Written Answers of 12 June 1990

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Quarantine
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for which diseases quarantine restrictions on animals can operate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Quarantine restrictions on imported animals are currently applied in relation to foot and mouth disease, Newcastle disease and rabies. Considerable importance is attached to quarantine and the Government believe that such measures should be maintained as long as they are necessary to prevent the introduction of disease.

  Caseous Lymphadenitis
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the countries where caseous lymphadenitis is found.

  Mr. Gummer
  Caseous lymphadenitis is known to occur in many parts of Africa, south America, Asia, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of(a) sheep and (b) goats affected by restrictions for caseous lymphadenitis by county.

  Mr. Gummer
  Restrictions are at present imposed on(a) one flock in Buckinghamshire and one consignment undergoing post import on-farm isolation in Nottinghamshire (b) two herds in Buckinghamshire, two herds in Oxfordshire, and one herd each in Berkshire, Surrey and Lancashire. The flock of sheep in Buckinghamshire and one of the two goat herds in Buckinghamshire are on the same premises and subject to the same restriction notice.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from which country the current outbreak of caseous lymphadenitis originated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  The current outbreak of caseous lymphadenitis appears to be associated with the import of goats from West Germany.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to prevent further cases of caseous lymphadenitis from being imported into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  We continue to rely on certification by exporting countries that sheep and goats sent to the United Kingdom come from premises which are free from caseous lymphadenitis and the herd of origin has shown no clinical 78
  serological or pathological signs of the disease in the previous three years. Animals should also be examined immediately prior to export. Ministry veterinary officers, local veterinary surgeons and producers have been asked to be vigilant for any signs of the disease and have found infection in April in a group of sheep which were undergoing post import on-farm isolation.

  Contaminated Pigfeed
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for South Shields of 9 May,Official Report, column 132, if he will list the contaminants now found in pigfeed; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  No present problems with contaminants have been reported and feedingstuffs associated with recent contaminants have been withdrawn.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many pigs have now been slaughtered as a result of the contaminated pigfeed; from which counties they came; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will list the up-to-date information concerning the number of farms and pigs affected by contaminated pigfeed on a county-by-county basis.

  Mr. Gummer
  The total number of pigs that to date have been slaughtered for welfare reasons and the number of farms where pigs were affected by contaminated pigfeed, county by county, is as follows:

  Pigs

  Farms

  Devon

  3

  1

  Hampshire

  15

  1

  Humberside

  85

  7

  Durham

  126

  5

  Nottinghamshire

  5

  1

  Yorkshire

  1,100

  62

  1,334

  77

  Scrapie
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether there is any evidence of the scrapie agent being present in sheep milk.

  Mr. Maclean
  No transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, including sheep scrapie, has been shown to transmit through milk. Scientific studies on scrapie have shown that the agent is not found in milk.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the frequency of infections by(a) the scrapie agent in the muscle (meat) of scrapie-affected sheep and (b) the BSE agent in the muscle (meat) of BSE-affected cows.

  Mr. Maclean
  Scientific studies have shown that the scrapie agent is not found in the muscle (meat) of sheep naturally affected by scrapie. By analogy with scrapie, a very similar disease to BSE, the BSE agent is not expected to be found in the muscle of affected animals. Studies are nevertheless under way to confirm this.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide a
  79
  summary of the results of any research work on whether the scrapie agent can be vertically transmitted by an infected ram.

  Mr. Maclean
  There has been much work carried out in this area, all of which has shown that the scrapie agent is not found in the reproductive organs or semen of scrapie-infected rams.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if there is any restriction on the use for human consumption of sheep meat and offals including those from scrapie-infected sheep.

  Mr. Maclean
  No specific controls apply since scrapie is not a risk to human health.

  British Cattle Exports
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the countries that have now banned the import of all live British cattle.

  Mr. Maclean
  Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Israel, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, USA and the USSR.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will take action against France and Germany under article 170 of the treaty of Rome for their banning of beef imports from the United Kingdom in contravention of article 30 of the treaty of Rome;

  (2) if he will formally join with the European Commission in proceedings against France and Germany for their banning of beef imports from the United Kingdom in contravention of article 30 of the treaty of Rome.

  Mr. Maclean
  The action taken by France and Germany to ban imports of beef from the United Kingdom offended Community rules and I supported the Conmmission's intention to institute legal proceedings should these bans remain in place. However, as I announced in the House on 7 June, those bans were lifted following discussion in the special Agricultural Council.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the names and number of cases of BSE detected at each abattoir;

  (2) how many cases of BSE were (a) volunteered by farmers, (b) detected at cattle markets, (c) detected at abattoirs by veterinary inspectors and (d) detected at abattoirs by other personnel.

  Mr. Maclean
  Over 98 per cent. of suspect cases of BSE have been reported on farm. Up to 31 March 1990, 133 suspect cases had been reported in markets (of which 92 were confirmed) and 203 suspect cases reported at abattoirs (of which 149 were confirmed). A breakdown of abattoirs involved is not available.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether the Government will initiate a programme to look for the possible occurrence of spongiform encephalopathy in dogs;

  (2) if he will investigate the incidence of canine spongiform encephalopathy among breeding bitches in licensed and unlicensed puppy farms;
  80
  (3) if he will investigate the incidence on puppy farms of proprietors feeding their dogs on (a) dead sheep which have may have died of scrapie, (b) condemned meat and (c) beef infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make it his practice to advise all puppy farmers to avoid feeding any meat which contained offal.

  Mr. Maclean
  There have been no reports of naturally occurring or laboratory-induced spongiform encephalopathy in dogs. Nevertheless, as recommended by the Tyrrell committee, the health of dogs is being monitored by veterinary surgeons and a study is being planned on hounds, which are traditionally fed fallen livestock.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who is responsible for the disposal of the carcases of BSE-affected cattle; and what proportion are(a) incinerated, (b) disposed of in toxic waste tips and (c) disposed of in domestic refuse tips.

  Mr. Maclean
  The disposal of carcases of BSE-affected cattle is the responsibility of the Ministry. Nationally about two thirds are incinerated and one third are disposed of by burial on licensed waste disposal sites approved by local authorities for this purpose. Information on the classification of individual sites is not held centrally.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in developing a test for identifying BSE in live cattle; and how soon he expects such a test to be available.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 21 May at column 86.

  Drift Nets
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what regulations are currently in force to prevent the use of drift nets of over 5 km in length on United Kingdom boats; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  I understand that no United Kingdom vessel uses drift nets as long as 5 km and indeed the substantial proportion are between 200 and 400 m in length. There is no general length restriction in force but there are several regulations which limit drift nets in specific fisheries or areas to well within 5 km in length.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the annual accidental catch of birds and marine mammals by United Kingdom drift net boats is reported to him; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  It is known that fishermen in the United Kingdom may accidentally catch mammals and birds in their nets, but there is no evidence that this occurs on a significant scale. The drift net fisheries around our coast are quite modest and do not give rise to the sort of environmental problems associated with the very large-scale drift netting operations in the Pacific, about which there has been justified concern.

  Veterinary Products
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that the use of veterinary products that are likely to affect the wider environment, whether licensed or not, are recorded, regulated and monitored; and if he will make a statement.
  81
  Mr. Gummer
  All veterinary medicinal products must be licensed under the Medicines Act. They are assessed for safety, quality and efficacy before any licence is issued. The likely impact on the environment is taken into account by independent scientific experts on the Veterinary Products Committee as part of that assessment process. My Department is currently carrying out a review to ensure that all licensed veterinary medicinal products meet up-to-date standards. Any person who causes or knowingly permits veterinary products to pollute any controlled waters is liable to prosecution by the National Rivers Authority under the Water Act 1989. Under the Animals and Fresh Meat (Examination for Residues) Regulations 1988 farmers must keep records of medicines administered to animals and these are subject to checks by members of the state veterinary service.

  Fish Farms
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received from the Veterinary Products Committee regarding the review of the licence for Aquaguard for use on salmon farms; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I hope to make a statement shortly.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has measured the quantity of antibiotics released into the marine environment as treatment for diseases of farmed fish; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  All veterinary medicines including antibiotics used for treating fish diseases are assessed for safety, quality and efficacy under the Medicines Act before a licence is issued. Any likely impact on the marine environment is taken into account by independent scientific experts on the Veterinary Products Committee as part of that assessment process. When a licence for such a product is due to expire, evidence of environmental impact is carefully assessed before any decision is made to renew the licence. Antibiotics used for treating fish disease are available only on prescription from a veterinary surgeon.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research has been conducted by him into antibiotic residues in farmed salmon; and when and where the results will be published.

  Mr. Gummer
  Surveillance for antibiotic residues in farmed salmon is in progress and the results will be published in the food surveillance paper series once the work has been completed. It would be premature at this stage to make a statement.

  British Beef Exports
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the countries that have now banned all imports of British beef.

  Mr. Maclean
  The following countries have notified a ban on imports of British beef: Austria, Bahrain and Turkey.

  Hound Ataxia
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will instruct veterinary surgeons to conduct post mortem investigations in cases of hound ataxia to ensure that it is not unrecognised canine spongiform encephalopathy.

  Mr. Maclean
  I am not aware that any cases of hound ataxia have occurred in Britain in recent years. No cases of spongiform encephalopathy have been identified in canines but the state veterinary service investigates suspect cases in various species referred to it.

  Live Horses (Export)
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy not to allow the export of live horses to Europe for slaughter to start again.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government's policy is to maintain controls to prevent the export of horses for slaughter.

  Casualty Animals (Slaughter)
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will consider the introduction of a certificate of receipt system for the slaughter of casualty animals;

  (2) whether he will consider a review of the Slaughterhouses (Hygiene) Regulations 1977, to prevent the slaughter of casualty animals without a veterinary officer's certificate.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Slaughterhouses (Hygiene) Regulations 1977 already require a veterinary health certificate for animals known or suspected to be injured or diseased, and for carcases of such animals, intended to be presented at the slaughterhouse, subject to certain exceptions. These relate to injuries of recent origin, such as during transit when a veterinarian will not be available, and for welfare reasons to sheep and lamb carcases, where a declaration by the owner is acceptable.

  It is an offence to allow casualty animals or their carcases to enter a slaughterhouse uncertified under any other circumstances.

  I am already considering whether any changes to the regulations may be desirable.

  Bovine Head Meat
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will introduce regulations to ban the removal of meat from a bovine head until the skull and brain of the head have been removed from the head by an authorised boning plant;

  (2) whether he will introduce regulations to ensure that the trimming of meat from bovine heads is allowed only after the removal of the skull and brain.

  Mr. Maclean
  Cattle which show signs of BSE, or are suspected of having the disease, are slaughtered and do not go for human consumption. The ban on brains and other specified offal is an ultra-precautionary measure applying to clinically healthy animals.

  Nevertheless, we are aware of concerns about particular methods of brain removal. Wherever possible, head meat

  83
  should be removed before the skull is opened so that brain tissue does not come into contact with the meat. We have conducted studies into the methods employed for removing brains where this is not feasible. The Tyrrell committee has been asked to review our findings and I shall consider whether any further action is desirable having regard to the committee's advice. In the meantime, the state veterinary service is ready to give advice if needed.

  Beef Cattle (Slaughter)
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will ban the slaughter of beef cattle presented for slaughter at a slaughterhouse, where those cattle have been transported more than 20 miles.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have no plans to do so.

WALES

  Project 2000
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will reconsider the contents of his circular of 27 April, reference DGM/90/32, concerning the phasing in of Project 2000 in Wales; and if he will take urgent steps for full implementation of Project 2000 throughout Wales at the earliest possible date, if possible by autumn 1991 in line with the original proposals.

  Mr. Grist
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 24 May.

  a. Perinatal mortality1

  1986 Number

  1986 Rate

  1987 Number

  1987 Rate

  1988 Number

  1988 Rate

  1989 Number

  1989 Rate

  Wales

  384

  10·3

  351

  9·2

  334

  8·6

  318·0

  8·3

  DHA/Management Units Clwyd DHA

  52

  10·2

  46

  8·8

  40

  7·6

  45

  8·5

  North Clwyd

  26

  12·4

  21

  9·8

  13

  25·8

  15

  27·1

  South Clwyd

  26

  8·7

  25

  8·1

  27

  28·9

  20

  9·4

  East Dyfed DHA

  32

  12·5

  28

  10·1

  25

  9·1

  25

  9·5

  Ceredigion

  5

  27·5

  11

  215·1

  6

  28·2

  9

  212·3

  Carmarthen-Dinefwr

  10

  213·2

  11

  213·1

  6

  27·2

  6

  27·3

  Llanelli-Dinefwr

  17

  215·0

  6

  25·0

  13

  211·0

  10

  09·2

  Pembrokeshire DHA

  11

  28·0

  12

  28·2

  19

  213·4

  13

  28·9

  Gwent DHA

  58

  9·6

  65

  10·7

  56

  8·7

  52

  8·3

  North Gwent Hospitals

  15

  210·1

  17

  211·4

  11

  27·1

  12

  27·6

  Pontypool and West Gwent Hospitals

  21

  10·4

  23

  11·1

  26

  11·6

  17

  281

  Newport and Chepstow Hospitals

  22

  8·8

  25

  9·9

  19

  27·1

  23

  8·9

  Gwynedd DHA

  37

  13·1

  29

  10·2

  23

  7·6

  19

  26·4

  Anglesey

  12

  213·6

  11

  212·0

  6

  26·4

  4

  24·2

  Meirionnydd

  3

  28·5

  5

  212·6

  2

  25·4

  4

  210·2

  Aberconwy

  5

  29·3

  3

  25·6

  4

  26·4

  3

  24·8

  Arfon

  13

  217·1

  7

  29·9

  6

  27·5

  5

  26·5

  Dwyfor

  4

  213·6

  3

  210·6

  5

  216·4

  3

  211·5

  Mid Glamorgan DHA

  75

  10·0

  56

  7·2

  71

  9·0

  77

  10·1

  Ogwr

  15

  28·4

  19

  210·7

  15

  27·8

  18

  29·8

  Taff Ely

  11

  28·1

  4

  22·9

  15

  210·8

  14

  210·4

  Rhondda

  10

  29·3

  8

  27·1

  7

  26·4

  12

  211·0

  Merthyr-Cynon

  21

  12·1

  12

  26·7

  18

  210·0

  21

  11·3

  Rhymney Valley

  18

  211·6

  13

  27·9

  16

  29·6

  12

  27·9

  Powys DHA

  12

  29·5

  20

  14·9

  17

  212·2

  8

  25·7

  Montgomery

  6

  210·8

  12

  219·1

  8

  211·6

  4

  260

  Brecknock and Radnor

  6

  28·5

  8

  211·3

  9

  212·9

  4

  25·4

  South Glamorgan DHA

  59

  10·1

  50

  8·6

  43

  7·1

  44

  7·5

  West Glamorgan DHA

  48

  10·1

  45

  9·5

  40

  8·4

  35

  7·6

  Herbal Remedies
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will seek to ensure that dispensation is achieved from European Community harmonisation regulations in order to safeguard the right of people in Wales to continue to use herbal remedies.

  Mr. Grist
  European Community legislation applies equally in all member states. Herbal remedies currently available are controlled by the Medicines Act 1968 and subject to the provisions of the EC directive 75/319/EEC for the regulation of proprietary medicinal products. We are not aware of any proposals for further harmonisation directives concerning herbal remedies.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to maintain employment in the steel industry.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I am naturally anxious to maximise employment throughout the Welsh economy, including the steel industry. However, employment in any individual sector must take account of demand for products.

  Mortality Rates
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the amount of(a) perinatal and (b) neonatal mortality in each district health authority and management division in Wales in each of the years 1986 to 1989.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is given in the tables. Care should be taken in interpreting mortality rates derived from fewer than 20 events, and these are marked in the tables with2.
  85

  a. Perinatal mortality1

  1986 Number

  1986 Rate

  1987 Number

  1987 Rate

  1988 Number

  1988 Rate

  1989 Number

  1989 Rate

  East District Hospitals

  17

  211·3

  18

  212·2

  14

  29·5

  12

  28·7

  North and West District Hospitals

  31

  9·5

  27

  8·2

  26

  7·9

  23

  7·2

  Source: O.P.C.S.

  1 Perinatal deaths are stillbirths and deaths in the week after birth; rates are the number of perinatal deaths per 1,000 total (live and still) births.

  2 Denotes a Rate calculated from fewer than 20 events.

  b. Neonatal Mortality1

  1986 Number

  1986 Rate

  1987 Number

  1987 Rate

  1988 Number

  1988 Rate

  1989 Number

  1989 Rate

  Wales

  207

  5·6

  190

  5·0

  183

  4·7

  180

  4·7

  DHA/Management Units Clwyd DHA

  26

  5·1

  23

  4·4

  20

  3·8

  32

  6·1

  North Clwyd

  9

  24·3

  9

  24·2

  7

  23·1

  6

  22·8

  South Clwyd

  17

  25·7

  14

  24·6

  13

  24·3

  26

  8·2

  East Dyfed DHA

  15

  25·9

  17

  26·2

  13

  24·8

  7

  22·7

  Ceredigion

  3

  24·5

  5

  26·9

  5

  26·9

  2

  22·8

  Carmarthen-Dinefwr

  4

  25·3

  6

  27·2

  2

  22·4

  2

  22·5

  Llanelli· Dinefwr

  8

  27·1

  6

  25·0

  6

  25·1

  3

  22·8

  Pembrokeshire DHA

  7

  25·1

  8

  25·5

  14

  29·9

  7

  24·8

  Gwent DHA

  39

  6·5

  36

  6·0

  31

  4·8

  27

  4·3

  North Gwent Hospitals

  9

  26·1

  8

  25·4

  8

  25·2

  6

  23·8

  Pontypool and West Gwent Hospitals

  15

  27·4

  13

  26·3

  18

  28·1

  8

  23·8

  Newport and Chepstow Hospitals

  15

  26·0

  15

  26·0

  5

  21·9

  13

  25·0

  Gwynedd DHA

  20

  7·1

  17

  26·0

  17

  25·6

  12

  24·0

  Anglesey

  8

  19·1

  8

  28·8

  5

  25·3

  4

  24·2

  Meirionnydd

  1

  22·9

  4

  210·1

  4

  210·8

  3

  27·7

  Aberconwy

  2

  23·7

  1

  21·9

  2

  23·2

  4

  26·5

  Arfon

  6

  28·0

  4

  25·7

  3

  23·8

  1

  21·3

  Dwyfor

  3

  210·2

  0

  20·0

  3

  29·9

  0

  20·0

  Mid Glamorgan DHA

  35

  4·7

  27

  3·5

  28

  3·6

  42

  5·5

  Ogwr

  6

  23·4

  8

  24·5

  8

  24·2

  10

  25·5

  Taff Ely

  5

  23·7

  2

  21·4

  4

  22·9

  9

  26·7

  Rhondda

  5

  24·7

  5

  24·4

  1

  20·9

  5

  24·6

  Merthyr-Cynon

  10

  25·8

  8

  24·5

  10

  25·6

  11

  26·0

  Rhymney Valley

  9

  25·9

  4

  22·5

  5

  23·0

  7

  24·6

  Powys DHA

  2

  21·6

  7

  25·3

  8

  25·8

  4

  22·9

  Montgomery

  2

  23·6

  3

  24·9

  5

  27·3

  3

  24·6

  Brecknock and Radnor

  0

  20·0

  4

  25·7

  3

  24·3

  1

  21·4

  South Glamorgan DHA

  39

  6·7

  29

  5·0

  27

  4·5

  30

  5·1

  West Glamorgan DHA

  24

  5·1

  26

  5·5

  25

  5·3

  19

  24·1

  East District Hospitals

  11

  27·3

  10

  26·8

  8

  25·5

  10

  27·2

  North and West District Hospitals

  13

  240

  16

  24·9

  17

  25·2

  9

  22·8

  Source: O.P.C.S.

  1 Neonatal deaths are deaths within the first 4 weeks of birth; rates are the number of neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births.

  2 Denotes a rate calculated from fewer than 20 events.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review the co-ordination between the National Rivers Authority in Wales and the Forestry Commission with a view to overcoming the acid rain problem affecting rivers and lakes in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  The Forestry Commission is in close touch with the National Rivers Authority about the problem of acid rain affecting rivers and lakes in Wales, and I see no need to review the arrangements.

  Farm Woodland Schemes
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many applications have been approved for farm woodland schemes in 1988–89 and 1989–90 for(a) Carmarthen district, (b) Dyfed, (c) Wales and (d) Britain.
  86
  Mr. David Hunt
  The number of applications approved under the farm woodland scheme since its inception on 1 October 1988 is as follows:

  1 October 1988— 30 September 1989

  1 October 1989— 31 May 1990

  Total

  (a) Carmarthen District

  1

  —

  1

  (b) Dyfed

  5

  5

  10

  (c) Wales

  17

  14

  31

  A further 12 applications are under consideration; four of these are in Dyfed but none falls within Carmarthen district.

  NHS Nursing Staff
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of nursing staff employed(a) at 31 March 1989 and (b) at 31 March 1983 in national

  87
  health service hospitals, homes and clinics in Wales; what were the corresponding whole-time equivalents; and how many of them had nursing qualifications.

  Mr. Grist
  The available information which relates to total nursing and midwifery staff, employed by the NHS, and in post as at 30 September is given in the table:

  1983

  1989

  Numbers

  30,328

  33,236

  Whole-time equivalents

  25,981

  28,037

  Numbers with qualifications1

  18,056

  19,533

  1 State enrolled and state registered.

  Ambulance Service
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue guidelines to health authorities in Wales to ensure that when regulations regarding the ambulance service are being drawn up, or amended, prior consultation takes place with the local medical committee representing general practitioners in the area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  No. The management of the service at a local level is the responsibility of the relevant district health authority. It is for the health authority concerned to determine whether consultation is appropriate when changes in operational policy are being considered.

  Beef Producers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what special measures he is taking to assist beef producers in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on Thursday 7 June.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of people who have not so far paid the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Gross capital expenditure on schools1

  £000

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Clwyd

  4,236

  4,179

  4,002

  3,659

  4,071

  4,830

  5,603

  6,664

  5,959

  Dyfed

  2,461

  2,672

  3,635

  4,093

  3,268

  2,569

  3,557

  5,365

  5,315

  Gwent

  4,682

  3,029

  4,155

  4,932

  4,735

  4,937

  5,020

  5,888

  6,896

  Gwynedd

  2,060

  1,648

  1,220

  1,179

  1,301

  1,801

  1,709

  2,238

  2,299

  Mid Glamorgan

  4,465

  5,831

  5,567

  5,737

  5,370

  3,096

  4,395

  6,255

  6,260

  Powys

  1,164

  1,388

  1,693

  2,241

  1,619

  1,090

  2,720

  2,452

  1,699

  South Glamorgan

  2,142

  1,469

  2,557

  1,849

  1,967

  1,384

  2,138

  1,920

  3,980

  West Glamorgan

  4,589

  3,759

  4,241

  3,292

  2,331

  3,230

  3,907

  5,059

  5,160

  Total counties

  22,254

  23,976

  27,068

  26,982

  24,662

  22,937

  29,049

  35,841

  37,568

  1 Includes nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was current spending on(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in Wales local education authorities for each of the years from 1980, inclusive and county by county.
  88
  Mr. David Hunt
  I have made no such estimate. I have every confidence that the vast majority of Welsh charge payers are law-abiding and will pay their community charge.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average cost in Wales per person of collecting the poll tax.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The average cost in Wales per person of collecting the community charge will be about £7 in 1990–91 based on local authority budget returns.

  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received seeking changes in the poll tax legislation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have received representations on a variety of matters. The Government are reviewing the operation of the community charge system. It is too early to say what changes might be made or whether legislation will be needed.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has on the presence of toxic algae from the dumping of sludge and chemicals in Liverpool bay; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  I am advised by the National Rivers Authority that it has not detected the presence of any potentially toxic algae in the Liverpool bay area.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has of illnesses and viral infections in Wales following swimming in the Irish sea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Education
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was capital spending on Wales local education authority schools for each of the years from 1980 and county by county.

  Mr. Roberts
  The information requested is shown in the following table:

  Mr. Roberts
  The information requested is given in the table:
  89

  Current Expenditure on Primary and Secondary Schools in Wales (£000)

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Nursery and Primary

  Clwyd

  22,129

  24,803

  25,844

  26,943

  27,320

  29,337

  31,664

  34,562

  38,208

  Dyfed

  20,276

  22,057

  22,650

  23,205

  23,962

  25,282

  28,228

  32,512

  36,264

  Gwent

  25,342

  27,700

  29,382

  30,614

  30,373

  32,136

  35,893

  39,531

  45,729

  Gwynedd

  12,763

  14,520

  15,545

  14,750

  15,892

  16,362

  18,066

  20,034

  22,010

  Mid Glamorgan

  34,815

  36,907

  39,836

  42,707

  43,684

  46,888

  50,355

  56,677

  63,068

  Powys

  7,711

  8,454

  8,920

  9,450

  9,760

  10,044

  10,845

  12,026

  14,356

  South Glamorgan

  19,234

  20,941

  21,868

  22,986

  23,421

  24,948

  29,263

  32,274

  35,960

  West Glamorgan

  22,601

  24,810

  25,769

  26,964

  26,453

  28,786

  32,455

  35,590

  39,802

  Total Wales

  164,961

  180,192

  189,816

  197,617

  200,867

  213,782

  236,769

  263,205

  295,397

  Secondary

  Clwyd

  25,969

  29,785

  32,099

  34,284

  35,435

  37,216

  40,265

  43,711

  47,445

  Dyfed

  22,610

  25,548

  27,109

  28,380

  29,333

  30,898

  33,668

  37,339

  39,276

  Gwent

  32,438

  36,440

  38,879

  40,987

  41,904

  42,731

  46,506

  49,767

  53,221

  Gwynedd

  15,211

  17,270

  18,527

  19,947

  20,979

  21,839

  23,982

  25,796

  27,168

  Mid Glamorgan

  38,527

  41,701

  44,773

  48,514

  49,960

  52,193

  56,422

  59,642

  63,307

  Powys

  8,164

  8,987

  9,477

  10,235

  10,676

  11,209

  11,945

  13,057

  15,057

  South Glamorgan

  25,372

  27,526

  29,703

  30,790

  31,260

  32,155

  36,377

  37,686

  40,469

  West Glamorgan

  26,933

  30,804

  32,505

  34,331

  33,650

  35,183

  39,238

  42,734

  46,216

  Total Wales

  195,224

  218,061

  233,072

  247,457

  253,207

  263,424

  288,404

  309,733

  332,159

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were pupil numbers in(a) primary and (b) secondary local education authority schools in Wales and in each county including the percentage change, year on year, for each of the years since 1980 inclusive.

  Primary

  Clwyd

  Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  Wales

  1980

  Pupil numbers

  42,415

  32,881

  46,398

  24,316

  61,371

  11,198

  37,659

  38,989

  295,227

  1981

  Pupil numbers

  40,857

  31,771

  44,280

  23,398

  58,655

  10,822

  36,247

  37,505

  283,435

  Percentage change

  -3·7

  -3·4

  -4·6

  -4·2

  -4·4

  -3·4

  -3·7

  -3·8

  -4·0

  1982

  Pupil numbers

  39,012

  30,816

  42,438

  22,482

  56,291

  10,534

  35,075

  36,554

  273,202

  Percentage change

  -4·5

  -3·0

  -4·2

  -3·5

  -4·0

  -2·7

  -3·2

  -2·5

  -3·6

  1983

  Pupil numbers

  37,793

  29,909

  40,268

  21,545

  53,757

  10,262

  33,649

  35,386

  262,569

  Percentage change

  -3·1

  -2·9

  -5·1

  -4·2

  -4·5

  -2·6

  -4·1

  -3·2

  -3·9

  1984

  Pupil numbers

  37,141

  29,469

  39,642

  20,989

  52,669

  10,154

  33,496

  35,082

  258,642

  Percentage change

  -1·7

  -1·5

  -1·6

  -2·6

  -2·0

  -1·1

  -0·5

  -0·9

  -1·5

  1985

  Pupil numbers

  37,265

  29,313

  39,642

  20,377

  52,242

  10,073

  33,522

  34,861

  257,295

  Percentage change

  +0·3

  -0·5

  0

  -2·9

  -0·8

  -0·8

  +0·1

  -0·6

  -0·5

  1986

  Pupil numbers

  37,174

  29,435

  39,623

  19,972

  52,139

  9,807

  33,886

  34,762

  256,798

  Percentage change

  —0·2

  + 0·4

  0

  -2·0

  -0·2

  -2·6

  +1·1

  -0·3

  -0·2

  1987

  Pupil numbers

  37,225

  29,989

  39,818

  19,718

  52,113

  9,786

  34,375

  34,975

  257,999

  Percentage change

  +0·1

  +1·9

  +0·5

  -1·3

  -0·1

  -0·2

  +1·4

  +0·6

  +0·5

  1988

  Pupil numbers

  37,581

  30,671

  40,400

  19,710

  52,859

  9,932

  35,141

  35,407

  261,701

  Percentage change

  +1·0

  +2·3

  +1·5

  0

  +1·4

  +1·5

  +2·2

  +1·2

  +1·4

  1989

  Pupil numbers

  38,680

  31,895

  41,428

  19,991

  54,118

  10,198

  35,980

  36,198

  268,488

  Percentage change

  +2·9

  +4·0

  +2·5

  +1·4

  +2·4

  +2·7

  +2·4

  +2·2

  +2·6

  90
  Mr. Roberts
  The information as at January of each year is given in the tables:
  91

  Secondary

  Clwyd

  Dyfed

  Gwent

  Gwynedd

  Mid Glamorgan

  Powys

  South Glamorgan

  West Glamorgan

  Wales

  1980

  Pupil numbers

  32,987

  27,414

  39,586

  19,038

  47,857

  9,173

  33,437

  31,279

  240,771

  1981

  Pupil numbers

  33,310

  27,360

  39,321

  19,182

  47,650

  9,162

  33,007

  30,649

  239,641

  Percentage change

  + 1·0

  -0·2

  -0·7

  +0·8

  -0·4

  -0·1

  -1·3

  -2·0

  -0·5

  1982

  Pupil numbers

  33,178

  27,258

  38,557

  19,428

  47,210

  9,009

  32,517

  29,999

  237,156

  Percentage change

  -0·4

  -0·4

  -1·9

  + 1·3

  -0·9

  -1·7

  -1·5

  -2·1

  -1·0

  1983

  Pupil numbers

  33,261

  27,215

  37,722

  19,896

  46,962

  9,036

  32,375

  29,158

  235,625

  Percentage change

  +0·3

  -0·2

  -2·2

  + 2·4

  -0·5

  + 0·3

  -0·4

  -2·8

  -0·6

  1984

  Pupil numbers

  32,874

  26,779

  36,823

  19,725

  46,316

  9,003

  31,634

  28,358

  231,512

  Percentage change

  -1·2

  -1·6

  -2·4

  -0·9

  -1·4

  -0·4

  -2·3

  -2·7

  -1·7

  1985

  Pupil numbers

  32,400

  26,386

  35,445

  19,642

  45,407

  8,976

  30,618

  27,572

  226,446

  Percentage change

  -1·4

  -1·5

  -3·7

  -0·4

  -2·0

  -0·3

  -3·2

  -2·8

  -2·2

  1986

  Pupil numbers

  31,330

  25,654

  33,864

  19,045

  43,889

  8,738

  29,646

  26,212

  218,378

  Percentage change

  -3·3

  -2·8

  -4·5

  -3·0

  -3·3

  -2·7

  -3·2

  -4·9

  -3·6

  1987

  Pupil numbers

  30·121

  24,787

  32,406

  18,335

  42,129

  8,537

  28,457

  25,137

  209,909

  Percentage change

  -3·9

  -3·4

  -4·3

  -3·7

  -4·0

  -2·3

  -4·0

  -4·1

  -3·9

  1988

  Pupil numbers

  28,647

  23,924

  30,509

  17,268

  39,419

  8,217

  27,279

  24,016

  199,279

  Percentage change

  -4·9

  -3·5

  -5·9

  -5·8

  -6·4

  -3·7

  -4·1

  -4·5

  -5·1

  1989

  Pupil numbers

  27,367

  23,682

  29,227

  16,357

  37,539

  7,986

  26,627

  23,214

  191,999

  Percentage change

  -4·5

  -1·0

  -4·2

  -5·3

  -4·8

  -2·8

  -2·4

  -3·3

  -3·7

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been expenditure per pupil in real terms for each year from 1980 inclusive, in Wales and by county,in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

  Total expenditure per pupil in primary and secondary schools: 1988–89 prices1 (£ per pupil)

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  Primary

  Clwyd

  963

  1,021

  1,021

  1,033

  1,007

  1,030

  1,093

  1,142

  1,143

  Dyfed

  1,084

  1,127

  1,106

  1,090

  1,052

  1,051

  1,150

  1,244

  1,229

  Gwent

  965

  985

  1,058

  1,083

  1,028

  1,031

  1,129

  1,195

  1,284

  Gwynedd

  943

  972

  1,023

  971

  1,010

  1,002

  1.075

  1,139

  1,169

  Mid Glamorgan

  982

  995

  1,047

  1,111

  1,102

  1,106

  1,144

  1,228

  1,230

  Powys

  1,204

  1,180

  1,272

  1,363

  1,317

  1,288

  1,342

  1,404

  1,505

  South Glamorgan

  919

  911

  940

  935

  915

  919

  1,043

  1,068

  1,106

  West Glamorgan

  1,073

  1,083

  1,064

  1,093

  1,033

  1,035

  1,123

  1,202

  1,243

  Wales

  997

  1,018

  1,047

  1,067

  1,039

  1,042

  1,121

  1,188

  1,217

  Secondary

  Clwyd

  1,340

  1,392

  1,390

  1,421

  1,425

  1,487

  1,620

  1,753

  1,819

  Dyfed

  1,391

  1,415

  1,450

  1,499

  1,485

  1,480

  1,609

  1,796

  1,787

  Gwent

  1,451

  1,452

  1,483

  1,528

  1,550

  1,571

  1,676

  1,777

  1,848

  Gwynedd

  1,364

  1,391

  1,317

  1,344

  1,365

  1,421

  1,556

  1,701

  1,734

  Mid Glamorgan

  1,388

  1,403

  1,395

  1,436

  1,430

  1,422

  1,558

  1,707

  1,780

  Powys

  1,538

  1,645

  1,560

  1,608

  1,545

  1,540

  1,822

  1,892

  1,976

  South Glamorgan

  1,255

  1,254

  1,298

  1,294

  1,296

  1,278

  1,465

  1,491

  1,566

  West Glamorgan

  1,562

  1,611

  1,681

  1,678

  1,564

  1,632

  1,852

  2,062

  2,117

  Wales

  1,400

  1,425

  1,437

  1,465

  1,452

  1,472

  1,624

  1,755

  1,812

  1 Adjusted to a constant price basis using the GDP deflator.

  92
  Mr. Roberts
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Employment Training
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the amount of cash in real terms for employment training in Wales for each of the years from 1980 including the current year and the proposed amounts for 1991; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Roberts
  Employment training commenced on 5 September 1988. The budgets for 1988–89 and 1989–90 were £13·671 million and £32·741 million respectively. For 1990–91 the budget is £30·279 million. This is a reflection of the overall decline in unemployment.

  Deeside High School
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will visit Deeside high school, Queensferry, and meet members of staff;

  (2) if he will visit Deeside high school and meet the parent-teachers association and school governors to discuss with them school closure plans.

  Mr. Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on Thursday 8 February 1990.

  Cancer Patients
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to make a decision on his report concerning treatment for cancer sufferers in north Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Responses to recent consultation on the comprehensive review of cancer treatment services to north Wales patients are presently being studied. I will make an announcement when these have been considered.

  Health Boards
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his criteria for appointments to health boards in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Grist
  Members will be appointed on the strength of the skills and experience they can bring to an authority's work.

  Beaches
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the beaches in Wales that meet the blue flag award standards, and those which do not.

  Mr. Grist
  One beach in Wales, Cefn Sidan, has been awarded a 1990 blue flag.

  Ophthalmic Clinics
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the figures for new out-patient attendances at ophthalmic clinics in(a) South Glamorgan and (b) Wales for the quarter ended December 1989 and the quarter ended March 1990.

  Mr. Grist
  The number of new ophthalmology out-patients recorded in NHS hospitals during the quarter ending December 1989 is given in the table. Information for the quarter ending March 1990 is not yet available.
  94

  South Glamorgan

  Wales

  New out-patient attendances

  1,952

  11,415

  Welsh Water
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the individuals in respect of whom Welsh Water, in the 12 months prior to the sale of shares, paid for overseas travel together with the capacity in which they were engaged, the purposes of each visit and the cost involved.

  Mr. Grist
  This was a matter for the Welsh water authority prior to 1 September 1989 and subsequently for Welsh Water plc.

  Diabetes and Glaucoma
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were suffering from diabetes and glaucoma in(a) Wales and (b) each county in Wales during 1988–89 and 1989–90, respectively.

  Mr. Grist
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Insulation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of loft insulation jobs completed so far in the current year and completed in the equivalent periods of 1987, 1988 and 1989; and what were the full-year figures for 1987, 1988 and 1989 for Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Information on the number of dwellings for which home insulation grants were given in the periods requested is shown in the table:

  Home insulation grants—Wales1

  Number of dwellings

  1987 1st quarter

  7,087

  1988 1st quarter

  5,667

  1989 1st quarter

  3,184

  1990 1st quarter

  1,326

  1987

  19,990

  1988

  14,016

  1989

  7,180

  1 Includes grants given for loft insulation. Data on specific insulation works are not collected separately.

  Railway Service, Maesteg
  Dr. Kim Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will ensure that British Rail implements fully the scheme approved by the Welsh Office in November 1989 to reopen a passenger service to Maesteg.

  Mr. Roberts
  I met the chairman of British Rail recently and he is aware of the importance of the Maesteg project to the economic regeneration of south Wales. The provision of rolling stock for the line is for resolution between British Rail and Mid Glamorgan county council.

  History Committee for Wales
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has received the final report of the history committee for Wales; and if he will make a statement.
  95
  Mr. David Hunt
  I am publishing the report of the national curriculum history committee for Wales today. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  I am very grateful to the members of the committee, and to its chairman Professor Rees Davies, for the hard work they have undertaken in completing their task, and for the comprehensive report they have produced.

  The report sets out their recommendations for the history course for pupils from age five to 16 in the schools of Wales, and has been prepared in the light of the final report of the history working group which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science published on 3 April.

  The report is being distributed to local education authorities and maintained schools in Wales, and to other interested bodies. I shall publish later my proposals for attainment targets and programmes of study for history within the national curriculum in the schools of Wales. These will be subject to statutory consultation as required by the Education Reform Act 1988.

  HIV
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report for each health authority in Wales, the number of persons infected with HIV; and if he will separately distinguish these numbers by age.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 7 June 1990]: To safeguard confidentiality and in line with reporting procedure under the AIDS (Control) Act, actual numbers between one and nine—inclusive—diagnosed in individual health authorities are not published. Distribution by age is therefore shown for all Wales.

  Table 1: Number of Reported HIV Infections by Health Authority Cumulative to 31 March 1990

  Number

  Clwyd

  14

  East Dyfed

  1

  Gwent

  15

  Gwynedd

  16

  Mid Glamorgan

  1

  Pembrokeshire

  1

  Powys

  Nil

  South Glamorgan

  69

  West Glamorgan

  27

  Wales

  157

  1 Less than 10.

  Table 2: Age Distribution of Reported HIV Infections Cumulative to 31 March 1990

  Number

  0–141

  2

  15–24

  38

  25–34

  57

  35–44

  34

  45 +

  18

  Not known

  2

  Total

  157

  1 Age group as at when first tested positive.

  2 Less than 10.

  Opencast Mine, Buckley
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet Alyn and Deeside council and Buckley town council to hear their views concerning the opencast executive's proposals for mining coal in the Buckley area.

  Mr. David Hunt
  In view of my statutory planning role it would not be appropriate for me to do so.

PRIME MINISTER

  Environmental Co-operation
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will raise with President Gorbachev technical co-operation between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom on environmental problems, including cellulose-related pollution of Lake Baikal.

  The Prime Minister
  I was not able to raise environmental questions in any great detail with President Gorbachev in the time available. We are of course aware that the environmental problems of the Soviet Union are serious and we are at present considering what role we might best play in the ecological research centre that it is proposing to establish at Lake Baikal.

  Housing (London)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Prime Minister what further representations she has had calling for the alleviation of the housing crises in London.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government receive many representations about the housing situation in London.

  Nuclear Material
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government concerning the transfer of nuclear materials, and in particular enriched uranium, to countries which have not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  The Prime Minister
  The transfer of nuclear materials, including enriched uranium, is authorised in accordance with the policy set out in 1976 by the then Foreign Secretary, the right hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth, Mr. Callaghan; that is to say:"When considering the export of nuclear equipment, material, or technology, we shall study each case on its merits. Our first consideration will always be the provisions of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Euratom Treaty, and whether or not the prospective customer has concluded a Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
  Our detailed requirements will include the application of IAEA safeguards or comparable safeguards which are verified by the IAEA to exported nuclear equipment and material; an assurance that whatever we export will not be used to manufacture nuclear explosives for any purpose; an assurance that our exports will be adequately protected against the possibility of theft or sabotage; and assurances that if the equipment or material that we export is re-exported, then the new purchaser will be required to give the same assurances of safeguards, non-explosive use and physical protection as were given by the original customer."

  Management Consultants
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the studies conducted inside the Cabinet Office and Prime Minister's offices by management consultants over the last 10 years, naming the consultancy, the cost, the subject and the outcome in each instance.

  The Prime Minister
  There has been no expenditure on management consultants by my office over the last 10 years. Until 1988–89 financial information about management consultancies engaged by the Cabinet Office was not identified separately from other types of consultancy. Expenditure on management consultants in that year and in 1989–90 was as follows:

  £

  1988–89

  70,608

  1989–90

  51,500

  Information on individual consultancies is available only from 1985 onwards. The management consultants employed by the Cabinet Office and the nature of their assignments are as follows:

  Firm and Assignment

  Chinal Management Services Ltd.

  Specialised training.

  Communication Audit

  Review of written guidance to promotion boards.

  Coopers and Lybrand Associates1

  (i)Management/Staff communications

  (ii) Policy work and the financial management initiative.

  Diane Bailey Associates

  (i) Training material on staff appraisal: training workshops

  (ii) Trainers' resource pack on equal opportunities

  (iii) Specialised training.

  Hay-MSL Management Consultants1

  (i) Evaluation of performance bonus experiment

  (ii) Means of assessing the potential and management development needs of staff at junior levels.

  Business Research Unit

  Evaluation of staff attitudes to the new staff appraisal system.

  Keith Robertson

  Consultancy for the 'Managing Absence' project.

  Diane Bailey Associates

  Survey on presentation of Occupation Welfare Service to management and staff in the Civil Service.

  Institute of Manpower Studies

  Advice on manpower planning and computers in personnel.

  John Rowley

  Production of guidelines for managers and trade unionists on job satisfaction projects and a summary of the guidelines for staff.

  W. O'Keefe

  Study of purchasing and stores activities.

  Hay Management Consultants

  A study of the feasibility of short service assignments in the Science Group.

  Purchasing Index (UK) Ltd1

  Development of the Central Unit of Purchasing Database.

  Frank Griffiths Associates 1

  Advice in connection with the Institute of Civil Engineers' review of conditions of contract.

  R. W. White1

  Review of arrangements for Purchasing and Supply Function in Government.

  E. R. Farnbridge and C. Evans1

  Review of Supply and Service Agreements between departments and the Central Purchasing Agencies.

  D. F. Collins1

  Advice on Written Guidance.

  98

  Training Development Approaches Ltd

  Design of manual in support of the Young People Programme.

  Industrial Training Service Ltd

  Production of a guide on conducting training needs analyses.

  WRM Ltd

  Training information and communications study.

  PA Personnel Services

  Analysis of Executive Officer and fast stream recruitments.

  Imitax Ltd.

  Workshops on job satisfaction employee involvement.

  Imitax Ltd.

  Local Office network conference.

  Inbucon Management Consultants Ltd.

  Case study on personnel and financial management.

  Industrial Training Services Ltd.

  (i) Measuring training activity

  (ii) Specialised training.

  Intra Systems Ltd. (1)

  Pilot study on the use of interactive video.

  KMG Thomson McLintock

  Review of office automation pilot programme in a government department.

  OD (Management Consultancy) Ltd.

  Review of a productivity scheme.

  PA Personnel Services Ltd.

  Study of the provision of information advice and guidance on matters of employment law within the Civil Service.

  Peter Saunders Associates

  Self instruction package on Government Accounting.

  Transform

  Specialised training.

  BGM Consultants Ltd.

  Identification of core skills for the young people project.

  Business Research Unit

  Evaluation of staff appraisal scheme.

  Centre for Training and Evaluation Studies

  Evaluation of staff appraisal material.

  Coopers and Lybrand Associates (1)

  Development of policy evaluation.

  Diane Bailey Associates

  (i) Training material on staff appraisal and training workshops

  (ii) Preparation of information pack on stress management.

  DWJ Consulting Services Ltd. (1)

  Functions review of the Crown Suppliers.

  Ernst and Whinney

  Specialised training.

  Frank Griffiths Associates Ltd.

  Review of the purchasing and supply organisation in a government department.

  IMS

  (i) Study of mobility1

  (ii) Specialised training

  (iii) Advice on working patterns.

  Inbucon Management Consultants Ltd.

  Preparation of a training package.

  Pergamon Infotech

  Specialised training.

  Peat, Marwick Mitchell1

  Development of policy evaluation.

  Psychometric Research and Development Ltd.

  Analysis contributing to the Civil Service Commission review of executive officer recruitment.

  Systems Concepts Ltd.

  Identification of information management needs.

  BGM Consultants

  Identification of core skills in clerical grades.

  Diane Bailey Associates

  Preparation of a Stress Management Training Pack. ITS Ltd.

  Guide to conducting Training Reviews.

  Systems Concepts Ltd.

  Training Information Communications Study—feasibility study.

  John Childs

  Training Information Communications Study—customer needs survey.

  99

  Anne Hughes Hallet

  Research on undergraduate attitudes to a career in Her Majesty's Tax Inspectorate.

  B. O'Connor

  Selection procedure design (engineer recruitment).

  National Foundation for Educational Research

  Aptitude test analysis.

  Centre for Training and Evaluation Studies

  Evaluation of self instruction training package for the new staff appraisal system.

  Richard Williams

  Equal Opportunities monitoring project.

  Questel Qualitive Studies Ltd.1

  Audit of recruitment publicity.

  Anne Hughes Hallett1

  Research into careers attitudes.

  Human Assets Ltd.

  Study of Information Officers recruitment procedures.

  Equalities Associates

  Guidelines for trainers on equal opportunities issues.

  Ashbridge Management College

  Study of Women's National Commission.

  Coopers and Lybrand Associates

  Pilot study on evaluation.

  National Children's Bureau

  Advice on the London Childcare Project.

  Peter Williams Associates

  Advice on the London Childcare Project.

  Price Waterhouse

  Advice on performance indicators and management information systems.

  Shaista Faruqi

  Design of recruitment monitoring system.

  1Costs for these studies were shared with other Government Departments.

  Child Sex Abuse
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what progress the interdepartmental group on child sexual abuse has made since her answer of 4 May 1989,Official Report, column 211.

  The Prime Minister
  Since May 1989 the interdepartmental group on child abuse has met four times and has made good progress in addressing a wide range of issues in relation to child care matters, including research.

  International Whaling Commission
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Prime Minister who will represent the United Kingdom at the International Whaling Commission meeting in the Netherlands in July.

  The Prime Minister
  As is usual the United Kingdom will be represented by the United Kingdom's commissioner for whaling, a senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  ACOST (Chairmanship)
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the chairmanship of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology.

  The Prime Minister
  I have appointed Sir Robin Nicholson to succeed Lord Tombs of Brailes as chairman of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACOST) after the council meeting on 11 July.

  Lord Tombs of Brailes has chaired the Advisory Council on Science and Technology since it was formed in 1987 and also chaired its predecessor the Advisory Council for Applied Research and Development from 1985 to 1987. The Government are very grateful to him for the very valuable service he has given in these posts.

  Engagements
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 June.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 June.

  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 12 June.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty the Queen.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Open University
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the consequences of forthcoming radio wavelength changes on the work of the Open university.

  Mr. Mellor
  Our attention has recently been drawn to deficiencies in AM radio reception in parts of Scotland. This would have affected reception of the BBC's Open university and other educational programmes following their transfer to the new Radio 5 service in August of this year. In the areas concerned the BBC will continue transmitting these programmes on FM until the AM problem is resolved.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest crime figures for Basildon.

  Mr. John Patten
  Crime figures are published annually in the report of the chief constable of Essex. The latest figures are given in his annual report for 1989 when 14,559 notifiable offences were recorded in the Basildon division.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the crime figures in the west Lancashire district in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. John Patten
  Information for the southern "C" division (which includes the west Lancashire district) is published in the annual report of the chief constable of Lancashire. Statistics of notifiable offences recorded in the Lancashire police force area are published in table 2·4 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1988" and in table 7 of "Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/90"; copies of these publications are available in the Library.

  Badgers
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been under the Badgers Act 1973 and the Wildlife and Countryside Acts 1981 and 1985 for taking or destroying a badger; and what was the percentage of convictions.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  No figures are available for specific types of offences under these Acts. However in 1988 there
  101
  were a total of 74 prosecutions for offences under the Badgers Act 1973 and 41 convictions. That is a conviction rate of 55·4 per cent.

  Fire Service
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on nationally recommended minimum standards to maintain fire service cover.

  Mr. John Patten
  The conclusions and recommendations in the report of the joint committee on standards of fire cover, which was published in 1985, were recommended to fire authorities by fire service circular No. 4/1985 on 22 May 1985, copies of which are in the Library.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter dated 2 May from the hon. Member for Worsley with regard to information about possible terrorist activity.

  Mr. Waddington
  I wrote to the hon. Member, after consulting the police, on 5 June.

  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will be sent a reply to his letter dated 12 March referring to Mrs. Frances Bennett of Rugby.

  Mr. Mellor
  I replied to my hon. Friend on 26 March. I have today sent him a further copy of that letter.

  Mr. John Harker
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will now make a statement about the case of John Harker, prisoner R69121, HM prison Kirkham, Preston, Lancashire;

  (2) if he will make a statement as to the outcome of the inquiry into the case of John Harker, prisoner R69121, HM prison Kirkham, Preston, Lancashire.

  Mr. John Patten
  I will be writing to my hon. Friend shortly about this case.

  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why John Harker, prisoner R69121, Her Majesty's prison Kirkham, Preston, Lancashire, has not yet heard from the parole review board held in January 1990.

  Mr. John Patten
  Mr. Harker's case is still under consideration. We expect the outcome to be known around the end of June.

  Teacher Vetting
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take to speed up teacher vetting.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that four additional civilian staff have been deployed on this work since April. I am not aware of general delays outside London.

  Arson
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to increase the maximum penalty available to the courts for arson involving damage to property, where no personal injury has occurred.

  Mr. John Patten
  All offences of arson, whether or not they involve personal injury, already carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

  Parole
  Mr. Orme
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of cases in England and Wales in which a prisoner has not been given the opportunity to be interviewed by a member of the local review committee as part of the process of parole review for the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Mellor
  Figures are not recorded centrally. On those rare occasions when an interview is inadvertently denied, our policy is to offer a fresh review.

  Police Complaints Authority
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out for each police force in England and Wales the total number of inquiries in which a Police Complaints Authority member supervised the investigation during the most convenient recent 12-months period, the total number of hours spent on such investigations, and assuming the necessity of the Police Complaints Authority to employ its own investigators at executive officer, senior executive officer and higher executive officer grade, and working a normal home civil service week, what would be the cost implications for the Police Complaints Authority.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Strangeways Prison
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest estimate of the cost of repairing the damage recently caused by disturbances at Strangeways prison.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is now able to give the total cost of the destruction and the policing following the prison riot at Strangeways prison.

  Mr. Mellor
  I announced on 17 May at columns 489–90 plans for the refurbishment of Strangeways prison to provide a range of new and improved facilities, including integral sanitation at a cost of £60 million. This work will also include repair of the damage done during the recent disturbances, which amounts to about £30 million.

  The Greater Manchester police authority advises that the additional cost of policing as a result of the disturbances was £580,000.

  Sunday Trading
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in considering Sunday trading.

  Mr. Mellor
  Since the defeat of the Shops Bill, the Government have made it clear that they are prepared to
  103
  consider reform short of total deregulation if a solution can be found which is widely accepted, enforceable, practicable and likely to command a parliamentary majority. No such solution has yet emerged and I see no prospect of sufficient support to enable us to put forward legislation in the near future.

  Dangerous Dogs
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he now expects to bring forward proposals to strengthen the law on dangerous dogs.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend is considering whether to do so.

  Dog Fighting
  Mr. Cohen
  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 priority given to prosecuting those involved in dog-fighting activities.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to do so.

  Open Banking
  Mr. Haselhurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received representations regarding the security aspects of open banking; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  No. A working group appointed by the standing conference on crime prevention to look into commercial robbery mentioned in its 1986 report the increasing popularity of open-plan offices in bank branches. The working group found no evidence that the move towards open plan increased the risk of attack, but the matter is being kept under review by the Home Office, the Metropolitan police and the banks themselves.

  Trevi Group
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (I) what subjects of discussions by the Trevi group the Minister expects to be resolved during the Italian Presidency of the European Economic Community;

  (2) what areas of United Kingdom law are being looked at with a view to changes to meet the needs for common European Economic Community action as identified by the Trevi group;

  (3) if he will list all the meetings of the Trevi group, and the subject discussed at each meeting and decisions arrived at; and if he will indicate the future areas of work the Trevi group will be addressing.

  Mr. Waddington
  During each presidency of Trevi a number of working groups meet to further co-operation against terrorism, drug trafficking and other serious crimes, reporting their conclusions to senior officials and Ministers. I and my colleagues will be reviewing the work done under the Irish presidency in Dublin next week, and I shall report the outcome to the House. The declaration made at our last meeting in Paris on 15 December 1989, a copy of which is in the Library, sets out a programme of work which is likely to be further progressed during the 104
  Italian presidency. No changes in United Kingdom law are currently being considered as a result of work in Trevi, which is concerned with practical police co-operation.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions the Trevi group has had about passing information from the United Kingdom, held on the central police computer, relating(a) to criminal records and (b) suspected crime and suspects; and what protection the group intends to provide to protect the civil rights of any individual so identified;

  (2) what discussions the Trevi group of Ministers has had about setting up a European Economic Community-wide database; and what consideration has been given in such discussions to the laws relating to privacy in such countries.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Trevi Ministers agreed at their meeting in Paris on 15 December 1989 to initiate a study of a possible common information system among member states, designed to combat the most serious forms of crime. The protection of data and of personal privacy is among the considerations to be addressed in this study, which is at an early stage. No decisions have yet been taken on whether to set up such a system and, if so, on what information it should contain or how it should work.

  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Trevi group of Ministers has agreed with regard to political asylum refused by one European Economic Community state; how applications will be considered in other European Community states; and what steps are being taken to harmonise the grounds for granting political asylum.

  Mr. Waddington
  At their last meeting in Paris on 15 December 1989, EC Immigration Ministers adopted a declaration relating, among other subjects, to measures on asylum. A copy of the declaration is in the Library. The next meeting is to be held in Dublin on 14 and 15 June and the outcome will be reported to the House in the usual way.

  Overseas Voters
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the leaflets printed and distributed encouraging overseas electors to enrol in the United Kingdom; how many were distributed; and through what channels in(a) South Africa, (b) Zimbabwe, (c) Australia, (d) Canada, (e) New Zealand and the EC.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Two million copies of the leaflet "Keeping your vote when living abroad" have been printed at a cost of £30,000. Of these, 1,023,000 have been sent to diplomatic posts and missions abroad; the remainder have been sent to electoral registration officers, or to United Kingdom organisations with overseas connections, or have been retained for future use.

  Distribution of the leaflets by British diplomatic posts abroad began in May and is continuing by various means, including mailshots to expatriates, inclusion with renewed passports, and in response to direct requests from individuals, firms and organisations. Details of the precise means of distribution in specific countries could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Prisoners (Disability)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities are provided for disabled prisoners who are(a) physically disabled, (b) blind, (c) mentally ill or (d) deaf.

  Mr. Mellor
  As indicated in the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) on 16 May 1990 at column 411, prison establishments seek to meet the needs of those with disabilities on an individual basis. Their requirements are assessed by medical and other staff as part of the reception procedure.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned into the needs of disabled people in prison.

  Mr. Mellor
  A survey was undertaken last year into the accessibility of prison establishments for people with disabilities, including inmates, staff and visitors. The survey focused on the problems of those with physical disabilities.

  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any extra support for disabled prisoners' rehabilitation needs on discharge.

  Mr. John Patten
  The probation service should be informed by the prison authorities of any medical matters relating to the discharge of inmates, with particular attention given to the individual needs of blind or otherwise handicapped prisoners. This procedure will become a requirement with the issue of prison department standing order 1I later this year.

  With regard to the provision of after care, the home probation officer can arrange contacts with relevant social services departments and other bodies that are able to offer support and guidance.

  Prison Service (Disabled Employees)
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disabled employees there are in the prison service.

  Mr. Mellor
  On 1 March 1990, the prison service employed 45 people who had declared that they were registered disabled.

  Child Abuse
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to obtain a transcript of the speech of Commander Richard Monk of the Metropolitan police on 7 June, on child abusers, for study by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  My right hon. and learned Friend asked for a transcript of the speech which Commander Monk made on 7 June.

  Polling Stations
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to ensure that all electors arriving at their polling station during the last 30 minutes before the doors of the polling station are closed are not denied their right to vote.
  106
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Polling hours at parliamentary, European parliamentary and local government elections are laid down in the relevant legislation. We have no reason to believe that the statutory requirements are not being complied with, but if the hon. Member knows of a particular difficulty, perhaps he would write to me about it.

  Nuclear Accidents
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  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 as to w hat plans or studies have been made or commissioned by the Metropolitan police to assess the measures that would have to be taken in the event of contamination by airborne plutonium resulting from a nuclear weapons accident aboard a Royal Navy ship docked at Greenwich.

  Mr. John Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces to questions from the hon. Members for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) and for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 8 June at column 724.

  Life Imprisonment
  Mr. David Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report, the recommendations from the House of Lords Select Committee on Murder and Life Imprisonment which have been accepted wholly or in part by Her Majesty's Government; indicating which, if any, have already been implemented.

  Mr. John Patten
  The White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" (Cm 965) announced our decision that the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment for the crime of murder should remain to mark the heinous nature of this crime. We are carefully considering the Select Committee recommendations on the release of prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment made by the House of Lords Select Committee on Murder and Life Imprisonment. I welcome the recommendations to improve the arrangements for victims' families, and the recent victims' charter endorses this approach.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Telephone Facilities
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he will make it his policy to ensure before 1992 that hon. Members enjoy the same international line telephone facilities to Strasbourg and Brussels which are available to Members of the European Parliament.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The provision of such facilities is under active consideration at present and I hope proposals will be brought before the Services Committee in the near future.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members are provided with telephones in accommodation in London not owned by the state outside the House where the cost of calls arising from the use of that equipment is paid for by public funds.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  No hon. Members are provided with such telephones by the authorities of the House.

  Committees (Televising)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the number of times and the dates when each Select Committee of the House has been televised since the introduction of television.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The information requested, which covers the period up to the Whitsun adjournment, is as follows:

  Committee and dates on which televised

  Total1

  Agriculture

  29 November 1989

  17 January 1990

  24 January 1990

  21 March 1990

  2 April 1990

  23 May 1990

  6

  Defence

  8 November 1989

  20 December 1989

  11 January 19902

  7 February 1990

  21 February 1990

  28 March 1990

  1 May 1990

  16 May 1990

  8

  Education, Science and Arts

  28 November 1989

  9 May 1990

  2

  Employment

  7 March 1990

  14 March 1990

  18 April 1990

  25 April 1990

  2 May 1990

  5

  Energy

  22 November 1989

  7 February 1990

  28 February 1990

  7 March 1990

  14 March 19902

  25 April 1990

  6

  Environment

  22 November 1989

  17 January 1990

  31 January 1990

  14 February 1990

  28 February 1990

  14 March 1990

  20 March 1990

  21 March 1990

  28 March 1990

  9

  Foreign Affairs

  6 December 1989

  13 December 1989

  7 February 1990

  4 April 1990

  25 April 1990

  5

  Home Affairs

  31 January 1990

  7 February 1990

  21 February 1990

  21 March 1990

  9 May 1990

  5

  Social Services

  10 January 1990

  17 January 1990

  108

  Committee and dates on which televised

  Total1

  24 January 1990

  31 January 1990

  7 March 1990

  21 March 1990

  4 April 1990

  25 April 1990

  8

  Trade and Industry

  6 December 1989

  13 December 1989

  17 January 1990 am

  17 January 1990 pm

  28 February 1990

  7 March 1990

  28 March 1990

  7

  Transport

  29 November 1989

  6 December 1989

  28 March 1990

  25 April 1990

  16 May 1990

  23 May 1990

  6

  Treasury and Civil Service

  22 November 1989

  27 November 1989

  4 December 1989

  28 February 1990

  12 March 1990

  28 March 1990

  3 April 1990

  7

  Welsh Affairs

  29 November 1989

  13 December 1989

  24 January 1990

  21 February 1990

  2 May 1990

  9 May 1990

  15 May 19902

  7

  Select Committee on European

  Legislation

  1 February 1990

  1 March 1990

  2

  Select Committee on Procedure

  13 December 1989

  7 February 1990

  2

  Public Accounts Committee

  4 December 1989

  18 December 1989

  24 January 1990

  12 February 1990

  14 February 1990

  21 February 1990

  30 April 1990

  7

  Select Committee on Televising of Proceedings of the House

  23 April 1990

  1

  1 Total number of meetings.

  2 Denotes meeting away from Westminster.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the number of times and the dates when each Standing Committee of the House has been televised since the introduction of television.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The information requested, which covers the period up to the Whitsun adjournment, is as follows:
  109

  Standing Committees on Bills (by reference to title of Bill committed)

  Dates on which televised

  Total number of sittings televised

  National Health Service and Community Care Bill

  19 December 1989

  6

  11 January 1990

  23 January 1990 am

  23 January 1990 pm

  20 February 1990 am

  20 February 1990 pm

  Broadcasting Bill

  9 January 1990

  16

  16 January 1990 am

  16 January 1990 pm

  18 January 1990 am

  18 January 1990 pm

  23 January 1990 am

  23 January 1990 pm

  25 January 1990 am

  25 January 1990 pm

  6 February 1990 am

  6 February 1990 pm

  8 February 1990 am

  8 Feburary 1990 pm

  6 March 1990 am

  6 March 1990 pm

  8 March 1990

  Education (Student Loans) Bill

  30 January 1990

  1

  War Crimes Bill

  20 March 1990

  3

  3 April 1990 am

  3 April 1990 pm

  British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill

  1 May 1990

  1

  Protection of Badger Setts Bill

  9 May 1990

  2

  23 May 1990

  Courts and Legal Services Bill [Lords]

  8 May 1990

  1

  Scottish Grand Committee

  19 March 19901

  2

  22 May 1990

  Welsh Grand Committee

  10 January 1990 am

  4

  10 January 1990 pm

  14 March 1990 am

  14 March 1990 pm

  1Denotes meeting away from Westminster.

  Oral Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what estimate he has made of the saving in cash and paper if the proposals of the Procedure Committee on oral questions, in its first report of the current Session, HC 379, are accepted.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  If the proposals are accepted it is estimated that savings to the public purse of around £1 million annually will arise. Over 10 million sheets of A4 paper will be saved.

  Vote Bundle
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 24 May,Official Report, column 297, what is the total cost to public funds for the supply of
  110
  the Vote bundle as a whole since the 1987 general election and the volume of paper consumed in production of the Vote bundle for the same period.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The total cost to public funds for sittings supply of the Vote bundle as a whole since the 1987 general election is estimated at £17·5 million, to the end of April 1990. The volume of paper consumed in production of the Vote bundle for the same period is estimated at 800 tonnes.

  Recycled Paper
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 23 May,Official Report, column 297, whether the items mentioned will be made from 100 per cent. recycled paper from low-grade paper waste; whether orders for the non-recycled versions have ceased; and when he expects present stocks to be exhausted.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I understand that the items mentioned will contain more than 50 per cent. pre-consumer recycled waste but will not be produced from recycled low-grade waste. Orders for the non-recycled versions have ceased and present stocks are likely to be exhausted by autumn this year.

  Management Consultants
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list the studies conducted inside his Department by management consultants over the last 10 years, naming the consultancy, the cost, the subject and the outcome in each instance.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  No study of this nature has been undertaken by the Privy Council Office in the last 10 years.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Services (Administration)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, answering for the House of Commons Commission, when he expects Sir Robin Ibbs to complete his report on the administration of House of Commons services.

  Mr. Beith
  A timetable for the completion of the review which I announced on 23 May,Official Report, column 179 has yet to be agreed with Sir Robin Ibbs. It is hoped, however, that the Commission will be able to consider any advice from Sir Robin before the end of the year.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Vehicle Test Certificates (Northern Ireland)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Attorney-General, in 1987, 1988 and 1989, how many persons were convicted in Northern Ireland of not having a vehicle test certificate.

  The Attorney-General
  I regret that this information could not be made available except at disproportionate cost.

  Television Licences (Northern Ireland)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Attorney-General, in 1987, 1988 and 1989, how many persons were convicted in Northern Ireland of not having a television licence.
  111
  The Attorney-General
  I regret that this information could not be made available except at disproportionate cost.

  Anton Piller Orders
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his written answer of 5 June to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East, which problems the intended changes in the regulations on Anton Piller orders are designed to overcome.

  The Attorney-General
  The civil justice review recommended that as a general rule the same remedies should be available in both the High Court and the county courts, but that the power to grant Anton Piller orders should normally be reserved to the High Court judiciary in view of the draconian nature of these orders. The Government have accepted this recommendation, which will be taken forward in clause 3 of the Courts and Legal Services Bill and in regulations under clause 3.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Recycled Paper
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department is doing to encourage a market for recycled paper and to expand industrial capacity to process waste paper; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  There is already a strong market for paper products which contain recycled fibre. Government Departments generally are important and reliable customers in this market buying general notepaper, index books, graph paper and brown stationery manufactured from recycled fibre. The letterhead paper used in my Department, including that used by Ministers and senior officials, contains recycled fibre and we are increasing the use of recycled paper in our publications.

  Following a successful pilot scheme, my Department will by the end of this month be collecting separately, from eight of our London buildings, high-grade office waste paper which is currently used in the production of higher-grade recycled paper.

  Post Office
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has received a copy of the Mail Users Association recent report on the performance of the Post Office; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  I received with interest the MUA's report, "Deliver us from the Post Office", published in May last year and its follow-up "Improving Postal Services", published in March this year. Quality of service is an operational matter for the Post Office. However, I know that the chairman regards this as a key priority and is constantly searching for ways to improve performance. In this he has my full support.

  Peace Dividend
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what studies he is undertaking on the effects of the peace dividend on the structure of industry and employment in the United Kingdom.
  112
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  None.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what he estimates the current usage in the United Kingdom of chlorofluorocarbons in the cleaning of printed circuit boards to be; and what percentage of total United Kingdom usage this comprises.

  Mr. Forth
  In March this year DTI issued a report on "Chlorinated Solvent Cleaning: The Impact of Environmental and Regulatory Controls." Among other chlorinated solvents, the report estimated United Kingdom consumption of the chlorofluorocarbon CFC113 to be 7,500 tonnes with 45 per cent. of that total applied in the electronics sector. The report does not contain figures for printed circuit board application in particular.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to stimulate and promote research into the replacement of the use of chlorofluorocarbons in the manufacture of printed circuit boards.

  Mr. Forth
  Both the producers of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) solvents and the users within the electronics industry are actively engaged in research to develop and implement alternative cleaning products and processes to reduce the use of CFC solvents in the manufacture of printed circuit boards. The range of alternatives available are described in a report produced for the Department of Trade and Industry and published by HMSO in March 1990, entitled "Chlorinated Solvent Cleaning: The Impact of Environmental and Regulatory Controls." The DTI, in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence, is to support a collaborative assessment by the electronics industry of the technical performance of the alternatives to CFCs. The results of this study will be disseminated to small and medium-sized enterprises within the electronics industry. Support for collaborative research is also available through general DTI research and development programmes and, for collaboration within Europe, through the Eurek Euroenviron programme. In addition, CFCs and their alternatives are one of the selected priority areas eligible for grant aid for research up to "proof of concept" stage under the Department of the Environment's environmental protection technology scheme.

  Furnishings (Flammability)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assurance he has sought from the European Commission that legislation concerning the flammability of furniture and furnishings will meet the highest safety standards for British consumers.

  Mr. Forth
  My Department has had discussions with the Commission and the second draft of the directive already contains elements of the requirements of the United Kingdom furniture regulations, including resistance to ignition by cigarettes and matches.

  We will continue to press strongly for our requirement for ignition resistance of foam and other fillings, at forthcoming meetings with the Commission and parallel meetings to determine European test standards.

  We shall shortly be circulating consultation papers including copies of the second draft of the directive.

  113
  Because the directive is to cover contract furniture as well as the domestic variety, this will be a combined exercise with the Home Office, which has the wider responsibility for fire prevention.

  Vehicle Mileometers
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to bring forward proposals to further control the clocking of vehicle mileometers.

  Mr. Forth
  I have no plans to do so. This practice is a criminal offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and local trading standards officers have the appropriate powers to investigate and to prosecute offenders.

  Postal Services
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has recently received about the quality of the postal services in London.

  Mr. Forth
  Since the beginning of this year my Department has received 37 written representations about the quality of the postal services in London. In addition, two questions on this subject have been tabled in the House by hon. Members.

  Regulatory Bodies
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has any plans to establish any new bodies to oversee particular sectors of industry.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  My Department has no plans to establish any new bodies to oversee particular sectors of industry.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the amount of Government cash given to(a) United Engineering Steels Ltd., (b) British Steel Corporation and (c) British Steel under Phoenix I and Phoenix II plans.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 7 June 1990]: When United Engineering Steels Ltd. was established under the Phoenix II plans the Government provided £55 million of funds through BSC. Government money was not given to BSC under the Phoenix I plans, the corporation's interests being funded internally.

  Brymbo Steelworks
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the amount of Government cash given to(a) United Engineering Steels Ltd., (b) British Steel Corporation and (c) British Steel which was (i) earmarked or (ii) spent on Brymbo steelworks, Clwyd.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 7 June 1990]: When United Engineering Steels Ltd. (the owners of Brymbo steelworks) was established the Government provided £55 million of funds to UES through the British Steel Corporation. The disposition of these funds within UES was entirely a matter for the company.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will visit Brymbo steelworks to meet steelworkers.
  114
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 7 June 1990]: My right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Brymbo steelworks.

  Refrigerators
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department is considering the introduction of deposit systems on the price of new refrigerators to encourage recycling of CFCs and other ozone-depleting substances.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: A recent report for the Department of Trade and Industry, entitled "CFCs and Halons: Alternatives and the Scope for Recovery for Recycling and Destruction", found that there is scope for further development of CFC recycling activity in respect of refrigeration. The DTI and the Department of the Environment will be examining what more needs to be done to encourage such development. Strengthening of the controls on CFCs, where the Government are committed to complete phase-out of CFCs as soon as practically possible, and certainly by the year 2000, will itself contribute a strong incentive to increase the level of recycling undertaken.

  Chlorinated Solvents
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what further action his Department proposes to take following the publication of its report on chlorinated solvent cleaning;

  (2) what action his Department has taken, following the publication of its report on chlorinated solvent cleaning, to increase the levels of awareness of the Montreal protocol in small and medium-sized enterprises and in the general engineering industry.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Copies of the chlorinated solvent cleaning report, and briefing sheets relevant to each of the sectors considered by the report, have been widely distributed to the trade associations for the general engineering, electronics, precision engineering, and dry cleaning industries.

  The parties to the Montreal protocol are to meet in London at the end of June 1990, when they are expected to strengthen the controls within the protocol on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). They are also likely to place controls on some other ozone-depleting substances, including 1.1.1 trichloroethane (methyl chloroform), which is widely used by the general and precision engineering industries. In July 1990, the DTI and the Department of the Environment are to brief trade associations on the results of this international meeting and the potential implications for their sectors.

  In March 1990, the Department of Trade and Industry co-sponsored a conference on electronics manufacturing and the environment. This was designed specifically to provide information to small and medium-sized enterprises in the electronics industry on the current and likely future controls on ozone-depleting substances within the Montreal protocol, and the range of environmentally acceptable alternatives available.

  This autumn DTI is planning to hold a series of regional seminars designed to inform SMEs, particularly those within the engineering industry, of the Montreal protocol and its likely impact. This activity complements the information provided by a number of suppliers of

  115
  ozone-depleting solvents to their customers about the controls on such substances and the options available for reducing usage and switching to alternatives.

  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department will propose any new codes of practice to discourage companies from disposing of solvents and to encourage their collection and return to manufacturers.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Solvent recovery and disposal is already one of the subjects covered by a European Community code of practice for the design, construction and operation of CFC-113 solvent-cleaning equipment. This code, which has been drawn up by industry and updated to take account of the development of new technology in this area, sets out guidelines to maximise the level of recovery and recycling and ensure that contaminated solvent is disposed of safely.

EMPLOYMENT

  Restart
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest figures on the take-up of each restart option in the Bristol area, the south-west, and Great Britain.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service, which is responsible for the restart programme became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the chief executive of the employment service will be replying in writing to the hon. Lady.

  Labour Statistics
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many women are in(a) part-time and (b) full-time employment; what were the similar figures in 1960, 1970 and 1980; what the figure is estimated to be in 1995, 2000 and 2010; and if he will make a statement.
  116
  Mr. Nicholls
  Information for full-time and part-time employment was collected only from June 1971. The Department does not make forecasts of employment. The available figures are as follows:

  Female Employees in Employment (Thousands, United Kingdom, Seasonally adjusted)

  Part-time

  Full-time

  June 1971

  2,793

  5,603

  June 1980

  3,913

  5,739

  December 19891

  4,479

  6,516

  1 Latest available.

  Employment Service Offices
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list by region(a) the number of employment service offices that have been established since December 1989 and (b) the number of surplus properties which are now to be disposed of following the reorganisation of the service.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The employment service, which is responsible for jobcentres and unemployment benefit offices, became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive will be replying in writing to the hon. Lady.

  Benefit Claimants
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when claimant advisers have worked out an estimate of the in-work benefits to which a claimant may be entitled if they took a low-paying job, what instructions are they given and what action should they take against a claimant who refuses to follow up the vacancy when in-work benefit calculation shows the claimant would(a) clearly be better off in work, (b) be only marginally better off or (c) be financially worse off; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service, which is responsible for the claimant adviser service became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the chief executive of the employment service, will be replying in writing to the hon. Lady.
  117
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of claimants who have refused actively seeking work review interviews; and if he will estimate the percentage of those receiving actively seeking work warning letters who are not given the opportunity of a review interview prior to the submission of their case to an adjudication officer.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service, which is responsible for the claimant adviser service became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Gentleman.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many disablement resettlement officers and blind persons resettlement officers there are in the employment service; and how many referrals have been made by them to adjudication officers following doubts on (i) actively seeking work, (ii) restricted availability and (iii) refusal of employment, since 9 October 1989.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service, which is responsible for the provision of employment services to people with disabilities, became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Gentleman.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many UB671Ws have been issued by new claimant advisers at initial claim interviews.

  Mr. Eggar
  The employment service, which is responsible for the new client adviser programme, became an executive agency on 2 April 1990. Mr. Mike Fogden, the Employment Service Agency's chief executive, will be replying in writing to the hon. Gentleman.

  Insulation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the spending on the community insulation programme in (i) each region, (ii) England as a whole, (iii) Wales and (iv) Great Britain in each year from 1983–84 and estimated for 1989–90.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information on expenditure on community insulation projects operated under the community programme from 1983–84 to 1987–88 is not readily available. Expenditure for Great Britain in 1988–89 was £6·34 million, but is not readily available by region. Expenditure in 1989 is shown in the table.

  £ million

  Northern

  0·57

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  1·10

  North West

  0·94

  West Midlands

  0·54

  East Midlands and Eastern

  0·33

  Wales

  0·52

  South West

  0·38

  London

  0·07

  South East

  0·29

  Great Britain

  110·08

  1 The figure for Great Britain includes expenditure in Scotland and on nationally contracted provision.

  118
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the number of draught-proofing jobs completed so far in the current year and completed in the equivalent periods of 1987, 1988 and 1989 for(a) the London borough of Camden and (b) the London borough of Islington; and what were the full-year figures for 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the United States Secretary of State to discuss whether short-range nuclear weapons should be included in the current CFE talks.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Mr. Baker and other NATO colleagues at the North Atlantic Council meeting held at Turnberry on 7 and 8 June. NATO agreed at that meeting that negotiations on United States and Soviet short-range nuclear weapons systems in Europe should begin shortly after a CFE agreement is concluded.

  We shall continue to be in very close touch with the United States on this subject in preparation for the NATO summit in London from 4 to 6 July.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from Governments in the Indian subcontinent and the middle east respectively, regarding nuclear proliferation in their global region.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No such representations have been received, although Egypt has put forward in the United Nations an initiative calling for a middle east zone free from weapons of mass destruction.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what directions are to be given to the United Kingdom delegates to the non-proliferation treaty review conference to be held later in the currrent year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  As one of the three depositary powers for the treaty, the United Kingdom will be working for a positive and successful review conference.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the membership of the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty of the political union of North and South Yemen.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The Yemen Arab Republic signed the partial test ban treaty in Moscow and Washington on 6 September 1963; the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen acceded to the treaty in Moscow on 1 June 1979. The new Republic of Yemen announced on 22 May has stated that it will respect all the international obligations of its predecessors.
  119
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the occasions, and level of political communications when Ministers or civil servants of his Department have raised the membership of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty with(a) member state representatives and (b) non-parties to the treaty (i) during preparatory committee meetings for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty's fourth quinquennial review conference and (ii) other occasions, since 1 January.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have discussed this subject on numerous occasions and at various levels.

  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the membership of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty of the political union of North and South Yemen.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  In a letter of 19 May to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Foreign Ministers of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen stated that, following the formation of the Republic of Yemen, all treaties and agreements concluded by either state, in accordance with international law, would remain in force.

  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number and types of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosive devices cancelled or disamantled since 1970 as a result of multilateral or bilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations involving Britain with the United States of America or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No British nuclear weapons have been the subject of such arms control agreements. But we are fully committed to the aim of enhancing security through agreements achieving a balance at lower levels of forces: NATO has unilaterally reduced its stockpile of nuclear weapons in Europe by 35 per cent. since 1979.

  South Africa
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will seek to extend the COCOM export controls to include South Africa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The proscribed destinations to which the COCOM controls apply are determined by strategic security reasons. South Africa does not fall into this category.

  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will adopt the proposals made by the Commonwealth committee of Foreign Ministers on southern Africa to strengthen the arms embargo on South Africa.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We already offer the assistance to the United Nations arms embargo committee which was called for by the recent meeting of the Commonwealth committee of Foreign Ministers on southern Africa at Abuja.

  Council of Ministers
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will be attending the next meeting of the European Community Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  My right hon. Friend will attend the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 and 19 June.

  Palestine
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received the latest United Nations Relief and Works Agency estimate of the number of Palestinians killed and injured in the occupied territories since December 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Yes. We are deeply concerned about the continuing violence in the occupied territories and the number of Palestinians killed and wounded.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Falkland Islands council the possibility of permitting a limited number of British passport holders from Hong Kong to settle there.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No such discussions are proposed as it is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will review the British response to the proposed Antarctic minerals convention in view of the concern expressed by individuals and organisations in Britain about the threat which mining developments would pose to the Antarctic environment.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him of 11 June.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey,Official Report, 3 May, column 626, what response his Department will make or has made to the joint paper on the French and Australian proposals received on 3 May; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I refer the hon. Member to my replies on 9 May to the hon. Members for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) and for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) and to my reply on 15 May to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn).

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which conference Dr. John Heap has attended as a representative of his Department, since February; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None. In his personal capacity, however, Dr. Heap has attended conferences or meetings organised by the Sir Robert Menzies Centre for Australian Studies and the Royal Geographical Society in London, and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo.
  121
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date the special consultative meeting of Antarctic treaty countries will take place; who will represent his Department; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Arrangements for the meeting have not been finalised.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the petroleum companies whose representatives his Department has met within the last 12 months with regard to the convention on the regulation of Antarctic mineral resource activities; the dates of the meetings and the nature of the discussions.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  None.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China concerning the status of British overseas citizens in Hong Kong after 1997; what assurances he has received; and if lie will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The right of abode of British overseas citizens in Hong Kong after 1997 is safeguarded under the agreement with the Chinese Government, and is set out in section XIV of annex 1 to the joint declaration.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the numbers and ages of those held in custody in Sri Lanka by the security forces; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  According to figures released by the Sri Lankan Government, in November 1989 there were 8,000 youths in detention under emergency regulations. No more recent or comprehensive figures have been released.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make a formal response to the recent report of the Western European Union Assembly on low flying.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Formal responses to recommendations in reports of the Western European Union Assembly are the responsibility of the WEU permanent council. We have no plans to make a separate response.

SCOTLAND

  Under-fives
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what actions have been taken by the Government since 1979 to assist with the expansion of pre-five facilities;

  (2) what financial assistance he has been able to offer regional councils to expand their pre-five facilities.

  Mr. Lang
  It is for local authorities to decide the extent and nature of the provision they make for children under 122
  five. In doing so they are assisted by financial provision made available as part of the revenue support grant settlement. This has enabled nursery education and day care places to be increased by 35 per cent. since 1979.

  Mortality Rates
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the amount of(a) perinatal and (b) neonatal mortality in each health board in Scotland in each of the years 1986 to 1989.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is as follows:

  Health Board Area

  1986

  1987

  1988

  11989

  (a) Perinatal mortality numbers to Health Board Area, Scotland, 1986–89

  Borders

  8

  4

  8

  9

  Central

  31

  26

  35

  39

  Dumfries and Galloway

  12

  12

  18

  16

  Fife

  51

  58

  42

  35

  Grampian

  70

  57

  48

  52

  Highland

  20

  18

  31

  18

  Lothian

  76

  78

  90

  64

  Argyll and Clyde

  75

  47

  56

  53

  Ayrshire and Arran

  60

  60

  46

  36

  Greater Glasgow

  122

  125

  114

  114

  Lanarkshire

  102

  66

  63

  76

  Tayside

  40

  31

  36

  38

  Orkney

  2

  3

  3

  —

  Shetland

  4

  5

  2

  1

  Western Isles

  —

  4

  2

  2

  (b) Neonatal deaths to Health Board Area, Scotland 1986–89

  Borders

  3

  2

  4

  3

  Central

  18

  17

  20

  24

  Dumfries and Galloway

  10

  7

  8

  12

  Fife

  24

  33

  24

  17

  Grampian

  42

  26

  22

  24

  Highland

  11

  13

  17

  8

  Lothian

  57

  49

  41

  39

  Argyll and Clyde

  40

  27

  33

  21

  Ayrshire and Arran

  27

  33

  27

  27

  Greater Glasgow

  53

  58

  58

  64

  Lanarkshire

  38

  30

  3 2

  39

  Tayside

  16

  13

  13

  21

  Orkney

  1

  1

  —

  1

  Shetland

  3

  2

  —

  —

  Western Isles

  —

  1

  1

  —

  1 1989 figures are provisional.

  Community Education
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the volume of community-based adult education provided in each year since 1979; and whether he has made any assessment of changes in the quality of the education provided over the same period;

  (2) what steps he has taken to monitor the provision by education authorities in Scotland of community-based adult basic education and English as a second language services; and what criteria he has laid down for determining their adequacy in terms of (a) scale and (b) quality;

  (3) what are his priorities and objectives for the expansion of community-based (a) adult basic education and (b) English as a second language provision in Scotland; and what guidance he has issued to local education authorities on the development of this provision;

  (4) what plans he has to ensure that all those leaving long-stay institutions without essential skills in literacy and numeracy receive adult basic education;
  123
  (5) what steps he has taken to ensure the development of an educational dimension to care in the community;

  (6) if he has any plans to make additional earmarked funds available to local authorities to enable them to develop community-based educational provision for priority groups.

  Mr. Lang
  The provision of community education in Scotland, including adult education and English as a second language, is primarily the responsibility of education authorities. They determine the extent and means of provision in the light of local needs and with regard to their own priorities and the total resources available to them, including those resources provided by central Government.

  In 1990–91 revenue support grant of £2,479 million has been made available by central Government, representing an increase of 10·5 per cent. over the level of £2,244 million in 1989–90 and 23·5 per cent. over rate support grant of £2,007 million in 1988–89. There are no plans to make additional funds available in 1990–91 to local authorities specifically for community education purposes.

  No central record is held of the volume of community-based adult education in Scotland. Her Majesty's inspectors of schools make inspections of providers of adult education, report on the quality of provision and make recommendations.

  Detailed advice on service planning in the field of community care was issued in April 1985 to health boards and regional and district councils in respect of social work, education and health functions.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to provide funding for the professional training and accreditation of adult basic education practitioners in Scotland along the lines of the local education authority training grants scheme in England and Wales.

  Mr. Lang
  Professional training and accreditation for adult basic education practitioners in Scotland is being developed by the Scottish adult basic education forum together with the community education validation and endorsement (Scotland) group, both of which were set up by the Scottish Community Education Council. I would expect such new developments to qualify for support under the current scheme for in-service training of teachers and community education workers.

  Open Learning Centres
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to increase the funding provided by his Department for local open learning centres.

  Mr. Lang
  We would be prepared to consider funding additional adult learning provision run by the voluntary sector, provided it is of an innovative nature.

  Industrial Oil and Chemicals
  Sir David Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will immediately implement section 31A of the Control of Pollution Act 1974 as substituted by schedule 23 to the Water Act 1989 so as to regulate industrial oil and chemical storage on industrial sites.
  124
  Mr. Rifkind
  I am considering, with the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales, the preparation of regulations to control the storage of industrial oil and chemicals.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Sillars
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from Strathclyde region on the need to place nursery school facilities on a statutory basis; and what response he has made.

  Mr. Lang
  No such representations have been received.

  Lead Contamination
  Mr. Andrew Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide details of the reported cases of illness, or high levels of lead in the blood, caused by lead in the water supply, lead pipes and lead water tanks, in each of the years between 1979 and 1990 inclusive, for(a) pregnant women, (b) babies, (c) young children and (d) the general population; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  This information is not available. The Government have always recognised the health implications of lead in water and have taken practical and positive steps to tackle them in the light of developing medical evidence and advice.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to privatise the Forestry Commission; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The Government have no plans to privatise the Forestry Commission.

  Sand-eel Fishing
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to impose a moratorium on sand-eel fishing in Shetland waters.

  Mr. Lang
  Under arrangements already in place fishing for sand-eels in Shetland waters will close for this year on 15 June.

  GPs (Fund Holding)
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether it is intended to reimburse the preparatory costs of those general practitioner practices preparing to submit formal applications for fund-holding status from April 1991.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Yes. A preparatory allowance of up to £16,000 per practice will be available to practices which have reached agreement with their relevant health board to undertake preparatory work for fund holding. The allowance will be used to reimburse the costs of additional work which practices will need to complete in order to be in a position to take on fund-holding status from 1 April 1991. Parliamentary approval to this new service is being sought in the main estimate for hospital and community health services, family practitioner services (part) and other health services, Scotland—class XV, vote 27. Pending that approval and the enactment of
  125
  the National Health Service and Community Care Bill when formal applications for GP practice fund-holding status can be made, urgent expenditure estimated at £160,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

  Fish Poisoning
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of(a) Nuvan chemicals and (b) Aquagard chemicals in the poisoning of salmon and sea trout.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Aquagard, formerly known as Nuvan, is a licensed veterinary medicine which is used to treat sea lice infestation in farmed salmon.

  Responsibility for the assessment of the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicines rests with the Veterinary Products Committee, which advises the Government in such matters. The committee considered the safety of Aquagard to both humans and animals, including fish, in its consideration of the application for a product licence under the Medicines Act 1968.

  On the advice of the Veterinary Products Committee a one-year product licence for Aquagard was issued in June 1989. A review of the product is currently being undertaken and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food hopes to make a statement shortly.

  Fishing
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conclusions he has drawn from his study of the deep oceanic intake of waters into Loch Coruisk in the Isle of Skye and the surrounding area in relation to sea trout numbers in north-west Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Loch Coruisk is a freshwater loch. Sea water cannot enter the loch, but its outflow is directly into the sea. The long-term sea trout catch records for the lochs on the Strathaird estate, including Coruisk, show a sustained decline. Fishing effort over the same period has remained stable and there has been no change in land use in the catchment area. It could be inferred that the cause of the decline lies in the sea, but there is no evidence to confirm this.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he has made of the impact on fishing in Scottish rivers of summer tourists; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: No special studies have been made on the effect of summer tourists, as opposed to fishermen generally, on fishing in Scottish rivers. It has been alleged that angling for immature sea trout by summer tourists may have contributed to the recent sharp decline in sea trout catches. But it is not possible to say how much, if any, of this increased mortality results from the activities of tourist anglers.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial provision he makes for the extra cost of working at night to carry out fishery research.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: This information is not available in the form requested. Total expenditure on overtime and allowances at the
  126
  Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland marine and freshwater fisheries laboratories in 1989–90 was around £375,000.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his co-operation in fisheries research with experts in the west of the Republic of Ireland.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Scientists of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland keep in close touch with scientists and fishery managers from the Salmon Research Trust of Ireland at Burrishoole and the Department of Marine in Dublin about their respective research programmes. There is also frequent contact with counterparts from the Republic of Ireland in various working groups of the International Council for Exploration of the Sea or meetings of other international organisations.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of habitat erosion and fish spawning.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Some of the effects of habitat erosion on fish spawning are well understood. For example, bankside erosion is known to cause loss of cover for parr and adults, loss of terrestial food organisms from bankside vegetation and silting up of spawning gravel downstream.

  These effects may result from over-graving, intensive bankside activity by anglers and changes in flow regime. The latter can have several causes including land use changes or exceptional rainfall in catchments or changes in drainage, planting or clear-felling in forestry. Research has shown that such changes can be minimised by adopting good management practices.

  A study of the effects on salmonid fishes of changes in drainage patterns following afforestation is currently being undertaken by scientists from the freshwater fisheries laboratory at Pitlochry in co-operation with the Forestry Commission, the Institute of Freshwater Ecology and the Atlantic Salmon Trust. A study of the effects of clear-felling on salmonid fishes is also in progress with Forestry Commission help.

  Extensive surveys of the distribution of juvenile salmonid fishes have recently been undertaken by freshwater fisheries laboratory staff. These surveys give an important indication of the success of salmon spawning in different areas of Scotland.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are taken to ensure adequate enforcement of legislation providing that if a trawler catches more than 10 per cent. of its catch in the form of protected species, the skipper loses his licence.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: The by-catch restrictions vary according to the target species and are all vigorously enforced by the fisheries department. The penalty provided for by legislation for exceeding by-catch limits is a fine not exceeding £5,000 plus a fine not exceeding the value of the fish in respect of which the offence was committed or actual forfeiture of the fish. In addition, any person guilty of such an offence is liable to forfeiture of the net or other fishing gear used in committing the offence. This penalty applies rather than licence revocation.
  127
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of the impact of seals round the mouths of fishing rivers in dry summers on sea trout entering the rivers to spawn.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: There has been no specific study of the impact of seals at the mouths of fishing rivers although some work has been done on the diet of seals in the Moray Firth. A series of papers has been produced as a result of this and other research on seals commissioned by DAFS and the results will be published over the course of the next 18 months.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making on Loch Eriboll of the inter-breeding between wild and farmed salmon; and if he will make a statement on the results.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: In February 1989, a large number of growing salmon escaped from fish farm sea cages into Loch Eriboll in northern Scotland as the result of a single accident. By August it had become clear that escaped farmed fish were entering the nearby River Polla with the native run of wild fish. Scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland supported by the Atlantic Salmon Trust, the university of Stirling and the Scottish Salmon Growers Association, studied the spawning of wild and farmed fish in the river.

  The movements of radiotagged fish were monitored and it was established that wild fish and farmed escapees could be distinguished by appearance and by pigment analysis of samples of muscle taken from fish of both types. All the fish entering the river were sexually mature and farmed fish of both sexes were observed to spawn. All the females captured towards the end of the year had become spent. Farmed and wild fish were observed to cross. Wild fish were distributed throughout the river's length at spawning but the distribution of farmed fish was more restricted. Farmed fish of both sexes tended to spawn especially in the lower reaches of the river. This tendency was particularly marked in the case of females. The difference in the distributions of farmed and wild fish at spawning was confirmed, in the case of females, by pigment analysis of eggs sampled from redds located throughout the river's length. Farmed females tended to spawn later than wild ones. Farmed females cut redds on areas of spawning gravel on which redds had previously been constructed by wild fish.

  The results of the study were presented at an international symposium in Norway in April 1990 to consider "Interactions between Cultured and Wild Atlantic Salmon". Full details of the study have been submitted for publication in the scientific literature.

  Study of the River Polla will be continued this year to determine whether farmed salmon enter the River Polla again and, if they do so, whether last year's findings may be generalised between years at the same site. Further studies are being performed to establish whether escaped farmed females spawned in the Rivers Hope—Strathmore —and Dionard which flank the River Polla to the east and west, respectively. Pigment analyses will be performed on eggs and alevins sampled recently from both rivers. In addition, with the Queen's university of Belfast, it is intended to test whether observations of the crossing of farmed and wild fish can be confirmed using genetic "fingerprinting" techniques to establish the parentage of juveniles.
  128
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give his salmon advisory committee a remit to concern itself with sea trout.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: We have no plans to do so. The salmon advisory committee already has a very substantial programme of work to complete on Atlantic salmon.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he is making of fish-bearing pathogens.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Scientists at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine laboratory investigate the causes of pathological conditions in wild and farmed fish in Scotland and carry out research on the detection of pathogens and the diagnosis and prevention of infectious diseases in fish.

  This research provides the basis for advice to my right hon. and learned Friend on the use of his powers under the diseases of fish legislation and to district salmon fishery boards, fish farmers and fishermen to help them prevent or minimise the effects of diseases in farmed fish.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is being undertaken on the marine phase of sea trout life cycles.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Research has been undertaken by the Scottish Marine Biological Association on the movements and feeding behaviour of sea trout in sea lochs in Argyll. This will be followed up by a coastal sampling programme in north-west Scotland to obtain additional information on seasonal diets, insights into the distribution of the sea trout and material for parasitological and microbiological examination.

  The work will be undertaken by scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland's marine and freshwater fisheries laboratories, in cooperation with local fishermen.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research is being undertaken on the relationship between marine temperatures and the growth of sea lice on fish.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: The Fisheries Departments have commissioned a study on the biology of sea lice at the Institute of Aquaculture, university of Stirling. This study, which is still in progress, has shown that the life cycle of the louse—lepeophtheirus salmonis —is temperature dependent. The following information has been gained from the project so far.

  Sea temperature

  Time to complete cycle (weeks)

  6–9°C (Scottish west coast winter temperature)

  8–9

  10–12°C

  7–8

  13·5–14°C (Scottish west coast summer temperature)

  7

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what conveniently available figures he has for the costs of ship time in all weathers for the study of rare migratory fish, such as sea trout.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: The daily cost of operating inshore launches to conduct research is

  129
  between £200–£250. In the open sea the daily cost of the departmental research vessels is £2,450 for the smaller Clupea and £8,150 for the Scotia. These figures do not include the salaries and related costs of scientists on board ship.

  Government Buildings (Security)
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to award any further contracts to private security companies to provide security services in respect of Government buildings in Edinburgh in the years 1990 to 1993.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [holding answer II June 1990]: The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland will shortly invite tenders for security services at one of its scientific establishments. I have no other proposals under consideration, but I shall review the position when the existing contract for services at four offices expires in 1992.

  Disabled People
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what will be the nature of the contractual obligations placed upon local enterprise companies which will ensure that training is made available to people who have disabilities;

  (2) what safeguard over funding will be made to ensure that local enterprise companies are able to provide training opportunities for people who have disabilities;

  (3) what plans he has to ensure that training for employment for people who have disabilities will continue under Scottish Enterprise at the same or enhanced level.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Local enterprise companies will be provided with appropriate levels of resources and obliged by the terms of their contract to meet performance targets relating specifically to provision for trainees with special needs. In the unlikely event of an individual local enterprise company failing to meet its contractual obligations in this or any other respect, Scottish Enterprise will take immediate remedial action, which can ultimately, if the issue is sufficiently serious, take the form of cancellation of the contract and direct delivery of services by Scottish Enterprise itself until an alternative local enterprise company is established.

  The Government are determined that the creation of Scottish Enterprise and local enterprise companies should not result in a diminution of support for trainees with special needs of one sort or another.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what initiatives have been taken to ensure that adequate training for employment is available to meet the needs of people who have disabilities in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Youth training will ensure that adequate training is available to meet the needs of young people aged 16 to 18 years who have disabilities, by a strengthened guarantee of training to all young people under 18 offering a training opportunity suitable to the needs of every young person. Funding arrangements are set to ensure that available resources are concentrated on the most vulnerable groups of young people.

  Employment training will provide training for people with disabilities by special measures which include an
  130
  extension of the training period to up to two years for people with special training needs, communication services for the deaf, adaptation to premises and equipment, special aids to employment, such as tools and equipment, and a personal reader service for the blind. In addition, for people with disabilities, there is no numerical ceiling on entry applied, the normal eligibility criteria are waived and people with disabilities can enter employment training immediately provided they are unemployed.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the level and quality of training for people who have disabilities in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: I am satisfied that the new flexibilities introduced for youth training and employment training will make a significant contribution to improving the level and quality of training for people and unemployed people including those who have disabilities.

  Sheltered Employment
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people whose principal handicap is a result of mental illness are employed under the sheltered placement scheme in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Of the 668 disabled people who were employed under the sheltered placement scheme in Scotland at 31 March 1990, a total of 32 had a mental illness as their principal disability.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the sheltered employment services which are available to people who have mental health problems in Scotland, other than the sheltered placement scheme.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: In addition to the sheltered placement scheme, sheltered employment opportunities for people with mental health problems are provided in Scotland in Remploy factories and sheltered workshops run by local authorities and voluntary organisations.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional sheltered placement scheme places will be made available to sponsors in the coming year in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: There will be no additional sheltered placement scheme places made available in Scotland this year. At current placement turnover rates, approximately 70 places will become available during the year.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the sheltered employment services available to people who have mental health problems in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Sheltered employment for people with severe disabilities, including those with mental health problems, is among the matters being considered in a review of employment and training for people with disabilities which my right hon. and

  131
  learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment has been undertaking. It is expected that a consultative document will be published shortly.

  Women's Refuges
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the number of refuges for battered women; and how many places they provide in each local authority in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Information is not available centrally on the total number of refuges or the number of places provided.

  Fife Social Services Department
  Mr. Douglas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress made by Sheriff Kearney in reporting on the Fife regional social work department; and when he expects to receive the sheriff's report.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 11 June 1990]: I understand that the chairman has sought evidence from the social work department of Fife regional council on matters of concern which he has identified. Once the department has prepared its list of witnesses, he hopes to be able to predict a timetable for completing the inquiry and submitting his report.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fishing Boats
  Mr. John Townend
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give further consideration to introducing a decommissioning scheme for the British fishing industry along the lines operated by other European Economic Community states.

  Mr. Curry
  No.

  Shellfish
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what compensation he is offering to(a) fishermen and (b) processors affected by the ban on landings of shellfish and crustaceans.

  Mr. Curry
  None.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations were held with(a) the catching industry, (b) the processing industry and (c) the EC Commission to help prohibition of shellfish and crustaceans of the coast of northern England.

  Mr. Curry
  The warning to consumers of shellfish from the north-east coast issued by the Department of Health on 26 May was first brought to the attention of representatives of the industry on that day.

  The EC Commission was also notified of this action at an early stage in accordance with agreed EC procedures for circulating information about food hazards.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has 132
  available on the effects of red algae bloom on (a) mussels, (b) shellfish and (c) crustaceans; and what regard the Commission has for imposing his prohibited code.

  Mr. Curry
  Scientists at the directorate of fisheries research routinely monitor molluscan shellfish, principally mussels, for the toxin which they can accumulate from certain algae. Monitoring of crustacea began this year in response to the very high levels of toxins observed in mussels, and associated research is under way to establish more precisely the consequences of algal blooms to crustacea, principally crabs.

  The European Commission's proposal for a Council regulation on shellfish hygiene (COM (89) 648 Final) includes a provision that molluscs should not contain more than 80 microgrammes of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin per hundred grammes of flesh. This is the same criterion as that currently employed in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement in respect of the emergency alert issued on 26 May by the Department of Health warning the public not to eat shellfish caught between the Humber and Montrose, north of Dundee, due to contamination by poisonous algae; how far he assesses this situation to have been brought about or aggravated by sewage pollution, farming and chemical waste; and what steps he proposes to deal with this situation.

  Mr. Curry
  [holding answer 8 June 1990]: Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a naturally occurring and naturally variable algal problem believed to be dependent mainly on weather and sea conditions. The period of greatest risk is in the months of May and June, when large increases in populations of the algae concerned can occur. Since 1968 this Department has monitored weekly toxin levels in mussels from this area during the period from March to August. Results of toxin assays are passed to local environmental health authorities and the Department of Health.

  On 25 May very high toxin levels were recorded and, in addition to the warning which was sent to the environmental health authorities later that day, the Department of Health issued a public warning notice on the morning of 26 May advising against the consumption of any shellfish taken from the east coast between the Humber and Montrose. In the light of the results of further testing of shellfish samples the Department of Health was on 1 June able to lift its warning in respect of crustacean shellfish other than crabs and on 7 June was able to lift the warning in relation to crabs. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and will lift the warning on molluscan shellfish as soon as it is safe to do so.

  There is no correlation between pollution and the occurrence of this algae off our north-east coast. This phenomenon occurs in many other parts of the world where the appropriate natural conditions occur such as in France, Spain, Japan and the east and west coasts of Canada. It should also be noted that, between 1814 and 1968, 40 major outbreaks of this algal bloom were recorded off the north-east coast, resulting in 146 cases of illness and about 14 deaths; 78 persons were ill as a consequence of the last major outbreak, in 1968.

  Functional Foods
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what labelling requirements apply to the sale of functional foods;

  (2) whether he intends to impose restrictions on the sale of functional foods.

  Mr. Maclean
  Food legislation already addresses the safety of all foodstuffs, their labelling and description and claims that can be made about them. We have no plans at present to make any specific rules about foods which are being described as "functional" but we shall, as is normal, watch developments and will act if the consumer requirement suggests such a need.

  Irradiated Food
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Normanton (Mr. O'Brien) of 17 May,Official Report, column 554, if he will list those interested parties to which he refers.

  Mr. Curry
  We shall be consulting more than 300 organisations representing trade, consumer, health and enforcement interests for their views on our proposals for legislation in this area. A full list will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Eggs
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was(a) the number and (b) the value of eggs imported into the United Kingdom in each month since January 1989 to the latest date available.

  Mr. Maclean
  The number and value of eggs imported into the United Kingdom monthly during 1989 and up to April 1990 (inclusive) is set out in the table:

  '000 Eggs

  Value £

  1989

  January

  14,371

  454,818

  February

  7,553

  254,033

  March

  7,956

  275,402

  April

  40,073

  1,387,578

  May

  28,172

  895,365

  June

  25,961

  861,535

  July

  22,794

  729,146

  August

  35,120

  1,308,199

  September

  58,044

  2,532,210

  October

  38,285

  1,513,155

  November

  74,354

  3,401,470

  December

  53,882

  2,643,422

  Total

  406,565

  16,256,333

  1990

  January

  37,755

  1,670,107

  February

  34,982

  1,520,792

  March

  66,290

  3,226,961

  April

  54,212

  2,187,086

  Total

  193,239

  8,604,946

  Exports of Live Animals
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what legal provisions the United Kingdom Government have banned the export of live animals for slaughter to Spain.
  134
  Mr. Maclean
  Licences are issued under the Export of Animals (Protection) Order 1981 only for exports to those countries which have properly implemented EC directives on welfare during international transport and on pre-slaughter stunning. We await assurances from the Commission that these requirements are fully in force in Spain.

  Chernobyl
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by county for England and Wales(a) how many sheep and (b) how many farms still have restrictions in force because of the Chernobyl explosion.

  Mr. Maclean
  The information requested is as follows (estimated maximum post-lambing figures):

  Holdings

  Sheep

  Cumbria

  150

  170,000

  Clwyd

  4

  2,500

  Gwynedd

  407

  282,500

  Powys

  5

  15,000

  Less-favoured Areas
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to progress a decision on the United Kingdom application to extend the less-favoured areas which was lodged with the European Community in July 1989.

  Mr. Curry
  We have been pursuing this point with the European Commission and we expect to be able to announce the outcome shortly.

  Wylfa Power Station
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received any results from the assessment of the effects of the radioactive discharges from the nuclear power station at Wylfa in Anglesey.

  Mr. Curry
  The effects of radioactive discharges from the nuclear power station at Wylfa are continually being assessed by this Department's scientists on behalf of the Secretary of State for Wales. The results of environmental monitoring, together with the assessments made of doses to members of the public via both terrestrial and marine pathways, are published in reports produced by this Department, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. The doses received by the most exposed members of the public continue to be well within the internationally recommended limits.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to act on the recommendations from the Tyrrell report with regard to holding a formal study of the health of species fed offal, including pigs and poultry, and of animals such as hounds fed fallen livestock; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Studies are being conducted at the central veterinary laboratory involving the parenteral and
  135
  oral exposure of pigs and poultry to brain material from cattle confirmed as having BSE. An examination of hounds' brains is being planned.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the infective agent responsible for bovine spongiform encephalopathy cannot be transmitted through milk; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Milk has never been shown to transmit any of the spongiform encephalopathies, and studies into scrapie have not found the agent in milk. Nevertheless, studies are taking place, using milk from BSE cattle, to confirm these findings. In addition, as a precautionary measure, milk from animals suspected of having BSE is banned from human and animal consumption.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive a copy of the longer report from Dr. Tyrrell referred to in the Official Report on 21 May, column 85.

  Mr. Maclean
  My right hon. Friend the Minister has asked the Tyrrell committee to provide the report as soon as possible.

  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any proposals for the payment of compensation for losses incurred by United Kingdom farmers and dealers incurred as a result of bans on imports by European Community Governments in the light of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 8 June 1990]: No sir. Community market support continued throughout the period covered by the French, German and Italian import bans. It would not be possible to isolate the market impact of these bans.

  Of course individuals would be able to obtain legal advice as to whether they could seek damages in the country concerned for specific effects of the disruption.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what circumstances histopathological examination is undertaken of bovines born since August 1988; and how many such examinations have been carried out.

  Mr. Maclean
  [holding answer 8 June 1990]: The brains of all animals suspected of being affected by BSE are examined by histopathology. To date, four such examinations have been conducted on bovines born since August 1988; all were negative for BSE.

  Animal Feedstuffs
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to end the practice of feeding chicken manure and litter to beef cattle.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have no plans to do so. Anyone who ensiles poultry manure or litter for use as animal feed is subject to the requirements of the Processed Animal Protein Order 1989 which inter alia requires registration with the Department and microbiological testing. Regular checks on the ensiling process are carried out by representatives of the state veterinary service.

ENERGY

  Insulation
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer of 5 June,Official Report, column 409, (a) who estimated that 5·5 TWh of electricity could be saved, (b) whether this estimate has been published, (c) which insulation measures were included and (d) what other estimates made during the last two years on potential savings from better insulation are known to his Department.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The estimate was derived from a publication by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) entitled "Energy Use in Buildings and Carbon Dioxide Emissions"—BR 170 HMSO ISBN 085125 4365, £25. It is estimated in table 11 at page 36 that cost-effective insulation measures applied to houses in the United Kingdom would save 23·3 PJ of electricity corresponding to 6·5 TWh. The figure has been scaled down to 5·5 TWh to cover England and Wales only.

  The recommended cost-effective insulation measures covered all existing houses and assumed that:

  (i)80 per cent. of all houses with cavity walls would be insulated.

  (ii) Lofts with less or equal to 25mm insulation would be insulated up to 150mm.

  (iii) All houses would be draughtproofed.

  (iv) All hot water tanks with less than 50mm insulation would be insulated up to 80mm.

  (v) All windows would be double-glazed when the existing window frames need to be replaced.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be writing to the hon. Member and will supply a list of publications, produced over the past two years, covering the potential for energy saving through better insulation of the housing stock.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the number of community insulation projects and the number of participant workers and trainees at end-year in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and at the latest available date for each region, Wales, Scotland and Great Britain as a whole.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The figures requested in respect of 1987 and 1989 are as follows:

  Number of draughtproofing jobs completed

  1987

  1989

  East Midlands

  10,236

  10,245

  London

  7,839

  1,353

  North East

  13,867

  9,983

  North West

  16,125

  22,230

  Scotland

  30,349

  37,154

  South East

  6,728

  4,942

  South West

  9,489

  4,368

  Wales

  15,017

  13,371

  West Midlands

  11,957

  12,051

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  17,100

  15,186

  Total

  138,707

  130,883

  Neighbourhood Energy Action advises that equivalent information in respect of 1988 is not available, and that reliable information in respect of early months of 1990 for comparison with the same periods in previous years is not yet available.
  137
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the number of draughtproofing jobs completed so far in the current year and completed in the equivalent periods of 1987, 1988 and 1989 for each region, Wales, Scotland and Great Britain as a whole; and what were the full-year figures for 1987, 1988 and 1989.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  Available information in respect of the last three complete years is as follows:

  Number of operating projects at period end

  1987

  1988

  1989

  East Midlands

  36

  25

  28

  London

  34

  8

  14

  North East

  25

  17

  18

  North West

  48

  41

  45

  Scotland

  66

  30

  77

  South East

  47

  21

  23

  South West

  34

  15

  16

  Wales

  47

  27

  36

  West Midlands

  50

  22

  26

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  34

  22

  24

  Total

  421

  228

  307

  Number of participating workers/trainees at period end

  1987

  1989

  East Midlands

  505

  271

  London

  617

  31

  North East

  493

  253

  North West

  1,051

  672

  Scotland

  978

  780

  South East

  566

  116

  South West

  534

  190

  Wales

  1,047

  335

  West Midlands

  775

  314

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  679

  353

  Total

  7,245

  3,315

  Neighbourhood Energy Action advises that information on numbers of participating workers/trainees at end 1988 is not available, and that reliable information in respect of the early months of 1990 for comparison with the same period in previous years is not yet available.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what was the spending on the community insulation programme in each year from 1983–84 and including estimated spending in 1989–90 for(a) the London borough of Camden and (b) the London borough of Islington;

  (2) what was the number of community insulation projects and the number of participant workers and trainees at end-year 1987, 1988 and 1989 and at the latest available date for (a) the London borough of Camden and (b) the London borough of Islington.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  There are no community insulation projects currently operating in the London boroughs of Camden and Islington. Detailed information on projects under the community programme which served those areas prior to 1988 is not available.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give the radioactive inventory, in terms of alpha and gamma/beta components, together with a listing 138
  of the principal fission products and acticides and the properties thereof, contained within a single vitrified high-level waste container for liquid wastes arising from the reprocessing of magnesium oxide uranium alloy irradiated fuel at 4 to 5 GWeday/tonne uranium burn-up for irradiated oxide fuel of advanced gas-cooled reactor 18 and 24 GWeday/tonne uranium burn-up and light water reactor fuel at 33 GWeday/tonne uranium burn-up; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Baldry
  The detailed radioactive inventory for vitrified high-level waste containers is a matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc. This inventory has to be taken into account in preparing the safety case for the on-site storage of these canisters, which has to be agreed by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate before the plant can be operated.

  Greenhouse Gas Emissions
  Mr. Gould
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements he is now making to allow independent scientists to scrutinise "An Evaluation of Energy Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Measures to Ameliorate Them".

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  This document referred to was widely available within the intergovernmental panel on climate change, which is an open forum, from November 1989, and was published as energy paper 58 in January 1990. It was, and remains, open to any scrutiny.

DEFENCE

  Iraq (Missiles)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a table of the missiles Iraq is known to possess, together with their ranges.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The armed forces of Iraq deploy the following ballistic missiles:

  Scud B—300 km range

  Al Hussein—650 km range

  Iraq also possesses a variety of anti-tank guided weapons—ranges between 0·5 km and 4 km; air-to-surface missiles—ranges between 10 km and 400 km; surface-to-air missiles—ranges between 3 km and 50 km; and air-to-air missiles—ranges between 3 km and 30 km.

  HMS Warspite
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 May,Official Report, column 94, if he will make a statement on what details he may release on the condition of HMS Warspite with respect to national security considerations, and if he will list (a) the date of entry into dock of HMS Warspite for refit, (b) the date, within the nearest four weeks, on which the Warspite was expected to finish her refit and (c) which British nuclear-powered submarines have so far been inspected following the report of defects in British nuclear-powered submarines.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  HMS Warspite's refit began in 1988 with a planned completion date towards the end of 1990. This date is currently under review. With regard to the nuclear submarine inspection programme I have nothing further to add to the reply given to the hon. Member on 22 May 1990 at column 94.

  Devonshire Dock
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has ordered an inquiry into breaches of security by persons seeking access to the Devonshire dock, Barrow-in-Furness, on the advice of Messrs. Nicholas Labour Hire of Preston.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No such breaches of security at the Devonshire dock hall have been reported.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what regulations are in force concerning the height to be maintained by military aircraft crossing the coast at low level in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Neubert
  Pilots of military aircraft are advised to cross coastlines, as a general rule, at a minimum height of 500 ft above ground or sea level in order to reduce the risk of birdstrike.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration has been given to the fitting of ground proximity warning systems to RAF aircraft.

  Mr. Neubert
  The Ministry of Defence is sponsoring a trials programme to develop a ground proximity warning system. No decision about whether the equipment will be fitted to RAF aircraft will be made until the results of the trials are available.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what height the specified weather minima for military aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low-flying system require pilots to remain vertically clear of cloud during low-level flight.

  Mr. Neubert
  When operating in the United Kingdom low-flying system, military pilots are required to remain a minimum of 500 ft vertically clear of cloud at indicated airspeeds in excess of 140 knots.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions have been taken to change or re-emphasise aspects of RAF aircrew training by syllabuses for low flying in the light of the findings of the board of inquiry into the accident to a Jaguar at St. Abb's Head on 13 April 1989.

  Mr. Neubert
  None. As no deficiencies in the RAF's present low-level training syllabuses were revealed during the board of inquiry's investigation into this accident, no further action was considered necessary.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if a survey has been conducted of the extent to which reheat is used by aircraft operating in the United Kingdom low-flying system; and what plans he has to carry out such a survey in future.

  Mr. Neubert
  Aircraft are instructed to use reheat as little as possible when flying overland at low level and use would be unusual unless required for flight safety reasons. This is confirmed by RAF police surveys which give no indication that reheat is regularly used in the United Kingdom low-flying system.

  Aircraft Noise
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the changes made since 1984 in his Department's policy on exposure to 140
  aircraft noise levels in excess of 125 dB (A); and if he will list all Ministry of Defence commissioned research on the health effects of aircraft noise carried out since 1983 (a) within his Department, (b) by other Government Departments and (c) by non-governmental scientists upon which such changes in policy were based.

  Mr. Neubert
  There have been no changes since 1984 in MOD policy on exposure to aircraft noise levels in excess of 125 dB (A).

  No Ministry of Defence commissioned research into the health effects of aircraft noise has been carried out since 1983 within the Department or by another Government Department but, as I announced on 17 May at columns 517–18, a study to review available information is in progress.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review his policy of not indicating which of Her Majesty's ships are carrying nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It has been the invariable practice of successive British Governments neither to confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons in any particular ship at any particular time. There are no plans to change this policy.

  RAF Recruitment
  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he anticipates any reduction in the annual officer recruitment targets for the RAF following the recent improvements in east-west relations.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is too early to say whether there will be a reduction in RAF officer recruitment, but the changing international situation gives us hope that we shall be able to maintain our security and sustain our responsibilities overseas with lower force levels and less cost.

  RAF Biggin Hill
  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current estimates for the building of the additional accommodation required at RAF Cranwell following the closure of the officer and aircrew selection centre at RAF Biggin Hill.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The estimated cost of the new facilities required at RAF Cranwell amounts to some £7·5 million at current prices. This figure now allows for VAT and current levels of inflation in the construction industry.

  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current estimates for the likely level of capital receipts from the disposal of the site at present occupied by RAF Biggin Hill.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Estimates of expected receipts are commercially confidential, but we expect income from disposals at Biggin Hill to more than cover the cost of reproviding facilities for the officer and aircrew selection centre at RAF Cranwell.

  Sir John Hunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the anticipated demand for officers'
  141
  married quarters in the Greater London area over the next five years; and whether accommodation is to be provided at RAF Biggin Hill to meet this demand.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Present plans envisage that the requirement for officers' married quarters in the Greater London area will, over the medium to long term, be reduced. It is our intention to dispose of all the officers' married quarters at RAF Biggin Hill when the station closes. Present plans anticipate that the various elements of the Biggin Hill site will become available for disposal towards the end of 1992, excluding the memorial chapel enclave which will be retained.

  Salerno Incident, 1943
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received in the last 12 months concerning the incident at Salerno on 20 September 1943 which resulted in the court martial of 91 soldiers of the 51 Highland Division and 50 Northumbrian Division; and if he proposes to take the steps necessary to obtain a free pardon for them.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. and learned Member.

  Radar
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on developments in the detection by radar of missile attacks.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Steady progress has been made in developing the ability of radar to detect missile attacks. Work continues on a number of fronts.

  Service Accommodation
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current backlog of unavoidable repairs to service accommodation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The backlog of maintenance for essential and unavoidable repairs to service accommodation at 1 April 1990 was estimated at £36 million.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the influence of the quality of rented service accommodation on the rate of premature voluntary release.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No single factor influences personnel to leave the services prematurely and the results of attitude surveys conducted among service personnel indicate that the quality of service accommodation is not a major factor in the decision to leave.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received from service personnel regarding the quality of service accommodation.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No records are kept centrally of representations on behalf of service personnel regarding the quality of service accommodation, but we are aware of a small number of such representations over the last 12 months.

  Military Training
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what examination there has been of the options for changing the current requirements for military t raining in(a) the British Army, (b) the Royal Air Force and (c) the Royal Navy;

  (2) what plans there are to make adjustments to training programmes for the armed forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The future requirements and organisation for training are kept under review.

  Nuclear Accident, Greenwich
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans or studies have been made or commissioned by his Department to assess the measures that would have to be taken in the event of contamination by airborne plutonium resulting from a nuclear weapons accident aboard a Royal Navy ship docked at Greenwich.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave to the hon. Members for Newham, North-West(Mr. Banks) and for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 8 June, Official Report. column 724.

  Standing Military Forces
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to alter the readiness and availability of British standing military forces.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The last ministerial session of the defence planning committee on 22 and 23 May decided to take steps to lower the readiness and availability of some of the alliance's standing forces. A copy of the communiqué is in the Library of the House. Work is in hand on the implications for British forces.

  Retraining
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what retraining opportunities are offered to those personnel of his Department whose services are no longer required.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Pre-release training to help in the preparation for civilian life is available to eligible personnel who are about to leave the services. Eligibility for this training is determined primarily by length of service and the circumstances of discharge. All civilian staff are given the opportunity of pre-retirement training, but no specific retraining is provided by the Department.

  NATO Military Review
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for British participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation review of military strategy.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United Kingdom will participate fully in the review of the alliance's military strategy to which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agreed at last month's ministerial meeting of the defence planning committee. Ministers also agreed that this review would be based on the continuing validity of the principles of alliance security set out in the comprehensive concept of arms control and disarmament.

  Defence Review
  Mr. O'Neill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what communications he has had with the defence industry regarding the economic and industrial consequences of the options for change study.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The work on options for change is addressing policy issues in the light of changing international circumstances. As such, it has yet to identify the full consequences of possible changes for the equipment programme.

  Conventional Forces in Europe
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy that no relevant equipment be moved out of the area of application of the proposed treaty on conventional forces in Europe before such a treaty comes into effect in order to(a) deploy the equipment elsewhere or (b) sell the equipment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The United Kingdom attaches great importance to the NATO proposal that reductions of equipment holdings during the implementation of the conventional forces in Europe treaty should be by means of destruction. Before the treaty comes into effect, there will obviously be no legal bar to the transfer or sale of equipment outside the area of application. However, any large-scale activity of this sort would be contrary to the

  (a) Perinatal mortality and (b) Neonatal mortality: numbers and rates by Regional Health Authority in England for the years 1986 to 1989

  Table (a) Perinatal mortality

  Area

  1986

  1987

  1988

  11989

  Number

  Rate

  Number

  Rate

  Number

  Rate

  Number

  Rate

  England

  5,977

  9·5

  5,742

  8·9

  5,731

  8·7

  5,424

  8·3

  Regional Health Authority

  Northern

  408

  101

  344

  8·5

  362

  90

  362

  9·2

  Yorkshire

  499

  10·3

  469

  9·5

  460

  9·2

  423

  8·5

  Trent

  606

  10·2

  572

  9·3

  567

  9·2

  524

  8·5

  East Anglian

  191

  7·7

  206

  7·9

  180

  6·7

  174

  6·7

  North West Thames

  416

  8·6

  430

  8·6

  410

  8·1

  414

  8·3

  North East Thames

  513

  9·6

  525

  9·4

  516

  9·1

  468

  8·3

  South East Thames

  407

  8·5

  428

  8·5

  468

  9·1

  433

  8·4

  South West Thames

  302

  8·2

  288

  7·5

  310

  7·9

  274

  7·0

  Wessex

  317

  8·8

  331

  8·9

  331

  8·7

  317

  8·3

  Oxford

  297

  8·9

  279

  8·0

  247

  6·9

  258

  7·2

  South Western

  363

  9·5

  302

  7·5

  324

  7·9

  273

  6·7

  West Midlands

  776

  11·0

  725

  9·9

  752

  10·3

  712

  9·7

  Mersey

  302

  9·2

  296

  9·0

  249

  7·4

  270

  8·2

  North Western

  580

  10·4

  547

  9·6

  555

  9·6

  522

  9·2

  Table (b) Neonatal mortality

  Area

  1986

  1987

  1988

  11989

  Number

  Rate

  Number

  Rate

  Number

  Rate

  Number

  Rate

  England

  3,270

  5·2

  3,240

  5·0

  3,220

  4·9

  3,077

  4·7

  Regional Health Authority

  Northern

  234

  5·8

  193

  4·8

  195

  4·9

  196

  5·0

  Yorkshire

  290

  6·0

  281

  5·7

  253

  5·1

  221

  4·5

  Trent

  351

  5·9

  325

  5·3

  327

  5·3

  293

  4·8

  East Anglian

  102

  4·1

  99

  3·8

  97

  3·6

  94

  3·6

  North West Thames

  233

  4·8

  232

  4·7

  240

  4·7

  222

  4·5

  North East Thames

  286

  5·4

  319

  5·8

  256

  4·5

  264

  4·7

  South East Thames

  194

  4·1

  255

  5·1

  233

  4·5

  246

  4·8

  South West Thames

  167

  4·5

  158

  4·1

  182

  4·6

  166

  4·3

  Wessex

  172

  4·8

  186

  5·0

  182

  4·8

  188

  5·0

  Oxford

  176

  5·3

  165

  4·8

  152

  4·3

  156

  4·4

  South Western

  176

  4·6

  181

  4·5

  204

  5·0

  158

  3·9

  West Midlands

  414

  5·9

  411

  5·7

  452

  6·2

  445

  6·1

  144
  spirit in which we entered into the negotiations, and the United Kingdom would avoid such activities itself and discourage them on the part of others.

  HEALTH

    Chiropractic Treatment
    Mr. Atkinson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to introduce state recognition of registered members of the chiropractic profession and the availability of chiropractic treatment under the national health service in the light of the recent report of the Medical Research Council of the British Medical Association.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    Statutory regulation of the chiropractic profession is a matter for the profession itself to pursue. All medical treatment provided under the national health service must, by law, be given or presented by a registered medical practitioner. There are no plans to change that long-established principle.

    Mortality Rates
    Mr. Alexander
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the amount of(a) perinatal mortality and (b) neonatal mortality in each regional health authority area for England in each of the years 1986 to 1989.

    Mr. Dorrell
    The information is shown in the tables.
    145

    Area

    1986

    1987

    1988

    11989

    Number

    Rate

    Number

    Rate

    Number

    Rate

    Number

    Rate

    Mersey

    161

    4·9

    153

    4·7

    146

    4·4

    137

    4·2

    North Western

    314

    5·7

    282

    5·0

    301

    5·2

    291

    5·1

    Perinatal mortality: stillbirths and deaths in the first week of life. Rate per 1,000 live and still births.

    Neonatal mortality: deaths in the first 28 days of life. Rate per 1,000 live births.

    1 1989 figures provisional.

    Dentists
    Mr. Harry Greenway
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing for each of the last three years the gross annual earnings of national health service dentists in brackets of £10,000 up to £200,000 and over £200,000; and what was the highest gross earnings figure.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    The table shows the gross annual earnings of dentists in England who are in contract with a family practitioner committee. Similar information for dentists working in the hospital and community health service is not available.

    Gross earnings of dentists providing general dental services in the NHS through contracts with family practitioner committees in England

    Earnings Bands (as at 31 March) £

    1988

    1989

    1990

    up to 10,000

    2,201

    2,061

    2,139

    10,001 to 20,000

    1,135

    955

    969

    20,001 to 30,000

    1,163

    993

    935

    30,001 to 40,000

    1,459

    1,150

    1,137

    40,001 to 50,000

    1,877

    1,412

    1,465

    50,001 to 60,000

    2,296

    1,810

    1,850

    60,001 to 70,000

    1,924

    2,028

    2,027

    70,001 to 80,000

    1,526

    1,708

    1,756

    80,001 to 90,000

    957

    1,368

    1,400

    90,001 to 100,000

    592

    947

    938

    100,001 to 110,000

    348

    638

    584

    110,001 to 120,000

    195

    404

    407

    120,001 to 130,000

    116

    233

    250

    130,001 to 140,000

    65

    141

    149

    140,001 to 150,000

    34

    88

    98

    150,001 to 160,000

    29

    58

    57

    160,001 to 170,000

    6

    35

    37

    170,001 to 180,000

    11

    24

    24

    180,001 to 190,000

    3

    16

    10

    190,001 to 200,000

    5

    13

    9

    over 200,000

    8

    18

    16

    Highest individual earnings

    £311,469

    £376,543

    £280,777

    Note:

    Earnings figures refer to the total paid in fees for NHS treatment scheduled for payment by the Dental Practice Board in the financial year quoted. Fees paid in respect of treatment carried out by assistants are included in the gross figures quoted for their employment dentist.

    NHS Trusts
    Ms. Harman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health which national health service hospitals or other units have submitted draft business plans and draft applications for national health service trust status.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    Draft applications have been submitted in confidence to the Department but no draft business plans have been received to date. Until Parliament approves the necessary legislation, formal applications from those units wishing to pursue trust 146
    status cannot be submitted. When the legislation has been passed, applications will be made available by the regions concerned to interested parties locally during the period of public consultation.

    Ms. Harman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish all advice of his Department to any national health service hospital or other unit which has expressed an interest in self-governing status.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    We intend to publish a compendium of guidance on national health service trusts in the autumn, which will update and bring together advice on the establishment and operation of NHS trusts which has been provided by the Department.

    Ms. Harman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish all draft business plans and draft applications for national health service trust status.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    All applications for NHS trust status will be publicly available documents. However, the supporting financial statements to be submitted by applicants for NHS trust status will include detailed information on their financial plans which it would not be appropriate to make publicly available.

    Hospitals (Resource Management)
    Mr. O'Brien
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the criterion for selecting hospitals for inclusion in the resource management scheme;

    (2) whether the Normanton and Castleford district hospital in the Pontefract district health authority area can be included in the resource management scheme; and if he will make a statement;

    (3) if he will publish the rules and regulations governing hospitals being included in a resource management scheme.

    Mr. Dorrell
    The criteria for including a hospital in the resource management extension programme are set out in the Government's White Paper "Working for Patients".

    Since March 1989 a total of 14 of the larger acute hospitals in the Yorkshire regional health authority have been selected to join the programme. The Normanton and Castleford district hospital is not a large acute hospital and therefore does not meet the criteria for selection.

    District Health Authorities
    Mrs. Golding
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals there are to pay members to sit on district health authorities.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    Subject to parliamentary approval, the National Health Service and Cornmunity Care Bill makes provision for non-officer members of district health authorities to receive remuneration as determined by the Secretary of State with the approval of the Treasury.
    147
    Mrs. Golding
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals there are for the future membership composition of district health authorities.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    Subject to parliamentary approval of the National Health Service and Community Care Bill, it is proposed that the new style district health authorities shall comprise of a chairman, appointed by the Secretary of State, five non-officer members, appointed by the relevant regional health authority, and up to five officer members who must include the chief officer and the chief finance officer. "Teaching DHAs" will have to include a non-officer member from a university with a medical or dental school.

    Complaints Procedures
    Mr. Kennedy
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to monitor and assess the operational procedure of district health authorities' complaints systems and publish their findings.

    Mr. Dorrell
    Directions on hospital complaints procedures made under section 17 of the National Health Service Act 1977 and issued to health authorities in June 1988, included a requirement for health authorities to monitor the arrangements made for dealing with complaints in the hospitals for which they are responsible. The directions also require quarterly reports to be made for use by the health authority to monitor progress on the procedure for dealing with complaints, for considering trends in complaints and for taking remedial action on complaints as approriate. There are no plans to amend these arrangements.

    Food Safety
    Mr. Burns
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements the Government intend to introduce to strengthen microbiological surveillance of food as recommended in part I of the report of the committee on the microbiological safety of food.

    Mr. Kenneth Clarke
    My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I have decided to establish a national microbiological food surveillance and assessment system. This will be based on a new, independent advisory committee on the microbiological safety of food and a new steering group on the microbiological safety of food. These arrangements will complement those which already exist for labelling, composition and chemical safety of food, which are within the remit of the present food advisory committee and steering group on food surveillance.

    The new steering group will manage surveillance and research and will present policy conclusions to Ministers. It will consist both of officials and of experts from outside Government. The advisory committee will bring outside expertise to bear on the interpretation of the results of surveillance and on the policy formation process. The committee will have an entirely independent membership and chairman, who will be chosen for their expertise and invited from relevant backgrounds, including consumer interests.

    These arrangements will give effect to the recommendation of the present committee on the microbiological safety of food that the Government should set up a system of microbiological surveillance and assessment. This committee, under the chairmanship of Sir Mark Richmond, has
    148
    been invited to complete its work by the end of July. The Government plan to establish the new advisory committee in the autumn. The new steering group will be established as soon as possible before then as it can usefully begin preparatory work before the advisory committee first meets.

    The membership of the new advisory committee and steering group, and their formal terms of reference, will be announced as soon as possible. The food advisory committee and the steering group on food surveillance will continue to fulfil their present functions but some updating of their terms of reference also is envisaged, to underline the complementary roles of this committee and the new advisory committee.

    Mental Illness
    Mr. Barron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to strengthen support within the community for sufferers of severe anxiety-related conditions, and in particular phobias and obsessional or compulsive disorders.

    Mr. Dorrell
    The Government have set out their proposals to strengthen support within the community for all sufferers of mental illness, including severe anxiety-related conditions, in the White Paper "Caring for People". Key elements will be the introduction of the care programme approach, and the specific grant to help increase the social care available for people with a mental illness, which we hope to introduce from April 1991. We are currently consulting with interested bodies on both these developments.

    Mr. Barron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is currently being spent to fund community-based initiatives offering support and education to families and sufferers of phobias and obsessional or compulsive disorders in the United Kingdom as a whole and by regional health authority.

    Mr. Dorrell
    The information requested is not held centrally by the Department.

    Mr. Barron
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures he has as to how many people in the United Kingdom currently suffer from severe phobias and obsessional or compulsive disorders, by sex, age, regional health authority and ethnic origin; and what is his estimate of the cost to the national health service.

    Mr. Dorrell
    This information is not available centrally. Most national health service provision for the treatment of these disorders is provided by general practitioners and out-patient clinics for which figures are not collected centrally.

    The latest available information on admissions to national health service mental illness hospitals in England during 1986 for treatment of these conditions is set out in the table. Information on admissions to mental illness hospitals in each regional health authority in England for treatment of some broad diagnosis groups is given in table A6 of "Mental Health Statistics for England 1986: Booklet 7", a copy of which is in the Library. Severe phobias and obsessional or compulsive disorders are part of the neurotic disorders group, which accounted for around 8 per cent. of all admissions. No information is available on the hospital cost of treating the conditions.
    149

    All admissions in England by age, by sex, by ICD code

    Age

    Phobic state (ICD 300.2)

    Obsessive-compulsive disorder (ICD 300.3)

    Males

    <15

    14

    4

    15

    6

    3

    16

    1

    3

    17

    0

    2

    18

    2

    8

    19

    1

    7

    20–24

    17

    39

    25–4

    41

    102

    45–64

    26

    67

    65–74

    8

    28

    75–84

    1

    5

    85+

    0

    1

    TOTAL

    117

    269

    Females

    <15

    11

    3

    15

    5

    0

    16

    0

    3

    17

    0

    4

    18

    1

    3

    19

    0

    2

    20–24

    12

    37

    25–44

    109

    156

    45–64

    96

    82

    65–74

    29

    20

    75–84

    4

    14

    85+

    0

    0

    Total

    267

    324

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

    NHS Salaries
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much he estimates would be added to the national health service wage bill if all national health service employees were paid at least two thirds of the national average wage in 1990–91.

    Mr. Dorrell
    This information is not available.

    Cook-chill Food
    Mr. Hinchliffe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health which regional health authorities have adopted or intend to adopt a regional catering policy based on cook-chill.

    Mr. Dorrell
    None. It is a matter for health authorities to use the catering system that they consider meets their requirements of quality and resources available, but we would expect health authorities to consider cook-chill as one of the alternatives.

    Cancer Treatment
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list drugs for cancer treatment which have been through trials and been passed but which are not available on national health service prescriptions.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    All drugs licensed for use in the treatment of cancer are available for prescription 150
    under the NHS. However, some hospitals have drawn up formularies of preferred treatments for many conditions which the doctors involved would usually prescribe.

    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the drug ondansetron to be available on a national health service prescription.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    Ondansetron has been launched on to the market by its manufacturer. The drug is now therefore available for prescription by doctors throughout the national health service for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy for cancer.

    Diabetes and Glaucoma
    Mr. Michael
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people he estimates were suffering from diabetes and glaucoma in(a) England, (b) each county in England during 1988–89 and 1989–90, respectively.

    Mr. Dorrell
    Precise information is not collected centrally. However, it has been estimated that there are about 1 million diabetics in the United Kingdom of whom about 200,000 inject insulin. The International Glaucoma Association estimates that glaucoma of some type is found in about 2 per cent. of the population over age 40.

    NHS Pay Bargaining
    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the changes in his responsibilities in relation to national or local pay bargaining arising from the changes in the National Health Service and Community Care Bill;

    (2) what responsibilities he has with regard to decisions made by the head of personnel in the national health service in relation to the pay bargaining structure within the national health service.

    Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
    The Bill provides for NHS trusts to have freedom to determine the pay and conditions of their staff. No other decisions have been taken about pay determination machinery.

  NATIONAL FINANCE

    Exchange Rate Mechanism
    Mr. Austin Mitchell
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has made any assessment of the pound sterling's subsequent movement in the bands had the pound sterling entered the exchange rate mechanism at the exchange rate prevailing on 1 January 1988, 1 January 1989 and 1 January 1990.

    Mr. Major
    No.

    Government Expenditure
    Mr. Pawsey
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out in tabular form the main areas of Government spending, expressed as a percentage.

    Mr. Norman Lamont
    The most recent detailed summary information about Government expenditure was published in chapter 21 of the 1990 public expenditure White Paper "The Government's Expenditure Plans,
    151
    1990–91 to 1992–93". Table 21.2.12 of this publication gives a percentage distribution of general Government expenditure on services by function.

    Inflation
    Mr. Allen
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the inflation rate average in the calendar years 1978 and 1980.

    Mr. Ryder
    The average rate of increase in the retail prices index, compared with 12 months earlier, was 8.3 per cent. for 1978 and 7.8 per cent. for 1989.

    Radioactive Material
    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the amount of radioactive material, during the last five years, that has been checked by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise that has been(a) imported and (b) exported through the ports of (i) Barrow, (ii) Dover, (iii) Felixstowe, (iv) Harwich, (v) Hull, Immingham, (vi) Liverpool, (vii) Portsmouth, (viii) Southampton and (ix) Workington.

    Mr. Ryder
    I regret that the information is not readily available and could be answered only at the cost of a disproportionate amount of time and effort.

    Value Added Tax
    Mr. Wilson
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those items of sporting equipment which are exempt from value added tax.

    Mr. Ryder
    All sporting equipment bears VAT at the standard rate. However sporting apparel falling within the description"designed as clothing or footwear for young children and not suitable for older persons"
    may be zero-rated.

    Aggregate Taxable Income
    Mr. Blunkett
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his latest estimates of the aggregate taxable income for each(a) county, (b) former metropolitan county, (c) the Greater London area, (d) metropolitan district and (e) London borough area.

    Mr. Lilley
    [holding answer 5 June 1990]: I regret that estimates below regional level are not presently available. As explained in "Inland Revenue Statistics, 1989" estimates for counties have been discontinued owing to the emergence of problems in attributing addresses containing a shire county name which properly fall within a metropolitan county. Further investigation, which is continuing, has cast further doubt on the reliability of information at this level of detail. The problems also affect the reliability of the information given to the hon. Member on 4 April 1989, Official Report, columns 9–10. Regional estimates for 1987–88, the latest available year, are as follows.

    Region

    Taxable income £ million

    Northern

    6,490

    Yorkshire and Humberside

    11,500

    North West

    15,000

    152

    Region

    Taxable income £ million

    East Midlands

    8,880

    West Midlands

    12,600

    East Anglia

    5,460

    South Eastern

    60,000

    South Western

    11,900

    Wales

    5,350

    Scotland

    11,800

    Northern Ireland

    2,800

    Community Charge
    Sir Ian Gilmour
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the rates of personal income tax could need to be increased if(a) the whole of the community charge were transferred to income tax and (b) the whole of the community charge less expenditure on social services and housing were transferred to income tax.

    Mr. Major
    [holding answer 6 June 1990]: Local authorities in Great Britain are forecast to raise £11·2 billion in community charge income. If the whole of this were to be raised from income tax, this would be equivalent to an increase of around 7½p in the basic rate of income tax.

    Local authorities' expenditure on social services and housing, excluding the housing revenue account, is budgeted to be around £ 5·3 billion. If the whole of the community charge income less this expenditure were to be raised from income tax, this would be equivalent to an increase of around 4p in the basic rate.

    Women
    Ms. Richardson
    To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest estimated figures for the number of women in Britain, who have no regular income of their own from employment, investment or state benefits, excluding child benefit.

    Mr. Lilley
    [holding answer 11 June 19901]: Estimates of total numbers of such women are not available. However, results of the 1988 family expenditure survey indicate that less than 10 per cent. of women (aged over 16 and not in full-time education) who live in private households in Great Britain had no regular income.

  THE ARTS

    Natural History Museum
    Ms. Walley
    To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received on the implications for scientific research of the proposed cuts in services and staff at the natural history museum.

    Miss Hoey
    To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received on the implications for scientific research of the proposed cuts in services and staff at the natural history museum.

    Mr. Luce
    I have received many representations about the natural history museum's restructuring proposals, including some 40 letters from hon. Members. I understand that the museum's director has invited leading scientists and researchers to a special seminar on 15 June, to present the museum's plans to them in detail and to give an opportunity for discussion.

  TRANSPORT

    Road Accidents
    Mr. Hind
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what new information he has on regional road accident statistics.

    Mr. Atkins
    I have today published a report "Road Accident Statistics English Regions". I have placed a copy in the Library of the House.

    This information will be of particular value to local authorities in setting their own casualty reduction targets and in developing local road safety plans. It will also enable them to assess their own local performance against that of other areas.

    Concessionary Fares, London
    Mr. Bowis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of concessionary fare schemes in London.

    Mr. Freeman
    The cost of concessionary travel in London is borne by the London boroughs. It must be for them to decide what form of concessionary travel scheme they want. However, if the boroughs cannot agree amongst themselves the terms of such a scheme, the statutory reserve free travel scheme in sections 51 and 52 of the London Regional Transport Act 1984 applies.

    Roads, Essex
    Mr. Burns
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to increase the grants available to Essex county council for the building of new roads and bypasses in the next five financial years; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Atkins
    Transport supplementary grant of more than £6·6 million will be paid to Essex county council in the current financial year towards expenditure on new roads and bypasses. Grant support will continue to be provided in future years to enable major projects currently under construction to be completed. All local highway authorities have been invited to bid for grant for 1991–92 and beyond for new schemes. We shall be studying the relative merits of all the bids and announcing our decisions later in the year.

    Oil Tankers
    Dr. Godman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the review of tanker traffic in the deep water route west of the Hebrides and in the Minch; and if he intends to make a statement on this subject in the near future.

    Mr. McLoughlin
    I shall make a statement and put a copy of the review report in the Library as soon as our detailed consideration of the findings is complete.

    Marine Pollution
    Mr. Simon Hughes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those oil pollution incidents reported to his officials by HM coastguard since 1 January 1989, giving in each case details of what follow-up investigations were made, whether a prosecution resulted and what the results of any prosecution were.
    154
    Mr. McLoughlin
    Between 1 January 1989 and 1 June 1990, a total of 214 reports of possible oil pollution were passed on by HM coastguard to the marine pollution control unit.

    Only 79 of those reports named a ship which might or might not have been the possible source of the pollution. After port state inspections in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, five cases were referred to the flag states of the vessels concerned to investigate further a possible illegal operational discharge of oil; one of these has resulted in a prosecution and a fine of £675 by the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.

    Of the other 74 cases, three are still being investigated by the MPCU. Follow-up action in the remaining 71 has now been discontinued because either (a) after port state inspection where appropriate, there was insufficient evidence of a possible illegal discharge to justify further action; or (b) the pollution was not an illegal discharge, for example, it resulted from the sinking of a vessel or from damage to a ship or its equipment.

    Coaches
    Mr. Wray
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement regarding the European Commission proposals to limit the speed of passenger coaches and the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of such proposals.

    Mr. Atkins
    [holding answer 8 June 1990]: The Government have for many years attached high importance to securing safe coach travel. The Commission's proposed uniform technical standard for speed limiters, which we support, draws heavily on the British standard operative since 1987. All new coaches used in Britain have to be fitted with speed limiters and I am glad to say that the Bus and Coach Council is urging its members to retrofit older vehicles well before the deadline we have set of next April.

    Exhaust Emissions
    Mr. Teddy Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers are available to the police and local authorities to curb excessive exhaust emissions from buses, lorries and cars; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Atkins
    [holding answer 11 June 1990]: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer on 20 December last year to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) at column 279.

    Since then, we have further tightened up emission controls through the regulations laid before the House on 5 June. These require vehicle users to keep the engine in tune and any emission control equipment, such as a catalyst, in good working order. Properly tuned engines not only benefit the community at large by cutting emissions but save fuel and thus cut running costs.

  OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

    Sri Lanka
    Mr. Nellist
    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will detail British aid to Sri Lanka in the current financial year, and for each of the following three years, giving dates of announcement of projects; if he will place copies of all associated press releases in the Library; and if he will make a statement.
    155
    Mrs. Chalker
    British aid disbursements to Sri Lanka in the current financial year are expected to amount to around £12 million on a number of on-going activities. These include reconstruction aid, following the civil disturbances, for roads, schools and the Jaffna hospital as well as support for community development projects, the power, natural resources and education sectors.

    It is not possible at this stage to indicate in detail what further projects will be supported from the aid programme in the next three years or when they will be announced. A number of possibilities are currently being appraised for possible eventual agreement between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Sri Lanka. These include forestry and road rehabilitation.

    Copies of all press releases from the ODA are placed in the House of Commons Library.

  NORTHERN IRELAND

    Community Employment
    Mr. Stott
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of sponsors of the action for community employment scheme run by the new Training and Employment Agency for Northern Ireland with their addresses, number of ACE trainees allocated and areas of work covered.

    Mr. Needham
    In view of the large amount of material to be collated, I will write to the hon. Member and place copies of the information in the Library.

    Belfast Action Teams
    Mr. Stott
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of the names and addresses of groups which have received funding from the Belfast action teams since they were first set up and the corresponding amount given to each such group.

    Mr. Needham
    In view of the large amount of material to be collated, I will write to the hon. Member and place copies of the information in the Library.

    Health and Personal Social Services
    Mr. Nicholas Bennett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what advisory and consultative machinery will be established to represent public and consumer interests on the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Needham
    It is intended, subject to the necessary legislation being made, that there should be four area councils, or health and social services councils as it is proposed they be known, one relating to each health and social services board. Councils will be able to set up sub-committees which may include co-opted members. Each council will appoint its own chairman and will operate within a budget set annually by the Department of Health and Social Services.

    The duties of a council will include keeping under review the operation of health and social services in its area, making recommendations for improving the services of the relevant board, and commenting on the board's plan, particularly in relation to substantial developments or variations in the provision of services.
    156
    The council which relates to the Eastern board will have 30 members, while those relating to the other three boards will have 24. Forty per cent. of the membership of each council will be reserved for district councillors. Each district council will have the right to nominate one member. Membership will also include individuals appointed by the Department of Health and Social Services after consultation with voluntary and community organisations and other interested bodies.

    I am confident that the new arrangements will give the public and consumers a strong voice in the provision and development of the health and personal social services.

  ENVIRONMENT

    Lakes (Acidity)
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many lakes in England suffer from acidity problems; if he will list them and give some measure of how acidic they are; and if he will make a statement on what the Government are doing about the problem.

    Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
    The Government will continue to sponsor research totalling over £3 million over the next three years identifying susceptible lakes and ecosystems. Comprehensive monitoring networks are in place measuring acid deposition and lake chemistry, acidity and ecology in the most sensitive lakes and streams. However, natural lake acidity varies greatly with catchment geology and ecology in addition to the undoubted effect of acid rain. Consequently, the collection of data on the scale requested is not currently feasible.

    Data on the effects of acid rain are published in Department of the Environment scientific review group and other reports, "Acidity in United Kingdom Fresh Waters"—United Kingdom acid waters review group second report, "Acid Deposition in the United Kingdom" —United Kingdom review group on acid rain second report and "Lake Acidification in the United Kingdom" —paleoecology research unit, University college London. Monitoring data have also been published in the first report of the United Kingdom acid waters monitoring network. Copies of all these publications are in the Library of the House.

    The United Kingdom has agreed directives with our European partners which will reduce acid emissions significantly. Using 1980 as a baseline, the United Kingdom is committed to reducing emissions of SO2, by 60 per cent. by 1993 and NOx by 30 per cent. by 1998 from existing large combustion plants. A directive requiring the fitting of catelytic convertors to most new cars before 1993 will reduce emissions of NO2 by up to 90 per cent., and the United Kingdom is pressing for the strictest possible emission standards to be applied to diesel engines.

    Red Squirrels
    Ms. Walley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environent what action his Department is taking to protect Britain's remaining red squirrels; what studies his Department is currently funding in this area; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    The red squirrel is fully protected through its listing on schedule 5 to the Wildlife and Countryside
    157
    Act 1981. I am advised that the NCC is considering mounting local surveys of red squirrels. The Forestry Commission carries out an annual survey of its own land holdings on a national basis for the presence of red and grey squirrels.

    Common Land
    Ms. Walley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 27 March,Official Report, column 116, to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond), and 11 May, Official Report, column 244, whether he will now announce the Government's intentions on common land legislation; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for delay in making this announcement.

    Mr. Trippier
    I regret that my right hon. Friend has not yet been able to make the announcement referred to in the answers given on 27 March and 11 May. This has been due to the complexity of the issues involved and the need to consider the implications of the legal judgment given last month in the Hazeley heath case, and further representations received.

    Environmental Protection
    Mr. Wallace
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made during the Republic of Ireland presidency of the European Community with regard to the European draft directive on the protection of habitats, flora and fauna; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    At the Environment Council on 7 June, I expressed regret at the lack of progress in negotiating a worthwhile European Community directive on the protection of habitats and flora and fauna, but acknowledged that the Irish presidency was absolved of blame for this. On funding for assisting member states to implement the directive, some progress has been made with the publication of a draft regulation on action by the Community relating to nature conservation (ACNAT).

    Otters, East Anglia
    Ms. Walley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the number of otters in East Anglia; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    I am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that there is no definitive record of numbers of otters in East Anglia. Since 1986, reports of sightings suggest an improving population in the west of the region while in the east of the region releases of captive-bred otters have strengthened the population.

    Air Pollution
    Ms. Walley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the relative effectiveness of large and small carbon canisters in reducing air pollution from volatile organic compounds from motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    The means of controlling petrol evaporation from cars and its effects are studied within the Department's air pollution research programme. The "smaller" carbon canisters, which control emissions from 158
    cars in use, offer further reduction of secondary air pollutants like ozone beyond the major improvement expected from agreed new EC exhaust emission controls. The effectiveness of "larger" canisters, which additionally absorb emissions during refuelling, is still being evaluated in relation to the overall evaporative emissions that occur between production and delivery. Results from the research programme have been made available to the Commission of the European Communities' expert groups and we are awaiting their proposals.

    Waste Paper
    Mr. Beith
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the drop in price for used newspapers; whether he has any plans to assist local authority and charity waste paper collection systems to be maintained during the present difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    The main factor causing the drop in price of certain grades of waste paper appears to have been a simple matter of supply and demand: collection of waste paper by volunteers and the trade has increased more quickly than production capacity capable of using waste paper as a feedstock. There is no evidence of any substantial level of imports of waste paper. Government intervention to maintain the price of waste paper through subsidising collection costs or other means could be ineffective or damaging since paper is an internationally traded commodity and users could switch to imported supplies and there are therefore no plans to intervene. The priority must be to encourage the market for all types of recycled paper and expand industrial capacity to process waste paper. In that context I am delighted to note that Kimberley-Clarke recently announced the construction of a £37 million plant for the manufacture of tissues in Flint. My Department and the Department of Trade and Industry are specifically examining the waste paper market to assess the economic and environmental benefits of waste paper recycling, the means of collecting waste paper, what new uses for waste paper might be promoted and how demand for recycled paper might be stimulated. Government Departments are also considering their own use of paper with a view to increasing the use of recycled products wherever feasible and economic.

    Local Government Finance
    Mr. Hardy
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take urgent steps to amend the arrangements relating to the standard community charge in cases where this charge is such as to equal or to approach either the value of the property itself or the value of the period of occupancy or ownership involved.

    Mr. Chope
    Charging authorities may set a standard charge of 0, ½,1,1½ or 2 times the personal community charge for their area. In addition to the classes of property which we have prescribed and in respect of which no charge or a lower charge than the maximum is payable, authorities may specify their own classes by reference to one of the factors set out in the legislation. These factors include the use to which properties are put or are intended to be put; the period for which they have been unoccupied; or the personal circumstances but not the financial circumstances of the individual who is subject to the standard charge. They do not, however, allow for
    159
    authorities to vary the amount of the standard charge by making reference to the value of a property, which would mean the return of rating or the creation of a capital value system.

    One World Week
    Mr. Harry Barnes
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department made any contribution to the BBC television's One World week of specialist programmes on the environment.

    Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
    The Department co-operated with briefing and offered participation, but the offers were not taken up.

    Competitive Tendering
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money he estimates to have been saved by compulsory competitive tendering in areas for which his Department has responsibility in each of the last five years.

    Mr. Chris Patten
    Savings from competitive tendering in my Department, including the Property Services Agency, over the past five years were:

    £ million

    1985–86

    14·00

    1986–87

    27·25

    1987–88

    30·72

    1988–89

    23·41

    1989–90

    32·23

    Radioactive Sediment
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce precautions to reduce the harmful effects of radioactive sediment deposited on the shores of the British coastline.

    Mr. Trippier
    Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food carry out an extensive programme of monitoring of the marine and coastal environment, including the collection of samples of sediment. The results, which are published annually, show that doses to members of the public resulting from the discharge of liquid radioactive waste are well within accepted limits. There is no need for any special precautions to be taken.

    Environment Council
    Mr. Jack
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council on 7 and 8 June.

    Mr. Walley
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to ensure that the EEC habitats directive is discussed at the Environment Council on 7 June; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.

    The Council agreed a directive amending the 1975 framework directive—75/442—on waste. The new directive calls on member states to encourage clean
    160
    technologies, waste minimisation and recovery methods. It also strengthens existing requirements concerning the licensing of waste disposal installations and the production of waste management plans. I particularly welcomed a new requirement for all member states to establish adequate networks of waste disposal installations so as to reduce the currently unacceptable level of transfrontier movements of waste.

    The Council agreed a directive on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances—mercury, cadmium and lead. The directive will encourage the recycling or controlled disposal of spent batteries. It will also require batteries, and in some cases the appliances into which they are built, to be labelled to indicate recyclability and heavy metal content, and to facilitate their separate collection. Certain batteries containing more than a specified amount of mercury will be banned from sale from 1 January 1993.

    Agreement was also reached on a directive to limit inputs of four dangerous substances to the aquatic environment. The directive sets limit values and quality objectives for significant discharges of trichlorobenzene 1, 2-dichloroethane, trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene. Small discharges of these substances will be controlled through national programmes. These measures will apply from 1 January 1993.

    The Council agreed the final negotiating position of the Community for the second meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, to be held in London later this month. The Community, and the United Kingdom, will press for early and substantial reductions in CFCs, and their elimination before the year 2000, along with strong controls on halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform. The Council also confirmed that assistance to developing countries, to meet their incremental costs in complying with a strengthened protocol, should be covered by additional funding. We are confident that with this position the Community will be able to play a key role in the finalisation at the London meeting of a strengthened protocol which many more countries will be able to join.

    There was a short, but wide-ranging discussion of climate change. The European Commission was urged to bring forward its work on specific measures which might be taken at Community level to control greenhouse gas emissions, so that the issue could be considered again at the October meeting of the Council, before the second world climate conference. The United Kingdom urged other member states to draw up their own strategies for the control of greenhouse gas emissions in good time for that conference, so that they would be in a position to commit themselves to sensible precautionary steps aimed at ensuring that climate change problems do not get any worse in the period between now and 2005, by when many of the remaining scientific uncertainties should have been resolved.

    Ministers endorsed the urgent need for a directive setting stringent new standards for motor vehicle emissions and regretted the fact that the absence of the European Parliament's opinion on the current proposal prevented immediate agreement. The Council instructed the presidency to write to the Parliament seeking its opinion as a matter of urgency so that the measure might be agreed at the next Council meeting. The United Kingdom also stressed the need for urgent action to limit

    161
    emissions from diesel engines in heavy vehicles, and regretted that the new Commission proposals in this area tell short of the stringent "US 1994" standard.

    The Council also held brief discussions on proposals for establishing a regulatory committee to review existing directives on water protection, and on the scope of the proposed directive on the protection of water from pollution by nitrate.

    The Commission gave progress reports on the preparation of a Community environmental labelling scheme, on discussions on a recent proposal concerning the treatment of municipal waste water, and on the proposed directive on the protection of natural and semi-natural habitats. On the latter the United Kingdom expressed concern at the lack of recent progress and pledged our assistance in helping to resolve outstanding issues.

    Mr. Gould
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the matters discussed at the meeting of Environment Ministers of the European Community on 7 June.

    Mr. Chris Patten
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply given earlier today by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside to my hon. Friend the Member for Fylde (Mr. Jack).

    Specialist Inspectors
    Mr. Dalyell
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on(a) the availability, (b) the qualifications required and (c) the cost of arrangements which he is making for an expanded corps of specialist inspectors to enforce new controls on gene release and related matters, envisaged in the Environmental Protection Bill.

    Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
    [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Discussions are being held with the Health and Safety Executive on an agency agreement whereby its inspectors would enforce the provisions in part VI of the Environmental Protection Bill. If such an agency agreement is reached, then inspectors with appropriate qualifications and experience will be recruited and given training by the executive and guidance by my Department. The newly appointed inspectors would form a team with existing Health and Safety Executive inspectors responsible for the enforcement of human health and safety controls over genetically manipulated organisms. There would thus be a unified system of enforcement.

    The costs of such an agency agreement cannot be determined accurately at present but are likely to be of the order of £100,000 per annum at current prices.

    Westminster Abbey
    Mr. Bowis
    To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what grants have been given to Westminster abbey to improve security; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Trippier
    [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Security at Westminster abbey is not a matter for my right hon. Friend.

  SOCIAL SECURITY

    Family Credit
    Ms. Primarolo
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the number of family credit claimants in the south-west by each Department of Social Security area for the latest period, and the percentage change from the respective figure of 12 months ago.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    The information requested is in the table:

    Social Security local offices in the South West.

    Number of families1

    Percentage change2

    Barnstaple

    762

    +3·8

    Bath

    598

    -8·7

    Bournemouth

    711

    +12·0

    Bridgewater

    559

    +4·1

    Bristol (Central)

    402

    -0·5

    Bristol (East)

    754

    -6·1

    Bristol (Horfield)

    412

    +0·2

    Bristol (South)

    688

    +5·0

    Bristol (West)

    324

    + 0·3

    Cheltenham

    675

    +8·9

    Chippenham

    449

    +0·2

    Devonport

    273

    +11·4

    Exeter

    1,747

    +5·8

    Gloucester

    860

    -1·0

    Launceston

    640

    -0·2

    Penzance

    835

    +5·3

    Plymouth

    1,490

    +7·3

    Poole

    679

    -2·6

    Salisbury

    557

    +13·2

    St. Austell

    957

    +3·0

    Stroud

    590

    +13·0

    Swindon

    611

    -0·5

    Taunton

    963

    0·0

    Torbay

    1,436

    +7·8

    Trowbridge

    401

    -0·7

    Truro

    1,204

    +9·8

    Weston-super-Mare

    461

    +0·9

    Weymouth

    770

    +7·1

    Yeovil

    605

    +14·6

    1Number of families in receipt of family credit on 1 June 1990 who at the time their award was made were living in the areas covered by each office.

    2 Percentage change compared with 3 April 1989 (the nearest comparable date in 1989 for which figures are available).

    Medical Appeal Tribunals
    Mr. Pawsey
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals are made each year to medical appeal tribunals; what is the average length of time taken for a case to reach a tribunal and what is the number of successful appeals expressed as a percentage of those made.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    The details quoted in the table relate to appeals to medical appeal tribunals in respect of mobility allowance and industrial injuries disablement benefit for the years from 1985 to 1988, the last full year for which details are held. I regret that figures for appeals to medical appeal tribunals in respect of severe disablement allowance are not available for this period. However, the Department has started collecting these figures from 1 July 1989.

    1988

    1987

    1986

    1985

    Appeals heard

    17,661

    15,568

    13,190

    12,054

    Claimant successful

    7,395

    6,193

    4,946

    4,408

    163

    1988

    1987

    1986

    1985

    Percentage successful

    42

    40

    37

    37

    The Department has also recently begun compiling more detailed statistics relating to medical appeal tribunals, including information on the clearance time for such appeals. The latest statistics, for the three-monthly period ending 30 September 1989, show that the national average clearance time for appeals to medical appeal tribunals, from date of lodgement to hearing, is 17 weeks.

    Attendance Allowance
    Mr. Alfred Morris
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parents of disabled children in receipt of attendance allowance had benefit deducted from their allowance due to them or their child staying in(a) respite care, (b) hospital and (c) any other form of scheduled accommodation for more than 28 days for the benefit year 1989–90.

    Mr. Scott
    The information requested is not available.

    Mr. Alfred Morris
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to change the regulations governing the receipt of attendance allowance where the child stays in hospital for a period of more than 28 days.

    Mr. Scott
    There are no current plans to change the conditions for the receipt of attendance allowance when a child has been in hospital for more than 28 days.

    Disability Benefit
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would cost at 1990–91 prices to extend disability benefit to all persons with a disability assessed at 40 per cent. or more.

    Mr. Scott
    There is a range of benefits available to disabled people of which only war pensions and industrial injuries disablement benefits are assessed according to a percentage of disability. Qualification for severe disablement allowance at age 20 or over depends on both incapacity for work and assessment as 80 per cent. disabled. As part of our review of disability benefits we considered whether a comprehensive disability income based on the level of a person's disability could replace the present structure of benefits. We concluded that the same principles could more effectively be implemented by changes which establish a more coherent system of financial help by building on the existing benefits, as set out in "The Way Ahead: Benefits for Disabled People" (Cmd. 917).

    Income Support
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for how many weeks a person who claims income support on becoming unemployed after a trial period of employment, and whose income support entitlement before that period included 100 per cent. of his or her mortgage interest, has to wait before again having the mortgage interest met in full.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    A person who claims income support on becoming unemployed after a period of 164
    employment which satisfies the conditions for employment on trial for unemployment benefit purposes, and whose income support before that period included 100 per cent. of mortgage interest, will have mortgage interest met in full from the outset of the claim.

    Pensioners
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the average increase in incomes, excluding the state earnings-related pension, since 1979 for those pensioners who receive all of their income from state benefits.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    The information is not available in the form requested.

    Severe Disablement Allowance
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would cost to uprate the severe disablement allowance to the full basic invalidity rate at 1990–91 prices.

    Mr. Scott
    We estimate that the gross cost of increasing the basic rate of severe disablement allowance to the basic rate of invalidity pension would be about £250 million a year; the net cost would be about £110 million a year.

    Competitive Tendering
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much he estimates has been saved by compulsory competitive tendering in areas for which his Department has responsibility in each of the last five years.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    No separate records are kept of savings resulting from competitive tendering. In the financial year 1989–90 total purchasing savings (for the Departments of Health and Social Security combined) amounted to £79 million (9·7 per cent. of spend). This figure includes on-going savings from years prior to 1989–90. New savings in 1989–90 amounted to £30 million (3·7 per cent). These were achieved through a variety of methods including competitive tendering, post tender negotiation and changing suppliers.

    Benefits Agency
    Mr. Terry Fields
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the role and responsibilities of the benefits agency which will be coming into being next April; how its establishment will affect current functions and staff of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    The social security benefits agency, to be established in April 1991, will provide for the cost-effective administration of social security benefits, and other services including the handling of claims reviews and appeals, and arranging payment.

    The agency will bring together under a single line management structure the (currently separately organized) central offices and regional organisation. In addition a number of support functions currently carried out within headquarters will pass to the agency.

    The principal aim of introducing agencies within the Department is to improve services to all customers of the Department. Part of this aim will be to streamline management structures to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

    Benefits
    Mr. Michael
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people he estimates are currently eligible for family credit and/or income support in each county in England; and what is the percentage take-up in each case.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    This information is not available.

    Information about the total number of families eligible for family credit or income support can be obtained only for Great Britain, and only retrospectively, from family expenditure survey data.

    Benefit Claimants
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of unemployed claiming income support but not unemployment benefit whose claims were (i) disallowed, (ii) allowed and (iii) awaiting adjudication by his Department's adjudication officers following doubts about(a) actively seeking work, (b) restricted availability and (c) refusal of employment for each month since October 1989; and what was the number that corresponded and the number that did not correspond to the opinion given by Department of Employment adjudication officers.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    The information requested is not available.

    Fishermen, North-east England
    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has made arrangements to assist onshore fishermen in the north-east of England unable to work because of the current restrictions on the sale of shellfish.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    Under normal arrangements, share fishermen who pay a special rate of class 2(self-employed) contributions are entitled to claim unemployment benefit when they are unable to work and can demonstrate that it is impossible for catches to be sold.

    Retirement Pensions
    Mrs. Beckett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retirement pensions were awarded to women aged 60 and men aged 65 years, including married women's pensions on their husbands' insurance, in each month of the latest year for which information is available.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    [holding answer 23 May 1990]: Information is not available in the precise form requested.

    The latest figures are for 1988–89. These show that in the six-month period ending September 1988 retirement pensions were awarded to 102,970 men aged 65 and 68,010 women aged 60. The awards to women included 20,960 married women's pensions based partially or wholly on their husbands' contributions and 420 retirement pension awards to widows based on their late husbands' contributions.

    In the following six-month period, ending March 1989, 96,680 awards were made to men aged 65 and 66,020 to women aged 60. These included 20,320 married women's pensions and 520 retirement pensions awarded to widows based on their late husbands' contributions.

    Departmental Savings
    Mr. Rooker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what mechanisms exist in his Department for identifying and tracking value-for-money savings in its operations.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    [holding answer 5 June 1990]: The Department of Social Security uses a number of mechanisms to assist in the identification of value-for-money savings. These include a management services operation, internal audit and a directorate of purchasing and supply. The Department undertakes a number of efficiency scrutinies of discrete parts of its operations each year and also has an active staff suggestions scheme. Monitoring of progress in securing the identified savings is undertaken by a central unit.

    Mr. Rooker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the value-for-money savings in his Department's operations identified by internal audit and internal efficiency arrangements and by external audit and by management consultants retained by his Department between 1983–84 and 1988–89; and what is the amount of those savings fulfilled to date.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    [holding answer 5 June 1990]: The savings resulting from specific value-for-money activities are estimated to total £181 million over the period for the Departments of Health and of Social Security, but it is not possible to apportion identified savings between them. In addition, all managers are required to make a contribution to the Department's efficiency saving target of a minimum of 1·5 per cent. per annum from running costs as set by Her Majesty's Treasury and to contribute to other departmental value-for-money initiatives. As not all the results of other value-for-money activities are collected centrally this savings figure represents only a proportion of the total value-for-money savings achieved.

    Disallowed Unemployment Benefit
    Mr. Flynn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide figures updating those contained in his answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston (Mr. Loyden) of 4 April,Official Report, column 684, on disallowed unemployment benefit for the period 1 January 1990 to date.

    Mrs. Gillian Shephard
    [holding answer 6 June 1990]: The information for the quarter ending 31 March 1990, the latest available, is in the table:

    Decisions of adjudication officers on doubtful claims for unemployment benefit, period 1 January 1990 to 31 March 1990

    Fresh or renewal claims disallowed

    Reviewed claims revised adversely to claimant

    Capability

    604

    36

    Employment not terminated

    12

    10

    Engaged in employment

    3,919

    1,733

    Employed to full normal extent

    1,322

    72

    Normal idle day

    146

    16

    Payment in lieu of notice or wages etc.

    31,067

    5,694

    Recognised or customary holiday

    709

    93

    Whether unemployed

    7,720

    1,500

    Share fishermen:

    167

    Fresh or renewal claims disallowed

    Reviewed claims revised adversely to claimant

    Work as

    32

    18

    No work available

    24

    1

    Dependant's benefit:

    Child

    39

    21

    Adult

    279

    119

    Delayed claim

    22,584

    117

    Failure to attend for interview (including restart)

    97

    1

    Failure to keep to signing time

    13

    2

    Occupational pensioners

    69

    191

    Availability

    6,617

    478

    Restricted availability

    2,323

    618

    Share fishermen—neglect to avail

    31

    1

    Trade dispute

    74

    2

    Actively seeking work

    297

    26

    Leaving voluntarily

    42,831

    201

    Misconduct

    13,889

    84

    Employment:

    Neglect to avail

    469

    7

    Refusal of

    644

    2

    Refusal or premature termination of training

    191

    39

    Refusal to carry out written recommendations

    11

    5

    Weekly earnings rule

    22,147

    730

    Other questions

    9,274

    6,901

    All questions

    167,434

    18,718

    Note: The special entitlement conditions for seasonal workers were abolished from October 1989.

  EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

    Education Authorities (Expenditure)
    Mr. Nicholas Bennett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the five education authorities in England which spent the most per secondary pupil in 1988, together with their position in the examination league table.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Data on examination results are not yet available for 1988–89. Nor are some significant data on spending. In 1987–88, the five authorities spending the most per secondary pupil, and their position in an examination ranking based on school leavers with five or more good GCSEs over the past three years, were as follows:

    in the exam ranking

    ILEA

    88th

    Waltham Forest

    95th

    Brent

    75th

    Newham

    93rd

    Croydon

    57th

    Teacher Vacancies
    Mr. Tony Banks
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his most recent estimate of the number of unfilled teacher vacancies in London; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Abbott
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his most recent estimate of the number of unfilled teacher vacancies in London; and if he will make a statement.
    168
    Mr. Cohen
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his most recent estimate of the number of unfilled teacher vacancies in London; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    I refer the hon. Members to the earlier reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway).

    In January 1989 there were 2,124 full-time teacher vacancies in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in Greater London, equivalent to about 4.3 per cent. of teachers in post. Of these, 1,305 were in nursery or primary schools and 819 in secondary schools.

    Higher Education
    Mr. Ian Bruce
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications there have been for undergraduate degree courses beginning in September 1990 and September 1991; and how many there were in the same period last year for degree courses beginning September 1989 and September 1990.

    Mr. Hague
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many young people have applied for places on undergraduate degree courses at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom beginning in September 1990 and September 1991.

    Mr. Jackson
    By March 1990, the Universities Central Council on Admissions had received 851,693 applications from United Kingdom domiciled students for admission to United Kingdom universities at undergraduate level in autumn 1990. Applications for 1989 entry on 31 March 1989 numbered 774,469. By the same dates, the Polytechnics Central Admissions System had received 539,622 applications for 1990 admission to undergraduate degree courses at polytechnics and colleges in England and Wales compared with 480,568 for 1989 entry. Information on 1991 applications is not yet available.

    Mr. Doran
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the future of quality assurance in higher education.

    Mr. Jackson
    Quality assurance is of increasing importance as higher education develops. The HE institutions, the validating bodies, and both the higher education funding councils are very conscious of their responsibilities in this regard. In addition, my right hon. Friend is seeking comments on the recommendations in the recently published review of the Council for National Academic Awards.

    Mr. Martlew
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the participation of 16 to 19-year-olds in full-time education.

    Mr. Mowlam
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to increase the participation of 16 to 19-year-olds in full-time education.

    Mr. Jackson
    The Government have achieved a very substantial increase in full-time participation in post-compulsory education. For 16-year-olds, it has increased by 25 per cent., from 40 per cent. to 50 per cent. between 1979–80 and 1988–89. And for 16 to 17-year-olds taken together, it has increased from 34 per cent. to 42 per cent. These figures do not include YTS trainees who attend
    169
    college full-time. Our examination reforms and the Education Reform Act will raise standards in schools, giving more young people the qualifications and motivation to stay on.

    Mr. Jim Marshall
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for qualifications for post-16-year-olds; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend is determined to ensure that A-level and AS courses and vocational courses together provide young people beyond 16 with a coherent spectrum of opportunities and a chance to develop their potential. He has asked the School Examinations and Assessment Council to advise him by July on the practicability of building core skills into A and AS syllabuses and on the credit transfer possibilities between A/AS and vocational qualifications. Once he has this advice he will be able to consider what further steps are needed in improving the nature and structure of the qualifications available.

    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much he estimates it costs to provide education for 16 to 18-year-olds at current prices; and how many individuals aged between 16 and 18 years are in(a) full-time and (b) part-time education.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The education component of the 1990–91 grant settlement allows for education authorities in England to spend over £1,600 million on providing for 16 to 18-year-olds in secondary schools and further education colleges. This is net of further education tuition fees, and allows for the higher costs of 16 to 18-year-olds relative to other pupils in the secondary sector. The projected student numbers for the academic year 1990–91 consistent with that total assume 543,000 16 to 18-year-olds in full-time secondary or further education, and 295,000 in part-time further education.

    AS-Levels
    Mrs. Maureen Hicks
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment has been made of the success of AS-levels.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    There were 37,000 AS examination entries in summer 1989, the first year of the new examination. A total of 61 per cent. gained grades A to E. The School Examinations and Assessment Council has been asked to provide guidance to schools on A/AS combinations and to lay down principles governing A/AS syllabuses. Both measures should help to raise achievement in AS examinations.

    Local Management of Schools
    Mr. Bill Michie
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations from teachers regarding local management of schools.

    Mr. Nicholas Brown
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has received any representations from teachers regarding local management of schools.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend continues to receive representations from individual teachers and from 170
    teacher associations. Many of these support the principles of delegated budget management and welcome the opportunities which this will give them.

    Mr. Hinchliffe
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of local management of schools.

    Mr. Ian Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress being made by local education authorities in implementing local management of schools.

    Mr. John Hughes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of local management of schools.

    Mr. Henderson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of local management of schools.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    I refer my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor) and the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) on 8 May 1990,Official Report, column 8.

    Mr. David Davis
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to take action against those local authorities that hold back too high a proportion of a school's budget under the new system of local management.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    All those schemes for the local management of schools which were approved by my right hon. Friend for introduction in April 1990, were approved with the requirement that certain discretionary exceptions totalled less than 10 per cent. of the general schools budget. As with all aspects of LMS, we will be monitoring and reviewing the policy in the light of experience and in the light of LEAs' budget statements made under section 42 of the Education Reform Act.

    Mr. Patchett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his plans to introduce greater flexibility into the local management of schools.

    Mr. Callaghan
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are his plans to introduce greater flexibility into the local management of schools.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) on 8 May 1990,Official Report, column 11.

    Mr. Morley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet school governors regarding the local management of schools.

    Mr. Murphy
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet school governors regarding the local management of schools.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend has no such plans at present.

    Mr. Franks
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what level of support is being given to Cumbria education authority for local management of schools in the present financial year.
    171
    Mrs. Rumbold
    Of the £41·1 million of expenditure supported under the education support grant programme for the implementation of local management of schools, including governor training, and the £10·9 million supported through the LEA training grants programme, Cumbria education authority's share is £650,000.

    Mr. Barry Porter
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what level of grant is being given to Wirral education authority for local management of schools in the current financial year.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    Of the £41·1 million of expenditure supported in 1990–91 under the education support grant programme for the implementation of local management of schools, including governor training, and the £10·9 million supported through the LEA training grants programme, Wirral education authority's share is £356,400.

    Mr. Watts
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the total amount of funding being held back by each local authority in England and Wales under the new system of local management.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Norris) on 5 February 1990,Official Report, column 451.

    General Teaching Council
    Mr. Frank Field
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to establish a general teaching council.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    The establishment of a general teaching council was one of the recommendations made by the Education, Science and Arts Committee in its report on teacher supply. My right hon. Friend is currently considering the report and will respond as soon as possible.

    School Buildings
    Mr. Ronnie Campbell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his most recent information regarding the condition of school buildings; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    The Department published the survey of school buildings in November 1987. Information is also received annually from local education authorities in their capital expenditure plans, from Her Majesty's inspectorate, and from representations by the local education authorities made from time to time. The maintenance of the buildings is a matter for the local education authorities and governors.

    Mr. Caborn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from local education authorities regarding the repair of school buildings.

    Mr. John P. Smith
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from local education authorities regarding the repair of school buildings.
    172
    Mr. Turner
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from local education authorities regarding the repair of school buildings.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor).

    Mr. Vaz
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money has been allocated for the current financial year to each education authority for the specific purpose of repairing school buildings; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Current funding for the repair of school buildings is not separately identified in the Government's revenue support grant allocations to individual authorities. Provision for such spending is included within the total grant settlement, which in 1990–91 allows for local authorities in England to spend nearly £15 billion on education. But it is for each local authority to decide how much to spend on repairing school buildings from the current resources available to it. Annual capital guidelines for local education authorities for 1990–91 were announced on 20 December 1989,Official Report, columns 254–58; again, it is for each local authority to decide its priorities for capital spending in the light of local needs and circumstances.

    Education Expenditure, London
    Mr. Corbyn
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has for education spending in inner London after 1992.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The Government will continue to provide a financial framework within which the 13 inner London local education authorities can provide an effective education service.

    Mr. Spearing
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he has had with London borough councils concerning the adequacy of his assessment of necessary expenditure on education in the current financial year.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend and I have meetings from time to time with London borough councils, both individually and in representative groups. These cover a range of financial and other issues. These issues are also the subject of correspondence with Ministers.

    History Teaching
    Mr. Janner
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he proposes to announce details of the national curriculum on history.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend published the final report of the history working group on 3 April. That document is currently the subject of consultation which ends on 15 June. After this and in the light of the responses received my right hon. Friend will make his proposals. These will then be published by the National Curriculum Council and subject to consultation in England required by the Education Reform Act.

    School-business Links
    Mr. Robert G. Hughes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools have links with local businesses.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    This information is not collected for all schools in England. However, a recent DES survey of 500 secondary and 500 primary schools, the findings of which will shortly be published in a DES statistical bulletin, found that 90 per cent. of secondary and over 50 per cent. of primary schools had links with local businesses.

    National Curriculum, Northumberland
    Mr. Amos
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the operation of the national curriculum in Northumberland.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    It is for the Northumberland education authority in the first instance to monitor the operation of the national curriculum in the schools it maintains. Evidence from Her Majesty's inspectorate shows that in general schools across the country are making satisfactory progress in introducing the new requirements.

    Higher Education (Capital Investment)
    Mr. Worthington
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the capital investment needs of higher educational institutions.

    Mr. John Garrett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the capital investment needs of higher educational institutions.

    Mr. Jackson
    Responsibility for identifying such needs lies with the funding councils concerned in discussion with institutions. The Government's current expenditure plans provide for an increase in higher education capital funding of £90 million over three years from 1990–91.

    EC Scholarships
    Mr. Dykes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will initiate discussions with his European Community counterparts on the development of a fully Community-wide scholarships system for further education applicants.

    Mr. Jackson
    My right hon. Friend has no plans to initiate any such discussions, but further education students already benefit from a number of existing EC programmes.

    Nursery Education
    Mr. Wigley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the percentage of three and four-year-old children in state-run nursery schools in the United Kingdom; and what are the equivalent figures for West Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The readily available information is as follows:174

    Percentage of 3 to 4 age group in education and day-care, 1987

    Education

    Day-care

    Country

    Public

    Private

    Public

    Private

    United Kingdom

    42

    3

    38

    3

    West Germany

    40

    116

    n/a

    n/a

    Sweden

    240

    n/a

    221

    n/a

    Denmark

    —

    —

    n/a

    n/a

    1 1982; private sector provision subsidised by public funds.

    2 1988, includes private sector.

    — = nil or negligible.

    n/a = not available.

    Source:

    Statistical Bulletin 13/89: International Statistical Comparisons of the Participation in Education and Day-care of three to six-year-olds.

    Teacher Recruitment
    Mr. Gerald Bowden
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to improve teacher recruitment and retention in London and in the south-east.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    On 11 April my right hon. Friend announced a 7 per cent. increase by 1993 in the number of places available for initial training courses in England and Wales. Within that increase, he has asked the funding councils to take account of the recruitment difficulties faced by primary schools in the south-east of England and to increase the number of places available in that area.

    My right hon. Friend has accepted the recommendations of the interim advisory committee which will allow substantial pay increases for teachers, an 8·8 per cent. increase in the London weighting allowance with a discretionary supplement of £750 for inner London and give LEAs and governing bodies greater flexibility on pay. He is providing funds through education support grant and the local education authority training grants scheme to encourage local education authorities, as the employers of teachers, to introduce flexible and innovative recruitment and retention packages.

    We have already announced an increase in the bursary paid to students on initial training courses in shortage subjects; in March we provided £182,000 for a London recruitment campaign and we recently launched a national advertising campaign. We will continue to support and extend the measures we have taken since 1986 to combat teacher shortage.

    Miss Emma Nicholson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received since the launch of the "Teaching Brings Out the Best in People" campaign; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Favell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made since the launch of the "Teaching Brings Out the Best in People" campaign.

    Mr. Jack
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what impact so far has been made by the "Teaching Brings Out the Best in People" campaign; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    Since the teacher recruitment advertising campaign was launched on 16 May, over 13,000 requests have been received from people seeking information about teaching as a career in response to the advertisements.
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    Mr. Rogers
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to recruit more graduates into the teaching profession.

    Mr. Eastham
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to recruit more graduates into the teaching profession.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    On 12 March my right hon. Friend announced an extension of the bursary scheme for students on initial teacher training courses in shortage subjects to modern foreign languages; the bursary will be increased to £1,500 for students on courses in maths, CDT and technology, chemistry and modern foreign languages and to £2,000 for students on physics courses. The changes apply from September 1990.

    In addition, my right hon. Friend is matching generous industrial sponsorship with £40,000 funding to support a paid work experience scheme for undergraduates run by the teaching as a career unit.

    It is proposed that the first of the graduates taking part in the pilot for the articled teacher route into teaching will begin training in September.

    We shall continue to support teacher taster courses for mature people, including graduates, who wish to switch careers.

    City Technology Colleges
    Ms. Primarolo
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the city technology college programme.

    Mr. McWilliam
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the progress of the city technology college programme.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The city technology college programme continues to make excellent progress. Three colleges are up and running and a further nine are due to open in September 1990 and 1991.

    Sir Fergus Montgomery
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last visited a city technology college; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend visited the Djanogly CTC (Nottingham) on 29 September 1989, when he attended the official opening, performed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

    Opting Out
    Mr. David Shaw
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the geographical spread of schools in England and Wales that have applied to opt out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    Of the 54 proposals for grant-maintained status that have so far reached my right hon. Friend for decision, he has approved 41 and is minded to approve a further school subject to agreement with the governing body about minor technical adjustments to the proposals.

    The 42 schools which he has approved or is minded to approve for grant-maintained status are drawn from 31 LEAs. The geographical breakdown is as follows:
    176

    Geographical breakdown for each school approved for GM status

    Region and School

    LEA

    Northern

    Castle Hall GM School

    Kirklees

    Heckmondwike Grammar School

    Kirklees

    North West

    Audenshaw High School

    Tameside

    Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School

    Lancashire

    Bankfield High School

    Cheshire

    Lancaster Royal Grammar School

    Lancashire

    St. Francis Xavier's College

    Liverpool

    St. James's CE School

    Bolton

    Midlands

    Adams' Grammar School

    Shropshire

    Baverstock GM School

    Birmingham

    Netherthorpe School

    Derbyshire

    Old Swinford Hospital School

    Dudley

    Small Heath School

    Birmingham

    Southfield School for Girls

    Northamptonshire

    Wolverhampton Girls High School

    Wolverhampton

    Eastern

    The King's School

    Lincolnshire

    Queen Elizabeth's GM Grammar School

    Lincolnshire

    Skegness Grammar School

    Lincolnshire

    Carre's Grammar School

    Lincolnshire

    Long Field High School

    Leicestershire

    London North and Home Counties

    Bishopshalt School

    Hillingdon

    Claremont High School

    Brent

    Hendon School

    Barnet

    Queen Elizabeth's GM School for Boys

    Barnet

    Queensbury School

    Bedfordshire

    Rickmansworth School

    Hertfordshire

    Watford Grammar School for Boys

    Hertfordshire

    Inner London

    Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School

    Kensington and Chelsea

    London Nautical School

    Southwark

    London Oratory School

    Hammersmith and Fulham

    South East

    The Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington

    Kent

    Guildford County School

    Surrey

    Wilson's School

    Sutton

    South West

    Beechen Cliff School

    Avon

    Brindley Hall School

    Buckinghamshire

    Bridgewater Hall School

    Buckinghamshire

    Colyton Grammar School

    Devon

    Marling School

    Gloucestershire

    Ribston Hall High School

    Gloucestershire

    Southlands School

    Berkshire

    Stroud Girls High School

    Gloucestershire

    Bournemouth Grammar School1

    Dorset

    1 Denotes minded to approve subject to agreement with the governing body about minor technical adjustments to the proposals.

    Mr. William Powell
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications he has received from schools wishing to opt out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    A total of 64 proposals for grant-maintained status have been published following parental ballots. Of these, 54 have so far reached my right hon. Friend for decision: he has approved 41, is minded to approve one and has rejected 12.

    Mr. Allan Stewart
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has
    177
    received from parents about the conduct of local authorities towards schools that wish to opt out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    Concern has been expressed from time to time by governors and parents about the actions of some local authorities towards schools seeking grant-maintained status. My right hon. Friend has said repeatedly that it is important that parents, governors and staff at such schools should have an informed debate about the options available to them; and that LEAs should not obstruct that debate in any way.

    Mr. Page
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the consequences for schools of opting out of local authority control; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    Grant-maintained schools have many advantages: they are run by local people who know the schools; their governing bodies have considerable autonomy, including the freedom to choose how to spend most effectively their share of LEA expenditure on central services; and they are proving popular with parents; and attracting teachers to work in them.

    Teachers' Pay and Conditions
    Mr. Alan W. Williams
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the level of teacher salaries.

    Mr. Fisher
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the level of teacher salaries.

    Mr. Win Griffiths
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the level of teacher salaries.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend announced on 5 April that he had decided to accept the recommendations contained in the third report of the Interim Advisory Committee on School Teachers' Pay and Conditions, subject to some minor modifications. They will be implemented in full by 1 January 1991.

    Mr. Evennett
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what meetings he is having with the teaching unions over the new pay machinery proposals; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend has recently completed a series of meetings with the teacher unions to discuss his proposals for new permanent pay negotiating machinery.

    Grant-maintained Schools
    Mr. Robert. B. Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the level of funding available for grant-maintained schools.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The Government's policy is that each grant-maintained school should be funded at the level its former local education authority would have spent on it. This includes provision for services previously provided centrally, which amounted on average to about 15 per cent. of the direct costs of the schools in 1989–90.
    178
    Mr. Gill
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has had from teachers at grant-maintained schools about the new system of grant-maintained schools; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend has not received any such formal representations. Grant-maintained status has been welcomed by teachers as well as by governors and parents. For example, in a recent report to the governing body the head teacher of Bankfield school in Widnes said the new freedom of action as a grant-maintained school had helped raise morale among the school community. He said:"Morale amongst staff is exceptionally high—and this has had a beneficial effect on our pupils. The school is totally united, staff, pupils, parents as never before".

    Mr. Burns
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils attend grant-maintained schools; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    We have recent information on the numbers of pupils in 41 of the 42 schools which my right hon. Friend has so far approved or is minded to approve for grant-maintained status. In January 1990 there were 29,200 pupils in those schools.

    Mr. Pawsey
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he is planning to take to make it easier for schools to achieve grant-maintained status.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    It is open to all LEA-maintained secondary schools, and LEA-maintained primary schools with 300 or more pupils, to consider the option of seeking grant-maintained status. It is for parents and governors to decide whether to put a proposal for grant-maintained status to my right hon. Friend. The statutory procedure requires that each proposal for grant-maintained status together with any statutory objections is considered carefully by my right hon. Friend.

    Modern Languages
    Mr. McAvoy
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his response to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities on modern language learning and teacher supply.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities on European schools and language learning in United Kingdom schools was published on 15 May. My right hon. Friend will be studying the report carefully before responding. In doing so, he will wish to take account of the forthcoming final report of the national curriculum working group on modern foreign languages, which is expected to be completed by the end of July and will be published later in the summer.

    Local Government Finance
    Mr. Simon Hughes
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the effect of the poll tax caps on the education service in the former Inner London education authority boroughs proposed for capping.
    179
    Mrs. Rumbold
    My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is considering appeals from the relevant inner London boroughs about the level of their caps, including representations made by the boroughs about likely service implications.

    Dr. Kim Howells
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will meet representatives of those local education authorities which have been charge-capped to discuss the implications for education.

    Mr. Illsley
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will meet representatives of those local education authorities which have been charge-capped to discuss the implications for education.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon).

    Student Loans
    Mr. Watson
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the administration of the student loans scheme.

    Mr. Jackson
    I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall).

    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much he estimates will be raised in total from student loans in the first full year of their operation.

    Mr. Jackson
    If 80 per cent. of students take up their maximum entitlement to loans, £178 million will be made available in the academic year 1990–91. Borrowers will not be liable to repay their loans until the April after they leave their course. The first graduates are therefore not expected to start repaying until April 1992. Estimates of the long-term cost and savings were announced on 18 December 1989,Official Report, columns 36–40.

    School Discipline
    Mr. David Evans
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received following the announcement of his intention to implement a number of the recommendations contained in the Elton report on school discipline.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Since my right hon. Friend made his announcement on 13 March 1989, a total of 25 representations have been received about the report.

    Computers
    Mr. Arbuthnot
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many computers there are in schools currently.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    There is an average of three microcomputers per maintained primary school and 30 per maintained secondary school being used for educational purposes.

    Eastern Europe
    Mr. Cox
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he is having with education authorities to allow young people from central and eastern Europe to visit and study at schools in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    The Department is not directly involved in developing school visits and exchange programmes. It does however fund the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges to undertake activities of this kind. Additional resources have been made available to the bureau in the 1990–91 financial year to expand its programme of educational visits and exchanges, including those with eastern Europe.

    Humberside College
    Mr. Cran
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make an announcement as to whether Humberside college of higher education is to be granted polytechnic status.

    Mr. Jackson
    My right hon. Friend is awaiting further advice from the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council after the council meeting today. He hopes to respond to that advice shortly after it is received.

    University Studies
    Mr. Macdonald
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to encourage the participation of United Kingdom institutions in the trans-European mobility scheme for university studies.

    Mr. Jackson
    I wrote on 14 May to the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals, the Committee of Directors of Polytechnics and the Standing Conference of Principals inviting their members to participate fully in the TEMPUS programme.

    Teacher Supply
    Mr. Cummings
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to respond to the Education, Science and Arts Select Committee report on teacher supply; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Redmond
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to respond to the Education, Science and Arts Select Committee report on teacher supply; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Battle
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to respond to the Education, Science and Arts Select Committee report on teacher supply; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    My right hon. Friend is currently considering the report of the Education, Science and Arts Committee on teacher supply. He will respond as soon as possible.

    Capital Allocations
    Mr. Bright
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the system of capital allocations for(a) grant-maintained schools and (b) local authority-maintained schools.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    Each year grant-maintained schools are invited to submit bids for capital allocations for the next financial year. My right hon. Friend assesses these across the sector as a whole taking account of each school's needs relative to other GM schools. For further details I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Dorset, South (Mr. Bruce) on 26 January 1990,Official Report, columns 899–902.

    Within the LEA-maintained sector, my right hon. Friend sets an annual capital guideline for each local education authority and makes capital allocations for governors' expenditure at voluntary aided and special agreement schools following his assessment of local education authority capital expenditure plans. For further
    182
    details I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) on 20 December 1989, Official Report, columns 254–58.

    Cathedral Choirs
    Mr. Key
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will visit the choir schools at Salisbury and York to discuss proposals to establish girls' choirs in English cathedrals.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

    Deaf Students
    Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether deaf students will be counted as disabled students for the purpose of loan repayments.

    Mr. Jackson
    Subject to Parliament's approval, the Education (Student Loans) Regulations provide that, in determining a borrower's income for the purpose of deferment, no account shall be taken of specific disability-related benefits. While there is no separate provision for deaf borrowers, those who do receive these disability-related benefits will have them disregarded in the assessment of their income. Eligible deaf students will benefit while they are studying from the new disabled students' allowance announced on 19 March.

    Under-fives
    Ms. Armstrong
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the committee on policies for the under-fives will report; and if he will make a statement.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    The committee of inquiry set up by my right hon. Friend's predecessor under my chairmanship is considering the quality of the educational experience of three and four-year-olds across various institutional settings. I expect to submit its report to my right hon. Friend during the summer.

    Competitive Tendering
    Mr. Paice
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money he estimates to have been saved by compulsory competitive tendering in education in each of the last five years.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    No such estimates have been made for education, since the money saved by compulsory competitive tendering, and the scope for further savings, will vary between local education authorities depending on their circumstances.

    Haberdashers' Aske's Schools, Deptford
    Ms. Ruddock
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will take steps to ensure that during periods when the schools are in session, any visits by his officials or other persons instructed by his Department to the Haberdashers' Aske's schools in Deptford, for purposes of conducting surveys or other works in connection with the establishment of a city technology college, will take place only at times expressly agreed by the head teacher of each school;
    183
    (2) what were the dates and purposes of the visits by his officials, or other persons instructed by his Department, to the Haberdashers' Aske's schools in Deptford; and whether they were conducted at times agreed with the local education authority and head teacher of each school.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    This Department has agreed to provide advice to the Haberdashers' Company in relation to the establishment of the Haberdashers' Aske's city technology college. It is for the project director employed by the Haberdashers' Company to make the appropriate arrangements, in consultation with the local education authority and the head teachers of both schools, for any necessary visits to the schools. The most recent visits made by officials, on 18 and 24 May, were arranged in this way.

    Lorne Felgate
    Mr. Teddy Taylor
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he received the appeal in respect of Lorne Felgate of Gunners road, Shoeburyness, Essex in relation to the educational provision for his dyslexic condition; when he hopes to come to a decision; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    My right hon. Friend received the appeal on 22 May 1989. He hopes to be in a position to make a decision shortly.

    Assisted Places
    Mr. Day
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to improve publicity for the assisted places scheme.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    Schools participating in the scheme take the lead in publicising its benefits and the availability of places locally, but my right hon. Friend's recent announcement of an expansion of the scheme, in areas of lower provision, has heightened considerably public awareness of assistance available.

    Special Educational Needs
    Mr. Gill
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make regulations under section 13 of the Education Act 1981 relating to the approval of independent schools to admit pupils with statements of special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    The Department has today issued for consultation draft regulations and a related circular which would lay down requirements in this respect. A copy has been placed in the Library.

    Teacher Vetting
    Mr. Pawsey
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many outstanding applications there are for vetting teachers; and how many there were six months ago;
    184
    (2) what is the total number of teacher vetting requests his Department has received since the inception of the scheme;

    (3) what is the longest period a local education authority has waited for the results of a teacher vetting application.

    Mr. Alan Howarth
    The Department does not handle vetting requests on behalf of local education authorities. The checks are made by local authorities directly with their local police force.

    Departmental Savings
    Mr. Rooker
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what mechanisms exist in his Department for identifying and tracking value-for-money savings in its operations;

    (2) what were the value-for-money savings in his Department's operations identified by internal audit and internal efficiency arrangements and by external audit and by management consultants retained by his Department between 1983–84 and 1988–89; and what is the amount of those savings fulfilled to date.

    Mrs. Rumbold
    [holding answer 5 June 1990]: The Department constantly monitors expenditure on its administration to ensure that value for money is achieved. To this end, the Department makes use of a range of formal and informal mechanisms including surveys, policy reviews, organisation and methods studies, staffing reviews and other monitoring arrangements. The improvements resulting from all such inquiries and studies are taken into account in the setting of annual budgets and internal targets. Audit arrangements are concerned principally with securing adequate financial controls, but wherever audit work has shown opportunities for securing value-for-money savings the relevant recommendations have been implemented. The results are not collected centrally within the Department.

    Meningitis
    Mr. Knapman
    To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what public resources were committed through the Medical Research Council for research into meningitis in 1988–89; and what is the figure for 1990–91.

    Mr. Jackson
    [holding answer 11 June 1990]: Expenditure on research into meningitis during the 1988–89 financial year was £161,000. The Medical Research Council is always prepared to consider soundly based proposals for research and the figure for 1990–91 will depend on the number of successful applications submitted.

  EC HEREDITARY HEADS OF STATE: STATUS
  EC HEREDITARY HEADS OF STATE: STATUS
  PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITIES: CLOSURE
  PALESTINIAN UNIVERSITIES: CLOSURE
  SENEGAL/GUINEA BISSAU DISPUTE
  SENEGAL/GUINEA BISSAU DISPUTE
  UNHCR: FUNDING
  UNHCR: FUNDING
  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, 7th-8th JUNE
  ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL, 7th-8th JUNE
  PRIVATISATION PROCEEDS
  PRIVATISATION PROCEEDS
  DEER: LIVE EXPORTS
  DEER: LIVE EXPORTS
  FISHING INDUSTRY: RE-EMPLOYMENT OF LEAVERS
  FISHING INDUSTRY: RE-EMPLOYMENT OF LEAVERS
  FISHING INDUSTRY: PAY
  FISHING INDUSTRY: PAY
  FISHING VESSELS: EMPLOYEE NUMBERS
  FISHING VESSELS: EMPLOYEE NUMBERS
  FISHING VESSELS: COSTS AND EARNINGS
  FISHING VESSELS: COSTS AND EARNINGS
  FISHING INDUSTRY: EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
  FISHING INDUSTRY: EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS
  FARM ANIMALS: SLAUGHTER REGULATIONS
  FARM ANIMALS: SLAUGHTER REGULATIONS
  NORTHERN IRELAND: HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COUNCILS
  NORTHERN IRELAND: HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES COUNCILS