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his proposals for the future supply of drugs to National Health Service patients.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The proposed introduction of indicative prescribing budgets will not affect the supply of necessary drugs to NHS patients. GPs will remain free to prescribe all medicines which are clinically necessary for their patients. Where there is a choice of equally effective drugs, GPs will be expected to take the relative costs into account. Indicative prescribing budgets will encourage more effective and economic prescribing and help to eliminate unnecessary expenditure in drugs, thus releasing money for other aspects of patient care in the NHS.

  West Midlands RHA
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in the West Midlands regional health authority area in 1988; and what the comparable figure was in 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Patients treated, NHS hospitals, West Midlands Regional Health Authority, 1979 and 1988–89

  1979

  1988–89

  Percentage increase

  In-patient cases treated

  547,773

  689,457

  25·9

  Day cases

  51,769

  99,349

  91·9

  New out-patients

  731,764

  813,067

  11·1

  Total out-patient attendance

  3,315,153

  3,757,255

  13·3

  Source: Returns SH3 (1978 data), SH3a, KP70, KH09 and KH18 (1988–89 data).

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the allocation of funds to the West Midlands regional health authority for 1990–91.

  Mr. Freeman
  Regional health authorities' initial cash limits for 1990–91 will be announced shortly. But, as my hon. Friend may be aware, we have already announced that the West Midlands regional health authority will receive a cash increase of 6·76 per cent. on its general revenue allocation for next year.

  NHS Indemnity Scheme
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Health Service indemnity scheme for doctors in National Health Service hospitals is now in place.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Yes. With effect from 1 January 1990, health authorities are taking direct financial 666
  responsibility in claims of negligence against their medical staff. In December the Department of Health issued a circular to health authorities and a leaflet for all doctors and dentists in the hospital and community health services. A copy of the circular, HC(89)34, and of the leaflet, "Medical Negligence" are available in the Library.

  Tuberculosis
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tuberculosis were reported in the last year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures for the previous five and 10 years.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is shown in the table:

  Notifications of tuberculosis in England and Wales for the years 1988, 1983 and 1978

  Year

  Notifications

  1988

  5,164

  1983

  6,803

  1978

  9,688

  NHS Reforms
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are any experiments being undertaken to assess how the proposed National Health Service reforms would work.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Health Service is undertaking a wide range of projects designed to inform the implementation of the Government's proposals to improve services.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on plans for the implementation of the proposed reforms of the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We are making good progress in putting into action the changes outlined in the White Paper "Working for Patients". We are confident that the NHS will be ready to implement the basic elements of the new and better systems of matching growth and resources with expansion of patient services by April 1991, once Parliament approves the necessary legislation. By 1990—91 the total expenditure on the implementation of the Government's proposals to improve the Health Service will exceed £300 million.

  We have issued detailed guidance on many subjects, including the education and training of non-medical staff. Guidance on the principles of the new contracting system was issued in September, and further guidance on additional aspects of the contracting system will be issued shortly.

  We have recently published a GP fundholder programme, which gives more details about the operation of a GP practice fund.

  A new working paper, the 11th in the series, has been published, called, "Framework for Information Systems: Overview". This working paper covers two documents issued for consultation, looking at the way ahead for information and information technology and concentrating on action in preparation for April 1991.

  We have launched a project to support district health authorities in detailed work in developing the key role

  667
  which DHAs will have under the new system of identifying and obtaining the best pattern of services which will most effectively meet all the health needs of the population they serve.

  We have received over 180 expressions of interest from potential NHS hospital trusts. Seventy-nine of them are proceeding towards being the first wave of applicants for trust status within the NHS in April 1991. Subject to progress in Parliament, we expect many more to be ready for later waves of applicants in future years.

  We have made £2 million available for implementation of medical audit this financial year, and a further £26 million has been allocated to hospital and community health services for the development of medical audit in 1990–91. A £4·5 million scheme has been launched to develop information technology skills. Demonstration projects, aimed at improving the quality of care and services to patients, have been announced for five outpatient departments. The principles of general management are being introduced into the family practitioner committee system.

  Good progress is also being made in relation to medical education and research. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State explained in a speech on 10 July 1989, since sent to all hospital doctors, we intend to take powers to ensure, for instance, the continuation of high standards of undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education and research in all NHS hospitals.

  We will also ensure that postgraduate training posts are provided in NHS hospital trusts in accordance with the national objectives set out in "Achieving a Balance". Medical education and research will be further enhanced by the proposed increase in the service increment for training (SIFT) to meet 100 per cent. of the median excess costs of teaching hospitals. This will be distributed by regions in consultation with universities.

  The National Health Service and Community Care Bill is now before the House.

  Health Authorities (Maintenance Backlog)
  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total figure for the estimated maintenance backlog for health authorities.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total figure for the estimated maintenance backlog for health authorities.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman) on 10 January at columns 666-69.

  Patient Services
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the use of contracts for patient services within the National Health Service.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave my hon. Friends the Members for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson) and for Hexham (Mr. Amos) on 12 December 1989 at columns 843-44.

  Health Promotion
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent initiatives have been taken by his Department to assist with health promotion and disease prevention.

  Mr. Freeman
  We recognise the essential role of health promotion and disease prevention in sustaining and improving people's health. Recent major initiatives include:

  (a) changes to the system of paying family doctors, which will be introduced from 1 April to encourage them to provide a wide range of health promotion and preventive activities. Examples include incentive payments for achieving specified levels of vaccination and immunisation and screening for cancer of the cervix; new payments for approved health promotion clinics; and a requirement on general practitioners to give advice on matters such as diet, exercise, alcohol, smoking and drugs;

  (b) the holding of an expert symposium, jointly organised with the Health Education Authority (HEA), to assess the current and future spread of HIV and AIDS in the United Kingdom and to inform future development of the AIDS public education campaign. The proceedings of this symposium will be published shortly;

  (c) the launch in December of the teenage smoking campaign, costing £2 million a year over the next five years and intended to dissuade young people from starting to smoke. National advertising is currently aimed at 11-15-year-olds;

  (d) also in December, the making of a regulation under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 banning the manufacture and supply of oral snuff. The ban takes effect from 13 March 1990;

  (e) further "Look After Your Heart" campaign national television and press advertising as part of LAYH's endeavours to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyles;

  (f) the preparation, with the HEA, of a further phase of a major information and education campaign on vaccination and immunisation for later this year.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will increase the level of investment in health promotion and health education programmes.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Livsey) on 12 December at column 600.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities project a deficit for the end of the current financial year.

  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities project a deficit for the end of the current financial year.

  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities project a deficit for the end of the current financial year.

  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district health authorities project a deficit for the end of the current financial year.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Health authority cash limit spending is monitored by my Department on a regional basis and we do not expect any region to exceed its cash limit for the year. Information about the financial position
  669
  of district health authorities is not collected centrally. The NHS is spending more money this year than last in real terms and is treating more patients.

  Junior Hospital Doctors
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the number of hours worked by junior hospital doctors.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I shall be meeting the profession for talks shortly to discuss what further action might now be appropriate to reduce the number of junior doctors on onerous rota commitments and how best to take this issue forward. Reports have now been received from all regional health authorities on the results of our June 1988 initiative. They show encouraging progress, but more needs to be done to achieve further reductions.

  National Health Service Funding
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on funding for the National Health Service for 1990–91.

  Mr. Freeman
  In 1990–91 gross expenditure on the National Health Service in England is planned to increase to over £23·3 billion. In addition, if health authorities do no more than they have achieved in recent years, they will have a further £150 million from their cost improvement programmes. Taken together, this means that the resources available to the NHS next year will increase by the equivalent of nearly 11 per cent. in cash or about 5·5 per cent. in real terms.

  British Medical Association
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met representatives of the British Medical Association; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Lambie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the British Medical Association and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the British Medical Association; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the British Medical Association; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State gave the hon. Member for Glasgow, Central (Mr. Watson) earlier today.

  Eye Hospital (Hampshire)
  Sir David Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will give his approval for a new eye hospital for the Southampton and South West Hampshire health district, the details of which have been submitted to his Department.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department is responsible for giving approval in principle, within delegated limits, to any scheme which starts a cycle of project development with a670
  total works cost of over £10 million. The total cost of the proposed relocation plan for the Southampton eye hospital is, I understand, around £4 million and therefore not subject to departmental approval.

  Wandsworth Health Authority
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the overspending by the Wandsworth health authority in the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Wandsworth district health authority reports an overspend at the end of November of £2·197 million. This is projected to rise by the end of the financial year to a figure between £2·5 and £3·1 million. South West Thames region has been discussing with the district a package of economy measures to reduce the overspend in 1989–90 and to produce a balanced budget for 1990–91. The district is still considering what action to take.

  Inpatients
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figure he has for the average number of inpatients treated each week by the National Health Service: and what was the figure in 1979.

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

  Patients treated, per week, NHS hospitals, England, 1979 and 1988–89

  1979

  1988–89

  Inpatient cases treated

  103,848

  126,654

  Source: Returns SH3 (1978 data), SH3a (1988–89 data).

  Mental Health
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on the capital fund for mental health projects.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give further details of the capital loan fund for mental health projects.

  Mr. Freeman
  The intention is that the capital loans fund will operate from 1 April 1990. The total sum committed over the three years from that date will be £50 million. An executive letter is being issued to health authorities, which provides details of the new arrangements and asks for bids by the end of March for the year 1990–91.

  General Practitioners (Earnings)
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will state the average earnings of a general practitioner in the current year and the year 1979; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The intended average gross income for general medical practitioners was £17,327 in 1979–80 and £45,761 in 1989–90, an increase of 31 per cent. in real terms. The average GP also received an income of £5,955 in 1979–80 in direct reimbursement of certain expenses: the 1989–90 figure is estimated to be £21,475, an increase of 79 per cent. in real terms.

  Homeless People
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what provision he has made for the health care needs of homeless people in 1990–91 and the subsequent year.

  Mr. Freeman
  It will be for individual health authorities and family practitioner committees to assess and meet the health care needs of all those, including any homeless, within their areas of responsibility. The Department, however, is funding several voluntary organisations helping the homeless and has funded two projects in London designed to promote new models of primary care. Following an encouraging evaluation, it is hoped that similar schemes will be developed elsewhere, In addition, the Department is examining what further measures could be taken to help those homeless who are mentally ill.

  North West RHA
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated by the North West regional health authority in 1978–79 and 1988–89 as inpatients, outpatients and day patients; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows:

  1979

  1989

  Per cent.

  In-patient cases (including day cases)

  563,787

  809,868

  +43

  Day cases

  70,608

  136,020

  +93

  Out patients (new cases)

  699,717

  779,084

  +11

  Park Hospital, Liverpool
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will intervene with Liverpool regional health authority to prevent the closure or rundown of Park hospital in the Broadgreen constituency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside (Mr. Parry) earlier today.

  Regional Health Authorities (Resources)
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give further details of the new system of distributing resources to regional health authorities.

  Mr. Freeman
  The new system was set out in paragraphs 4.8 to 4.10 of "Working for Patients" and in paragraphs 1.1 to 1.6 of Working Paper 2: "Funding and Contracts for Hospital Services", copies of which are available in the Library. For further details, I refer my hon. Friend to the replies that I gave the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central (Mr. Cousins) on 10 January at column 663 and today.

  Table 1

  1990–91 shares

  Region

  Crude population

  Weighted1 for age structure

  Weighted for SMRs

  Weighted for costs of providing services

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  Northern

  6·40

  6·32

  6·85

  6·63

  Yorkshire

  7·56

  7·54

  7·84

  7·59

  Trent

  9·80

  9·65

  9·82

  9·51

  Social Workers
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received any recent representations from the Association of County Councils about a shortage of qualified social workers.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have no record of recent representations from the Association of County Councils on this issue. We are aware of the problems faced by some local authorities in attracting and retaining suitably qualified staff and of the steps that they, as employers, are taking to improve the position. The response by local authorities to the Department of Health's two training support programmes targeted at staff working with elderly people and those working in the field of child care, indicates that many social services departments will be enabled to increase significantly the number of their staff seconded to social work qualifying courses. The Department will keep under review possible measures to increase intakes to qualifying courses in social work.

  Children Act
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress being made with the implementation of the Children Act 1989.

  Mr. Rees
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress being made with the implementation of the Children Act 1989.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) earlier today.

  Regional Allocations
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central on 10 January,Official Report, column 663, he will publish a table showing in the case of each National Health Service region in 1990–91 (a) the basic allocation for population, (b) the effect of adjusting for morbidity, (c) the effect of adjustments for the relative costs of services to seven age bandings and (d) the damping effect of phasing in the new allocation system over three years.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 15 January 1990]: The information requested is given as follows in the form of allocation shares of the resources available nationally. Table 1 shows how these shares are changed as the various weighting factors within the new allocation formula are applied and table 2 the effect on 1990–91 of phasing the new formula over three years:
  673

  1990–91 shares

  Region

  Crude population

  Weighted1 for age structure

  Weighted for SMRs

  Weighted for costs of providing services

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  per cent.

  East Anglian

  4·30

  4·43

  4·15

  4·02

  North West Thames

  7·39

  7·08

  6·78

  7·41

  North East Thames

  7·93

  7·86

  7·77

  8·61

  South East Thames

  7·69

  8·14

  7·96

  8·36

  South West Thames

  6·28

  6·57

  6·15

  6·49

  Wessex

  6·21

  6·50

  6·10

  5·91

  Oxford

  5·37

  4·92

  4·62

  4·48

  South Western

  6·78

  7·33

  6·98

  6·76

  West Midlands

  10·92

  10·49

  10·80

  10·47

  Mersey

  5·02

  4·92

  5·25

  5·08

  North Western

  8·33

  8·26

  8·93

  8·66

  Total

  100·00

  100·00

  100·00

  100·00

  1 Relative cost of services for different ages

  Table 2

  Region

  Effect on shares of moving direct to new formula in 1990–91

  Effect on1 shares of phasing in new formula

  Difference

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Per cent.

  Northern

  6·63

  6·63

  0·00

  Yorkshire

  7·59

  7·53

  -0·06

  Trent

  9·51

  9·45

  -0·06

  East Anglian

  4·02

  3·96

  -0·06

  North West Thames

  7·41

  7·45

  0·03

  North East Thames

  8·61

  8·72

  0·09

  South East Thames

  8·36

  8·23

  -0·13

  South West Thames

  6·49

  6·49

  0·00

  Wessex

  5·91

  5·77

  -0·13

  Oxford

  4·48

  4·56

  0·08

  South Western

  6·76

  6·65

  -0·11

  West Midlands

  10·47

  10·59

  0·11

  Mersey

  5·08

  5·26

  0·16

  North Western

  8·66

  8·72

  0·06

  Total

  100·00

  100·00

  0·00

  1 Over three years.

  Tranx Advice Centre
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has had any further discussions about the means of avoiding the closure of the Tranx tranquilliser advice centre.

  Mr. Roger Freeman
  No. Officials wrote to Tranx (UK) Ltd in December explaining that, because the statutory authorities are not prepared to fund local elements of the service that Tranx (UK) Ltd provides and given the constraints on central funds, the Department is unable to offer the organisation any further grant aid.

  Doctors' Pay
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to be in a position to publish his reaction to the pay review body's recommendation on doctors' pay.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The doctors' and dentists' review body reports directly to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, who will announce the Government's decision in due course.

  Hospital Building
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans for improving value for money in the hospital building programme.

  Mr. Freeman
  A number of initiatives aimed at improving the value for money of the hospital building programme are already in hand. These include a review of the procedures leading up to the approval of new building schemes, a review of the Department's procedural framework for processing building schemes in the NHS, and a review of project management. Each of these reviews will be reporting this year. The Department will continue to develop its building guidance, which has led to significant improvement in the value for money of new hospital building schemes.

  The NHS reforms are expected to provide further incentives to improve the performance of the programme, and the future involvement of the Audit Commission in the NHS will bring the management of the estate, including the building programme, into sharper focus.

  Sarum 89 Group
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will consider further representations from the "Sarum 89" group of doctors in Salisbury, following study of their alternative White Paper on National Health Service reform.

  Mr. Freeman
  I have now held several useful meetings with the Sarum 89 group and I am grateful for their time and energy. We are always willing to consider fresh representations from this group on the detailed implementation of the Government's proposals to improve the Health Service.

  Cervical Cancer
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Northern regional health authority with regard to the incidence of cervical cancer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer varies considerably geographically and within various groups within the population. The main strategy for dealing with the disease is through a programme of early detection based on population screening programmes. I understand from the Northern regional health authority that it is well within target in covering its population through a comprehensive screening programme.

  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what change there has been in the number of deaths from cervical cancer between 1978 and 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is shown in the table:

  Deaths from cancer of the cervix in England and Wales for the years 1978 to 1988

  Year

  Deaths

  1978

  2,153

  1979

  2,087

  1980

  2,068

  1981

  2,017

  1982

  1,932

  1983

  1,959

  1984

  1,899

  1985

  1,957

  1986

  2,004

  1987

  1,903

  1988

  1,942

  North East Thames RHA
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of the hospital capital programme in the North East Thames region for 1990–91.

  Mr. Freeman
  The capital programme for North East Thames regional health authority for 1990–91 includes the following major schemes:

  Schemes for which there is a Contractual Commitment

  Whittington—Phase I

  Mile End—Geriatric Unit

  Chase Farm Enabling Works

  Whipps Cross Development

  St. Bartholomews—New Theatres

  Schemes not yet with a Contractual Commitment
  676

  Princess Alexandra Development

  Chase Farm Main Development

  Goodmayes DGH

  Broomfield—Phase VII

  Colchester—Phase IV

  Bloomsbury—Hospital Development

  Broomfield, Colchester and Bloomsbury are subject to the approval of Ministers. Further details of the capital programme can be obtained from North East Thames regional health authority.

  Infant Deaths
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for the years 1979 and 1988 the rate of infant deaths within the first week of birth and the number of stillbirths.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information is shown in the table:

  Early neonatal mortality rate and the number of stillbirths in England and Wales for the years 1979 and 1988

  1979

  1988

  Early neonatal mortality rate per 1000 livebirths

  6·75

  3·89

  Stillbirths

  5,125

  3,382

  Cornwall First Air Ambulance
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a contribution to the cost of the Cornwall First Air Ambulance.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is for local health authorities to determine the level of and extent of services that they provide, taking into account the available resources and the competing demands upon them. However, the Department is funding an evaluation of this local initiative.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are in the National Health Service now; and how many there were in 1979.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  At 1 October 1988 (the latest year for which figures are available) there were 25,322 unrestricted general medical practitioners in England compared with 21,357 at 1 October 1979—an increase of 18·6 per cent.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for how many days general practitioners on duty over a weekend will be expected to work continuously under the new contract for general practitioners.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no specific requirements in the GPs' new contract for weekend duties or for working continuously. The responsibility placed upon GPs by regulations to provide all necessary and appropriate personal medical services for their patients on a 24 hours a day basis remains unchanged. Existing arrangements for delegating this responsibility also remain unchanged. The new requirement introduced by the National Health Service (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Amendment (No. 2) Regulations 1989 is that GPs who are full time will be required to be available for surgery consultation and home visits for a minimum of 26 hours a week over five days at times convenient to their patients.

  Hospital Services (Rural Areas)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the provision of hospital services in rural areas.

  Mr. Freeman
  Small hospitals can play a valuable role in providing a range of services if that is what is needed locally. Under the proposals of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill, district health authorities will have responsibility for ensuring provision of a comprehensive range of services for their resident population. They will be able to take full account of the services offered by small hospitals in deciding where to place contracts.

  Human Immunodeficiency Virus
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the latest evidence as to the efficiency of the heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply to him on 11 December 1990 at column 502. A number of scientific journals have contained articles on this topic; these include the British Medical Journal (18 February 1989, pp 401-2, 411-15) and "AIDS 1988 2" (supplement 1) pp S49-56, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Generic Medicines
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has received any recent representations on the quality control of foreign generic medications, including those from European Community countries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We have received no representations to date.

  National Health Service Trust, Barnsley
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has received any representations regarding the setting up of a National Health Service trust in Barnsley.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No.

  Donor Cards
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were estimated to carry(a) kidney donor cards and (b) other organ donor cards, in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  We now issue a single multi-organ donor card, which makes provision for the donation of individually specified, or all, organs.

  Different sample surveys produce varying estimates of donor card ownership, but it appears likely that between 20 and 30 per cent. of the general public now possess a donor card. Possession of donor cards has risen substantially over the past decade. A survey carried out in November 1978 found that only 10 per cent. of those questioned possessed a signed card.

  Soviet Union
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what communications he has received from his counterpart in the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I was delighted to meet and host a dinner for Academician Chazov, the Minister for Health of the USSR, during his visit to the United Kingdom as a guest of Her Majesty's Government at the end of October last year, and for Mr. Gromyko, Deputy Minister of Health in the USSR, when he was here last week to discuss health trade matters. I have also received correspondence from Academician Chazov.

  Regional Health Authorities
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many black and Asian people are currently serving on regional health authorities; and if he will name them.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information that the hon. Member requests is not available centrally. We do not monitor the ethnic composition of regional health authorities.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many posts in the National Health Service are either nominated by him or need his consultation before they are filled.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State does not nominate, nor is he consulted upon, the appointment of staff to posts in the National Health Service. Employment matters are entirely the responsibility of individual health authorities. So far as the appointment of chairmen and members of health authorities are concerned, details of those for which my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State is responsible were given in my reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, East on 12 December 1989 at columns 623-24.

  Sterilisation Treatment
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list by district health authority in the Trent regional health authority the waiting times for women patients requesting National Health Service sterilisation treatment;

  (2) if he will list by regional health authority the waiting times from women patients requesting National Health Service sterilisation treatment;

  (3) if he will list by regional health authority, and by district health authority, the waiting times for colposcopy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information on waiting time for individual procedures is not collected centrally.

  Schizophrenia
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffering from schizophrenia have been released from mental institutions(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the North West region, during each of the last five years.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of discharges of patients treated for a main diagnosis of schizophrenia from
  679
  National Health Service mental illness hospitals and units for the last five available years, 1982–86, for England and the North Western regional health authority are shown in the table. The figures relate to discharges and cannot be related to individual patients; a patient may be admitted more than once in a year.

  England

  North Western RHA

  1982

  24,594

  2,348

  1983

  25,336

  2,331

  1984

  25,934

  2,683

  1985

  26,225

  2,875

  1986

  26,077

  2,621

  The figures for Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland respectively. The figures for Scotland are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.

  Community Pharmacy Contractors
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why it was decided to retain a cost plus system of remuneration and year-end review for medical practitioners and to terminate arrangements for community pharmacy contractors in England and Wales.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The arrangements for determining the remuneration of the professions providing family practitioner services are designed to reflect the different circumstances of each profession. The "cost plus" system of determining pharmacists' remuneration was brought to an end last year because it provided insufficient incentives to efficiency in the dispensing of medicines. We expect the measures contained in the White Papers "Promoting Better Health" and "Working for Patients" to improve value for money and raise standards of care in general practice.

  Under-fives Provision
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional moneys he has allocated to voluntary organisations for the small grants scheme for under-fives in this financial year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I am pleased to announce that the Department has just increased the amount allocated to voluntary organisations for the small grants scheme for under-fives and their families by £101,000. The additional allocations are as shown in the table:

  Organisation

  Additional allocation

  £

  Pre-School Play Groups Association

  50,000

  National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisation (Child Care)

  10,000

  National Childminding Association

  10,000

  680

  Organisation

  Additional allocation

  £

  National Toy Libraries Association (Play Matters)

  11,000

  National Playbus Association

  10,000

  Home Start Consultancy

  10,000

  This brings the total allocation to £425,000 in 1989–90.

  Welfare Milk Scheme
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received about the effects of changes to the welfare milk scheme; how many people in Bradford are now receiving weekly milk tokens; what groups of people are entitled to milk tokens; what estimates he has made of the number of people in Bradford who will no longer receive doorstep delivery of welfare milk; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what representations he has received about the impact upon those engaged in milk distribution from the discounting of welfare milk tokens; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  A period of eight months' consultation and discussion with interested parties preceded the announcement of the price to be paid by the Government for liquid welfare milk. There are no changes in the welfare milk scheme as far as recipients are concerned. Since the announcement my noble Friend Baroness Hooper met representatives of the dairy trade on 10 January to discuss implementation. Specific points about the revised pricing structure were further discussed between officials and the trade on 16 January. Early-day motions have been tabled, seeking reconsideration of our decision, and the regulation bringing the change into effect has been prayed against. In addition, a number of hon. Members have written expressing the concerns of their constituents.

  Information about the number of welfare milk beneficiaries by area is not available, but we do not anticipate any changes since the scheme itself remains unchanged. Milk tokens will continue to be issued in respect of pregnant women and children under five in families receiving income support and to handicapped children aged five to 16 who, because of their handicap, are registered at a school. The revised pricing structure does not affect beneficiaries entitlement to welfare milk nor the way in which they choose to obtain it.

  Emergency Services
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many departmental employees who are classified as emergency services receive shift allowances and incremental payments.

  Mr. Freeman
  None, in the Department of Health.

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  TOY SAFETY: EC LEGISLATION
  TOY SAFETY: EC LEGISLATION
  NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL: OFFICIAL ADVICE
  NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL: OFFICIAL ADVICE
  BSE IN YOUNG ANIMALS
  BSE IN YOUNG ANIMALS
  GUN CLUBS: CONTROLS
  GUN CLUBS: CONTROLS