Written Answers of 24 January 1990

DEFENCE

  Z-Berths
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any further reserve Z-berths have been introduced to date, since his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley of 5 May 1989,Official Report, column 276.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No. I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon) on 5 May 1989 at column 276. Swansea and Tilbury are still under discussion with local authorities as possible venues for visits by nuclear-powered submarines.

  Northern Ireland
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will consider paying financial compensation to civilian employees of the Ministry of Defence working in Northern Ireland on the grounds of the special hazards and difficulties of their employment in the Province.

  Mr. Neubert
  A general principle of Civil Service pay is that compensation is not paid because of exposure to risk. The general conditions of service for staff serving in Northern Ireland are, however, kept under review.

  Philippines (Personnel Carriers)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Simba armoured personnel carriers have been supplied to the Philippines by GKN; what assurances have been received as to their proposed use; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement summarising the main features of the deal involving the sale of armoured personnel carriers to the Philippines, including details of offsetting arrangements.

  Mr. Neubert
  It has been the consistent policy of successive Administrations not to provide details of defence exports to specific countries.

  Namibia
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the British military contingent of the United Nations transition assistance group (UNTAG) in Namibia will return to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The majority of the British military contingent will be returning from Namibia towards the end of January. It is planned that the remainder will return by early April in accordance with 682
  UNTAG's overall withdrawal plan. The contributions of the British armed forces and the civilian election advisers have been widely recognised as key elements in the successful involvement of the United Nations in helping Namibia achieve independence, and the House will wish to pay tribute to those concerned for their dedication and professionalism.

THE ARTS

  Copyright Act 1911
  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he has any plans to seek to extend the provisions of the Copyright Act 1911 to cover material published in the form of electronic or audio-visual media.

  Mr. Luce
  I have no plans to amend the Copyright Act 1911.

  Royal Ballet
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has received any request from the Royal Ballet for funds to assist it to tour the United States this summer.

  Mr. Luce
  I have received no such request. Overseas touring is the province of the British Council, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  Arts Council and Crafts Council
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister for the Arts (1) if he will explain the corporate roles of the Arts Council and the Crafts Council and list the similarities and differences between those roles; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list the various craftspeople, educationists, retailers, guilds and societies active in the craft business which were consulted by the author of the Wilding report during the preparation of that report;

  (3) if he will make a statement on the comparative performance, in the fields of business and fund-raising, of the Arts Council and of the Crafts Council;

  (4) if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals for merging the Crafts Council with the Design Council.

  Mr. Luce
  In reaching a decision on the future of the Crafts Council, I am considering carefully the many representations I have received on this subject. I shall announce my conclusions as soon as possible, and I shall write to the hon. Member in more detail when I have done so. Before deciding whether to accept Mr. Wilding's recommendation to merge the Crafts Council with the Arts Council, I shall want to be sure that any new structure of support enables the crafts to continue to flourish. This Government are concerned to see the continued expansion of the crafts in this country.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will list on a year-by-year basis the number of craftspersons grant-aided by the Crafts Advisory Committee and its successor, the Crafts Council, to help set up new businesses between 1971 and 1989, inclusive.

  Mr. Luce
  The information is as follows:
  683

  Number of individual craftsmen and women assisted

  Year

  Number

  1971–72

  7

  1972–73

  14

  1973–74

  40

  1974–75

  66

  1975–76

  68

  1976–77

  71

  1977–78

  67

  1978–79

  33

  1979–80

  48

  1980–81

  42

  1981–82

  47

  1982–83

  35

  1983–84

  41

  1984–85

  39

  1985–86

  40

  1986–87

  35

  1987–88

  39

  1988–89

  30

  Total

  762

CIVIL SERVICE

  Statutory Bodies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how many organisations and bodies have been established and taken on staff and premises since 1979 before they were put on a statutory basis by the passage of the authorising legislation through Parliament; and how much has been spent on this basis.

  Mr. Luce
  This information is not held centrally.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  "The Blooding"
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General what reports the Director of Public Prosecutions received concerning the book, "The Blooding"; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions has received two reports from the police relating to matters connected with the publication of the book "The Blooding".

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received from the chairman of the Keep Sunday Special Campaign on the enforcement of the Shops Act 1950, in the light of the European Court of Justice's decision on 23 November 1989; if he will publish his response; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Preston (Mrs. Wise) on 17 January 1990 at column 260.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government have laid down to retrain and re-employ ivory carvers in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Maude
  The Hong Kong Government are currently holding discussions with representatives of the ivory carvers with a view to placing them on suitable retraining courses run by the Vocational Training Council or helping them to find alternative employment. The Hong Kong labour department has opened a special register to help ivory workers seeking new jobs and a number of them have already been placed.

  Tibet
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Chinese Government to end martial law in Tibet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  We have frequently made clear to the Chinese our concern about human rights in Tibet. We hope that the Chinese Government will follow up the lifting of martial law in Peking by taking further steps to strengthen the protection of human rights throughout China, including the lifting of martial law in Lhasa.

  Mr. Andrew Balfour
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects Mr. Andrew Balfour to resume his official duties, and in what capacity.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Mr. Balfour has been informed that his future is under consideration.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Corporation Tax
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the amount of corporation tax paid by manufacturing industry in each financial year since 1978–79 and the proportion of the total corporation tax precept comprised by manufacturing in each of those years.

  Mr. Lilley
  Information on a comparable basis is available only from 1986–87 and is as follows:

  Net receipts of corporation tax1 from manufacturing industries

  Year

  Amount £ billion

  As proportion of total onshore CT receipts (net)2 Per cent.

  1986–87

  3·6

  29·7

  1987–88

  4·5

  29·7

  1988–89

  5·9

  32·9

  1 Including advance corporation tax and net of repayments.

  2 Excludes north sea MCT receipts.

  National Savings
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list by month for the last 12 months, the amount of(a) investments and (b) withdrawals made in National Savings.

  Mr. Ryder
  Figures for National Savings receipts and repayments (including accrued interest) for each of the 12 months of 1989 are as follows:
  685

  Receipts £ million

  Repayments £ million

  January

  534·7

  637·1

  February

  531·0

  745·3

  March

  494·8

  744·0

  April

  482·2

  742·3

  May

  459·1

  674·2

  June

  420·4

  652·2

  July

  399·4

  605·6

  August

  526·8

  1,084·2

  September

  476·4

  1,009·7

  October

  460·3

  776·6

  November

  414·9

  854·7

  December
  1

  289·2

  637·0

  1 Provisional.

  Taking into account gross accrued interest of £2·2 billion, the Department for National Savings' contribution to the public sector debt repayment in 1989 was £1·5 billion.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Eastern Europe
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that United Kingdom aid for eastern European countries is invested in activities which are environmentally beneficial or neutral.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Bilateral British aid is so far confined to Poland. Projects supported there to date comprise mainly training, technical co-operation and consultancy studies which are environmentally neutral. However, the procedures which we use to assess proposals for funding include an explicit consideration of the effects on the environment. We are also discussing with the Polish authorities a programme of assistance in the energy sector, which will look at environmental concerns.

  Know-How Funds
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a list of projects approved to date under the know-how funds for Poland and Hungary, giving details of the type of project, the funding in cash and kind and the name of the United Kingdom organising body.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) on 18 December. Most activities are being undertaken by firms or institutions engaged directly by the joint FCO/ODA Unit, or by the British Council on the unit's behalf. Additions to the list are given in the table:

  Title:

  Coal industry training

  Description:

  Training in colliery management techniques

  Status:

  Under way

  Cost:

  £38,000

  Title:

  Cracow tourism study

  Description:

  Recommendation of immediate measures to help Cracow cope with the coming tourist season, and development of longer-term proposals

  Status:

  Under way

  Cost:

  £37,000

  Title:

  Agros dried vegetables

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  Description:

  Recommendations for productivity improvements in this enterprise

  Status:

  Under way

  Cost:

  £55,000

  Title:

  Company doctor training

  Description:

  Training Polish consultants in techniques of company analysis

  Status:

  To be implemented

  Cost:

  £11,000

  Title:

  Conference on demonopolisation

  Description:

  Discussion of methods and experiences of demonopolisation in relation to the process of economic and political decision taking

  Status:

  To be implemented

  Cost:

  £11,000

  Title:

  Book industry training

  Description:

  Pilot project to assess the training needs of the Polish book industry

  Status:

  To be implemented

  Cost:

  £17,200

  Poland
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide details of expenditure approved to date from the £15 million agriculture project fund for Poland.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No expenditure has yet been approved. We are still at the stage of working out the details of the project.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Engineering Courses
  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what surveys have been carried out or commissioned by his Department since 1987 to find out why fewer sixth formers were applying for engineering courses; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department and the engineering industry commissioned a survey in 1989 into the factors which influence young people in deciding whether or not to study engineering. It covers both students at school or in further education on A-level mathematics and physics courses, and new entrants to degree courses other than engineering. I expect the results of this survey, which is being carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research, to be available in March-April this year.

  Research Councils
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what resources he expects to make available to the five research councils to enable the re-equipment of laboratories and the replacement of aging apparatus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  On 15 November at columns 272–76, my right hon. Friend announced that an additional £61 million would be made available for the science budget in 1990–91, together with planning additions for the next two years of £58 million and £59 million. He announced the allocations to the five research councils on 10 January at columns 623–24. It is for the research councils to determine how to spend the additional funds made available to them.
  687
  However, in its advice to the Secretary of State on the allocations, the Advisory Board for the Research Councils advised that a high proportion of these funds should be directed to preserving the quality of United Kingdom science. The ABRC also suggested that the research councils should deploy some of these additional funds to increase equipment provision through research grants, and that funding of new research programmes and interdisciplinary research centres would also include some provision for equipment.

  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what are his long-term plans with respect to the formation of a national research council; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what are his plans for reform of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) what are his proposals for establishing a working group to examine the scope for merging the AFRC and the NERC; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The proposal for a single national research council was made in the report of a review group established by the Advisory Board for the Research Councils to look at the organisation of council responsibilities for biological sciences. The culmination of this process was the advice offered by the chairman of the board in his letter of 15 November to my right hon. Friend which recommended that the ABRC should be reconstituted as a smaller body specifically charged with promoting greater harmonisation of research council activities. The board also offered advice about improving co-ordination between the AFRC and NERC research programmes, particularly in terrestrial life sciences.

  My right hon. Friend wrote to the chairman of the ABRC on 19 January announcing the Government's decision to reconstitute the ABRC from 1 April as recommended by the board; and noting that he and his colleagues were considering the board's subsequent advice concerning the AFRC and NERC. For the full text of the letter I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Martin) on 19 January.

  Irradiated Rodent Carcases
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the practice of disposal of irradiated rodent carcases used in research inside human cadavers was stopped by the Medical Research Council; and where these cadavers were buried.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Medical Research Council is not aware of the practice of the disposal of irradiated rodent carcases used in research inside human cadavers.

  Director of Education, Wandsworth
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last met the director of education of the London borough of Wandsworth; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend and I met Mr. Naismith and other interested parties on 9 January to discuss plans for city technology colleges in Wandsworth. I met Mr. Naismith and Councillor Edward Lister on 11 January to discuss a number of ILEA-owned sites in 688
  Wandsworth which will be subject to the property transfer orders being made by my right hon. Friend under section 168 of the Education Reform Act.

  Higher Education (Students)
  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the number of students in higher education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  Actively fostered by the Government's education policies and consistent with the general aim of securing further substantial increases in participation above present record levels, we expect to see significant growth in student numbers over the 1990s. Our latest projection indicates full-time equivalent student numbers rising from about 760,000 in 1988 to about 890,000 by the turn of the century.

  Interim Advisory Committee
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the interim advisory committee.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend asked the interim advisory committee to submit its report by the end of January. He will be arranging for its early publication once he has received it.

  Teachers
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to recognise teachers of excellence by means of higher salaries.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Local education authorities can award incentive allowances to teachers demonstrating outstanding ability in the classroom. The Government hope that they will make full use of this discretion.

  Student Loans
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations he has received about his proposals for a student loan scheme.

  Mr. Jackson
  Since the publication of the White Paper on top-up loans for students we have received about 5,050 letters, including 64 petitions. Of those, about 700 have been received since publication of the Education (Student Loans) Bill.

  Disabled Students' Allowance
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list any additional information his Department plans to take into account when calculating the maximum level of the disabled students' allowance;

  (2) if he will list the information his Department took into account when calculating the maximum level of the disabled students' allowance.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend continues to take into account all the relevant information available to him, when determining within available resources the rate and conditions of the disabled students' allowance. This year,
  689
  in addition to information about cost increases generally, he has received representations from interested parties and detailed evidence from disablement organisations about students' circumstances and needs, which he is considering carefully.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy that the upper limit of the disabled students' allowance will not be frozen in the event of the introduction of his proposals for student loans.

  Mr. Jackson
  The way in which the disabled students' and other supplementary allowances will be handled in the years after 1990–91 when the main mandatory grant rates are to be frozen will be considered in the light of all the circumstances, including the availability of resources, prevailing at the time.

  Special Educational Needs
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the most recent figure for the number of pupils and students with statements of special educational needs in England.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The provisional total number of pupils with statements of special educational needs in England was 138,173 on 21 January 1989, with one authority's return outstanding.

ENERGY

  Nuclear Safeguards
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what proportion of the costs allocated under(a) in annex B of his Department's memorandum to the Energy Committee on fast reactors published in HC 613, page 6, to reprocessing operations, fissure materials, and technical support for the Dounreay plants, in 1989–90, was spent on nuclear safeguards activities;

  (2) what proportion of the costs allocated under (b) in annex B of his Department's memorandum to the Energy Committee on fast reactors, published in HC 613, page 6, to reprocessing services in support of European collaboration, materials, design and component proving and for engineering in the research and development programme in 1989–90 was spent on nuclear safeguards activities.

  Mr. Baldry
  The AEA recovers the cost of its nuclear safeguards work as an overhead from its various nuclear activities. In 1989–90, this cost represents some 0·2 per cent, of costs allocated under item(a) Dounreay plants, and some 0·1 per cent, of expenditure allocated under item (b) research and development in annex B of the Department's memorandum to the Energy Committee on fast reactors.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes), 8 January,Official Report, column 474, when the discussions to which he makes reference began; how many meetings have been held to
  690
  date, and where; which states have participated; and when he expects an agreement on safeguarding wastes containing civil material will be concluded.

  Mr. Baldry
  Discussions with the IAEA on the safeguards to be applied to waste containing civil nuclear material began in 1988. Three consultants' meetings have been held in Vienna. These were held on 12 to 16 September 1988, 12 to 16 June 1989 and 9 to 13 October 1989. Representatives from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, Sweden, Canada, and Euratom attended the meetings. The IAEA is currently considering the consultants' recommendations.

WALES

  Landslips
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, between 1979 and 1989, how many local authorities in south and west Wales have applied for Welsh Office financial assistance for villages threatened by landslides and landslips which have not been directly caused by mining; how much money has been granted per annum by his office on such schemes, and if he will list them.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Department has no powers to give financial assistance for villages threatened by landslides and landslips, but it can advise local authorities on financing necessary works.

  Coastal Erosion
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many local authorities in Wales have applied For central Government assistance since 1979 to tackle coastal land erosion problems; how much money per annum has been allocated by central Government in this period; and which schemes have been supported.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Fourteen maritime district councils in Wales have applied since 1979 for central Government assistance for schemes, approved by the Department under section 5 of the Coast Protection Act 1949, to tackle coastal erosion problems.

  The schemes supported under the Act and the actual amount of grant paid during each financial year are listed in the tables:

  Financial Year

  Grant Paid

  1979–80

  984,331

  1980–81

  980,659

  1981–82

  1,553,313

  1982–83

  2,048,111

  1983–84

  749,718

  1984–85

  1,080,983

  1985–86

  431,933

  1986–87

  1,106,116

  1987–88

  1,436,051

  1988–89

  727,376

  Total

  11,117,890

  The provision for the financial year 1989–90 is £2·9 million.

  Note Some of the grant paid in earlier years will relate to schemes approved before 1979 and not included in the list of schemes in the table.
  691

  Grant aided schemes from 1 January 1979 to 31 March 1989

  Authority

  Scheme

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  Aberconwy Stage 1

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  Aberconwy Stage 2, 3, 4

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  Happy Valley, Llandudno

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  Penrhyn Bay Breakwaters

  Aberconwy Borough Council

  Penmaenmawr Emergency Works

  Carmarthen District Council

  Pendine Sea Wall

  Carmarthen District Council

  Ferryside Phase I, II and III

  Ceredigion District Council

  Pen-yr-Eryyd Peninsula

  Ceredigion District Council

  Cae Bach

  Ceredigion District Council

  Victoria Terrace, Aberystwyth Beach Nourisement

  Ceredigion District Council

  Abearaeron Harbour South Pier

  Ceredigion District Council

  Victoria Terrace Stage I

  Ceredigion District Council

  Victoria Terrace Stage II

  Ceredigion District Council

  Traeth-y-Duffryn Beach, Aberporth

  Ceredigion District Council

  Village Frontage, Borth

  Ceredigion District Council

  Llanina Point, Newquay

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Storm Damage Phase 4

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Rhos-on-Sea

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Rhos-on-Sea Phase 3

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Sea Wall Rhos-on-Sea

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Llandulas Beach, Armourflex

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Emergency Works Sea Wall 1987

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Llandulas Tip

  Colwyn Borough Council

  Llandulas Beach

  Colwyn Borough Council

  West Promenade Wall and Groynes

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Abersoch

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Carreg Samson

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Nefyn Beach

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Pwllheli Golf Links

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  East Cliff, Aberdaron

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Pwllheli Harbour Walls

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Abersoch Port Fawr

  Dwyfor Borough Council

  Cliff Opposite Castle Street, Criccieth

  Llanelli Borough Council

  Llanelli Beach

  Llanelli Borough Council

  Salters Reclamation PI and PII and PIII

  Llanelli Borough Council

  Reinstatement of CP works at Llanelli Beach

  Meirionnydd District Council

  Ynysbrawd Phase 2

  Meirionnydd District Council

  Aberamffra

  Meirionnydd District Council

  Barmouth Drifting Sands

  Meirionnydd District Council

  Grouting Harbour Wall

  Meirionnydd District Council

  Abrasion of Stepped Apron

  Meirionnydd District Council

  Tywyn Road to Bryn-y-Mor

  Ogwr Borough Council

  Porthcawl Breakwater

  Ogwr Borough Council

  Porthcawl Seawall and Promenade

  Port Talbot Borough Council

  Aberavon Sea Wall

  Preseli District Council

  Cwm-yr-Egllys

  Preseli District Council

  Newport Sands

  Preseli District Council

  Whitesands

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Rhyl and Prestatyn Storm Damage November 1977

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Barkby Beach Phase 4

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Ffrith Beach Phase 1

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Lengthening Groynes Prestatyn

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Sand Dunes, Ffrith Beach

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Prestatyn Beach Nourisement

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Barkby Beach—Splash Point Phase 3

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Barkby Beach—Emergency Works

  Rhuddlan Borough Council

  Ffrith Beach Phase 2

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Front Street, Pembroke Dock

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  North Cliff, Tenby Stage II

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Wisemans Bridge Phase I

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Laston House, Tenby

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Saundersfoot Harbour South Wall

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Iron Bar Sands, Tenby

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Paragon and Sluice Tenby

  692 693

  Authority

  Scheme

  South Pembrokeshire District Council

  Castle Beach Slipway, Tenby

  Vale of Glamorgan District Council

  Cliff Walk, Penarth, Phase I

  Vale of Glamorgan District Council

  Cliff Walk, Penarth, Phase II

  Vale of Glamorgan District Council

  Groynes at Penarth Head

  Vale of Glamorgan District Council

  Penarth Promenade

  Ynys Môn-Isle of Anglesey District Council

  Sea Wall Holy Island

  Ynys Môn-Isle of Anglesey District Council

  Trearddior Bay Sea Wall

  Ynys Môn-Isle of Anglesey District Council

  Beaumaris Sea Wall

  Ynys Môn-Isle of Anglesey District Council

  Gallowspoint Beaumaris

  Ynys Môn-Isle of Anglesey District Council

  Lleiniog, Penmaen

  The Arts
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which matters of art in Wales fall under his responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Primary responsibility for arts matters in Wales rests with the Welsh Arts Council. However my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has responsibility for aspects of the visual arts and general museums matters, together with sponsorship responsibility for the National Museum of Wales.

  Japanese Investment
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts are being made to strengthen Wales's chances of obtaining Japanese investment.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Wales continues to be extremely successful in obtaining inward investment from Japan and has secured 19 projects promising over 2,000 jobs in the last two years. A number of measures have been introduced to further improve this excellent performance, including the setting up of a board of experienced business people to advise Welsh Development International; provision of additional staff for Welsh Development International, including two new deputy directors; and strengthening of their Tokyo office. I have myself undertaken two inward investment missions to Japan, the last in September 1989, and I regularly meet executives from Japanese companies. I was also pleased to officially open the new Centre for Japanese Studies, in Cardiff, in November 1989. There are good prospects for further investment from Japan.

  Gross National Product
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will take steps to maintain gross national product figures for Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  GDP for Wales and other areas of the United Kingdom is estimated annually. To calculate GNP would necessitate the estimation of net property income from outside Wales which would involve income from external (to Wales) investment and income generated in Wales by non-residents. Little information is available on these elements.

  Hill Livestock Allowances
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total value to farmers within less-favoured areas in Wales of the hill livestock compensatory allowance.
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  Mr. Peter Walker
  Farmers in the less-favoured areas in Wales received £30·9 million in hill livestock compensatory allowances in 1988–89.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the future levels of hill livestock compensatory allowance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have received representations about HLCA rates from both the National Farmers Union and the Farmers Union of Wales. This matter has also been raised with me by several hon. Members in correspondence and questions in the House.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of general practitioner practices in Wales; and what proportion of those practices have a computer.

  Mr. Grist
  The total number of general practitioner practices in Wales is 548; approximately 25 per cent, of those practices have a computer system.

  Milk
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether any liquid milk is being imported into Wales from Ireland for either liquid consumption or manufacturing purposes.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  No liquid milk is currently being imported into Wales from Ireland.

  Doctors and Pharmacists
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the steps by which consideration is given to an application to dispense by(a) doctors or (b) pharmacists in respect of rural areas in Wales, including all the available appeal stages; what changes he plans to make to that procedure for the future; and who will be responsible for each stage in the new procedure.

  Mr. Grist
  The controls on dispensing in rural areas are governed by the National Health Service (General Medical and Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1974 (as amended). There are two sets of controls under these regulations for doctors and pharmacists. They are as follows:

  Doctors—A doctor may make application to the responsible family practitioner committee (FPC). The FPC refers the matter to the rural dispensing committee (RDC) for determination. The regulations provide for an appeal to the Secretary of State against the decision of the RDC.
  695
  Pharmacists—Pharmacists may make an application to the responsible FPC. The FPC refers the matter to the RDC for determination. There is provision for appeal to the Secretary of State. Additionally, following a successful outcome the pharmacist would have to secure admission to the FPC's pharmaceutical list, decisions on which are taken by the pharmacy practices sub-committee (PPSC) of the FPC. Appeals against decisions of a PPSC are considered by an appeal panel appointed by the FPC from a list of people drawn up by the Secretary of State.

  So far as arrangements for the future are concerned I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 23 January 1990.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy with regard to the creation of a consolidated body to deal with appeals on professional matters in respect of doctors and pharmacists; and whether it is his intention for Welsh appeals to be dealt with through such an England and Wales body.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 23 January 1990.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many community health councils in Wales are(a) in favour and (b) against his proposed restructuring of community health councils in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  The consultation period on the proposals for restructuring community health councils in Wales runs until the end of February 1990. Virtually all the councils are yet to respond.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will publish the responses of each community health council in Wales to his proposals for changing the number and structure of community health councils in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Any council is free to publish its response.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which community health councils in Wales have indicated(a) approval and (b) disapproval for the National Health Service and Community Care Bill's provisions and the way they will affect Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on Friday 8 December.

  Trunk Roads
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to upgrade any trunk roads in Wales during the next five years to dual carriageway standard; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Our plans for upgrading trunk roads in Wales to dual carriageway standard in the period to March 1994 are set out in "Roads in Wales—Progress and Plans for the 1990s".

  Central European Time
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his Department's policy towards the imposition of central European time in Wales; and if he will make a statement.
  696
  Mr. Peter Walker
  A Government Green Paper that considered the options open to the United Kingdom with regard to summer time arrangements, including harmonisation with central European time, was published in June 1989. I understand that my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department will be announcing the results in the near future.

  Road, Rail and Air Links
  Mr. Geraint Ho wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to improve Wales's road, rail and air links with Europe prior to 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Improvements to the road network, including east-west links to Europe, are set out in "Roads in Wales—Progress and Plans for the 1990s". Improvements to rail and air links are commercial matters for the operators concerned.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales further to his statement of 18 December 1989, if he will now provide further information on the operation of his scheme for community charge transitional relief in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I am today placing in the Library revised calculations showing the effects of the scheme in Wales in 1990–91. Further calculations will be required for future years.

  The calculations show that personal chargepayers in 320 Welsh communities will receive relief in 1990–91. I expect 750,000 chargepayers, more than one in three of all personal chargepayers, to benefit from the scheme. Chargepayers in most valleys communities, and in many rural communities, can expect to see reductions in their charges.

  I will be laying regulations implementing the scheme shortly.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Recycling
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he intends to take to encourage the use of products manufactured from recycled materials.

  Mr. Forth
  I have established, under the aegis of my Department's business and the environment unit, an advisory group of more than 40 recycling experts to provide recommendations to Government on how to improve the United Kingdom's recycling performance. Smaller working groups have recently been convened to examine specific materials, and the means of increasing demand for recycled products is one of the critical issues which each group is addressing.

  EC Framework Programme
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the EEC framework research programme and Her Majesty's Government's participation.
  697
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The 1987–1991 EC framework programme for research and development has funding of 5·4 billion ecus (£3·6 billion). At the Research Council of Ministers on 15 December 1989 where I represented Her Majesty's Government the Council reached unanimous agreement on a new framework programme for 1990–1994 with funding of 5·7 billion ecus (£4·2 billion) (I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 17 January,Official Report, column 318.). There is, therefore, a two-year overlap between the two programmes. The United Kingdom currently contributes 19 per cent, to Community research and development expenditure.

  United Kingdom scientists, research establishments, universities and companies participate in all the specific programmes under the framework programme. Individual projects require participation by organisations from more than one member state and the United Kingdom is typically involved in 50 to 80 per cent, of projects and receives 20 to 25 per cent, of the funding available.

  Ferranti
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what study his Department has made of the Coopers and Lybrand report on the Ferranti fraud; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  As I said in reply to the hon.Member's questions about Ferranti in December 1989, the Serious Fraud Office is investigating allegations of fraud concerning the company. It is for the Serious Fraud Office to assess the relevance to its investigation of the Coopers and Lybrand report.

  Steel Imports
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the Official Report the total tonnage of steel imported into the United Kingdom by British Steel pic during the last year, and any assessment made of the likely tonnage to be imported into the United Kingdom during the current year by British Steel plc.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is not available.

  Steel Demand (Ravenscraig)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of whether existing steel demand within a 250 mile radius of the Ravenscraig steelworks is sufficient fully to load the plant throughout the year.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None.

  Alcohol
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in light of the merger of Bass and Irish Distillers, what plans he has to ensure that the trade in alcoholic beverages does not become a monopoly and to provide safeguards for the interests of consumers.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]In the event of such a merger situation qualifying for investigation under the merger control provisions of the Fair Trading Act it would be examined in the normal way 698
  by the Director General of Fair Trading who would advise my right hon. Friend on the competition issues raised and on the question of reference to the MMC. Following the MMC report on the supply of beer, a number of steps have been taken to promote greater competition in the on-licensed trade throughout the United Kingdom. If the hon. Member has any particular concerns about competition in the market for alcoholic beverages he should bring them to the attention of the director general.

  Civil Aviation Authority
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement about the extent of the efficiency scrutiny of the Civil Aviation Authority which he announced on 12 December.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 23 January 1990]The Monopolies and Mergers Commission has been asked to investigate the efficiency and costs of, and service provided by, the Civil Aviation Authority in supplying navigation and air traffic control services. The full extent of the investigation is contained in the reference made on 12 December 1989, a copy of which is in the Library.

  1992 and Jobs
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the EEC Commission consulted Her Majesty's Government on its plans to consult political leaders from areas of the United Kingdom at a conference in Brussels on 25 January for the purpose of studying the implications of the report of 1992 and jobs in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]Her Majesty's Government were not consulted by the Commission about the meeting on 25 January. We understand that this will not be a conference, but a meeting between Commissioner Millan and several representatives of RETI, an organisation representing traditional industrial areas within the Community. It is not yet known who the representatives will be, or from which member states. We understand that the meeting is at RETI's request, but that it is not specifically to discuss the Commission-Louvain university report. It is not customary for the Commission to consult member states about meetings of this kind.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the EEC Commission decided to initiate an inquiry through the Catholic university of Louvain, Belgium, to study the impact of the 1992 measures on jobs in the United Kingdom and elsewhere; if Her Majesty's Government were consulted; and if he will take steps to inquire about the cost to the Commission of this exercise.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]We understand that the Commission decided to initiate this study, commissioned by it from the Catholic university of Louvain, towards the end of 1988. Her Majesty's Government were not consulted. The Commission may undertake its own studies of this kind without consulting member states, and does so regularly. However, proposals for legislative decisions flowing from such studies are of course a matter for member states in the Council of Ministers. No information is available on the cost of this exercise at present.
  699
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has been provided with a copy of the inquiry into 1992 and jobs by the EEC Commission; what were the conclusions of the report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]The Commission has not formally made available copies of this report, which is not yet ready for publication. The report was obtained by the press without the Commission's consent. The report still has the status of a Commission internal document. The Commission has however made a full copy of the report available to Her Majesty's Government informally. The report is not specifically about the impact of the single market on jobs, but analyses a wide range of socio-economic issues related to the single market in six individual regions—Strathclyde, South Yorkshire, Pays Basque, Wallonia, Nord Pas de Calais and Nord Rhein Westphalen. Its conclusions are complex, and we are still studying them. We shall deposit a copy of the report in the Library of the House as soon as possible.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which areas of Europe were identified in the EEC report on 1992 and jobs as being likely to suffer most.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]The full Commission-Louvain university report on the impact of the single market on certain regions was received in the Department only this week. We are still studying its conclusions.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Statutory Sick Pay
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list all the legislative and administrative changes, and proposals for change to the statutory sick pay scheme since its introduction.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The following legislative and administrative changes have been made to statutory sick pay (SSP) since it was introduced in April 1983:—

  April 1984:

  Uprating of SSP rates.

  March 1985:

  Restriction on which days can be treated as qualifying days for SSP.

  April 1985:

  Uprating of SSP rates;

  Introduction of compensation for national insurance contributions employers pay on SSP.

  April 1986:

  Uprating of SSP rates;

  Entitlement to SSP increased from 8 weeks in a tax year to 28 weeks in a period of incapacity for work;

  The linking period between two periods of incapacity for work increased from 2 to 8 weeks;

  Certain periods of entitlement to SSP with a previous employer to be taken into account by new employer when determining maximum SSP entitlement;

  Introduction of Leaver's Statement;

  Amendment of SSP Exclusion and Transfer Forms;

  Days of entitlement to SSP deemed as days of entitlement to sickness benefit for invalidity benefit purposes;

  SSP treated as earnings for Attachment of Earnings Act.

  700
  April 1987:

  Uprating of SSP rates;

  Abolition of middle rate of SSP;

  Liability for payment of SSP transferred to Secretary of State where employer bankrupt or defaults;

  Minor procedural changes to take account of introduction of Statutory Maternity Pay;

  April 1988:

  Uprating of SSP rates.

  April 1989:

  Uprating of SSP rates;

  Simplification/Amalgamation of SSP Forms.

  The following changes are proposed from April 1990:—
  Uprating of SSP rates, including earnings band between rates: Introduction of self-certificate form for optional use by employees and employers.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the increase in real terms since 1979 in the income of pensioners who receive all their income from state benefits.

  Mr. Scott
  Between 1979 and 1986 the average total net income of pensioner tax units who obtained all their income from state benefits rose by 25 per cent. in real terms.

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey.

  Benefit Regulations
  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will seek to repeal regulation 51 of the Housing Benefit (Community Charge Rebates) (Scotland) Regulations 1988 and regulation 52 of the Community Charge Benefits (General) Regulations 1989.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  [holding answer 20 December 1989]A de minimis rule of this kind—50p a week for community charge benefit, as for the current system of rate rebates and other housing benefits—is a sensible feature of all the income-related benefit schemes, and we have no plans to repeal it.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Community Workshops
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about his policy for preventing young people from coming into contact with paramilitaries in Belfast whilst unemployed; if he has any plans to delay changes to the funding arrangements for community workshops; and what progress has been made by the Department of Economic Development in preparing for these changes.

  Mr. Needham
  The Government's social and economic policies are designed to address the problems of the unemployed and include specific education and training schemes, improved access to available employment through job clubs and job markets, the creation of employment through inward investment, setting up and expansion of small businesses, and schemes such as ACE, and encouragement to bona fide local community organisations to become directly involved in improving social and economic conditions in local areas.
  701
  The Belfast action teams, operating over a large area of the city. work in partnership with community groups. To encourage groups to make use of the services and facilities provided by the statutory bodies some pump-priming funding is available.

  There are no plans to delay the implementation of the new funding arrangements. However, discussions have taken place and will continue with representatives of community workshops to consider whether modifications need to be made to the new funding arrangements to meet their concerns.

  Flooding
  Mr. Kilfedder
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will take steps to encourage householders to insure house contents against flooding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  This is a matter for individual householders to determine in the knowledge that there is no general responsibility on Government to compensate for losses arising from had weather.

  The Housing Executive's policy with regard to household and contents insurance is to encourage its tenants to arrange adequate cover themselves and it emphasises its importance by means of enclosing leaflets with general correspondence.

  Medical Research
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to strengthen existing links and priorities in medical research in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement about additional resources for the Province in this field.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: The integration of the hospital, community health and primary care services, together with the personal services, in a unified management structure in Northern Ireland gives the Province a considerable advantage in identifying research opportunities in both the clinical and operation fields which reflect its particular needs.

  The research programme of the DHSS in Northern Ireland is undertaken principally through three separate organisations whose activities are co-ordinated through common research priorities and an overlap in membership. Central direction and funding of clinical and operation research is secured primarily through the department research group (DRG). This considers research proposals in the context of the Department's priorities, which are selected having regard to national priorities. Secondly, the Department also provides direct funding for a core programme of research undertaken by the recently established health and health care research unit (HHCRU) located in the faculty of medicine of the Queen's university of Belfast. The membership of the unit's programme of work is drawn from the health and social service boards as well as the university medical faculty and the Department. The third element of the Department's research programme is the support of local

  1987–88

  1988–891

  Full-time

  Part-time

  FTE2

  Full-time

  Part-time

  FTE2

  St. Mary's College3 4 5

  635

  292

  n.a.

  692

  450

  n.a.

  Stranmillis College4 5

  636

  153

  n.a.

  663

  246

  n.a.

  The Queen's University of Belfast

  7,537

  1,696

  7,908

  7,680

  1,690

  8,086

  702
  research undertaken on its behalf by the clinical research awards advisory committee (CRAAC). This committee is made up of senior clinicians with research backgrounds together with departmental, university and board representatives. The committee considers applications for grants for research projects in the clinical field against priorities determined locally.

  The Government intend to strengthen existing links with the services through regular discussions with boards on research priorities. These priorities will then provide the content for the commissioning of research by the DRG, HHCRU and CRAAC. This initiative will strengthen existing arrangements for the identification and funding of research projects in both the clinical and operational fields. Currently available resources are considered adequate For the Province in this field.

  Cultural Traditions Programme
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funds he has made available under the cultural traditions programme to(a) the Ultach Trust and (b) the Ulster Society.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 23 January 1990]: A sum of £7,500 has been paid to the Ultach Trust to assist the trust in developing its future plans. The Ulster Society has been awarded £3,224 to support the publication of "The Ulster Covenant" by Gordon Lucy.

  Students
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many students were enrolled at(a) St. Mary's teacher training college and (b) St. Joseph's teacher training college for the academic years 1987–88 and 1988–89, broken down as far as convenient into full-time, part-time and full-time equivalents;

  (2) how many students were enrolled at Queen's university, Belfast, for the academic years 1987–88 and 1988–89, broken down as far as convenient into full-time, part-time and full-time equivalents;

  (3) how many students were enrolled at Stranmillis college for the academic years 1987–88 and 1988–89, broken down as far as convenient into full-time, part-time and full-time equivalents;

  (4) how many students were enrolled at the university of Ulster, Jordanstown, for the academic years 1987–88 and 1988–89, broken down as far as convenient into full-time, part-time and full-time equivalents;

  (5) how many students were enrolled at the university of Ulster/Magee college for the academic years 1987–88 and 1988–89, broken down as far as convenient into full-time, part-time and full-time equivalents;

  (6) how many students were enrolled in the university of Ulster, Coleraine, for the academic years 1987–88 and 1988–89 broken down as far as convenient into full-time, part-time and full-time equivalents.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 23 January 1990]: The available information is as follows:

  703

  1987–88

  1988–891

  Full-time

  Part-time

  FTE2

  Full-time

  Part-time

  FTE2

  University of Ulster6

  Belfast

  560

  112

  n.a.

  624

  54

  n.a.

  Jordanstown

  4,485

  2,714

  n.a.

  4,609

  2,882

  n.a.

  Coleraine

  2,461

  330

  n.a.

  2,380

  331

  n.a.

  Magee

  462

  514

  n.a.

  683

  570

  n.a.

  7,968

  3,670

  9,956

  8,296

  3,837

  10,410

  1Figures for 1988–89 are provisional.

  2FTE = Full-time equivalent student load. Separate figures cannot be computed for individual campuses on the same basis as the overall university FTE.

  3St. Joseph's College was amalgamated with St. Mary's College in September 1985.

  4"Full-time" figures show enrolments on initial teacher training courses, including Post Graduate Certificate of Education.

  5"Part-time" figures include both award-bearing and non-award-bearing courses.

  6Figures have been included for each of the four campuses of the University of Ulster.

  Museums
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show what sums have been paid by the Government to each museum in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years for which figures are available; of these sums, in each case how much was used to encourage tourism; and what are the projections for the current and the next two financial years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 23 January 1990]: The information requested is as follows:

  1986–87 £

  1987–88 £

  1988–89 £

  Ulster Museum

  2,523,000

  2,802,000

  2,865,000

  Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

  1,878,500

  1,914,000

  2,086,000

  Ulster American Folk Park

  397,000

  665,000

  631,000

  The estimated expenditure figures for the current year and the provisional planning figures for the next two financial years are:

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1991–5 £

  Ulster Museum

  3,338,000

  3,394,000

  3,633,000

  Ulster Folk and Transport Museum

  2,138,000

  2,187,000

  2,239,000

  Ulster American Folk Park

  524,000

  534,000

  545,000

  While the museums are among the attractions most popularly visited in Northern Ireland, resources are not allocated to encourage tourism as such.

  Cattle Prices
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has as to what was the average gross margin for the year 1984 to 1989 in

  1. Summary

  (a) April 1988 (not available for March 1988)

  Board area

  Total number of full-time teacher in post

  Total number of promotion allowances in payment

  Percentage

  Belfast

  3,697

  1,252

  34

  North-Eastern

  4,113

  1,252

  31

  Southern

  3,832

  977

  26

  South-Eastern

  3,356

  972

  29

  Western

  3,418

  945

  28

  704
  respect of (a) fat steers, (b) fat heifers and (c) beef bulls; and what is his estimate of the average net profit for each said animal in each year.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 23 January 1990]: The information requested is not available.

  Suckling Calves
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the price of suckling calves in the principal markets for such cattle in Northern Ireland in the months of September, October and November in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 23 January 1990: The information requested is as follows:

  Average prices (£/head) at auction

  September

  October

  November

  1986

  214

  230

  224

  1987

  268

  302

  294

  1988

  364

  361

  349

  1989

  318

  337

  319

  Incentive Allowances
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many teachers were employed in March 1988 in each education and library board area; how many teachers in each area were in receipt of an incentive allowance; what percentage this was of the total employed in each area; and how many teachers in receipt of an incentive allowance in each education and library board area held allowances that were(a) incentive A, (b) incentive B, (c) incentive C, (d) incentive D and (e) incentive E.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:
  705

  Board area

  Total number of full-time teachers in post

  Total number of promotion allowances in payment

  Percentage

  Total

  18,416

  5,398

  30

  (b) March 1989

  Belfast

  3,656

  1,511

  42

  North-Eastern

  4,122

  1,522

  37

  Southern

  3,842

  1,353

  36

  South-Eastern

  3,374

  1,263

  38

  Western

  3,444

  1,222

  36

  Total

  18,438

  6,871

  38

  2. Analysis of Promotion Allowances per Board Area

  Allowance type

  Total number in payment April 1988

  March 1989

  a. Belfast

  A

  119

  349

  B

  761

  755

  C

  12

  63

  D

  264

  238

  E

  96

  106

  Total

  1,252

  1,511

  b. North-Eastern

  A

  163

  412

  B

  745

  766

  C

  9

  24

  D

  243

  232

  E

  92

  88

  Total

  1,252

  1,522

  c. Southern

  A

  123

  464

  B

  629

  647

  C

  1

  26

  D

  171

  155

  E

  53

  61

  Total

  977

  1,353

  d. South-Eastern

  A

  102

  370

  B

  623

  623

  C

  10

  48

  D

  167

  156

  E

  70

  66

  Total

  972

  1,263

  e. Western

  A

  126

  362

  B

  614

  620

  C

  7

  45

  D

  143

  139

  E

  55

  56

  Total

  945

  1,222

  Kells Police Station
  Mr. Mallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether the police inquiry team led by Deputy Chief Constable John Stevens has interviewed to date all police officers who served at Kells police station, Co. Antrim, during the period 31 October 1986 to 31 October 1988;

  (2) whether the police inquiry team led by Deputy Chief Constable John Stevens has interviewed to date a member
  706
  of the Royal Ulster Constabulary who previously served at Kells police station, Co. Antrim, and who was charged in October 1988 with the illegal possession of arms, ammunition, and detonators;

  (3) whether the police inquiry team led by Deputy Chief Constable John Stevens has interviewed to date two police officers previously stationed at Kells police station, who resigned from the force between 1 January 1988 and 1 March 1989;

  (4) whether the police inquiry team led by Deputy Chief Constable John Stevens has interviewed to date three police officers previously stationed at Kells police station, who were transferred to other duties during the period I June 1988 and 1 March 1989.

  Mr. Cope
  [holding answer 15 January 1990]: These are matters for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. As court proceedings involving these matters have not been concluded, it would not be appropriate to comment further.

HEALTH

  Breast and Cervical Cancer
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the rates of cancer of the breast and cervix in the north-east of England for those aged(a) 20 to 25 years, (b) 25 to 30 years, (c) 30 to 35 years, (d) 35 to 40 years, (e) 40 to 45 years, (f) 45 to 50 years, and (g) 50 to 55 years; what were the average rates for the rest of the United Kingdom for the same age groups for each year from 1980; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  [pursuant to his reply, 13 December 1989, columns 677–79]: I regret that incorrect figures were given in the table for the United Kingdom as a whole. An amended table is as follows. The exact information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  Newly diagnosed cases of cancer rates (per 100,000 population) for female breast1 and the cervix uteri2 by age group for Northern Regional Health Authority, Yorkshire Reginal Health Authority. and United Kingdom, 1980–84

  Year

  Age-group

  Northern Regional Health Authority

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority

  United Kingdom

  Malignant neoplasm of the female breast

  1980

  20-24

  0·86

  1·53

  1·12

  25-29

  6·72

  5·94

  6·64

  30-34

  27·78

  26·78

  20·46

  35-39

  44·35

  41·67

  48·70

  40–44

  98·10

  97·83

  96·42

  707

  Year

  Age-group

  Northern Regional Health Authority

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority

  United Kingdom

  45–49

  151·69

  152·37

  139·29

  50–54

  146·47

  123·42

  140·28

  1981

  20–24

  1·70

  0·75

  0·76

  25–29

  7·66

  9·39

  6·69

  30–34

  26·57

  20·50

  20·45

  35–39

  64·94

  61·36

  47·43

  40–44

  88·84

  114·00

  93·06

  45–49

  128·00

  134·28

  133·45

  50–54

  113·61

  147·06

  142·02

  1982

  20–24

  —

  0·73

  0·51

  25–29

  9·63

  3·38

  5·87

  30–34

  24·34

  14·47

  20·29

  35–39

  64·23

  45·30

  49·44

  40–44

  109·20

  94·38

  95·14

  45–49

  144·66

  146·79

  141·68

  50–54

  123·51

  140·59

  146·58

  1983

  20–24

  1·63

  0·71

  0·90

  25–29

  3·83

  6·71

  6·17

  30–34

  22·12

  21·67

  21·81

  35–39

  38·61

  47·35

  48·22

  40–44

  82·19

  96·93

  89·75

  45–49

  147·64

  138·24

  130·31

  50–54

  120·98

  155·31

  141·30

  1984

  20–24

  1·60

  2·07

  1·36

  25–29

  10·32

  4·90

  6·19

  30–34

  28·38

  27·90

  20·47

  35–39

  48·71

  47·92

  46·81

  40–44

  71·83

  103·68

  86·33

  45–49

  126·28

  141·42

  131·76

  50–54

  144·47

  138·07

  141·73

  Malignant Neoplasm of the Cervix Uteri

  1980

  20–24

  1·73

  4·60

  2·58

  25·29

  9·61

  7·63

  10·65

  30–34

  18·82

  21·42

  16·26

  35–39

  26·61

  28·41

  21·64

  40–44

  18·95

  26·68

  21·04

  45–49

  15·73

  14·13

  19·63

  50–54

  28·45

  30·13

  23·44

  1981

  20–24

  1·70

  2·24

  2·46

  25–29

  9·58

  17·08

  12·55

  30–34

  15·06

  23·54

  19·40

  35–39

  19·48

  27·47

  19·64

  40–44

  20·50

  27·00

  23·31

  45–49

  13·71

  27·47

  22·46

  50–54

  30·01

  25·49

  22·83

  1982

  20–24

  1·66

  2·92

  2·31

  25–29

  12·52

  17·77

  10·11

  30–34

  15·92

  27·33

  18·72

  35–39

  17·79

  28·52

  19·94

  40–44

  25·29

  39·16

  24·35

  45–49

  20·67

  18·35

  20·79

  50–54

  20·59

  17·82

  21·07

  1983

  20–24

  0·82

  5·66

  1·94

  25–29

  13·40

  22·65

  13·79

  30–34

  21·15

  35·00

  20·87

  35–39

  18·83

  22·47

  21·26

  40–44

  27·40

  27·70

  22·93

  45–49

  16·15

  26·24

  18·86

  50–54

  23·31

  22·04

  21·15

  1984

  20–24

  0·80

  2·76

  1·79

  25–29

  10·32

  13·88

  12·24

  30–34

  29·35

  32·97

  24·34

  35–39

  19·30

  36·92

  25·00

  40–44

  19·08

  31·98

  23·06

  45–49

  20·48

  31·09

  22·64

  50–54

  19·19

  27·41

  22·07

  708
  1 Assigned to an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9th revision code 174.

  2 Assigned to the ICD code 180.

  Environmental Health Officers
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations have taken place, and are taking place, on the status and qualifications of environmental health officers under European Economic Community directives for the inspection of food in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Government's policy continues to be one of ensuring as far as is possible and reasonable that EC food directives are negotiated and implemented by reference to the existing system of food inspection in the United Kingdom and the important role that the environmental health officers play in it.

  Lead
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will outline current studies into the pervasiveness of lead in the environment and in diet; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 18 January 1990]: I have been asked to reply.

  My Department has recently published food surveillance report No. 27 "Lead in Food: Progress Report" which gives details of studies on lead in the diet and the measures taken to reduce exposure. This records the significant drop in lead intake from this source which has occurred over the last decade.

  Numerous studies on lead levels in soil, dusts, stream sediments, air and water have also been carried out in recent times together with blood lead level monitoring in children and adults. These environmental programmes have been kept under review by the Department of the Environment steering group on environmental lead monitoring and used to influence and check on the effectiveness of action taken to reduce exposure.

  Monitoring of lead in the diet, air and water is continuing and research is being carried out into the contribution made by lead in dust and soil to the total exposure of children to this metal.

  Ambulance Service
  Sir Ian Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to ensure that the police and armed forces have made available to them for immediate use ambulances which are public property.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In the event of the 999 service being disrupted within any particular ambulance authority, it is open to the chief constable and local managers jointly to consider the use of NHS ambulances by police crews if, in their view, that would strengthen the contingency arrangements locally and improve the service to the public. Where the armed forces are deployed to assist in the provision of an emergency service, they use their own vehicles, which are adequately equipped and with which they are familiar.

  Sir Ian Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that ambulances which are the property of local or other public authorities are not used in furtherance of the views of one party in the present dispute within the ambulance service.
  709
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  It is for local managers after considering all the circumstances to determine what action, if any, should be taken to prevent the use of NHS ambulances for unauthorised purposes.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the budget allocations for community health councils for the current year and on a constant value basis for 1984 and 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  The expenses of community health councils are met by and are reported along with the total expenditure of the health authorities concerned. It is for health authorities to decide the level of funding they provide to community health councils and information on the allocations are not routinely collected centrally.

  Following are expenditure figures for the years requested derived from the summarised accounts of health authorities in England:

  Total expenditure on community health councils

  £000 (cash)

  £000 (at 1988–89 prices)

  1979–80

  4,031

  7,590

  1984–85

  6,341

  7,800

  1988–89

  8,004

  8,004

  Notes:

  1. The figures for 1979–80 and 1984–85 have been expressed at 1988–89 prices by the use of the gross domestic product deflator.

  2. The figures for 1988–89 are provisional in that they are as yet subject to audit.

  Aging
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings have been held between Ministers and officials from different Government Departments to co-ordinate Government policy on aging and related issues in the last 12 months; and what were the topics discussed at each of these meetings.

  Mr. Freeman
  Frequent meetings are held between Ministers and officials in the relevant Departments to co-ordinate policies in this area.

  Tiludronate
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement concerning the use of the drug, Tiludronate as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The drug Tiludronate is not licensed in the United Kingdom.

  Listeria
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is currently taking to ensure adequate inspection of dairy products for evidence of listeria.

  Mr. Freeman
  The public health laboratory service is preparing a report following a study of listeria in dairy products. Once this report is available, the Department will consider what, if any, additional measures are required to maintain an adequate inspection level of dairy products.

  Residential and Nursing Homes
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of(a) residential homes for the aged and (b) nursing homes which have been opened since the passage of the Registered Homes Act 1984, in the cities of Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle upon Tyne and in the boroughs of Brighton, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Torquay, Southport and Hastings.

  Mr. Freeman
  Information is not available centrally in the form requested. Residential care homes are registered with local social services authorities and nursing homes with district health authorities. The tables give details of the number of establishments catering for the elderly in the areas to which the hon. Member refers:

  Information recorded on form K036 about institutions1 registered under section 23 of the Registered Homes Act 1984

  District health authorities

  As at 31 December 1985 number of institutions1 with beds for the elderly2

  As at 31 March 1988 number of institutions1 with beds for the elderly2

  Newcastle

  0

  1

  Leeds Eastern, Leeds Western

  9

  33

  Sheffield

  6

  14

  Brighton

  28

  48

  Eastbourne

  37

  38

  Hastings

  36

  39

  East Dorset

  77

  82

  Bristol

  32

  50

  Torbay

  24

  32

  North, East, South, West and Central Birmingham

  11

  30

  Liverpool

  9

  26

  Southport

  36

  58

  North, Central and South Manchester

  5

  13

  1 Institutions include private hospitals, nursing homes, mental nursing homes and clinics.

  2 Only including beds intended for those aged 65 years and over requiring long stay nursing care.

  Number of registered 1 residential care homes for the elderly

  At 31 March:

  Local Authority

  1985 2

  1988 3

  Liverpool

  29

  41

  Leeds

  42

  61

  Manchester

  36

  53

  Sheffield

  15

  29

  Birmingham

  86

  127

  Avon

  180

  201

  Newcastle

  23

  24

  West Sussex

  293

  314

  East Sussex

  366

  398

  Hampshire

  319

  409

  Devon

  516

  669

  Sefton

  99

  131

  1 Includes homes exempt from registration under section 1(5)(j) of the Registered Homes Act 1984.

  2 Includes homes which are reported as catering for a mix of clients.

  3 Provisional

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessments take place of aged persons before they are placed in either a nursing home or residential care; whether he expects to make changes to these procedures; and if he will make a statement.
  711
  Mr. Freeman
  The assessment of elderly people for whom residential care is arranged by local authorities is a matter for the authority concerned. At present no assessment is necessary before a person enters a residential or nursing home in the independent sectors, with or without help from income support.

  Our White Paper, "Caring for People" proposes that from April 1991 local authority social services departments should carry out an appropriate assessment of individuals' needs for social care, including residential and nursing home care, in collaboration with medical, nursing and other caring agencies as necessary and having regard to the wishes of the individual and his carers, before deciding the appropriate type of care. The National Health Service and Community Care Bill at present before the House would lay a duty on local authorities to carry out such assessments. The preparation of guidance to local authorities on assessment and case management is also in hand.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has about the length of time taken for the registration of residential care homes(a) nationally and (b) in the city of Liverpool, from the time an application is submitted under the Registered Homes Act 1984 until a certificate has been issued.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not held centrally.

  Welfare Milk
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what savings from the reduction in the value of welfare milk tokens will accrue to his Department in the year 1990–91.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is estimated that the revised pricing structure for the supply of liquid welfare milk in England will save some £7·5 million in the financial year 1990–91. The entitlement of beneficiaries to welfare milk is not affected by this change.

  Independent Inspection Units
  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the consultation document on independent inspection units promised in the White Paper "Caring for People" will be published.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A consultation paper amplifying the proposal made in the White Paper that

  Number of mentions of sudden infant death syndrome1 on death certificates for all ages, England and Wales, by year and month of registration, 1971–88 Comparable data for earlier years are not available

  Year

  January

  Feburary

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  Total

  1971

  43

  51

  54

  37

  30

  50

  46

  39

  58

  42

  47

  27

  524

  1972

  77

  78

  74

  64

  73

  53

  47

  47

  50

  82

  73

  80

  798

  1973

  93

  88

  93

  63

  81

  72

  49

  57

  58

  93

  94

  110

  951

  1974

  130

  87

  101

  76

  71

  54

  65

  48

  46

  86

  95

  106

  965

  1975

  86

  90

  99

  85

  68

  68

  60

  53

  65

  69

  102

  84

  929

  1976

  104

  100

  72

  83

  70

  55

  42

  37

  56

  88

  83

  117

  907

  1977

  125

  91

  89

  84

  86

  59

  37

  45

  48

  70

  89

  114

  937

  1978

  109

  106

  103

  73

  82

  56

  65

  50

  56

  87

  86

  122

  995

  1979

  138

  121

  114

  103

  75

  67

  56

  50

  49

  87

  121

  118

  1,099

  1980

  158

  127

  113

  119

  91

  55

  77

  65

  74

  106

  120

  155

  1,260

  1981

  140

  129

  152

  111

  91

  81

  65

  45

  56

  106

  133

  195

  1,304

  1982

  194

  145

  153

  100

  83

  72

  75

  39

  75

  109

  134

  196

  1,375

  1983

  142

  175

  154

  98

  116

  81

  65

  55

  81

  86

  154

  151

  1,358

  1984

  174

  171

  172

  122

  67

  86

  52

  46

  68

  122

  101

  104

  1,285

  1985

  166

  123

  113

  132

  112

  65

  70

  54

  67

  120

  147

  169

  1,338

  712
  local authorities should set up independent inspection units has been sent to organisations representing local authority, independent sector and user interests today. Their comments have been invited. Copies of the paper have been placed in the Library.

  Inspection units will form an integral part of the arrangements for securing and safeguarding the quality of community care services. They will have a special responsibility for supporting and monitoring those who provide residential care, both in local authority homes and in the independent sector. Their establishment will be entirely separate from the line management of local authority homes.

  These proposals have already been welcomed. They will put providers of services in the public and independent sectors on the same footing and, through the setting up of local advisory committees, they will involve providers and users in running the system. This should not only foster good will, but increase the effectiveness of the quality control process and public confidence in it.

  Cot Deaths
  Mr. John Browne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide details of the incidence of child cot deaths from 1960 to date, indicating the difference between winter and summer months; what information he has on the possibility that cot deaths can be caused by poisonous gases resulting from the growth of fungi in soiled cot mattresses containing PVC; and if he will make a statement on the results of his Department's research into this subject.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 18 December 1989]: Figures from 1971, the earliest date from which information is available, on numbers of mentions of sudden infant death syndrome on death certificates are provided in the table. Two qualifications need to be made in any assessment of an overall trend. First, the numbers of births in each year need to be taken into account. Secondly, over this period, respiratory disease has diminished as a reported cause of infant death and there has been a corresponding increase in the reporting of sudden infant death.

  Details of a theory that gas emitted from the action of fungus on PVC mattresses may be a cause of sudden infant death have been submitted to the Department. A scientific assessment of the evidence is being undertaken by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.
  713

  Year

  January

  Feburary

  March

  April

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  Total

  1986

  174

  188

  146

  138

  123

  82

  79

  73

  84

  106

  136

  201

  1,530

  1987

  173

  169

  172

  127

  89

  123

  80

  68

  81

  131

  149

  212

  1,574

  1988

  178

  182

  177

  123

  120

  116

  87

  89

  97

  134

  146

  180

  1,629

  1 International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, code 798.0.

  Regional Allocations
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library(a) a paper explaining the seven age band relative costs systems referred to in his reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central on 10 January, Official Report, column 663, and (b) a paper showing why the particular method of adjusting regional allocations for mobility referred to in his reply was selected.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 17 January 1990]: I have today placed a short note in the Library giving the information requested.

  Medicines
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make an announcement about the proposed increase in fees relating to the Medicinal Products for Human Use Regulations 1989 (S.I., 1989, No. 418); and if he will give the number of current applications waiting to be processed or being processed by the Medicines Control Agency.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: Comments received during the consultation exercise are being taken into account before the final version of the fees regulations is laid before Parliament. Subject to the usual statutory processes it is intended that these amending regulations will come into effect as soon as possible. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) on 20 December at columns 334–35.

  The number of applications for new licences awaiting a decision as at 31 December 1989 was:

  Number

  Product licences

  1,867

  Product licences (parallel imports)

  991

  Manufacturers licences

  20

  Wholesale dealers licences

  34

  Non-orthodox practitioner licences

  4

  Cerebral Palsy
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of children born in England, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available, who have been diagnosed as having cerebral palsy.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: Cerebral palsy is not necessarily diagnosed at birth, so information on the number of children born in England each year and diagnosed with this condition is not available centrally.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each year since 1974–75 current spending on the hospital and community health services 714
  for each National Health Service region and for the special health authorities (i) in cash terms, (ii) adjusted using the gross domestic product deflator, and (iii) adjusted using the National Health Service pay and prices index.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is given in a table, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The expenditure figures are based on those shown in the summarised accounts of regional and district health authorities and the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals (predecessor authorities for the years prior to 1982–83).

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Shotguns
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for he Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Gwent as to the number of complaints he has received during the last six months to the effect that shotguns were taken into the possession of the police without giving a receipt to the owner.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the chief constable that no such complaints have been received in Gwent police headquarters.

  Begging
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were convicted of a begging or related offence in England and Wales during(a) 1987, (b) 1988 and (c) 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is given in the table. Data for 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990.

  Persons convicted of begging and sleeping out under the Vagrancy Act 1824 (as amended) England and Wales

  1987

  1988

  Begging

  440

  512

  Sleeping out

  14

  13

  Racing
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reach a decision on whether to establish an inquiry into the financing of racing.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We are not as yet able to estimate when we shall have completed our consideration of this matter.

  Random Breath Tests
  Sir Ian Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues on the criteria which should govern the instructions issued to police
  715
  officers in uniform who stop vehicles at random for the purpose of investigating whether the drivers of the vehicles concerned have alcohol in their bodies in excess of the prescribed limits, where such vehicles have not been involved in moving traffic offences or accidents which give legal grounds for such action.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  It is for individual chief officers of police to issue instructions to officers under their command. The Government encourage chief officers of police to use their powers to the full in the enforcement of the law relating to drinking and driving. Those powers were set out in the reply my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 5 December 1989 at column 131.

  Hillsborough Disaster
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he received Lord Justice Taylor's final report into the Hillsborough disaster; and when he is proposing to publish it.

  Mr. Waddington
  I received Lord Justice Taylor's final report on 19 January. I hope to publish it on Monday 29 January.

  Prisoners
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further developments there have been in his plans to help prisoners maintain contact with their families and friends.

  Mr. Mellor
  My hon. Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) announced a number of measures aimed at improving inmates' family ties on 17 March 1989 at column 363. We are now establishing a pilot scheme to reduce routine censorship in local prisons, category B training prisons and remand centres to a 5 per cent. sample. The pilot scheme will run in Leeds, Maidstone, Norwich and Winchester prisons for three months from 1 February. The proposed reduction of routine censorship will remove the need for restrictions on the number of letters which inmates may send and receive and also enable staff to be redeployed to other duties.

  We have also decided to establish a pilot scheme at Her Majesty's prison Manchester to enable remand inmates to

  Remand population in custody: by sex and type of custody, month end figures, 1989, England and Wales

  Number of persons

  Males

  Females

  Month end

  All

  Untried

  Convicted unsentenced

  Police cells1

  All

  Untried

  Convicted unsentenced

  Police cells1

  1989

  January

  10,512

  8,594

  1,681

  237

  494

  380

  88

  26

  February

  10,357

  8,436

  1,726

  195

  476

  364

  105

  7

  March

  10,294

  8,545

  1,678

  71

  476

  394

  82

  —

  April

  10,151

  8,407

  1,689

  55

  469

  375

  94

  —

  May

  9,926

  8,120

  1,675

  131

  476

  374

  102

  —

  June

  10,014

  7,943

  1,845

  226

  480

  378

  98

  4

  July

  10,036

  8,102

  1,870

  64

  476

  377

  99

  —

  August

  10,242

  8,389

  1,833

  20

  474

  395

  79

  —

  September

  10,098

  8,287

  1,781

  30

  468

  366

  102

  —

  October

  9,989

  8,190

  1,784

  15

  482

  382

  100

  —

  November

  9,520

  7,840

  1,676

  4

  444

  350

  94

  —

  1 All were untried prisoners

  716
  use cardphones subject to certain safeguards. This follows the successful introduction of cardphones in open prisons and the present programme, which is well advanced, to instal them in all category C and equivalent establishments. The Manchester pilot scheme should begin in March and, if successful, will be extended to remand inmates held in other local prisons and remand centres. It has also been decided that expenditure on phonecards will no longer count against the limit on the amount of private cash which inmates may spend. I hope that the ability to telephone family and friends will be of particular help in reducing the anxiety and stress experienced by inmates on remand and reduce the incidence of self-harm.

  Mr. Andrew Balfour
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the arrest of Mr. Andrew Balfour by special branch officers on 17 August 1989 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act; why he was held for two days at Paddington Green police station before being released on bail and told there is no case to answer; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  I understand from the Commissioner that Mr. Balfour was arrested under section 14 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 on 17 August 1989 and released the next day. A person arrested under this provision may be detained for up to 48 hours on the authority of the police if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that he is guilty of an offence under the Act, is a person who is or has been concerned with acts of Northern Ireland or international terrorism, or is subject to an exclusion order.

  Remand
  Sir Charles Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women were being held in custody on remand in the United Kingdom(a) from year end 1987 to year end 1988 and (b) from year end 1988 to year end 1989.

  Mr. Mellor
  Information for 1987 to 1988 was published in table 1.2 of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1988" (Cm. 825), a copy of which is in the Library. The readily available figures for 1989 are given in the table:

  Prison Service Headquarters
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which midlands city he is proposing to establish the new prison service headquarters which he has recently announced.

  Mr. Mellor
  Work has now begun to determine where in the midlands the new headquarters location should be. No decision has yet been taken.

  Police Vehicles (Fatal Accidents)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for(a) 1988 and (b) 1989, the number of persons who have died in accidents involving police vehicles.

  Chief Inspector £

  Inspector £

  Police Sergeant £

  Police Constable £

  Time and a third 1

  14.83

  13.49

  11.33

  9.32

  Time and a half 2

  16.68

  15.18

  12.75

  10.49

  Double time 3

  22.24

  20.24

  17.00

  13.98

  1 This rate is paid to officers before or after completing a normal tour of duty.

  2 This rate is paid to officers who work on a rest day.

  3 This rate is paid to officers who work on a public holiday.

  Squatting
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to amend the law on squatting to enable local authorities to take action in the absence of action by the owners of the properties concerned; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Government have no plans to amend the law in this way. The police and local authorities have powers to deal with squatters who commit criminal offences; these may include criminal damage, theft, assault or using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, and powers under the Public Health Act 1936 and Control of Pollution Act 1974 to act against premises which are verminous or prejudicial to health, or give rise to a statutory nuisance or where the occupiers cause a noise nuisance. Additionally, the Criminal Law Act 1977 created certain offences aimed at squatters including failure to leave premises when required to do so by a displaced residential occupier. Otherwise, squatting is an act of trespass, which is a matter for the civil law, and it is for those whose interests are affected by the trespass to consider whether they wish to bring a civil action.

  Mr. Malcolm Cairns
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the Director of Public Prosecutions' consideration of the report compiled by the deputy chief constable of Derbyshire in respect of Mr. Malcolm Cairns, the assistant chief constable of Leicestershire, and the author Joseph Wambaugh.

  The Attorney-General
  I have been asked to reply.

  The report is being considered carefully and as expeditiously as possible.
  718
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Figures collected by Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary (which do not include the Metropolitan police) indicate that in 1988 there were 14 civilian fatalities involving a police vehicle while engaged in a pursuit or responding to an emergency. Figures for 1989 are not yet available.

  Metropolitan Police Overtime
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the hourly rates for overtime in the Metropolitan police force.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The average overtime rates paid to officers, up to and including chief inspectors, in the Metropolitan police are:

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Refreshment Facilities
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will make available in the Library details of bookings and sponsoring hon. Members for dining rooms booked between 16 January and the summer recess.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  It is the practice not to divulge information on functions organised in accordance with the banqueting regulations. If the hon. Member has a specific issue in mind she is advised to raise it either with the General Manager of the Refreshment Department or with the Catering Sub-Committee, of which she is a member.

EMPLOYMENT

  Disabled People
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what measures his Department is taking to encourage and promote part-time working for those disabled people unable to work full time;

  (2) whether his Department's internal review of employment assistance to disabled adults is examining the possibility of introducing a partial capacity benefit to facilitate part-time working by disabled people unable to work full time.

  Mr. Eggar
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced on 10 January, the Government propose to introduce a disability employment credit to make it easier for people with disabilities to take up and remain in work. The new benefit, to be introduced in April 1992, will help people with disabilities whose earning capacity is low, including those who are only able to work part time.

  Following publication of the report "Defusing the Demographic Timebomb" my Department is encouraging

  719
  employers through a range of media to make more use of flexible working patterns, including part-time working, to obtain suitable employees. The value of part-time working in drawing on the talents of people with disabilities is also stressed in our code of good practice on the employment of disabled people and by the Disablement Advisory Service.

  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department expects to publish its internal review of employment assistance to disabled adults, commissioned in March 1988.

  Mr. Eggar
  The review is at an advanced stage. The consultative document which will follow the review will be published as soon as possible.

  Mines (Accidents)
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many major injuries were suffered by men working underground in mines operated by British Coal in 1978–79 and each succeeding year;

  (2) how many major injuries were suffered by men working underground in private licensed mines in 1978–79 and each succeeding year;

  (3) how many men were killed in private licensed mines in 1978–79 and each succeeding year;

  (4) how many men were killed underground in mines operated by British Coal in 1978–79 and each succeeding year.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 15 January 1990]: The table lists underground fatal and major injuries at all coal mines for the period 1978 to 1987–88.
  720
  It is not possible before 1987–88 separately to identify those underground accidents at licensed mines without incurring disproportionate costs.

  Underground fatalities at all coal mines

  Underground major injuries at all coal mines

  1978

  46

  427

  1979

  41

  375

  1980

  39

  445

  1981

  26

  2697

  1982

  30

  770

  1983

  25

  697

  1984–851

  18

  321

  1985–864

  22

  622

  1986–87

  16

  3809

  1987–885

  74

  6651

  83

  1Covering the 15 month period January 1984-March 1985.

  2The introduction of NADO Regulations 1980 on I January 1981 widened the coverage of the serious injury category.

  3The introduction of RIDDOR Regulations 1985 on 1 April 1986 further widened the major injury categories. Major injury figures from 1981 and 1986–87 are therefore not directly comparable with earlier years.

  4Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Mines have records of all fatal and major injury accidents for coal mines generally until 1984–85. From 1985–86 these records can be split to show accident figures at British Coal and licensed mines.

  5Fatal and major accidents underground cannot be separated between British Coal and Licensed Mines before 1987–88.

  6Cannot be separated between British Coal and Licensed Mines without incurring disproportionate costs.

  7British Coal.

  8Licensed mines.

  Aids to Employment (Sheffield)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much money has been spent within the city of Sheffield on the provision of equipment and resources to disabled people under the aids to employment budget; when the 1989–90 budget was exhausted; how many people have had applications for assistance refused in the past 12 months; and how many are currently awaiting provision of further resources.

  Mr. Eggar
  Figures are not available for the city of Sheffield alone. The amount spent under the special aids to employment scheme for the Sheffield area (which includes the city, and Rotherham) from 1 April 1989 to date is £46,082·22. The 1989–90 budget is not exhausted and so there are no cases awaiting the provision of further resources. Three people from the Sheffield area had applications under the scheme refused in the past 12 months. Two are ineligible for assistance; in the third case, a solution was not technically possible.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make additional resources available under the aids to employment scheme to facilitate the independence of Mr. John Gallagher of Sheffield.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is understood that Mr. Gallagher has applied to his local authority for assistance under the blind homeworkers scheme, under which the authority could contribute 25 per cent., and the employment service up to 75 per cent. of the assistance. No application has, however, yet been received by the employment service. If it is, consideration can be given to assisting Mr. Gallagher either under the provisions of the blind homeworkers scheme, or the special aids to employment scheme. Additional resources under the latter are not necessary, as the budget for the scheme is not exhausted.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Kingswood,Official Report, 12 January, column 783, if he will provide similar information on the percentage fall in unemployment correct for the year to December 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The table shows the 20 parliamentary constituencies which have experienced the largest percentage falls in unemployment over the year to December 1989. The figures are not seasonally adjusted.

  Percentage change in the number of unemployed over the year to December 1989

  Constituency name

  Percentage

  Westmorland and Lonsdale

  -42·7

  Montgomery

  -42·7

  South Derbyshire

  -38·8

  Stoke-on-Trent North

  -38·2

  North Wiltshire

  -38·1

  Ceredigion and Pembroke North

  -38·0

  Harrow West

  -37·6

  Mid Staffordshire

  -37·1

  Kincardine and Deeside

  -36·3

  Old Bexley and Sidcup

  -36·3

  Clwyd South West

  -35·9

  Aberdeen South

  -35·7

  Harrow East

  -35·7

  Stratford-on-Avon

  -35·3

  Nuneaton

  -35·2

  Amber Valley

  -34·8

  722

  Constituency name

  Percentage

  North West Leicestershire

  -34·4

  North Shropshire

  -34·3

  South Worcestershire

  -34·3

  Sutton Coldfield

  -34·1

  Professional and Executive Recruitment
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, in the light of the privatisation of Professional and Executive Recruitment, if he will dispense with the requirement that before non-EEC candidates for highly specialised job vacancies can be retained, form OW5 has to be completed; and if he will make a statement as to his plans for creating a level playing field for professional and executive recruitment firms.

  Mr. Eggar
  Prospective employers of overseas nationals requiring work permits have not been required to notify the vacancy to Professional and Executive Recruitment since it was privatised. Employers applying for a work permit will continue to complete a form of application which, where appropriate, will require them to state what efforts have been made (including the use of agencies) to recruit resident labour.

  Jobcentres
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he or his predecessor last visited a jobcentre or benefit office; and where that visit took place.

  Mr. Howard
  My predecessor, Sir Norman Fowler, visited Sutton Coldfield unemployment benefit office on 15 December 1989.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment on what criterion he will assess the success or failure of a TEC's annual plan.

  Mr. Eggar
  TECs will need to draw up their plan for the year ahead based on the needs of the community they will serve. They will need to set out and agree ambitious targets for key outputs such as qualifications and jobs gained by trainees. Progress towards these targets will be monitored on a regular basis.

  Part-time Workers
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of female part-time workers in Great Britain in April 1989, and in each standard economic region; and what was the proportion of those nationally and in each region whose earnings fell below(a) £4·15 per hour, (b) £4·30 per hour, (c) £3·10 per hour and (d) £2·80 per hour.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There were an estimated 4,301,000 part-time female employees in employment in March 1989. The estimated percentages of part-time adult female employees earning below specified amounts in the new earnings survey sample in April 1989 are given in table 175, part F of the new earnings survey 1989 report. Figures of the percentage earning below £3·10, £4·15 and £4·30 per hour are not available; the nearest available figures are given in table 175 except for the percentages earning below £3 which are provided in the following table:
  723

  Percentage of part-time females earning less than £3 per hour

  per cent.

  Great Britain

  47

  South East

  34

  East Anglia

  47

  South West

  52

  West Midlands

  53

  East Midlands

  52

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  54

  North West

  49

  North

  61

  Wales

  54

  Scotland

  50

  Note: Adult rates of pay; pay not affected by absence.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of male part-time workers in Great Britain in April 1989; and what was the proportion of those workers whose earnings fell below(a) £4·15 per; hour (b) £4·30 per hour, (c) £3·10 per hour and (d) £2·80 per hour.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There were an estimated 901,000 part-time male employees in employment in March 1989. The estimated percentages of adult male part-time employees earning below specified amounts in the new earnings survey sample in April 1989 were:

  Hourly earnings less than

  Percentage

  £2·80

  38

  £3·00

  45

  £3·20

  53

  £4·00

  70

  £4·50

  75

  Figures of the percentage earning below £3·10, £4·15 and £4·30 per hour are not available; the nearest available figures have been given.

  Action Credit Pilot Scheme
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is his intention that individuals who participate in the action credit pilot scheme should have the equivalent employee status under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Participants in the action credit pilot scheme have the same rights under the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 and the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 as other employees.

  Linwood Car Plant
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will conduct a survey to ascertain how many men and women who worked for the former car plant in Linwood have contracted a form of asbestos disease; and if he will give the numbers.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No such survey is proposed as this would be unlikely to provide any useful information at this stage on exposure to asbestos at the Linwood plant.

SCOTLAND

  Offences Against Children
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland have been prosecuted during the last five years for committing the offence of(a) rape and (b) sexual offences against children including incest, having already served a sentence of imprisonment for that offence; and what were the sentences administered.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information is not available in precisely the form requested. In the period 1984 to 1987, three men successfully prosecuted for rape were recorded as having previously served a prison sentence for this crime. The average custodial sentence for the earlier offence was just over four years and for the second just under nine years. Information which separately identifies sexual offences against children is not held centrally.

  Sheriff Officers
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of sheriff officers duly approved as of 1 January; and what was the figure on 1 January 1989 and 1988.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The number of commissions issued by sheriffs principal authorising individuals to act as sheriff officers was 191 on 1 January 1990 and 186 on 1 January 1989. Figures are not available for 1988.

  Hospital Readmissions
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients in Scotland were, for each year since 1980, readmitted for hospital treatment and suffering from the same or related illness for which they had been previously discharged.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Hospital Admissions
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many patients were admitted for hospital treatment in Scotland for more than(a) three days, (b) seven days (c) two weeks and (d) more than two weeks for each year since 1980.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is as follows:

  Number of Inpatient Discharges from Acute General Specialties1 in Scotland, by length of stay

  4–7 days

  8–14 days

  More than two weeks

  1980

  121,595

  108,829

  93,517

  1981

  128,052

  112,798

  96,088

  1982

  116,291

  102,649

  90,300

  1983

  132,552

  112,187

  91,519

  1984

  138,815

  112,043

  90,852

  1985

  142,179

  111,566

  90,500

  1986

  142,280

  109,715

  89,287

  1987

  145,899

  108,640

  88,423

  1988

  150,477

  108,867

  88,653

  1 The following specialties are excluded: Geriatric Long-stay, Young Chronic Sick, Psychiatric Specialties, and Obstetrics.

  Water (Lead Levels)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that European requirements concerning lead levels in water are complied with.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Scottish water authorities have already made substantial progress in reducing the levels of lead in their supplies.

  The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 1990, made on 23 January, impose standards relating to the quality of public and private water supplies for the purposes of drinking, washing or cooking. The standard on lead is tighter than that in EC Directive 80/778/EEC (the drinking water directive), and regulation 24 makes provision for securing the elimination, or reduction to a minimum, of the risk that water supplied by the authorities will be contaminated after supply by excessive concentrations of lead and certain other metals.

  In addition, districts and islands councils have discretion to give housing repair grants for the replacement of lead plumbing. From 1982–88 inclusive,

  Date

  Council

  Minister

  29 January 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  16 June 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  21 July 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  29 September 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  28 October 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  17–18 November 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  15–17 December 1980

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  27 January 1981

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  9–11 February 1981

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  10–11 March 1981

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  27 March 1981

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  29 September 1981

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  27 October 1981

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  15 June 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  28–29 June 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  20–21 July 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  4 October 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  25–26 October 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  8 November 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  29 November 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  21 December 1982

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  25 January 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  20 June 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Right hon. George Younger, TD MP, Secretary of State for Scotland

  30 June–1 July 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  25–26 July 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  3–4 October 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  10–12 October 1983

  Special Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  19 October 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  14 December 1983

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  31 January 1984

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  24–25 May 1984

  Fisheries Council

  Mr. John Mackay MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

  10 September 1984

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  4 December 1984

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  19 December 1984

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  6 May 1985

  Informal Meeting of Education Ministers

  Mr. Allan Stewart MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

  27 September 1985

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  4 November 1985

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  16–17 December 1985

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Gray of Contin, Minister of State

  22–23 September 1986

  Fisheries Council

  Mr. John Mackay MP

  5 November 1986

  Fisheries Council

  Mr. John Mackay MP

  3–4 December 1986

  Fisheries Council

  Mr. John Mackay MP

  17–18 December 1986

  Fisheries Council

  Mr. John Mackay MP

  726
  some 58,000 grants for work which included the replacement of lead plumbing had been made by these councils.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the dates and subjects of meetings of the Council of Ministers that he or members of his ministerial team intend to attend over the coming year; and if he will specify which Minister will attend.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The United Kingdom delegations to meetings of the various European Councils of Ministers represent all the interests within the Government. Decisions on whether a Scottish Minister should be included in delegations are taken in the light of the business when it is known and of the other commitments of the Minister concerned.

  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the dates and subjects of meetings of the Council of Ministers that he or members of his ministerial team have attended in the past 10 years; and if he will specify which Minister attended in each case.

  Mr. Rifkind
  This information is provided in the table:
  727

  Date

  Council

  Minister

  5 May 1987

  Fisheries Council

  Mr. John Mackay MP

  29 September 1987

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  14–15 December 1987

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  29 February 1988

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  19–20 October 1988

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  28 November 1988

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  9–11 December 1988

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  12 June 1989

  Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  7 December 1989

  Informal Fisheries Council

  Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  18–19 December 1989

  Fisheries Council

  Rt. hon. Malcolm Rifkind QC, MP, Secretary of State for Scotland and Lord Sanderson of Bowden, Minister of State

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Dewar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the latest estimate of the cost to Scottish local authorities of collection of non-domestic rates in 1989–90 and the cost of the collection of non-domestic rates in 1988–89.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Local authorities have estimated the cost of collecting non-domestic rates in 1989–90 at £1·6 million. No corresponding figure is available for 1988–89 as returns from authorities for years prior to 1989–90 did not show separately the cost of collecting domestic and non-domestic rates.

  Employment Training
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the drop-out rate for employment training in each of the Scottish regions and for Scotland as a whole.

  Mr. Lang
  In Scotland, at November 1989, 65·4 per cent. of those completing an action plan with a training agent were referred to a training manager. Of the group referred, 93·5 per cent. actually started in employment training. These percentages are not collected on a regional basis.

  Takare Plc
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will announce the price to Takare plc of land in Rutherglen which Greater Glasgow health board plans to sell to that company;

  (2) if he will publish the full details of the contract, when agreed, between Takare plc and Greater Glasgow health board for the provision of services to the elderly in Rutherglen;

  (3) if his Department has approved the contract between Takare plc and Greater Glasgow health board for provision of services to the elderly;

  (4) what are the reasons for the delay in making a decision about the contract between Greater Glasgow health board and Takare plc for the provision of services to the elderly in Rutherglen;

  (5) when he expects to make a decision on whether to approve the contract between Greater Glasgow health board and Takare plc for the provision of services to the elderly in Rutherglen;

  (6) who his Department consulted on the sale of land in Rutherglen by Greater Glasgow health board to Takare plc;
  728
  (7) what recommendations his Department has made on the sale of land by Greater Glasgow health board to Takare plc.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No final decision has been taken on the proposed contract between Greater Glasgow health board and Takare plc, which is still subject to negotiation.

  Public Land Sales
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what rules govern the number of potential buyers required to be involved by a public body selling land in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Land surplus to public sector needs will normally be offered for sale on the open market. Alternatively, if it is in the public interest to do so, the land may be sold off-market, in consultation with the district valuer as to value.

  M80
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce the line of the proposed M80 motorway between Stepps and Haggs; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend announced in his statement of May 1989 that the central Scotland motorway schemes were to be a priority of the Scottish Office's roads programme. Construction work started on the M80 Stepps bypass, the adjacent scheme to M80 Stepps-Haggs, in November 1989. Aerial and ground surveys for the M80 Stepps-Haggs scheme have now been completed. Similarly, a key traffic survey has been completed. The final feasibility report can now be expected in spring of this year and it should be possible for a decision on a preferred route to be made shortly thereafter. The present expectation is that draft orders will be published later in the year with a public exhibition being held at that time to explain the proposals in detail.

  Disabled Workers
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people on the disabled register for work in Scotland are(a) employed and (b) unemployed.

  Mr. Lang
  There is no such thing as a disabled register for work. Under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts 1944 and 1958, the Department of Employment maintains a disablement register on which disabled people may register. That register does not include a record of the
  729
  employment status of those who are on it. In April 1989, the date of the last count, there were 33,909 people on the disablement register in Scotland.

  Both employed and unemployed people may register for employment at jobcentres. In doing so they may also choose to indicate that they are disabled. In October 1989, the latest date on which a count was made, 7,024 people with declared disabilities were registered for employment at jobcentres and local authority careers offices in Scotland.

  Illegal Dumping
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland have been prosecuted for illegal dumping of rubbish on the roads and highways in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Information on the number of persons prosecuted under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 for illegal dumping of rubbish is set out in the table. No information is collected on the location of the offence

  Year

  Persons proceeded against

  1984

  78

  1985

  31

  1986

  29

  1987

  29

  1988

  47

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prosecutions have been made against companies that have illegally disposed of chemical or industrial wastes in Scotland in each of the last five years.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The information in the table relates to company prosecutions for offences included in the Scottish Home and Health Department's classification as offences relating to the control of pollution.

  These offences include the Control of Pollution Act 1974, the Rivers (Prevention of Pollution) Acts, and the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968.

  Year

  Companies proceeded against

  1984

  8

  1985

  11

  1986

  8

  1987

  9

  1988

  20

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to do a survey to assess the extent of damage and costs that illegal dumping is causing to the environment in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  We have no plans to carry out a formal survey to establish the extent and costs of illegal dumping in Scotland. This is a matter that officials of the hazardous waste inspectorate discuss with local authorities in the course of their periodic visits.

  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has to give extra powers to local authorities to fight illegal dumping of waste and rubbish; and if he will be allocating any new powers to the councils;
  730
  (2) what plans he has to strengthen the laws against illegal dumping in Scotland's passing places, lay-bys and open spaces.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 contains powers to deter illegal waste dumping, which are to be enforced by district and islands councils. Part II of the Environmental Protection Bill also contains provisions to strengthen the relevant legislative controls.

  Inverkip Power Station
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are his plans for the Inverkip power station.

  Mr. Lang
  Inverkip power station is presently owned by the South of Scotland electricity board and ownership will pass to Scottish Power as part of the transfer scheme arrangements for the Scottish industry under the Electricity Act 1989. Decisions on the future use of the station will be for the industry to take in the light of its assessment of the contribution which Inverkip is likely to make to its ability to maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity supply, taking into account a range of factors including operating costs and the relative prices of fuels.

  River Clyde
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the state of the River Clyde regarding pollution; and what assessment he has made of whether(a) it is safe to eat fish and shellfish caught in the river at the lowest reaches, (b) it is safe to swim in the river at the lower reaches and (c) the new sewage outfall at Battery park in Greenock will cause any additional sewage problems in th Firth of Clyde.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The assessment arid control of pollution are the responsibility of the river purification authority, the Clyde river purification board. For many years the board, in co-operation with local authorities and industrialists, has actively promoted the improvement of the quality of discharges to the River Clyde throughout its length. The Clyde, like almost every other river in Scotland, has markedly improved in quality in recent years.

  The safety of fish and shellfish on sale for human consumption is a matter for the local environmental health authority. I am not aware of any evidence of any problem which has arisen from swimming in the Clyde. The board carries out relevant monitoring of these waters.

  The new sewage outfall at Battery park will replace a number of unsatisfactory outfalls with one which meets modern requirements and its completion will greatly improve present conditions.

  Waste Disposal Sites
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to allow other waste disposal sites in the Renfrew, West and Inverclyde constituency.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Responsibility for the provision of waste disposal sites in Scotland rests initially with district and islands councils as waste disposal authorities. My right hon. and learned Friend would
  731
  normally become involved only if an application for planning permission, or an appeal against refusal of planning permission, came before him for determination.

  Community Charge
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to reform procedure for appeals against entries in the community charge (poll tax) register; and what steps he will take to extend the role of the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals to oversee the conduct of appeals to registration officers.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to change the present appeal arrangements. However, discussions are being held with the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals and with Scottish community charges registration officers to establish whether it would be practicable and helpful for the Scottish committee to have a watching brief on the conduct of appeals to registration officers.

  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to change the procedures for appeal against the decision of community charge registration officers in Scotland along the lines of that to be introduced in England and Wales.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so.

  Sight Tests
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of recorded sight tests carried out in Scotland between(a) April 1988 to September 1988, inclusive, (b) October 1988 to March 1989, inclusive and (c) April 1989 to September 1989, inclusive; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 23 January 1990]The information is set out in the table:

  Period

  Number of NHS sight tests

  1 April to 30 September 1988

  531,613

  1 October 1988 to 31 March 1989

  636,997

  1 April to 30 September 1989

  281,570

  Free NHS sight tests were limited to prescribed groups with effect from 1 April 1989. The number of NHS tests carried out between 1 April and 30 September 1989 is not, therefore, directly comparable with NHS figures for earlier periods. The results of a survey on the total number of NHS and private sight tests carried out in Scotland in the first quarter of 1990 compared with earlier periods should be available after Easter.

TRANSPORT

  Public Service Vehicles
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make available for public scrutiny data providing actual and comparative percentage figures for each spot check roadside, spot check maintenance facilities and MOT station examination carried out by the inspectors on every public service vehicle company operating in south Wales.
  732
  Mr. Atkins
  Close monitoring of all PSV operators is maintained in the interests of road safety. Statistics showing the general level of enforcement activity are published in the annual reports of the south Wales traffic commissioner. Where the condition of a particular operator's vehicle gives cause for concern, the frequency of checks on that operator's premises and fleet may be increased. Details of individual checks are treated as a commercially confidential matter.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make available for public scrutiny the safety inspection records of all public service bus and coach operators in the south Wales area.

  Mr. Atkins
  The Department does not hold copies of records of PSV operators' own safety inspections.

  Transport Supplementary Grant
  Mr. Summerson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions he has reached about the possibility of earmarking part of the expenditure accepted for transport supplementary grant for work that will help reduce the number of casualties on local authority roads.

  Mr. Atkins
  Following discussions with the local authority associations, I have decided that highway authorities in England should be invited to bid for transport supplementary grant for local safety schemes on all their roads—and not just those of more than local importance—from 1991–92 onwards. Authorities will be told what information they need to submit in support of their bids in the next transport policies and programme circular, which will be issued in a few months from now. The amount of each authority's accepted expenditure for local safety schemes will be separately identified at the time of each TSG settlement.

  Lorry Trailer Maintenance
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the final report of the task force on lorry trailer maintenance is yet available.

  Mr. Atkins
  I am grateful to the trailer task force for its useful work on this and am arranging for copies of its final report to be placed in the Library. Well-designed and well-maintained trailer braking systems are important for road safety. Since the task force produced its interim report last July (Official Report, 6 July 1989, col. 259) manufacturers have been adjusting and improving their service brake designs. Advice has been drawn up for operators preparing vehicles for test and discussions are in hand with the industry on a code of lorry maintenance generally.

  Following the further work of the task force, we are considering making plating conformity a condition of acceptance of vehicles for test rather than part of the test itself, and also dropping the present secondary brake performance test. We shall be discussing further with the industry the clear identification of responsibilities for maintenance of rented trailers and ways of ensuring that the move to European Commission whole vehicle type approval for trailers contributes to the safety and cost-effectiveness of trailer construction and use.

  Railway Investment
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are, in 1989 moneys, the comparable figures for the public investment on the railway systems of(a) France, (b) West Germany, (c) Holland, (d) Norway, (e) Sweden and (f) the United Kingdom for the years 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Portillo
  British Rail's latest forecast for total investment expenditure in 1989–90 is £689 million and its latest plan forecasts investment of £1,052 million, £1,258 million and £1,421 million in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 respectively.

  The only information that I have about the other countries is for France and West Germany for 1989. The figures are:

  £ million

  France

  1,062

  West Germany

  1,662

  The networks in France and Germany are, of course, bigger than that in Britain.

  Fishing Boats
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all incidents of collision between fishing boats or their gear and submarines in 1989 and 1988 in United Kingdom waters.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The names of United Kingdom (and Isle of Man) fishing vessels reported to the Department as having been involved in incidents or suspected incidents with submarines in 1989 are listed in the table together with the date of the incident. There were no similar incidents reported to the Department in 1988.

  Vessel

  Date of incident

  New Dawn

  3 January 1989

  Lau Ann

  22 January 1989

  Spes Bona (and Arturus and Strathayre)

  27 February 1989

  Seagull

  31 March 1989

  Northern Lights

  31 March 1989

  Laurel (Isle of Man)

  17 April 1989

  Huntress

  28 June 1989

  Scotia

  13 November 1989

  Sarah Marie

  7 December 1989

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the number of United Kingdom fishing boats lost at sea in 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  For 1988 the figure is 22. For 1989 the number is not yet available.

  Western Ferries limited
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of safety arrangements on board vessels operated by Western Ferries Limited; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is conducting an investigation into this incident to establish the cause of the fire. The investigation is not yet completed.

  Cyclists
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received from hon. and right hon. Members and members of the public concerning British Rail's policy towards cyclists and rail services; how many of these were from regular cyclists; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  In the past year I have received a total of 16 representations from members of the public, either directly or via right hon. or hon. Members, concerning British Rail's policy towards cyclists and rail services. I am unable to say how many were from regular cyclists. I understand that BR's policy is to welcome cyclists and to convey bicycles whenever possible, for an appropriate charge, provided that this will not unduly inconvenience other passengers, or displace other revenue-earning traffic, such as parcels.

  Road Accidents
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional protection for car passengers he proposes to make over the next five years to abate accident injuries on British roads.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]: The Department reviews continually how improved construction standards might achieve casualty reductions, both among vehicle occupants and among those who are hit by vehicles. Any such standards require agreement in the EC. Safer steering wheels and protection against side impact are two areas with considerable potential where we have pressed for early action. More generally, we have sought to focus the attention of the Commission on priorities on vehicle safety through the note, "United Kingdom Priorities for Reducing Road Deaths and Serious Injuries from Improvements to Vehicle Construction Standards", copies of which I am placing in the Library.

ENVIRONMENT

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to publicise the availability of community charge benefits.

  Miss widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to encourage the maximum possible take-up of community charge benefits.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I refer my hon. Friends to the reply given to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) earlier today.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the rate support grant allocations per head of population for each borough and district council in Kent for 1989–90 in descending order of magnitude.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answer 15 January 1990]: The following is the information requested for the period from 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990:

  735

  1989–90

  Rate support grant per head £

  Gillingham

  66·16

  Thanet

  56·76

  Medway

  43·45

  Canterbury

  42·19

  Dover

  40·50

  Dartford

  38·20

  Gravesham

  36·79

  Shepway

  35·57

  Swale

  34·83

  Tunbridge Wells

  34·29

  Ashford

  31·64

  Maidstone

  30·96

  Sevenoaks

  28·76

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  21·66

  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state his revised projected community charge per capita for(a) Thanet district council and (b) Canterbury city council based upon (i) 100 per cent. collection, (ii) 95 per cent. collection and (iii) 90 per cent. collection; and if he will state the rate of inflation and population figures upon which these calculations are based.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 15 January 1990]The community charge figures requested are as follows:

  Thanet district council

  Canterbury district council

  (i).

  Assumed community charge based on 100 per cent. collection

  229

  222

  (ii).

  Assumed community charge based on 95 per cent. collection

  241

  234

  (iii).

  Assumed community charge based on 90 per cent. collection

  254

  247

  These figures assume spending figures for the district councils and for Kent county council based on their respective 1989–90 rate income and grant, adjusted for changes in function and uprated by 4·64 per cent. to be consistent with total standard spending for all authorities of £32·8 billion. They are shown after safety net adustments. The calculations are based on the following population figures: Thanet 96,367; Canterbury 95,811.

  The published community charge exemplifications make no allowances for losses on collection; but, equally, they do not allow for certain additional offsetting sources of income (such as standard community charges or interest on cash flow, including the advance payment of revenue support grant that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment recently announced).

  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has issued to responsible individuals who are in receipt of intrusive changes of circumstances forms issued by local community charge registration officers.

  Mr. Chope
  Every adult individual has a statutory duty to inform the community charges registration officer of any change of circumstances which affects his or her register entry. There is, however, no duty to volunteer such information about any other person. A responsible 736
  individual has a duty to provide information about people other than him or herself only in response to a specific request from the registration officer.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of those liable to pay the community charge will be eligible to receive community charge benefits.

  Mr. Chope
  Nearly one quarter of all community charge payers will be helped by community charge benefit, which can reduce their liability by up to 80 per cent.

  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the new system of local authority capital controls.

  Mr. Chope
  The consultation paper "Capital Expenditure and Finance" published in July 1988 resulted in about 400 representations from the local authority associations, individual local authorities, other organisations, hon. Members, councillors, and other companies and individuals. Since then, my right hon. Friend has received further representations about various aspects of the new capital finance system provided for in part IV of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to provide additional moneys to ease the introduction of the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  We are already providing £23·1 billion of external finance for local authorities in England for 1990–91. In addition, there will be £2£2 billion of support for individuals through community charge benefit, income support, and the transitional relief scheme.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the likely average percentage increase in community charge rates for 1991–92 over 1990–91.

  Mr. Chope
  I have made no such estimate.

  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to finalise the details of the new system of local authority capital controls.

  Mr. Chope
  We expect to complete shortly the main regulations implementing the new system. The remaining items will follow within a few weeks.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will produce revised estimates of the likely level of community charge in England and Wales.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will produce a revised estimate of the likely level of community charge in Northumbria.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has made no estimates of the likely level of community charges. Figures placed in the Library on 11 January showed what the community charge could be in English districts if spending were in line with Government assumptions. My right hon. Friend has no plans to revise these figures.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his officials last met the local authority associations to discuss the new system of local authority capital controls.
  737
  Mr.Chope
  on 1 December 1989.

  Mr. Wall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used for poll tax capping.

  Mr. Chope
  It would not be right to speculate on any charge-capping scheme we might need to operate in future.

  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what latest representations he has received over the workings of the poll tax.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My right hon. Friend and I continue to receive representations about the administration of the community charge. The aspects most frequently raised recently have been the fairness of the new arrangements, questions about comunity charge benefit, and details of the standard charge.

  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the cost of

  1990–91 SSAs·cash changes from adjusted 1989–90 GREs

  1989–90 GRE £million

  Adjusted 1989–90 GRE £million

  1990–91 SSA £million

  Cash change (Col 3-Col 2) £million

  Cash change (Col 3-Col 2) £/adult

  Cash change (Col 3-Col 2) per cent·

  Kent

  Ashford

  5·266

  4·894

  6·275

  1·381

  20

  28·2

  Canterbury

  8·219

  8·025

  8·839

  0·814

  8

  10·1

  Dartford

  4·935

  4·802

  5·321

  0·519

  8

  10·8

  Dover

  6·387

  6·205

  7·420

  1·216

  16

  19·6

  Gillingham

  6·311

  6·169

  6·954

  0·785

  11

  12·7

  Gravesham

  5·701

  5·523

  6·418

  0·896

  13

  16·2

  Maidstone

  7·382

  7·193

  9·059

  1·867

  18

  25·9

  Rochester upon Medway

  10·021

  9·532

  11·719

  2·187

  20

  22·9

  Sevenoaks

  5·400

  5·144

  5·964

  0·819

  10

  15·9

  Shepway

  6·029

  5·855

  6·502

  0·647

  9

  11·1

  Swale

  6·394

  6·182

  7·663

  1·481

  17

  24·0

  Thanet

  9·862

  9·620

  10·242

  0·622

  6

  6·5

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  5·059

  4·921

  5·830

  0·908

  12

  18·5

  Tunbridge Wells

  5·548

  5·422

  6·561

  1·139

  15

  21·0

  Development Projects
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he will take to expedite the consultative and legal processes necessary before the implementation of major development projects.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In July 1988 we introduced new rules of procedure to speed up planning inquiries into major projects. And we are considering responses to a consultation paper on improving the effectiveness of the planning system generally.

  Defective Houses
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to offer assistance to those people who purchased houses which since purchase have proved defective; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Eligible owners of designated defective properties are entitled to assistance from their local authority under the housing defects legislation.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to provide additional resources for the repair and maintenance of defective houses; and if he will make a statement.
  738
  administration of the community charge; and what representations he has received on this subject from the Association of District Councils.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The cost of collecting the community charge, as indicated by an independent study, has been taken into account in the revenue support grant settlement. The Association of District Councils has made a number of representations on these costs.

  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state in relation to each district and borough council in Kent by what percentage its 1990–91 standard spending assessment represents an increase or decrease from the comparable adjusted figure for the 1989–90 grant-related expenditure assessment.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]The figures requested are shown in the table:

  Mr. Chope
  The housing investment programme (HIP) allocations for 1990–91, announced by my right hon. Friend on 21 December 1989, took account of the total needs of local authorities for housing expenditure, including the need for expenditure on housing defects. We do not propose to make any additional allocations.

  Homelessness
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any further proposals to tackle homelessness.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier today to the right hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Orme).

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to alleviate homelessness in London and the south-east.

  Mr. Chope
  Following publication of our review of the homelessness legislation we have made £250 million of extra resources available over the next two years for schemes to tackle homelessness in London and the south-east. My Department has written to all housing associations and local authorities in London and the south-east inviting them to submit schemes to use this money. We want in the first instance to reduce the number
  739
  of homeless families councils place in bed and breakfast accommodation. We have asked councils and associations to respond quickly.

  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources he will provide to the Housing Corporation in 1991 to alleviate homelessness.

  Mr. Chope
  On 20 December my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) announced significant increases in the Housing Corporation's approved development programme. At £1,220.5 million, gross provision in 1990–91 will be nearly 50 per cent. higher than this year's allocation and will rise even further to £1,563 million in 1991–92. These additional resources will be allocated by the Housing Corporation to those areas and individuals in greatest housing need, including, of course, the statutorily homeless.

  Included within these figures are allocations of £36 million in 1990–91 and £37 million in 1991–92 which form part of the Government's special homelessness programme announced in November last year. These resources will be used to finance projects in the pressure areas of London and the south-east aimed at making available, quickly, accommodation for the statutorily homeless.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on his response to the Association of London Authorities' proposals for alleviating acute homelessness.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has written to the association, urging it to encourage member authorities to submit bids for a share of the additional £250 million we are making available specifically to reduce homelessness in London and the south-east.

  Recycling
  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to encourage recycling of waste in Government Departments and in the House.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The recycling of waste is a matter for each Department to arrange in the light of local circumstances and other requirements such as security. We are, through the interdepartmental committee on business and the environment, stressing to colleagues the need to review carefully their waste disposal arrangements in order to maximise the opportunities for recycling.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what levels of waste recycling are achieved by waste disposal authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There is at present no comprehensive record of the levels of waste recycling achieved by waste disposal authorities. However, my Department is about to launch a survey of local authorities which will investigate, among other things, the current extent of recycling activity by local authorities. In addition, under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Bill, which received its Second Reading on 15 January, waste collection authorities will be required to prepare recycling plans to enable their performance in 740
  recycling to be assessed and waste disposal authorities should have regard to the desirability of including in any contract for waste disposal terms or conditions designed to maximise the recycling of waste.

  Mr. Bright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to encourage local authorities to achieve targets of recycling 50 per cent. of household waste by the year 2000.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Local authorities will be encouraged through the provisions of the Environmental Protection Bill to improve their recycling performance. In particular, waste collection authorities will be given specific powers to facilitate recycling and will be required to prepare detailed recycling plans. Waste disposal authorities will be required to have regard to the desirability of including in any contract for the disposal of waste terms or conditions designed to maximise the recycling of waste, and waste regulation authorities will be required to give priority to recycling when considering disposal options. The provisions in the Bill will be followed up with detailed guidance to local authorities about means of encouraging recycling.

  The Government are also supporting specific initiatives involving local authorities such as the recycling city project in Sheffield which is pioneering new methods of collecting and processing recyclables.

  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the success to date of the recycling city project in Sheffield.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My Department, together with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (INC PEN), is funding a three-year research contract to monitor and evaluate the UK2000 recycling city project in Sheffield. A report on the first six months of that research is expected in March. While it is still early to make any conclusive assessment of the success of the project, it is already apparent that important progress has been made by the various industries involved in the provision of facilities to enable the public to recycle their waste and that the response to those facilities has been enthusiastic, with up to three quarters of the people served by the kerbside collection scheme taking an active part.

  Rent Arrears
  Mr.Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the 10 local authorities in England with the highest rent arrears.

  Mr. Chope
  Local authority figures for 1988–89 are not yet available. The top 10 authorities with the highest arrears as a percentage of their rent roll in 1987–88 were as follows:

  Rank Authority

  Amount

  £million

  percentage

  1. Brent1

  8·1

  47

  2. Lambeth

  12·6

  30

  3. Southwark

  19·0

  29

  4. Islington

  9·8

  27

  5. Hackney

  8·4

  24

  6. Haringey

  4·1

  19

  7. Liverpool

  11·2

  18

  8. Waltham Forest

  3·1

  16

  highest arrears as a percentage of their rent roll in 1987–88 were as follows:

  741

  Rank Authority

  Amount

  £ million

  percentage

  9. Greenwich

  4·8

  15

  10. Camden

  4·7

  15

  1 The figure reported by (£16·7 million) included rate arrears, and so on. The figure in the table is a DOE estimate on a pro rata basis (the basis apparently used by Brent in previous years).

  Climate Change
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will report on the outcome of the Cairo world conference on preparing for climate change.

  Mr. Trippier
  I participated in the conference and found it stimulating, particularly for the attention it brought to the importance of climate change for developing countries.

  Canals
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the chairman of the British Waterways Board to discuss future policy for canals.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I have met the BWB chairman, Mr. David Ingman, twice since taking up my present office and I plan to visit the BWB later this year.

  Business Rates
  26. Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the introduction of the national non-domestic rating system for businesses.

  Mr. David Hunt
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a number of representations from individual businesses and business organisations on aspects of the new uniform business rate in England.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the implications of the uniform business rate for small and large businesses in England and Wales.

  Mr. Chope
  I have nothing further to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman) on 20 December,Official Report, columns 330-31.

  Mr. Waller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, for the Bradford metropolitan district, he will state the average percentage change in rates payable in respect of industrial premises following revaluation and the introduction of the uniform business rate.

  Mr. Chope
  At the national non-domestic poundage of 34·8p and taking account of the non-domestic revaluation, average rate bills for factories in the metropolitan district of Bradford would fall by 27·3 per cent. compared with 1989–90. However, both reductions and increases in bills will be subject to transitional arrangements. The purpose of these is to give businesses facing higher bills time to adjust and to ensure that the overall yield from business rate remains broadly the same in real terms in 1990–91 as in 1989–90.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received over the implementation of the new business rate.
  742
  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 13 December,Official Report, column 710.

  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were held with representatives of the business community and local authorities on the level of the uniform business rate prior to his recent announcement.

  Mr. Chope
  Wide consultations have been held with representatives of the business community and local authorities on all aspects of the new uniform business rate. The rate for 1990–91, which my right hon. Friend announced on 20 December, is pitched at the level necessary to meet the Government's commitment that businesses should pay broadly the same in real terms in the first year of the new system as in the last year of the old.

  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the likely effects upon businesses of the introduction of the unified business rate.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud on 20 December,Official Report, columns 330–31.

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the new business rating adjustment.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the impact of the uniform business rate on small businesses in the midlands.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has had from owners of small businesses in relation to his proposals for a national non-domestic rate.

  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the introduction of the uniform business rate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Members and the hon. and learned Member to the reply given to the hon. Members for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) and for Ashfield (Mr. Haynes) on 13 December,Official Report, column 710.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has received from the Housing Corporation for new projects since his announcement that the corporation's new-build programme is to be doubled.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  In his statement of 20 December Official Report, column 327 announcing the doubling of the Housing Corporation's capital programme over the next three years my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) outlined the policy framework against which those funds were to be allocated in 1990–91. Within that framework it is for the Housing Corporation to decide which new projects are funded. I understand that the corporation hopes to have completed this process by the middle of March.
  743
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any new proposals concerning the financing of the Housing Corporation.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to increase the funding for the Housing Corporation.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) announced details of the Housing Corporation's approved development programme for 1990–91 on 20 December 1989,Official Report, column 327, and said that the corporation's capital programme was planned to double over the next three years, rising to £1,736 million in 1992–93. I have nothing to add to that statement. Decisions on the level of grant for the administrative costs of the corporation will be announced shortly.

  Planning Applications
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account local planning committees and his departmental inspectors are required to pay to local objections to individual planning applications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  All relevant views expressed by local objectors should be taken into account in determining planning applications, together with all material considerations.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further representations he has received regarding the Government's plans for the Nature Conservancy Council.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 December 1989 to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce),Official Report, column 706. My Department continues to receive representations from interested parties covering a range of views.

  Rural Development Commission
  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the chairman of the Rural Development Commission; what was discussed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I met the chairman of the Rural Development Commission on 5 December 1989 to discuss the work of the commission.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the numbers of job opportunities created by the assistance of the Rural Development Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The commission estimates that it assisted in the creation or retention of at least 5,000 job opportunities in the financial year 1988–89. Further benefits, as yet not quantifiable, will flow from the additional assistance to rural coalfield areas, including a substantial part of the hon. Member's constituency, announced on 9 January.

  Tenants
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to issue any guidelines to councils about the availability of independent advice for tenants who may be transferred from the local authority to a new landlord.

  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any new proposals for ensuring that a full and fair consultation is held with tenants in areas where the council is proposing transfer of housing to another landlord.

  Mr. Chope
  Local authorities have a statutory obligation, under schedule 3A to the Housing Act 1985, to consult tenants about a proposed disposal of their homes to a new landlord. It is for the local authority concerned to ensure that it provides tenants with sufficient and accurate details of its proposal to enable them to take an informed view about it.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the current regulations concerning the importation and transit of toxic waste; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department has received representations on a number of aspects of the current regulations on the transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste. The EC directives that are implemented through these regulations are being revised both in the light of operational experience by member states and also to give effect to the Basel convention adopted last year. The Government have made clear their views on the need for strengthening and extending the Community's rules on transfrontier shipment and we are seeking powers in the Environmental Protection Bill to restrict or prohibit the import of any wastes, where this is necessary to prevent risk of pollution or harm to human health.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the amount in tonnes of toxic waste imported for incineration during 1988–89; and how much of this was of polychlorinated biphenyls or of materials contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls.

  Mr. Trippier
  Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution estimates that approximately 52,000 tonnes of hazardous waste was imported during 1988–89. It is not possible to identify separately the quantity destined for incineration. Figures for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are available only since the introduction of the transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste regulations in October 1988 and from then until 31 March 1989 some 5,800 tonnes of PCB-contaminated waste was imported for incineration.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects the toxic waste held in Wath-upon-Dearne to be removed from the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have asked officials to pursue the matter further with the United States authorities.

  New Homes Environmental Group
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives of the New Homes Environmental Group; and what was discussed.
  745
  Mr. Chope
  I have not met representatives from the New Homes Environmental Group although my Department was an observer at their meetings.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications for development in London's green belt have been permitted in each year following the abolition of the Greater London council(a) by the London boroughs and (b) by the county districts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures for the total amount of London's green belt land lost to development in each year following the abolition of the Greater London council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Water Privatisation
  David Martin
  38. Mr. To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people purchased shares in the privatised water companies.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The information is not available in the form requested, but the number of original allocatees recorded on the interim register for each company was as follows:

  Numbers

  Anglian

  274,167

  Northumbrian

  255,476

  North West

  244,491

  Severn Trent

  317,673

  Southern

  261,704

  South West

  129,064

  Thames

  680,816

  Welsh

  143,099

  Wessex

  188,541

  Yorkshire

  210,091

  Total

  2,705,122

  These registers include corporate holdings as well as individuals. The offer also allowed for holdings by individuals in any or all of the 10 companies and therefore holders may appear on more than one register.

  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many worker shareholders there are in the nine privatised water authorities in England.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A total of 34,208 employees representing 85·55 per cent. of the eligible work force of the nine companies have successfully applied for shares in the companies under free and matching offers. In addition some of the small number of employees not eligible for the free and matching offers will have successfully applied for shares, but exact figures could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the total value of the planned investment programmes of the privatised water and sewage businesses in England and Wales over the next 10 years.
  746
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The total estimated value of the planned investment programmes of the newly privatised water and sewage businesses in England and Wales is £24·6 billion at November 1989 prices.

  Bedfordshire County Council (Spending)
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from Bedfordshire county council as to its proposed level of spending for the year 1990–91 following his announcement of the revenue support grant; what level of spending he estimates it should keep to; by how much this differs from the proposed level of spending and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has received no information from Bedfordshire county council on its proposed level of spending for 1990–91. Its standard spending assessment for 1990-91 is £277,308,000. This is an appropriate amount consistent with the provision of a standard level of service. However, Bedfordshire's budget for 1990–91 will depend on its own decisions for which it will be accountable to its chargepayers.

  Rutland Water (Animal Deaths)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will now set up a special inquiry to investigate and report upon all aspects relating to the deaths of dogs and sheep around Rutland Water in September 1988.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I do not think that it is necessary to set up a special inquiry. The NRA will be compiling a report on its investigations into the causes of the toxic algal growth in 1989 at a number of sites in England, including Rutland Water. This report will address the circumstances surrounding the deaths of animals at Rutland Water.

  Inner Cities
  Mr. Lord
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures were taken by his Department to encourage the regeneration of inner-city areas in 1989.

  Mr. Moynihan
  During 1989 my Department continued to develop and implement a comprehensive range of programmes and initiatives directed at inner-city regeneration. Substantial progress was made during the year.

  A new urban development corporation was established for Bristol to bring the number of third generation UDCs to four. Private investment committed across all UDC areas passed £7·3 billion.

  City grant, introduced in the previous year, began to make a significant impact on the redevelopment of run-down urban areas. By the end of 1989, over 100 capital investment projects had received approval for a total of £85 million grant; these will lead to private investment of £360 million and the creation of 13,500 jobs.

  The urban programme continued to support a wide range of projects to strengthen local economies, improve the environment and tackle social problems in deprived urban areas; it is estimated that about £260 million was spent on a total of more than 10,000 projects.
  747
  Under the enterprise zone initiative, Sunderland borough council and the Tyne and Wear development corporation were invited to prepare planning schemes for an enterprise zone in Sunderland.

  To encourage further the disposal of unused or underused land, new registers of such land, including inner-city sites, were made publicly available by public sector owners on 31 October under codes of practice issued by the Department.

  The annual report on the Department's inner-city programmes for 1988–89 will be published shortly.

  Housing (Planning)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which organisations have submitted comments on paragraph 3 of annex A of the draft planning policy guidance note on the planning aspects of housing developments issued in October 1989 by his Department.

  Mr. Moynihan
  We have so far received over 400 responses to the draft guidance note; a substantial number of them comment on the issue of low-cost housing for local needs. The consultation period ended on 5 January, and my officials are currently engaged on an analysis of the responses. When this is complete, I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Sports Council
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Sports Council; and what topics he proposes to discuss with him.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to meet the chairman of the Sports Council; and what matters he proposes to discuss.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I will next meet the chairman of the Sports Council at the Commonwealth games in Auckland.I expect that we will discuss informally a range of current issues relating to sport and recreation—including, I hope, British successes at the games.

  Low-cost Housing
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the rate of provision of low-cost housing both to buy and for rent in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Over the last two years the Government have announced a series of measures to promote provision of low-cost housing to rent and buy in rural areas. We have more than doubled public funding through the Housing Corporation for new investment by housing associations, so enabling the corporation to increase the targets for rented housing under its special rural programme to 1,500 a year by 1992–93 and identify a rural element within its low-cost home ownership programme. We have also made changes to the planning rules, to permit development of low-cost housing for local needs on sites not previously designated for housing, and introduced a repurchase scheme to ensure that shared ownership housing in rural areas remains available for local people. Taken together, and along with the steps we have taken to free the private 748
  rented market, these measures should make a major contribution to increasing the supply of low-cost housing to meet local needs in rural areas.

  Clean Air
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives from the National Society for Clean Air.

  Mr. Trippier
  While my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met representatives of the National Society for Clean Air, my hon. Friend the Minister for Health met representatives when she addressed the society's 90th anniversary celebrations on 15 May last year, when she was the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment.

  Environmental Protection
  Mr. Dunn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what international commitments on environmental protection Her Majesty's Government have entered into since 1987.

  Mr. Trippier
  Since 1987 the United Kingdom and the other member states have adopted European Community measures on the following:

  Directives:

  Motorcycle noise

  Construction plant noise

  Testing new chemicals

  Dangerous preparations

  Vehicle emissions

  Diesel emissions

  Pesticide residues

  Dangerous substances in water

  Large combustion plants

  New municipal waste incinerators

  Existing municipal waste incinerators

  Air Quality—smoke and SO2

  Titanium dioxide

  Regulations:

  Monitoring of forest damage

  Forestry action programme

  Trade in endangered species (enforcing CITES)

  Ivory imports

  Set-aside

  CFCs, halons and ozone layer

  The United Kingdom has also signed the Sofia protocol
  to the 1979 convention on long-range transboundary air pollution and the Basel convention on transfrontier movements of hazardous wastes.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent per head of population in 1988–89 on the control of pollution and improvement of the environment in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Trippier
  Statistics are not available in a form that would allow an exact reply to this question. Broad estimates suggest that the UK spends for the purpose of pollution control and environmental improvement a proportion of its GDP comparable to that in other industrial countries.

  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals on environmental protection his Department is currently urging the European Community to adopt.

  Mr. Trippier
  The United Kingdom plays a leading and constructive role in shaping European Community policy
  749
  for protecting the environment. We are currently urging agreement on a wide range of proposals, including the following:
  A regulation establishing a European Environment Agency to underpin environmental policy with comparable and authoritative information on a Europe-wide basis;
  A directive to protect the habitats of wild fauna and flora which will enable all member states to implement the Berne Convention and which will have added value
  over and above what can be achieved nationally;
  A directive to consolidate existing directives on exhaust emissions from passenger cars and which will include evaporative emissions;
  A directive to tighten controls over emissions from large diesel vehicle engines, which are responsible for about half the emissions of NOx from road transport and which are the principal source of smoke in cities;
  A resolution that advanced industrialised countries should aim to become self-sufficient in disposing of their wastes so that we may put an end to virtually all transfrontier shipments of wastes;
  A proposal establishing a community-wide scheme of labelling to provide consumers with impartial advice on the environmental characteristics of products and to reinforce incentives for manufacturers to produce goods which are environmentally more benign;
  A directive designed to improve public access to environmental information which will be consistent with the register-based approach used successfully in this country for a number of years
  The production of an agreed list of substances which are particularly dangerous for the aquatic environment and which require priority action to minimise imputs from all sources;
  A directive establishing a mechanism for up-dating certain existing directives on water quality in the light of technical progress and practical experience.

  In addition, we have already persuaded the Community to adopt our ideas for reducing and eliminating chlorofluorocarbons as its position in the current revision of the Montreal protocol. These proposals are the most stringent of any put forward in the negotiations.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Irvine
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the numbers of council tenants who have exercised the right to buy since 1980.

  Mr. Chope
  From October 1980 to September 1989 about 900,000 tenants purchased their homes from local authorities and new towns in England under the right-to-buy legislation.

  Task Forces
  Mr. Andrew Hargreaves
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to co-ordinate the activities of city action teams and inner-city task forces.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Effective co-ordination of Government action in the larger cities is delivered through the city action teams while the inner-city task forces operate at a more local level based in the heart of inner-city districts. The CATs and task forces work closely together to bring about regeneration in their areas.

  On 6 December my hon. Friend the Minister of State announced the formation of a new ministerial team to spearhead and co-ordinate action in inner-cities. Each city action team and inner-city task force now has a Minister to advise and assist it in its vital regeneration work.

  Derelict Land Clearance
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the provision of additional money for derelict land clearance in the city of Bradford.

  Mr. Moynihan
  We are currently considering local authority bids for derelict land grant resources and the regional distribution of grant for 1990–91 will be announced shortly.

  Carbon Dioxide
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his current estimate of Britain's carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2005.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Energy gave to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Howarth) on 13 December 1989 at columns 647–48.

  Drink Cans
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to reduce the propensity for discarding metallic beverage containers as litter.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Environmental Protection Bill contains various measures intended to discourage people from discarding litter in general, including powers for local authorities to impose fixed penalty tickets on litterers and the raising of the maximum fine for littering from £400 to £1,000. The Bill also promotes the recycling of waste by requiring local authorities to prepare recycling plans and to consider recycling as a vital part of their waste management strategy. The industry is also developing new products such as the non-detachable pull-ring which will contribute to reducing the problem of litter.

  Affordable Housing
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give urgent consideration to extending to London and other cities, the principle of encouraging the provision of affordable housing which already applies to rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government's policy is to encourage provision of affordable housing in both rural and urban areas. We have recently taken a series of measures to promote the provision of low-cost housing to rent and buy in rural areas; but special priority continues to be given to inner-city areas in distributing resources to both local authorities and housing associations.

  Mr. John Garrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider initiating a study into the feasibility of using the planning system in high land value areas to reserve land for affordable housing as a specific land use; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The general question of what role the planning system can and should play in helping to secure the provision of affordable housing has been raised in a number of the responses to the draft planning policy
  751
  guidance note on housing (PPG3) which we published for consultation last October. I will consider the hon. Member's suggestion in that context.

  Houses (Demolition)
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new measures he is considering to curb the uncontrolled demolition of unlisted dwelling houses by developers creating sites for redevelopment, outside of conservation areas.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend is considering this and other planning aspects of housing development in the context of responses to the draft revised planning policy guidance note 3 (housing) which was issued for consultation on 4 October.

  Sport and Recreation
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to implement the recommendations contained in his review group's report on the provision of sport and recreation in the inner cities.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Government will be giving careful consideration to the recommendations contained in the report of the review of sport and active recreation provision in the inner cities and to appropriate follow-up action. I very much hope that the other organisations to which recommendations are addressed will take them forward positively.

  Estate Action
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made under the Estate Action programme in selling run-down council properties to private developers.

  Mr. Chope
  Good progress. In the four years that the Estate Action programme has been operating 123 schemes have been approved which include planned disposals by councils of some 12,500 dwellings1 to the private sector.

  A research report2 recently published by the Department of the Environment confirmed that selling run-down council properties to developers for improvement and sale to individual owners was welcomed by both the new occupants and former tenants.

  The report endorses the Government's work under the Estate Action programme in promoting such schemes to help local authorities improve the quality of life on run-down estates.

  Notes
  1 Excludes dwellings sold under the Right to Buy scheme
  2 The Sale of Local Authority Housing to the Private Sector' HMSO £12·50.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to visit an Estate Action scheme.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has not yet done so, but hopes to do so in the future. For my part I visited three Estate Action schemes in Salford last month and look forward to further visits to other schemes.

  Children's Play Facilities
  Mr. Hinchliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to increase the amount of money available for grants for the provision of children's play and recreation facilities in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Primary responsibility for play provision rests with individual local authorities which fund facilities according to their judgments about the need for and level of priority attached to particular projects. The Department allocates money specifically for children's play through the Sports Council which in turn funds the national children's play and recreation unit. The unit is currently supporting a number of demonstration projects which will examine good practice in play provision for children in rural areas. This Department also grant aids the Rural Development Commission, which funds a range of social and community projects, a number of them concerned with children's play and recreation. It is for both the commission and the play unit to decide within their overall budgets the priority given to children's play projects in rural areas.

  British Scrap Federation
  Mr. Marland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met the president of the British Scrap Federation; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside met the president of the British Scrap Federation on 16 November when he attended its half-yearly dinner. Various matters relating to recycling and the valuable reclamation work undertaken by members of the British Scrap Federation were discussed.

  Enterprise Zones
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to end rates and uniform business rate holidays for retail properties in enterprise zones.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Under paragraph 27 of schedule 32 to the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 and paragraph 19 of schedule 5 to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 the rate exemption will end as each area concerned ceases to be an enterprise zone. My right hon. Friend has no plans to change the position.

  Environmental Health Officers
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with local authority associations concerning environmental health officers.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  None, but the work of environmental health officers has been relevant to a number of matters, such as the revenue support grant, which my right hon. Friend, my colleagues and I have discussed with the local authority associations.

  Local Authorities (Tendering)
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to introduce orders under the Local Government Act 1988 to extend those council activities required to be put out to public tender.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  An order extending the competition requirements of the Local Government Act 1988 to the management of sport and leisure facilities was made on 28 December 1989. There are at present no plans for extending those requirements to other services.

  Local Government Finance (Barnsley)
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will arrange an early meeting with representatives of Barnsley metropolitan borough council to discuss its allocation of revenue support grant.

  Mr. Chope
  The then Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) met a delegation from Barnsley metropolitan borough council to discuss revenue support grant (RSG) on 29 June 1989. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State received no further request from Barnsley for a meeting on RSG, and the House approved the Revenue Support Grant Report (England) 1990–91 and other reports on the settlement on 18 January 1990. But we are, of course, prepared to meet authorities if they so wish.

  Planning
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce more effective and progressive public involvement in planning processing; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend is satisfied that the existing arrangements safeguard the public interest effectively.

  Rented Houses
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what requests he has received from the Rural Development Commission to develop more housing for rent in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend's predecessor, and the then Minister for Housing, met Lord Vinson, chairman of the Rural Development Commission, in December 1988, and discussed the need for low-cost housing in rural areas; and the commission's officials have regular discussions with my Department and the Housing Corporation. The commission makes grants to the National Agricultural Centre Rural Trust for its work in helping to establish village-based housing associations. Public expenditure provision for subsidised rented housing in rural areas has increased substantially over the past two years, and the Housing Corporation has established a special rural programme for villages.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what legal action is currently being pursued by the European Commission in respect of drinking water quality; and if he will make a statement.
  754
  Heathcoat-Amory
  The European Commission and member states regard the detailed formal correspondence on infraction proceedings as confidential, hence detailed information on infraction proceedings is not freely available. However I understand that, with regard to the drinking water directive, the Commission is at various stages of legal action against virtually all member states, including the United Kingdom.

  Environmental Research
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much his Department plans to increase expenditure on environmental research between the current year and 1992–93.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave on 13 December to my hon. Friends the Members for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) and for Cornwall, North (Mr. Neale)Official Report column 717.

  Director General of Water Services
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the powers available to the Director General of Water Services to protect consumers.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The Director General of Water Services' powers to protect consumers are set out in the Water Act 1989 supplemented by the water and sewerage undertakers' instruments of appointment. Under section 7 of the Act he must exercise his powers so as to secure that the functions of water and sewerage undertakers are properly carried out and that appointed companies are able to finance the proper carrying out of those functions. Subject to these general duties, he is subject to specific duties to protect consumers, to promote economy and efficiency and to facilitate competition.

  Under section 6 of the Act the director general must establish up to 10 customer service committees and must allot each appointed company to one of those committees. It is the director general's intention to establish 10 customer service committees as soon as possible. The committees must keep under review all matters affecting customers' interests, consult and make representations to the companies, investigate those customer complaints within their remit and report to the director general on their activities in each financial year on any matter affecting the interests of customers or as required by the director general.

  The director general has a duty to consider any complaint that the customer service committee is unable to resolve and any allegation that a committee is in breach of its duty, to consider any complaint asserting a contravention of any condition of an undertaker's appointment or any other requirement enforceable under section 20 of the Act, which he decides not to refer to the Secretary of State, and to take such steps as he considers appropriate.

  The director general is also responsible for administering the regulatory system established under the Act and set out in the companies' instruments of appointment, which provides significant safeguards for consumers in relation to charges for water and sewerage services and to standards of service, and protects consumers from abuse of monopoly power.
  755
  The main provisions of the conditions of appointment are
  Limits on increases in charges. These may be adjusted by the director general in certain circumstances and reviewed periodically in the light of the principles set out in section 7 of the Act;
  A prohibition on undue discrimination between classes of customers or potential customers so that, for example, domestic and industrial consumers both pay their fair share;
  A requirement to submit audited accounts which, among other things, enable the director to protect the customer from cross subsidy between the appointed business and other businesses or companies in the group;
  Requirements as to the procedures to be followed before a domestic customer may be disconnected for non-payment of charges and for dealing with leakage with respect to metered domestic customers, and requirements to prepare, submit to the director for approval, and publish code of practice for relations with customers and the customer service committees, for disconnection procedures and for liability for changes in the event of leakage;
  A requirement to report performance against specified customer service indicators, to set targets for three key indicators of service—pressure of mains water, interruptions to water supplies and foul water flooding—and to make available to the public information on performance against these indicators. The director may vary the matters on which companies are required to report. Where performance is unsatisfactory he may ask the Secretary of State to make regulations under sections 38 of 68 to the Act to lay down standards of performance enforceable under the Act;
  Procedures to ensure that the best value is obtained from the sale of any surplus land and that the customer benefits from the proceeds;
  A requirement that the assets needed for the carrying out of the statutory water and sewerage functions remain available to the company, and a requirement to prepare, keep up to date and submit to the director an underground asset management plan to enable him to satisfy himself that the maintenance of long term assets is not being neglected.

  The director has wide-ranging information powers under the Act and the instruments of appointment to
  monitor the performance of companies. Should a company be in breach of its appointment conditions the director general may take enforcement action under section 20 of the Act.

  The director general is not responsible for regulating the quality of water supplied to customers or the quality of sewage discharges. Those are matters for other regulatory bodies but the director general has powers to ensure that the charges paid by consumers properly reflect the expenditure required to provide a satisfactory performance standard.

  Itinerants
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding nuisance caused by itinerants.

  Mr. Chope
  I receive various letters, from hon. Members and the public, about problems caused by illegally camped itinerant gipsies.

  Pharmaceutical Wastes
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the continued dumping of pharmaceutical wastes in the North sea.
  756
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  In common with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who is responsible for licensing of the disposal of waste at sea, I have had a number of letters and representations from members of the public about the disposal of liquid industrial wastes. None of the wastes concerned is toxic and nor do they contain more than trace elements of contaminants such as metals. Use of the sea disposal option for this type of waste has been reduced by 50 per cent. since 1980 and is expected to end within a very few years as practicable land-based alternatives become available.

  Nuclear Accidents
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans there are for monitoring radioactivity after a nuclear accident.

  Mr. Trippier
  Arrangements for monitoring following an overseas nuclear accident, are set out in the booklet "The National Response Plan and Radioactive Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET). Phase I". Copies of this booklet have been placed in the Library of the House. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Energy and for Wales, and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland are responsible for making arrangements for dealing with accidents at civil nuclear sites in the United Kingdom.

  Lead
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures Her Majesty's Government have taken since 1985 to lower the amount of lead in the atmosphere over Britain; and with what results.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The main thrust of the Government's policy has been, and is, to tackle lead in petrol which still accounts for the bulk of lead in air. We reduced the maximum permitted lead content of petrol from 0·40 to 0·15 per litre from 31 December 1985, and have taken a number of steps to encourage the widest possible supply and use of unleaded petrol. In particular the introduction of the differential between the rates of duty on leaded and unleaded petrol has meant that 95-octane unleaded can normally be found some 12p a gallon cheaper than leaded four star.

  As a result, airborne lead concentrations have fallen by some 50 per cent. between 1985 and 1988, the latest year for which complete figures are available, and the use of unleaded petrol has risen from 2 per cent. to 28 per cent. of the market within the last year. Vehicle regulations will ensure that uptake continues to rise. Since October 1989 all new models of cars have had to be capable of running on 95-octane unleaded petrol. This requirement will apply to all new cars from October 1990, and from 31 December 1992 all new cars will be fitted with catalysts and will have to use unleaded petrol.

  Water Standards
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his latest estimates of the capital investment required to meet European Community directives on water standards.
  757
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh).

  Environmental Improvements
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources Her Majesty's Government are making available to international organisations and to other countries to assist and encourage environmental improvements.

  Mr. Trippier
  In the current year the Government expect to give financial assistance to a range of international organisations as follows:

  £

  The United Nations Environment Programme

  3,000,000

  The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change

  750,000

  The Convention and Protocol for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

  83,000

  The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution

  72,000

  The OECD Chemicals Programme

  52,000

  The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance

  14,000

  The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

  41,000

  CITES

  1 85,000

  The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

  50,000

  The European Environmental Bureau

  5,000

  1 Approximately.

  This is in addition to the general financial contributions by Government to the European Community, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations.

  Government assistance to developing countries is provided through the aid programme which has as a central aim the promotion of sustainable development. Environmental issues are addressed in all projects and programmes under the aid programme, which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development. On eastern Europe, we are working through the Group of 24 and the 300 million ecu aid fund established by the European Community.

  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to improve the environment in the towns and villages of southern England.

  Mr. Trippier
  A sound and up-to-date planning framework is essential if we are to protect and improve the urban and rural environment. We have recently urged county planning authorities to revise and update their structure plans where necessary, and we are encouraging district planning authorities to extend the coverage of local plans. While plans must make adequate provision for necessary development, the decisions they embody about the distribution of new development can and should reflect communities' concerns for the protection of the local environment.

  We also issued new draft planning advice last autumn which removes the previous strong presumption in favour of releasing land for housing development; stresses the importance of good design in new housing schemes; and encourages planning authorities to develop policies for the protection of existing residential areas, where their
  758
  character is threatened by excessive infilling and redevelopment. Such policies should be embodied in local plans.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effects of acid deposition on trees within the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the recently published terrestrial effects review group report which has chapters on the effects of air pollutants, including acid deposition, on trees. This report summarises current understanding and draws widely on research programmes funded by the DOE, NERC and Forestry Commission. Copies of the report can be found in the Library of the House.

  Pollution Control
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the integrated pollution control provisions of the Environmental Protection Bill.

  Mr. Trippier
  A total of 91 responses were received to the initial consultation paper on integrated pollution control which was published in July 1988. Further documents setting out our proposals for cost recovery charging and public access to information under integrated pollution control drew 53 and 74 responses respectively. The proposals for integrated pollution control, which will place the United Kingdom at the forefront of pollution control within Europe, have been welcomed across a broad spectrum of opinion.

  European Environment Agency
  Dr. Goodson-Wickes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to support the selection of a site in the United Kingdom to host the proposed European Environment Agency.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Secretary of State for the Environment publicly stated his support for the proposed European Environment Agency to be located in Cambridge, and wrote to the European Commission in confirmation on 8 December 1989. Documentation advocating the merits of Cambridge has since been compiled which will shortly be forwarded to the European Council and the Commission.

  Tidy Britain Group
  Mr. Aspinwall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional resources are being provided by his Department to support the Tidy Britain Group during the current year.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Department is providing £3 million to support the work of the Tidy Britain Group in 1989–90. The grant was substantially increased over that provided in previous years specifically to finance the development of the group's pilot projects scheme and for preparations for 1990—Tidy Britain Year.

  In view of the considerable amount of work generated by Tidy Britain Year and the success of the group's people

  759
  and places programme, the grant for 1990–91 has been set at £1·812 million. This is an increase of £1·2 million over the original PES planning figure of £612,000.

  Greenhouse Effect
  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further measures Her Majesty's Government are taking to promote international action to tackle the greenhouse effect.

  Mr. Trippier
  We actively support the work of the intergovernmental panel on climate change and our contribution to its scientific assessment will be enhanced by the establishment of the new climate change prediction centre. We are leading efforts to gain support for an international framework convention on climate change and hosting the second conference of the parties to the Montreal protocol at which we will press for the strengthening of the protocol to phase out the use and production of CFCs which are important greenhouse gases.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations have been made to him regarding provisions in the Environmental Protection Bill to separate local authority responsibilities for the management and regulation of the disposal of waste.

  Mr. Trippier
  I have received no representations regarding the provisions in the Environmental Protection Bill to separate local authority responsibilities for the management and regulation of the disposal of waste. But the responses to our consultative proposals to separate regulation from operation were generally favourable.

  Planning Appeals
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of planning appeals in(a) Bracknell and (b) Windsor and Maidenhead, have been granted during the last 12 months for which figures are available, and the two previous 12-month periods.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The information requested is given in the table. In each case the figures are those for the 12-month period to 30 November.

  Year

  Appeals/decided

  Appeals/allowed

  Per cent. Appeals/allowed

  Bracknell

  1986–87

  45

  18

  40·0

  1987–88

  56

  18

  31·1

  1988–89

  58

  18

  31·0

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  1986–87

  130

  64

  49·2

  1987–88

  131

  68

  51·9

  1988–89

  189

  64

  33·9

  English Heritage
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by how much the grant in aid to English Heritage will have increased since 1984–85 by 1991–92.
  760
  Mr. Trippier
  Grant in aid to English Heritage in 1984–85 was £49·9 million. The provisional allocation for 1991–92 is £79·816 million. In the intervening years English Heritage has taken on additional responsibilities—notably the Greater London Council's historic buildings division and historic house museums—which makes direct comparisons between 1984–85 and 1991–92 misleading. Nevertheless, the figures reflect steady increases in grant in aid and confirm the Government's strong commmitment to assist the preservation and protection of the nation's important heritage assets.

  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals English Heritage has made to spend the additional resources being made available to it over the next two years.

  Mr. Trippier
  We have allocated an additional £3 million to English Heritage in 1990–91 and an extra £3·02 million in 1991–92 taking the total grant in aid in each of those two years to £77·977 million and £79·816 million (provisional) respectively.

  These substantial increases signal the Government's recognition of the importance of our heritage to the quality of life and the contribution it makes to a healthy tourism industry. They mean that English Heritage will be able to build on its successful record in several different ways. It plans to invest more in the maintenance and presentation of its key historic sites, already a source of significant enjoyment and education for an increasing number of adults and youngsters.

  We are particularly pleased that some of the increase is being earmarked for preparatory work on the proposed new visitor centre at Stonehenge. Recent agreement with the Ministry of Defence on an access route to the centre has ended a long period of uncertainty and concern. English Heritage will now be directing its energies wholeheartedly towards the preparation of detailed proposals for visitor facilities worthy of this outstandingly important monument.

  Other areas of English Heritage's responsibilities which will benefit from the extra resources include archaeology and the review of lists of historic buildings produced in the early 1970s.

  Water Leakages
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the leakage levels from the English water distribution system.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The latest information on water losses, which includes water lost by leakage, was published in the prospectus "The Water Share Offers", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Limestone Pavements
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to protect limestone pavements; and what further steps he intends to take.

  Mr. Trippier
  Under the provisions of section 34 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, county planning authorities may make orders designating land containing limestone pavements and prohibiting the removal or
  761
  disturbance of limestone on or in it. To date, 12 orders have been made. The system is working satisfactorily and we have no plans for additional protective measures.

  Dolphinaria
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now received replies from all the dolphinaria operators in the United Kingdom regarding their plans to implement the new standards; and what action he proposes to take.

  Mr. Trippier
  One dolphinaria operator has supplied full details of its plans for the implementation of new standards. The Department is awaiting replies from the remainder. A reminder has been sent and we shall continue to press for full responses from all operators. The steering group report on dolphinaria, published in August 1988, and endorsed by Ministers, made it clear that failure to reach the required standards by August 1993 would constitute grounds for revoking an operator's display exemption.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy regarding dolphinaria exhibiting single specimens of cetacea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  The standards recommended by the departmental steering group set up to review Dr. Klinowska's report on dolphinaria, and endorsed by Ministers in August 1988, state that no single specimen of any species of cetacea may be kept. We would therefore expect any dolphinarium which held a single specimen to take appropriate steps to remedy the situation as soon as practicable.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been taken to implement the recommendation of the dolphinaria steering group report regarding the provision of guidance on educational criteria for displaying cetacea in captivity.

  Mr. Trippier
  Several items recommended by the dolphinaria steering group, including the provision of guidance on educational criteria for displaying cetacea, raise scientific and technical questions on which we intend to seek appropriate specialist advice.

  Water Act Consents
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many(a) consents and (b) authorisations have been made subject to any conditions in accordance with section 152(4) or (5) of the Water Act 1989;

  (2) how many (a) consents and (b) authorisations he has made for the disposal of land, or rights or interests in or over any land, in accordance with section 152(3) of the Water Act 1989;

  (3) how many requests he has received for his (a) consent or (b) general authorisation for the disposal of land, or of any interest or right in or over any land, in accordance with section 152(2) of the Water Act 1989;

  (4) if he will list the location of all land, or the nature and location of any right or interest in or over any land, which has been subject to a request for consent for disposal in accordance with section 152(2) of the Water Act 1989,
  762
  specifying which have received his consent or general authorisation under section 152(4), and what if any conditions were attached under section 152(4) and (5);

  (5) on how many occasions he has had an opportunity to enter into covenant with a company holding an appointment under chapter I of part II of the Water Act 1989 for the purposes set out in section 152(7) of that Act; how many covenants have been entered into; on how many occasions he has declined to enter such covenants; and what were the reasons in each case.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Secretary of State has received one application for specific consent to dispose of land, or rights or interests in or over any land, under section 152 of the Water Act 1989. Consent has been given. This permits the sale of two areas of land at Bamford in the Peak District national park by Severn Trent Water. The disposal is subject to condition K of Severn Trent's appointment. The Countryside Commission, after consultation with the Peak Park joint planning board, raised no objection to an unconditional sale. No covenant was therefore required.

  The Secretary of State has not entered into any covenants under section 152(7) or declined any recommendation that he should do so.

  The Secretary of State has issued two general authorisations under section 152 to each appointed water undertaker which allow disposal of land if certain conditions are satisfied. These concern application of the Crichel Down rules to compulsorily purchased land, arid protection for land in national parks, the Broads, areas of outstanding natural beauty, and sites of special scientific interest. In all cases there is a requirement to satisfy condition K of their licences which relates to ring fencing, disposals of land, and changes of use of land. I am placing copies of the authorisations in the Library. No further general authorisations have been requested. Land disposals under the general authorisations do not require the Secretary of State's consent.

  Oil Pollution
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to prevent oil pollution; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The primary responsibility for preventing oil pollution at sea lies with the owners and operators of ships, offshore installations, pipelines, refineries and other industries whose operation have the potential for a damaging impact. In the light of improving technology for reducing waste discharges, regulatory standards for these activities are continually under review and, on an international basis, in fora such as the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in the case of shipping and the Paris Commission for land-based discharges. In the case of preventing damage from oil pollution at sea, the United Kingdom has well tried and tested arrangements co-ordinated by the marine pollution control unit of the Department of Transport. The recent initiative within IMO to develop an oil spill convention will consider how such arrangements can be improved on a worldwide basis.

  Public Land
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the rules for sale of public land to private companies.
  763
  Mr. Moynihan
  Guidance on disposals by Government Departments of land which is surplus to their requirements is given in chapter 32 of "Government Accounting—A guide of Accounting and Financial Procedures for the Use of Government Departments", and in a Treasury letter to accounting officers (DAO 4/88).

  Local authorities have a general power under section 123(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 to dispose of land. However, subsection (2) of that section requires them to obtain consent from the Secretary of State for the Environment for any proposed disposal at less than the best consideration reasonably obtainable. My Department has from time to time issued advice by circular to local authorities about particular issues relating to land disposals.

  EC Water Service Guidelines
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are the water service guidelines for all member countries laid out by the EEC Commission on new connections for sewerage service;

  (2) what EEC guidelines are laid out for member countries' water services in reference to service response time to sewerage problems;

  (3) what EEC guidelines are laid out for member countries' water services in reference to sewage flooding;

  (4) what guidelines are set out by the EEC Commission for its member nations' water services with reference to customer contact by telephone calls, correspondence and appointments.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am not aware of any such guidelines being issued by the Commission of the European Communities.
  Water Services

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what codes of practice are required of member states by the EEC Commission in their treatment and disposal of sewage;

  (2) what codes of practice are required of member states by the EEC Commission in their handling of complaints and commendations on their water services;

  (3) what standards are required by the EEC Commission of its member nations in their sewage works' control of odours and effluent discharges;

  (4) what standards, in terms of summary details and measurements used, are required of member states by the EEC Commission for the availability of raw water in the supply system;

  (5) what standards, in terms of summary details and measurements used, are required of member states by the EEC Commission for the water pressure of their water supplies;

  (6) what standards, in terms of summary details and measurements used, are required of member states by the EEC Commission for the restoration of clean water after the interruption of that service.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am not aware of any such requirement on member states from the Commission of the European Communities.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the process by which the standards and prices for water services are agreed in each member country of the EEC;
  764
  (2) which governmental bodies decide what the water standard will be for each member country of the EEC;

  (3) which governmental body within each EEC member country determines water service prices; how these prices are constructed; and if he will give details of pricing policy and price construction on a member country basis.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  These are matters for individual EC member states.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of(a) properties and (b) population is connected to a clean water supply in each member state of the EEC.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The available information is to be found in table 13c of "Waterfacts '88" published by the Water Authorities Association, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what, in terms of bandings and representative national averages, are the unit prices of(a) water, (b) sewerage and (c) trade effluence for all member states of the EEC.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  We do not hold such
  information.

  Common Land Forums
  Mr. Steen:
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to implement the recommendations of the Common Land Forum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 27 November 1989 to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr) at column 89.

  Radon Gas
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he intends to take in response to findings of significant increases in the levels of emission of naturally occurring radon gas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  There have been no findings of significant increases in the levels of emission of naturally occurring radon gas. I announced on 19 January that the Government accept the National Radiological Protection Board's advice on the risks to health associated with exposure to radon, and endorse its recommendation that action should be taken in houses where the radon concentration exceeds 200 bq/cu m. I have arranged for a copy of the National Radiological Protection Board's advice to be placed in the Library.

  Politically Restricted Posts
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date the contracts of those local government officers regarded as politically restricted under section 2 of the Local Government and Housing Act will incorporate those restrictions prescribed by him under section 1(5) of the Act.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]The local authority associations will be consulted about the necessary regulations as soon as possible.
  765

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to keep open the option of compulsorily transferring the Property Services Agency's executive, administrative and support staff to the Government-owned company.

  Mr Chope
  [pursuant to his reply, 22 January 1990, c. 582–83]If PSA is incorporated as a Government-owned company it is intended that the staff in it will be transferred under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. The PSA will use its best endeavours, in advance of that incorporation, to find other posts within Government for staff who do not wish to transfer.

  Dogs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to ensure that dogs are taken into care prior to any court hearing when an allegation of cruelty is made against
  a dog owner.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The court has power to make such an order after an offender has been convicted of cruelty to an animal; but we have no plans to provide for the prior removal of the animal.

  New Zealand Flatworms
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the prevalence of flatworms from New Zealand in soil; what assessment he has made of the potential damage to soil the presence of this worm presents; and what action he proposes to take to protect soil fertility.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 22 January 1990]I have been asked to reply.

  Agricultural Departments are aware of the press reports. These worms need damp conditions and are unlikely to survive in well drained agricultural land. They appear to be established in Northern Ireland and there have been sporadic sightings in Scotland over a considerable length of time. The latest recorded sighting in England was in 1965. The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland is studying ways of controlling them.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Brussels Agriculture Council held on 22 and 23 January.

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

  The Council had a first exchange of views on the Commission's proposals for 1990 farm prices. I emphasised the need for a settlement to redress the unfair burden which the green pound gap lays on the British farmer and to complete the dismantling by 1992 at the latest; to continue and consolidate the process of CAP
  766
  reform and to take full account of the stabilisers fixed for certain products; to respect budgetary guidelines; to be consistent with the Community's GATT commitments; and urged that greater scope for market forces should be introduced into the CAP, including providing for a reduction in the degree of external protection. Like several other Ministers, I questioned the need for the new non-price support measures proposed by the Commission. The Council will next consider the proposals in more detail at its meeting in February.

  On bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the Council considered a Commission proposal, which would have the effect of banning most United Kingdom exports of live cattle over six months old to other member states. 1 opposed on the ground that the scientific evidence showed clearly that such restrictions were unnecessary. No decision was reached, but the rules allow the Commission to adopt the proposal as it stands, which it is now expected to do with effect from 1 March. Of some 266,000 live cattle exported from the United Kingdom in 1988, 249,000 (94 per cent.) would still have been able to be exported had the present proposal then been in force. The most important effect of such a ban is likely to be on exports of breeding animals. However, the Commissioner confirmed that authoritative veterinary advice made it clear that there were no grounds for suspecting that beef produced in the United Kingdom posed any risk to public health. He stated that all member states should now act in accordance with this fact and that any measures interfering with trade in beef would be contrary to Community law. The German authorities will now be reflecting on this statement and I hope that they will soon remove their unjustified measures, which are hampering trade.

  I urged the Commissioner to bring forward proposals for Community measures to deal with salmonella infection in poultry, so that all eggs produced in the Community can reach the same high health status as those produced in the United Kingdom. He stated that he would produce wide-ranging proposals as soon as possible.

  The Council agreed a tranche of emergency food aid for Romania and agreed in principle that further tranches both to Romania and to Poland should be made when the necessary legal formalities have been completed.

  Agricultural Products (Trade)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish details of the occasions in each of the last five years when article 36 of the European Communities treaty has been used to ban the trade in agricultural products between member states, indicating in each case the product, the stated reason for the ban and the countries involved.

  Mr. Curry
  The information requested by the hon. Member is not available. Article 36 of the treaty of Rome provides an exception (applicable in specified circumstances) to the provisions of articles 30–34 of the treaty. It is not in the nature of a statutory power. Consequently, a member state would not expressly cite article 36 in a legislative or administrative measure regulating trade with other member states, even if it considered that the measure was justified under the exception provided by that article.
  767

  Dumping Licences
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many licences for the dumping of materials at sea were issued by his Department in(a)

  1988

  1989

  Licences Issued

  Licensed Tonnage

  Licences Issued

  Licensed Tonnage

  Dredged Spoil

  133

  61,644,923

  141

  66,663,150

  Liquid Industrial Waste

  19

  311,411

  16

  292,968

  Solid Industrial Waste

  10

  5,856,200

  10

  5,928,917

  Sewage Sludge

  16

  7,503,580

  15

  8,321,305

  Disposal sites are approved by the Ministry for each licence. Licensees are normally harbour and port authorities, dredging operators, operators of sewage treatment works and industrial companies producing waste or their agents.

  Details of each licence are available on a public register
  held by the Ministry.

  Animal Feed (Contamination)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each county in England and Wales the number of farms(a) currently under restrictions and (b) from which restrictions have been lifted following the recent contamination of animal feed.

  Mr. Curry
  A total of 1668 farms in England and Wales are currently under restriction. To date, 536 farms have been released from all restrictions. The breakdown by county is as follows:

  County

  Number of farms currently restricted

  Number of farms released from all restrictions

  Avon

  82

  48

  Cornwall

  246

  84

  Derbyshire

  1

  0

  Devon

  600

  169

  Dorset

  104

  10

  Dyfed

  7

  4

  Gloucester

  192

  73

  Gwent

  66

  44

  Hampshire

  4

  2

  Herefordshire

  43

  7

  Leicestershire

  1

  0

  Mid Glamorgan

  43

  8

  Oxfordshire

  6

  1

  Powys

  2

  2

  Somerset

  150

  28

  South Glamorgan

  31

  2

  Warwickshire

  2

  2

  West Glamorgan

  7

  2

  Wiltshire

  65

  48

  Worcestershire

  16

  2

  In addition, all dairy farms were released from milk restrictions by 13 December last year and approximately 117,000 individual animals have so far been released under livestock clearance arrangements

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Italy Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the total loss 768
  and(b) 1989; what materials they were issued for; what quantities were involved; what areas of sea were used; and what organisations or companies received them.

  Mr. Curry
  Licences are issued in respect of England and Wales. Figures for 1989 are provisional. The information is as follows:

  milk production to date, by volume and value, arising from restrictions placed on producers following the recent contamination of animal feed.

  Mr. Curry
  I am not aware of any loss of production, as all the milk from farms under restriction was collected by the Milk Marketing Board. It will not be possible for the board to assess the extent of any loss in sales income until the milk powder and butter have been sold.

  Cattle and Cattle Products (Export)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by value and volume the exports of(a) live cattle and (b) cattle products to each importing country during (a) 1988 and (b)

  Mr. Curry
  The information requested is as follows:

  i. Exports of live cattle

  Quantity (tones)

  Value (000 ecu)

  1988

  France

  7,025

  27,913

  Belgium-Luxembourg

  70

  178

  Netherlands

  5,451

  18,169

  Federal Republic of Germany

  859

  2,453

  Italy

  353

  1,316

  Ireland

  6,863

  12,847

  Denmark

  76

  374

  Greece

  13

  62

  Sweden

  22

  119

  Finland

  25

  274

  Austria

  2

  11

  Portugal

  624

  1,393

  Spain

  133

  370

  Soviet Union

  61

  482

  Morocco

  58

  107

  Nigeria

  3

  18

  Uganda

  54

  121

  Zimbabwe

  17

  56

  South Africa

  41

  336

  United States of America

  8

  104

  Canada

  5

  24

  St. Lucia

  4

  14

  Lebanon

  1

  3

  Japan

  10

  72

  Australia

  5

  68

  1989 (January to July)

  France

  3,618

  15,749

  Belgium-Luxembourg

  29

  59

  Netherlands

  1,520

  6,393

  Federal Republic of Germany

  378

  1,405

  Italy

  84

  201

  Ireland

  2,912

  6,507

  769

  Quantity (tonnes)

  Value (000 ecu)

  Denmark

  36

  130

  Austria

  14

  38

  Portugal

  312

  890

  Spain

  147

  469

  Soviet Union

  8

  53

  Uganda

  27

  55

  United States of America

  4

  37

  11. Exports of cattle products

  1988

  1989 (January-July)

  Quantity (Tonnes)

  Value (000 ECU)

  Quantity (Tonnes)

  Value (000 ECU)

  To EC

  Fresh, chilled, beef and veal

  74,801

  248,892

  47,953

  173,463

  Frozen beef and veal

  15,168

  56,528

  11,535

  42,347

  Fresh chilled and frozen edible offal

  5,744

  11,889

  4,408

  10,423

  Meat of bovine animals salted, in brine, dried or smoked

  3

  29

  2

  23

  Prepared or preserved meat, offal or blood of bovine animals

  2,616

  7,130

  1,412

  4,242

  Fats of bovine animals1

  8,127

  2,867

  6,577

  2,279

  To Third Countries

  Fresh, chilled, beef and veal

  1,263

  3,313

  552

  1,622

  Frozen beef and veal

  26,212

  60,574

  14,585

  36,388

  Fresh chilled and frozen edible offal

  632

  1,387

  341

  1,202

  Meat of bovine animals salted, in brine, dried or smoked

  —

  —

  1

  6

  Prepared or preserved meat, offal or blood of bovine animals

  538

  1,424

  324

  909

  Fats of bovine animals1

  57

  43

  936

  369

  1 Also includes fats from sheep and goats.

  Detailed raw information, which may include later information for 1989, is contained in "Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom", a copy of which is held in the Libary of the House.

  Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the value of hill livestock compensatory
  allowance expressed at 1986 prices.

  Mr. Curry
  The values of the rates of hill livestock compensatory allowance are as follows:

  Rate per head

  1989£

  Equivalent value at 1986 prices (£)

  Severely Disadvantaged Area

  Cows

  54·50

  46·33

  Hardy breed ewes

  6·75

  5·74

  Other ewes

  4·50

  3·83

  Disadvantaged Area

  Cows

  27·25

  23·16

  Ewes

  2·25

  1·91

  Algae Poisoning
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department's veterinary service has in its departmental library a copy of the article on algae poisoning contained in the 1976 edition of "Black's Veterinary Dictionary"; and whether the veterinary service is familiar with its scientific findings.

  Mr. Maclean
  My Department's veterinary service has in its library a copy of the article on algae poisoning contained in the 1976 edition of "Black's Veterinary Dictionary." It is familiar with its scientific findings and also has knowledge of more recent articles on the subject.
  770

  Quantity (tonnes)

  Value (000 ecu)

  Canada

  5

  79

  St. Lucia

  24

  61

  Peru

  10

  67

  Uruguay

  2

  23

  contained in the 1976 edition of "Black's Veterinary Dictionary." It is familiar with its scientific findings and also has knowledge of more recent articles on the subject.

  Whitefish Fishery
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department has given any north-east English fishing ports directions as to the number of days that boats engaged in the whitefish fishery should be laid up to ensure distribution of quotas.

  Mr. Curry
  We are consulting the industry about how to meet our commitment, agreed at the December 1989 Fisheries Council, to reduce United Kingdom fishing for North sea haddock in 1990 by 30 per cent. Our proposals include a number of ideas, among which is the possibility of reducing days at sea. We shall decide what measures to introduce in the light of the industry's views.

  Lead Contamination
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to lift the lead contamination restrictions from the Sherrell herd of pedigree-accredited British Friesians at Great Prideaux, Membland, Newton Ferrers, Plymouth, Devon.

  Mr. Curry
  The Ministry has a scientific programme in hand to assess the rate of decay of lead in the tissues of cattle which received contaminated feed. In the light of this and continuing study of the impact of the contaminated feed, we are looking at all possible ways of easing the restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so without risk to public health or consumer confidence in meat.
  771

  Common Fisheries Policy
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how much cod from the United Kingdom cod quota was conceded to Denmark in the negotiations for allocation under the common fisheries policy;

  (2) how much cod was traded off to Denmark in order to obtain agreement on United Kingdom cod and haddock quotas within the common fisheries policy.

  Mr. Curry
  As part of the final overall settlement which enabled the December Council of Fisheries Ministers to reach agreement, the United Kingdom, Germany and France transferred respectively 500 tonnes, 260 tonnes and 240 tonnes of their 1990 North sea cod quotas to Denmark. The outcome of the Council was very satisfactory to the United Kingdom and we secured all our major objectives, including increasing the Commission's proposed TACs for North sea cod and haddock, maintaining relative stability in the allocation of quotas at Greenland, securing recognition of our Hague Preference in relation to North sea haddock and flexibility to fish part of our western mackerel quota in the North sea, as well as the deletion of fishery management proposals that we did not like, maintenance of the minimum mesh size of 100 mm in the cod box in the German Bight, and the introduction of a seasonal control on the take of western horse mackerel.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has formally responded to the report of the Tyrrell committee on research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Curry
  My right hon. Friend's response to the report of the Tyrrell committee on research into BSE comprised his written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 9 January (Official Report, column 572).

  Equines (Slaughter)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many equines, in weight tonnage, were slaughtered for meat in each of the past three years; how much of this total was accounted for by Southall horse market; how many animals are estimated to have been involved; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Records of the number of horses slaughtered for meat or sold for slaughter for meat are not available.

  Single Market
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether all green currency systems and MCAs will be abolished before the single market is enacted on 1 January 1993.

  Mr. Curry
  The Council of Ministers and the Commission are agreed that monetary gaps, and therefore MCAs, should be removed by the end of 1992.
  772

  Food (Sell-by dates)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce legislation prohibiting the sale of food products which have passed their use-by dates.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am presently considering this very matter.

  Poultry
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning the sale of thawed, previously frozen poultry, advertised as fresh; and whether he will introduce legislation to prohibit the practice.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have received no representations on this matter. The Food Labelling Regulations 1984 already require the name used for poultry meat which has been previously frozen and thawed to include or be accompanied by the words, "previously frozen—do not refreeze". It it also an offence under the Food Act 1984 to apply a false or misleading description to food.

  Eggs
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has raised at the Council of Ministers the issue of a common health standard for egg production; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. Friend the Minister raised this issue at the meeting of the Agriculture Council on 22–23 January and pressed for Community measures to control salmonella in poultry flocks to be introduced as quickly as possible.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he proposes to take to prevent the sale of imported eggs in cartons labelled "British Packed".

  Mr. Curry
  It is a requirement of the EC egg marketing standards regulations that producers and packers who put terms of origin on their egg packs should keep special records. These records have to be made available to the egg marketing inspectorate for any necessary checking and reconciliation.

  Aflatoxins
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what system of regular testing for aflatoxins is undertaken on imported foodstuffs; and if he will make a statement on the findings of such tests during 1989.

  Mr. Maclean
  Port health authorities, which are responsible for controls on imported food under the Imported Food Regulations 1984 are fully aware of the possibilities of aflatoxin contamination and carry out such testing as they consider appropriate to ensure that food is fit to eat. Details are not held centrally. However, in the case of fig consignments, problems in 1988 led my Department to introduce special testing arrangements. Of the 99 containers of figs tested in 1989, seven of fig paste and three of whole dried figs were refused entry because samples contained more than the action level of 10 micrograms of aflatoxins per kilogram of figs.
  773

  Hill Farm Support
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to announce the levels of hill farm support for the current year.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas) on 23 January 1990 (Official Report, column 641).

  Fish Stocks
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has as to what the decline in fish stocks would have been if the recent quota reductions had not been introduced.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 19 January 1990]The estimates available to Fisheries Ministers, principally from the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, on the impact of various possible catch levels on the status of stocks show that, for example, had fishing continued at the 1989 level for North sea cod and haddock, there would have been serious and further depletion of the spawning stock biomasses by nearly 40 per cent. for haddock and 15 per cent. for cod. Such serious further depletion of the stocks would have been very damaging to future prospects for fishing. The quotas agreed represented the highest level recommended by ACFM for haddock and a slightly more cautious approach for cod.

  Sulphadimidine
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the results for the tests he has carried out on the presence of sulphadimidine in different types of livestock carcases for 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The Department has an action level based on advice from the Veterinary Products Committee and endorsed by the Department of Health's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products 774
  and the Environment. This level incorporates a very significant safety margin. Its purpose is to ensure that if monitored residue levels rise above it, we can take appropriate action even though there may well be no danger to human health. My Department carries out a regular residue sampling programme and in 1989 tests were carried out on 1,142 pig carcases in Great Britain. A total of 94 per cent. of these were below the action level and in the 6 per cent. which were not we carried out follow-up visits to all the farmers concerned to ensure that corrective measures were taken.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what analysis he carried out on livestock carcases for the presence of sulphadimidine; where the samples are taken; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Kidneys are taken from pigs at randomly selected slaughterhouses and tested for sulphadimidine as part of the residue sampling programme under EC directive 86/469. A thin layer chromatographic procedure is used to screen the samples at the central veterinary laboratory, Weybridge and the level of residues present is determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what safe level for the presence of sulphadimidine in tissues of meat products is prescribed by his Department; whether the level was recommended by an advisory committee; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  Our approach is not to rely simply on a "safe level". Instead, we set a maximum residue level, which is very much more stringent. Exceeding this level would not normally represent any danger to human health, but it provides an immediate trigger for follow-up official action. The action level for sulphadimidine is 0·1mg/kg. This level was originally set by the Veterinary Products Committee and has twice been endorsed by the Department of Health's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT). COT advised that this level offered a considerable safety margin for consumers of products from treated animals.

  LEGISLATION: VOLUME
  LEGISLATION: VOLUME
  HUMAN CELLS: IN VITRO FERTILISATION
  HUMAN CELLS: IN VITRO FERTILISATION