Written Answers of 19 March 1990

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Teachers (Early Retirement)
  Mrs. Maureen Hicks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many local authorities are offering early retirement pension schemes to teachers on the grounds of ill health or because they are surplus to requirements;

  (2) what is the cost to local authorities of offering early retirement pension schemes to teachers on the grounds of ill health or because they are surplus to requirements;

  (3) what is the Government's policy on teachers who have taken early retirement pensions on the grounds of ill health or because they are surplus to requirements taking paid teaching posts with other local authorities.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The Teachers' Superannuation (Consolidation) Regulations 1988 provide that a teacher before the age of 60 can receive retirement benefits if he has become incapacitated, that is, he is incapable for reason of infirmity of mind or body of serving efficiently as a teacher. Applications are made direct to this Department by individual teachers. In the financial year 1988–89, a total of 3,400 teachers in England and Wales were awarded benefits under this provision.

  The regulations also provide that a teacher over 50 can receive retirement benefits prematurely where his employer has notified the Secretary of State that his pensionable employment was terminated by reason of his redundancy or in the interests of the efficient discharge of the employer's functions. In the financial year 1988–89, a total of 12,500 teachers in England and Wales received benefits under this provision.

  The costs of awarding infirmity benefits are borne by the teachers' superannuation scheme; in the case of premature retirement the employer may award additional benefits. The cost of this is met by the individual employer. No central record of costs is available.

  Teachers who have retired under these provisions may at a later date seek further employment. In cases where infirmity benefits were awarded, the employer is responsible for satisfying himself that the teacher is medically fit to teach. In all cases, the pension will be subject to the abatement provision and reduced or suspended according to circumstances.

  Lingua Programme
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what submissions have been made by his Department for resources from the European Community Lingua programe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Lingua programme began on 1 January 1990. Its first year is essentially preparatory and the programme will be fully operational from 1 January 418
  1991. Applications for support mainly directed at modern language students have been invited for 1990 and United Kingdom institutions will participate fully. It is planned to seek applications for support under other elements of the programme from autumn 1990. The Government will encourage the widest possible United Kingdom participation.

  Vacant School Places (Avon)
  Mr. Haywood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many vacant places there are in secondary schools in Avon; and what proportion of secondary school places this represents.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Information about the number of surplus places in individual local education authorities is not held centrally.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many children in the school population have been statemented; what this is as a percentage of total school population; how many of those children statemented are in special schools and what is the percentage; and how many are in mainstream schools and what is the percentage.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The information requested for January 1989 in England is as follows:

  Number of children with statements of special educational needs

  As a percentage of the school population

  All schools

  155,191

  2·1

  Special schools

  1 102,064

  1·4

  Mainstream schools

  53,127

  0·7

  1 No information is available on the number of children without statements in special schools. It is assumed that all children in special schools have statements.

  School Budgets
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if it is mandatory for local education authorities to reduce their holdback of 10 per cent. of general school budgets to 7 per cent. over the next three years;

  (2) whether the 7 per cent. figure of centrally held budget by local education authorities over the next three years is a target figure.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Within three years of the introduction of their scheme, LEAs must review the scope of the items they have held back from delegation. In that review we expects LEAs to aim for a target of reducing the total cost of most of the items held back to 7 per cent. of their general schools budget.

  Primary School, Landkey
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to approve capital funding for the provision of a new county primary school at Landkey, north Devon.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The building of a new school, or a significant enlargement to the existing school, at Landkey
  419
  will require the publication of statutory proposals. No statutory proposals of this kind are currently before my right hon. Friend for decision. Priority is given in the distribution of annual capital guidelines for new school places needed as a result of population growth.

  Advertising Expenditure
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total publicity and advertising expenditure of his Department and public bodies for which his Department has responsibility in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The figures for publicity and advertising expenditure by this Department for the financial years 1979–80 and 1989–90 are provided below. The 1989–90 figure is provisional. Figures for non-departmental public bodies cannot be provided without disproportionate cost.

  Publicity

  £ Thousand

  1979–80

  103·8

  1989–90

  2,596·7

  Disabled Students
  Mr. Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to improve the support for disabled students in higher education.

  Mr. MacGregor
  Disabled students need special help to enable them to take full advantage of higher education opportunities. I propose to improve the arrangements for them in two major ways.

  First, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary regulations in due course, I intend to increase substantially the disabled students' allowance payable within the mandatory award by local education authorities in England and Wales. For the academic year 1990–91 the maximum allowance will be raised from the present £765 to £1,000. In addition, two further allowances will be introduced: one for non-medical personal helpers, such as interpreters for the deaf, up to a maximum of £4,000 a year; and the other for major items of specialist equipment, such as word processors with braille printers, up to a maximum of £3,000 spread over the whole course. The Department will be taking steps to ensure that local education authorities and disabled students are fully aware of the new arrangements. Parallel improvements will be made in the grant arrangements for disabled students from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  When top-up loans are introduced this autumn subject to the passage of the Bill before Parliament, disabled students will also be eligible for relevant social security benefits, as well as for the new disabled students' allowances and for existing allowances for extra travel costs and vacation hardship within the mandatory award system Together with the basic award, these should provide adequate resources to meet disabled students' needs while studying. Indeed, overall, disabled students will have considerable additional resources at their disposal as a result of the introduction of loans on top of their continuing grants and benefits.

  Secondly, I accept, however, that disabled graduates' capacity to repay loans may be affected by extra living costs resulting from their disability. Such costs will
  420
  generally be reflected in social security benefit entitlements. As these benefits are provided specifically in relation to the additional costs faced by the disabled, it would not be appropriate to take them into account in assessing disabled graduates' liability to repay. I therefore propose to disregard disability-related benefits when graduates' income is assessed for the purpose of deferment of loan repayments. This means, in effect, that a graduate whose gross income including disability-related benefits is above the deferment threshold, but whose income net of these benefits is below the threshold, will be able to defer loan repayments.

THE ARTS

  Arts Funding, Merseyside
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will ask the chairman of the Arts Council to review the effectiveness of its policy of parity funding in Merseyside.

  Mr. Luce
  This is entirely a matter for the Arts Council. I am aware that the council attaches importance to the participation of local authorities in the funding of arts organisations in their area.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will provide direct financial assistance to help pay the deficits and secure the future of the Liverpool Playhouse.

  Mr. Luce
  It remains a matter for the Arts Council to determine the level of grant appropriate to this or any other arts organisations.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what representations he has received about funding for the Merseyside Everyman theatre and the Playhouse theatre in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  I am aware of the financial difficulties facing these two companies. It is a matter for the Arts Council to determine the level of grant appropriate to them. I understand that the council is in discussion with the local authorities concerned to try to find a solution. I am aware of the important contribution of both theatres to the cultural life of Liverpool and the surrounding areas.

  Museums and Galleries (Maintenance)
  Mr. David Martin
  To ask the Minister for the Arts how he intends to provide for the maintenance of national museums and galleries in the next 12 months.

  Mr. Luce
  I am providing £57 million in 1990–91 for the building and maintenance programmes at the national museums and galleries which I sponsor.

  This provision will increase to some £60 million in 1991–92 and to £64 million in 1992–93. This will bring the total provision for building and maintenance over the next three years to over £180 million.

  Regional Functions
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what functions his office carries out at the regional level; where the regional offices are located in each of the regions; what staff are employed and at what grades; what proportion of his office's budget is spent in each of the regions; and what geographical boundaries determine his office's regions.
  421
  Mr. Luce
  The functions of my office are carried out only in London. Most of its expenditure programme is in the form of support to arts organisations, museums, galleries and other bodies. It is not possible to estimate the proportion that is spent in each region.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Incomes
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the investment income and earned income in (i) 1989–90, (ii) 1988–89 and (iii) 1978–79, expressed in cash terms and in constant prices of(a) the bottom 10 per cent., (b) the bottom 20 per cent., (c) the bottom 30 per cent., (d) the bottom 40 per cent.,

  Table 1

  Total investment income and earned income in cash terms

  11978–79

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Total income at cut-off point3

  Investment income

  Earned income

  Total income at cut-off point3

  Investment income

  Earned income

  Total income at cut-off point3

  Investment income

  Earned income

  Group of income tax payers2

  £ p.a.

  £ billion

  £ billion

  £ p.a.

  £ billion

  £ billion

  £ p.a.

  £ billion

  £ billion

  Top 1 per cent.

  15,800

  1·2

  3·8

  55,600

  4·5

  14·7

  63,000

  5·8

  16·2

  Top 5 per cent.

  9,800

  2·3

  12·6

  30,900

  9·1

  43·2

  34,600

  11·6

  47·7

  Top 10 per cent.

  8,100

  2·8

  21·3

  24,000

  11·9

  68·6

  26,700

  15·6

  75·5

  Top 20 per cent.

  6,500

  3·4

  35·8

  18,200

  15·8

  107·6

  20,200

  20·8

  118·5

  Top 25 per cent.

  6,000

  3·5

  42·3

  16,500

  17·2

  124·2

  18,300

  22·7

  136·8

  Top 40 per cent.

  4,800

  3·9

  58·9

  12,800

  20·2

  166·0

  14,100

  26·6

  182·7

  Top 50 per cent.

  4,200

  4·1

  68·3

  10,800

  21·9

  189·1

  11,900

  29·0

  208·1

  Bottom 70 per cent.

  5,600

  1·5

  49·5

  15,000

  9·8

  119·4

  16,700

  12·6

  131·9

  Bottom 50 per cent.

  4,200

  1·0

  29·3

  10,800

  6·2

  69·9

  11,900

  7·9

  77·1

  Bottom 40 per cent.

  3,600

  n/a

  21·0

  9,100

  n/a

  50·1

  10,100

  n/a

  55·5

  Bottom 30 per cent.

  3,000

  n/a

  13·9

  7,600

  n/a

  33·7

  8,300

  n/a

  37·2

  Bottom 20 per cent.

  2,400

  n/a

  8·2

  6,100

  n/a

  20·0

  6,800

  n/a

  22·3

  Bottom 10 per cent.

  1,900

  n/a

  3·5

  4,600

  n/a

  8·7

  5,100

  n/a

  9·9

  All taxpayers

  —

  5·1

  97·6

  —

  28·1

  259·0

  —

  36·9

  285·2

  Number of taxpayers (millions)

  21·4

  —

  —

  21·2

  —

  —

  21·4

  —

  —

  1 Estimates for 1978–79 are not comparable with 1988–89 and 1989–90 as some income is not fully reported, for example, investment income on which tax is deducted at source and reported earnings are after deduction of occupational pension contributions.

  2 Single people and married couples.

  3 Minimum total income for top X per cent.; maximum total income for bottom X per cent.

  n/a—Estimates not available.

  Table 2: Total Investment Income and Earned Income in 1989–90 prices1

  1978–792

  1988–89

  1989–90

  Group of Income Tax Payers3

  Total Income at cut-off point 4

  Investment Income £ billion

  Earned Income £ billion

  Total Income at cut-off point 4

  Investment Income £ billion

  Earned Income £ billion

  Total Income at cut-off point 4

  Investment Income £ billion

  Earned Income £ billion

  £ p.a.

  £ p.a.

  £ p.a.

  Top 1 per cent.

  36,200

  2·7

  8·7

  59,800

  4·8

  15·8

  63,000

  5·8

  16·2

  Top 5 per cent.

  22,500

  5·3

  28·9

  33,200

  9·8

  46·5

  34,600

  11·6

  47·7

  Top 10 per cent.

  18,600

  6·4

  48·8

  25,800

  12·8

  73·8

  26,700

  15·6

  75·5

  Top 20 per cent.

  14,900

  7·8

  82·0

  19,600

  17·0

  115·7

  20,200

  20·8

  118·5

  Top 25 per cent.

  13,700

  8·0

  96·9

  17,700

  18·5

  133·6

  18,300

  22·7

  136·8

  Top 40 per cent.

  11,000

  8·9

  135·0

  13,800

  21·7

  178·5

  14,100

  26·6

  182·7

  Top 50 per cent.

  9,600

  9·4

  156·5

  11,600

  23·5

  203·3

  11,900

  29·0

  208·1

  Bottom 70 per cent.

  12,800

  3·4

  113·4

  16,100

  10·5

  128·4

  16,700

  12·6

  131·9

  Bottom 50 per cent.

  9,600

  2·3

  67·2

  11,600

  6·7

  75·2

  11,900

  7·9

  77·1

  Bottom 40 per cent.

  8,200

  —5

  48·1

  9,800

  —5

  53·9

  10,100

  —5

  55·5

  Bottom 30 per cent.

  6,900

  —5

  31·9

  8,200

  —5

  36·2

  8,300

  —5

  37·2

  Bottom 20 per cent.

  5,500

  —5

  18·8

  6,600

  —5

  21·5

  6,800

  —5

  22·3

  Bottom 10 per cent.

  4,400

  —5

  8·0

  4,900

  —5

  9·4

  5,100

  —5

  9·9

  All taxpayers

  —

  11·7

  223·7

  —

  30·2

  278·5

  —

  36·9

  285·2

  1 Data inflated by financial year on financial year increase in RPI.

  2 Estimates for 1978–79 are not comparable with 1988–89 and 1989–90 as some income is not fully reported, for example, investment income

  422
  (e) the top 50 per cent., (f) the top 40 per cent., and (g) the top 10 per cent. of all taxpayers; and if he will give the minimum and maximum figures of each income band in this table, together with the minimum and maximum figures for the bands listed in his answer of 20 February, Official Report, columns 681–82.

  Mr. Lilley
  Available information is given in the tables. Estimates for 1988–89 and 1989–90 are based on projections of the 1987–88 survey of personal incomes and are provisional. These estimates are subject to a large degree of uncertainty since some investment income on which tax is deducted at source is not reflected in the survey.

  Information on the investment income of the bottom 1.0 per cent., 20 per cent., 30 per cent. and 40 per cent of taxpayers is not available.
  423
  on which tax is deducted at source and reported earnings are after deducted of occupational pension contribution.

  3 Single people and married couples.

  4 Foodnote 3 for previous table.

  —5 Estimates not available.

  Government Staffing Levels
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out a table showing for each year since 1979(a) the full-time, (b) the part-time and (c) the total staffing of central Government.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The information requested is given below. The total figures cover Her Majesty's forces, the National Health Service, the civil service—except trading funds—and other organisations classified to central Government. The component figures, in aggregate, and definitions are contained in an article on employment in the public and private sectors published in the December 1989 edition of "Economic Trends". The full-time/part-time split for 1989 shown below is a later estimate. Figures for the civil service are also shown separately.

  Central Government employment (mid year)

  Thousands

  Full-lime

  Part-time

  Totalfull-lime equivalent

  Civil Service totalfull-time equivalent

  1979

  1,885

  502

  2,188

  724

  1980

  1,879

  514

  2,196

  700

  1981

  1,903

  516

  2,225

  684

  1982

  1,880

  520

  2,198

  659

  1983

  1,862

  522

  2,181

  643

  1984

  1,852

  507

  2,149

  619

  1985

  1,844

  516

  2,144

  596

  1986

  1,817

  520

  2,116

  597

  1987

  1,779

  533

  2,091

  584

  1988

  1,777

  545

  2,084

  577

  1989

  1,750

  553

  2,072

  567

  Manufacturing Investment
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1974(a) the level of manufacturing investment in cash amounts, (b) the level of manufacturing investment at 1985 prices, (c) the percentage share of manufacturing investment in gross domestic product, (d) the percentage share of manufacturing investment in gross national product and (e) the annual growth rate of manufacturing investment.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Estimates of manufacturing investment, gross domestic product and gross national product may be obtained from the CSO database accessible through the House of Commons Library.

  Data for 1989 were released by press notice on 16 March, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Interest Rates
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the likely movement of interest rates in the United Kingdom produced as a result of currency union between East and West Germany.
  424
  Mr. Ryder
  The United Kingdom is watching developments in Germany with interest. However, United Kingdom rates will continue to be kept as high as is needed for as long as is needed to bring down inflation.

  Balance of Payments
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report his provisional estimate of balance of payments deficit on current account with the European Economic Community for 1989; and if he will include the figure for invisibles separately.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information for 1989 is not yet available. It will be published later in the year in the 1990 edition of the CSO Pink Book.

  European Community
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the deficit in trade with the EEC in 1989; and what were the comparable deficits in the previous five years.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The latest information is available in table A12 of the monthly review of external trade statistics, available in the Library of the House, or on the Central Statistical Office database which may be accessed through the Library.

  Value Added Tax
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to make any changes to the method by which health authorities are compensated for the application of value added tax to construction work.

  Mr. Ryder
  The Government have decided to compensate health authorities for the application of VAT to their construction work through matching increases in public expenditure. From 1 April 1990 health authorities will no longer be eligible under section 11 of the Finance Act 1984 for refunds of VAT paid on construction contracts. The extra capital provision necessary to ensure that health authority building programmes are not prejudiced by the application of VAT will be granted to the NHS in supplementary estimates for 1990–91 to be presented in due course.

  Incomes
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated number of adults whose income is below the income tax threshold; what is the number of those above and below pensionable age distinguishing between single persons and one and two-earner married couples; and whether he will provide a breakdown of the figures for each region.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 1 March 1990]: Available estimates for 1989–90 are given in the tables. They are based on a projection of the 1987 family expenditure survey and are provisional.
  425

  Single people and married couples not liable to tax in 1989–90

  (millions)

  Single people

  Married couples

  Total

  Earning

  Not earning

  Two earners

  One earner

  No earners

  Non-aged

  0·8

  3·9

  0·2

  0·6

  1·0

  6·5

  Aged1

  0·0

  3·0

  0·0

  0·1

  1·3

  4·4

  Total

  0·8

  6·9

  0·2

  0·7

  2·3

  10·9

  1 Single person or at least one of the married couple over 65.

  Single people and married couples not liable to tax in 1989–90 by region

  (millions)

  Region

  Non-aged

  Aged

  Northern

  0·6

  0·3

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  0·6

  0·4

  East Midlands

  0·4

  0·3

  East Anglia

  0·2

  0·2

  Greater London

  0·5

  0·4

  Other South East

  0·7

  0·6

  South East

  0·4

  0·4

  West Midlands

  0·7

  0·5

  North West

  0·9

  0·5

  Wales

  0·5

  0·3

  Scotland

  0·8

  0·4

  Northern Ireland

  0·2

  0·1

  United Kingdom

  6·5

  4·4

  Income Tax
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the annual reduction in income tax for a married man on earnings of(a) £5,000, (b) £10,000, (c) £15,000, (d) £20,000, (e) £30,000, (f) £35,000, (g) £40,000, (h) £45,000, (i) £50,000, (j) £100,000, (k) £150,000, (l) £300,000, (m) average male earnings and (n) three quarters of average male earnings as a result of the changes brought in by the 1988 budget.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 March 1990]: The information is in the table.

  Income tax liability in 1989–90 compared with liability under 1987–88 lax rates with allowances and thresholds indexed to 1989–90 for a married man1

  Earnings

  Reduction

  £ per annum

  £ per annum

  5,000

  58·40

  10,000

  158·40

  210,920

  176·80

  314,560

  249·60

  15,000

  258·40

  20,000

  358·40

  30,000

  740·75

  35,000

  1,115·50

  40,000

  1,615·50

  45,000

  2,300·25

  50,000

  3,050·25

  100,000

  13,045·00

  150,000

  23,045·00

  300,000

  5,304,5·00

  1 Calculations assume that the married man has no other forms of income and claims no reliefs or allowances other than the married man's allowance.

  2 Three quarters average male earnings.

  3 Average male earnings for full time adult males in all occupations in 1989–90; £280·00 per week; in line with the assumptions in paragraph 3.02 of the 1989 Autumn Statement.

  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the proportion of income tax 426
  receipts received by the Exchequer (a) by payment at rates higher than the standard rate and (b) from those paying tax at rates higher than the standard rate in (i) 1978–79, (ii) 1987–88 and (iii) 1988–89.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 13 March 1990]: The information is in the table.

  1978–79

  1987–88

  1988–891

  Tax liability at higher rates as a percentage of total tax liability

  9

  18

  17

  Liability of higher rate taxpayers as a percentage of total tax liability

  20

  32

  33

  1 Based on a projection of the 1987–88 Survey of Personal Incomes and therefore provisional.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in the Official Report the proportion of income paid in income tax and national insurance combined by a married man with two children aged under 11 years on (a) average earnings, (b) one-and-a-half times average earnings, and (c) twice average earnings, in 1975–76, 1978–79 and the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 14 March 1990]: The information is in the table.

  Percentage of earnings paid in income tax and National Insurance Contributions by a married man1, with two children aged under 11

  Multiples of average male earnings2

  1

  1·5

  2

  1975–76

  25·8

  29·0

  31·4

  1978–79

  20·9

  26·2

  27·9

  1989–90

  20·8

  23·1

  25·7

  1 Calculations assume that the married man has no other forms of income and that he does not receive any tax allowances or reliefs other than the married man's allowance and child tax allowances. Child benefit is treated as negative income tax.

  2 Earnings are for full time males on adult rates in all occupations.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  County Courts
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Attorney-General how long it takes for the county court to clear a cheque in each county court area; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  The period for a county court to obtain clearance of a cheque drawn in sterling on a bank located in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands—identified by a bank sort code on the cheque—is currently a minimum of eight working days for courts using the Bank of England and 14 working days for
  427
  courts using the main clearing banks; other cheques, for example drawn on a foreign bank, are subject to individual clearance with no standard clearance period.

  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Attorney-General how long it takes to process a bad debt claim in each county court area; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

PRIME MINISTER

  Sovereignty (Law Enforcement)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if she will make a statement regarding the implications for United Kingdom national sovereignty and legal systems of the United States Supreme Court ruling of 1 March giving law enforcement agents power to act against non-United States of America nationals abroad without permission of the host country;

  (2) what representations Her Majesty's Government made to the United States of America Administration regarding the ruling of the United States Supreme Court of 1 March giving United States law enforcement officers power to act against non-United States nationals abroad without permission of the host country.

  The Prime Minister
  >The United Kingdom is aware of the judgment of the United States Supreme Court, given on 28 Februrary, in the case of a Mexican citizen.

  The United Kingdom is studying the judgment, although at first sight it appears unlikely to affect the interests of this country. Her Majesty's Government have made it clear to the United States authorities that they do not accept that any foreign county has the right to exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction in the United Kingdom.

  King Hussein of Jordan (Meeting)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if during her meeting with King Hussein of Jordan on 11 March, she raised(a) the situation of the journalist Farzad Bazoft in Iraq, (b) the threat of nuclear weapons in the middle east and (c) the failure of Israel to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

  The Prime Minister
  I had a wide-ranging and very useful discussion of the situation in the middle east with King Hussein, who kindly agreed to intercede with the Iraqis over the case of Mr. Bazoft. Our views on the threat posed by nuclear proliferation in the middle east are well known.

  Department of Health
  Mr. David Hinchilffe
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy to rename the Department of Health the Department of Health and Personal Social Services in order to more appropriately reflect the Department's responsibilities in its title.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

ENERGY

  Fossil Fuel Levy
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish an explanation in plain terms designed to be comprehensible to ordinary consumers of the formulae contained in the Fossil Fuel Levy Regulations 1990.

  Mr. Baldry
  The algebra used in the Fossil Fuel Levy Regulations 1990 will enable the Director General of Electricity Supply to calculate the rate of the levy as a percentage of the electricity sales revenue. This percentage will then be notified to licensed suppliers and published. Licensed suppliers will not need to apply these formulae; they will calculate the payments due from them in accordance with the rate notified by the Director. They will therefore be in no doubt as to the rate applicable to any particular month.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Aerospace Companies
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what economic contribution aerospace companies make to the United Kingdom industrial production, investment, the balance of payments and corporation tax revenues.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The United Kingdom aerospace industry made contributions to the United Kingdom economy as follows. Its net output—£3,133 million in 1987—provided 2·9 per cent. of the total net output of production industries; capital expenditure—£258 million—amounted to 1·9 per cent. of production industries' total capital expenditure investment and they recorded over £6 billion worth of exports, in 1988, with a balance of trade of about £1·7 billion in the United Kingdom's favour. Corporation tax statistics are not compiled for individual industries.

  Laing Properties
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what grounds he decided not to refer to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission the takeover bid by the Peninsular and Oriental company for Laing Properties.

  Mr. Redwood
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's decision not to refer the proposed acquisition of the P and O Group and Chelsfield plc of Laing Properties plc was taken in accordance with the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading and after consideration of all relevant issues. In my right hon. Friend's view, the proposal did not raise competition or other public interest issues which justified reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

  Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many regional development grants and at what total amount were awarded to west Lancashire firms in 1988–89; and if he will make a statement;
  429
  (2) how many regional selective assistance grants and at what total amount were awarded by his Department in 1988–89 to commercial firms in west Lancashire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number2

  Value3

  (£ million)

  Regional development grants1

  146

  7·2

  Regional selective assistance grants

  10

  4·1

  1 Data are only available for the revised RDG scheme, which was introduced on 29 November 1984 and closed to new applications on 31 March 1988.

  2 Approvals of RDG, offers of RSA.

  3 Amount expected to be paid if the projects proceed as planned.

  Water Reed
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding allegations of dumping from eastern European countries of water reed used for thatching; what investigations he has made into these allegations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have received no such representations. Investigations into allegations of dumping in the Community are carried out by the European Commission.

  Bankruptcy
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the current minimum amount of debt which has to be incurred before bankruptcy proceedings can be instigated under the provisions established in section 267(4) of the Insolvency Act 1986 (c. 45); and what plans he has to introduce a statutory instrument to increase or decrease that minimum figure.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: The minimum amount is £750. There are no current plans to change that figure.

  Directorships
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the conditions under which a person may be banned from being a director of a private limited company or of a public limited company.

  Mr. Redwood
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: A person may be banned from holding such positions in the circumstances specified in the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986. These are: conviction of an indictable offence in connection with the promotion, formation, management or liquidation of a company, or with the receivership or management of a company's property; persistent breaches of companies legislation; fraudulent trading; fraud in relation to a company while an officer or liquidator of the company or receiver or manager of its property; on summary conviction of an offence specified in the above Act; having been a director of a company which has become insolvent where the court finds that the individual's conduct as a director of that company makes him incompetent to be concerned in the management of a company; and where the court is satisfied, following the investigation of a company under
  430
  section 437 of the Companies Act 1985, or sections 94 or 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986, or where it appears that such an order should be made in the light of information or documents obtained under section 447 or 448 of the Companies Act 1985 or section 105 of the Financial Services Act 1986 or section 2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1987 or section 52 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987 or section 83 of the Companies Act 1989, that the person's conduct in relation to a company makes him unfit to be concerned in the management of a company; and where a court has made a declaration under section 213 or 214 of the Insolvency Act 1986 that a person is liable to contribute to a company's assets.

  A person may also be disqualified where a court revokes an administration order under section 429 of the Insolvency Act 1986. In addition, a bankrupt person is prohibited automatically from acting as a director and a more limited automatic prohibition applies in the circumstances specified in section 216 of the Insolvency Act 1986.

  Securities and Investments Board
  Mr. French
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the responsibilities of the Securities and Investments Board for monitoring the activities of companies which have had their licences withdrawn by FIMBRA, LAUTRO, IMRO and TSA.

  Mr. Redwood
  Powers have been transferred by the Secretary of State to the Securities and Investments Board relating to investment business carried on without authorisation, which is an offence under the Financial Services Act 1986. SIB is therefore in a position to investigate and take action in respect of a company carrying on investment business after its membership of a self-regulating organisation has ended. How it exercises those powers is a matter for the board.

  Accountancy Bodies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the steps he is planning to take to promote the involvement of ethnic minorities in the administration of the accountancy bodies incorporated under royal charters.

  Mr. Redwood
  I have no such plans. It is for the bodies and their members to determine what steps are necessary to ensure equality of opportunity for their members and staff, including those from ethnic minorities.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many meetings he or his senior civil servants had with the accountancy bodies in 1988 and 1989;

  (2) what meetings his Department has held with the accountancy firms criticised by inspectors; and what was discussed.

  Mr. Redwood
  I and my officials have frequent contact with members of the accountancy profession to discuss a wide range of matters.

  BOM Holdings
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to give details of the business connections of the accountant inspector inquiring into BOM Holdings.

  Mr. Redwood
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 February 1990, at columns 782–83. The accountant inspector is Mr. R. T. Turner of Messrs. Neville Russell.

  DTI Inspectors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if his Department has any plans to insert a statement showing the inspector's business connections on the first page of each report;

  (2) if his Department has any plans to insert the cost of completing an investigation on the first page of each inspector's report.

  Mr. Redwood
  My Department has no such plans.

  Lonrho
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to take any action against Lonrho plc for its failure to comply with schedule 7, paragraph 9, of the Companies Act 1985 in its 1989 and earlier annual reports and accounts.

  Mr. Redwood
  In accordance with its usual practice in response to specific allegations of non-compliance with statutory disclosure requirements, my Department will look into this.

  Wages
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to amend the Companies Acts to require all companies to publish the lowest annual wage rates applicable in the company.

  Mr. Redwood
  No.

  Accidents
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to require directors of all large companies to publish the work accident rates and the steps being taken to combat them.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I have been asked to reply.

  There are at present no plans to introduce such legislation.

  Auditors
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will introduce legislation to require the auditor's letter of engagement to be filed with the registrar of companies.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The letter of engagement is a private contractual matter between the auditor and his client.

  External Financial Reporting
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department is undertaking any work in developing a conceptual framework for external; financial reporting.
  432
  Mr. Redwood
  No. We are, however, following with interest the debate in the profession on this subject.

  Accounting and Auditing
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department will issue recommendations on the accounting treatment of good will.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The Accounting Standards Committee has recently published an exposure draft of a proposed revised standard on accounting for good will, inviting comments by 30 July. My Department is considering the draft and will make any comments in due course.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why his representative on the auditing practices committee does not have a vote.

  Mr. Redwood
  The terms of reference set by the Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies for its auditing practices committee provide that voting members shall be nominated by their professional accountancy bodies. In addition, up to seven non-voting members, including two Government representatives, may be co-opted.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to providing a statutory definition of a balance sheet.

  Mr. Redwood
  Section 228(2) of the Companies Act 1985 states that the balance sheet shall give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company at the end of the financial year, and schedule 4 to the Act sets out rules on the form and content of the balance sheet. These provisions are subject to amendment when part I of the Companies Act 1989 comes into force on 1 April. I do not believe that any further statutory definition is needed.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to provide a statutory definition of an asset.

  Mr. Redwood
  No. The definition of an asset is one of the issues which was addressed in the exposure draft ED 42 entitled "Accounting for special purpose transactions" published by the Accounting Standards Committee in March 1988. I understand that a further document will be published in the summer.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to legislate to change companies' practice of showing fixed assets in the balance sheet at original cost less depreciation.

  Mr. Redwood
  Under the alternative accounting rules of paragraph 31 of schedule 4 to the Companies Act 1985, fixed assets may be shown at values or costs other than original cost less depreciation. I have no plans to legislate to change current practice.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Indonesia
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of British aid to Indonesia since 1979.
  433
  Mrs. Chalker
  The figures for British aid to Indonesia from 1979 to 1988, the most recent year for which figures are available, are as follows. Further details are given in the ODA publication "British Aid Statistics", a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.

  £ thousand

  Gross bilateral aid of which:

  169,688

  i. Total technical co-operation

  46,858

  ii.Total financial aid (including debt and disaster relief), of which:

  122,829

  a. ODA project aid (excluding ATP)

  20,636

  b.ATP

  33,741

  c. CDC project aid

  47,467

  Source: British Aid Statistics.

  South Africa
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to increase aid to black South Africans in the light of recent political developments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will today announce in South Africa a new pledge of £10 million for assistance to black South Africans.

  Our aid programme there is a practical demonstration of our commitment to ease the transition to a just, democratic and non-racial society in South Africa. I welcome the recent political developments there which bring the prospect of such a society closer.

  The new pledge, for expenditure over the next four years, will enable us to provide support for new projects to improve the standard of education, which is the key to enabling black people to play their full part in a post-apartheid South Africa; and for urban and rural development projects. This increase includes an element which honours a commitment we made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kuala Lumpur last October. This was that, rather than contributing to the costs of the independent agency set up to review and report on South Africa's financial links, and of the continuing work of the Commonwealth Committee of Foreign Ministers on South Africa, we would contribute an equivalent amount for additional help for black South Africans.

DEFENCE

  Indonesia
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value of British arms contracts with Indonesia for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Neubert
  It has been the practice of successive Administrations not to release figures for defence sales to specific countries. Statistics of United Kingdom defence sales by broad geographic regions are set out in volume 2 of the annual Statement on the Defence Estimates.

  Atomic Energy
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the specific reasons for the amendments made respectively in each case since 1959 to the 1958 United Kingdom-United States mutual defence agreement on atomic energy matters.
  434
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The amendments to the 1958 agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America for co-operation on the uses of atomic energy for mutual defence purposes and the reasons for their implementation were:

  Cmnd 859 (l959)—to permit the transfer between the two countries of nuclear materials, other than submarine propulsion materials which had been agreed upon in the original agreement, for military purposes.

  Cmnd 4119 (1969)—to extend the range of material transfer clauses

  Cmnd 4384 (1970)—to extend the duration of the material transfer clauses

  Cmnd 6017 (1975)—to further extend the duration of the material transfer clauses

  Cmnd 7976 (1980)—again to further extend the duration of the material transfer clauses and also to add a minor change to the wording of the contraints upon each part as applied by the conditions clauses

  Cmnd 9336 (1984)—a further extension of the duration of the material transfer clauses, the provision of materials processing services, and a major change to the wording of a number of clauses to ensure the appropriate protection of US "sensitive nuclear technology information" and "controlled nuclear information"—two new classes of US information which had been created by changes in US federal law.

  Rapier System
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cause of the 183·2 per cent. increase in the projected development cost of the Rapier field standard B system noted on page 23 of the minutes of evidence of the Public Accounts Committee, HC483, Session 1988–89.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Rapier field standard B programme now comprises two distinct marks of equipment, known as FSB1 and FSB2. Both are included in current estimates of development cost, whereas the original development estimate comprised only FSB 1. The addition of FSB2 explains the bulk of the increase; the remainder is due to increases in the cost of FSB1. 'The Public Accounts Committee also reported a decrease of almost 26 per cent. in production—where the bulk of the cost lies—for field standard B projects which means that the total cost of development and production for field standard B has increased by 38 per cent. in real terms.

  European Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current estimate of the total expenditure on(a) the European fighter aircraft, (b) the Trigat medium-range missile and (c) the Trigat long-range missile.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Total United Kingdom expenditure to date (at current prices) is(a) EFA = £308 million; (b) medium range Trigat = £23 million; (c) long range Trigat = £52 million.

  Upholder Submarines
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the forecast in-service date for the Upholder class submarines changed from 1988 in the 1987 major project statement to 1989 in the 1988 major project statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  HMS Upholder's forecast in-service date was revised from 1988 to 1989 primarily as a result of an industrial dispute at the contractor's Barrow in Furness yard.

  Aircraft Crash, Berwickshire
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the RAF has concluded its report into the fatal aircraft crash at Fastcastle, Berwickshire, on 13 April 1989, and when he expects to publish the inquiry report.

  Mr. Neubert
  It is intended to publish a military aircraft accident summary in respect of this accident in the near future.

  Royal Hospital, Chelsea
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what qualifies a person to be an occupant of the Royal hospital at Chelsea.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The regulations for the Royal hospital, Chelsea, issued under royal warrant stipulate:

  "There shall be eligible for admission to the In-pension establishment former soldiers of good character who are:

  1. in receipt of

  (a) a service pension or service invaliding pension paid by the Ministry of Defence and awarded in respect of service which included such period of service in the British Army as the Commissioners may in each case in their absolute discretion consider adequate; or

  (b) a disability pension awarded by the Ministry of Defence or the Department of Social Security in respect of disability resulting from service in the British Army; or

  (c) a Victoria Cross or George Medal annuity awarded in respect of bravery while serving in the British Army and who are

  2. (a) aged not less than 65 years; or

  (b) in the opinion of the Commissioners incapable of supplementing their pensions by their own exertions owing to the loss of a limb, wounds or other injuries or disabilities resulting from service in the British Army; or

  (c) in the opinion of the Commissioners incapable of supplementing their pensions by their own exertions for reasons other than under paragraph (b) next above provided they are aged not less than 55 years.

  In addition, there shall be eligible for admission any former soldier of good character aged not less than 65 years drawing service retired pay awarded as a result of commissioned service in the British Army who rendered at least 12 years' full time service in the ranks of the British Army over the age of 18 years. Preference will be given to those who have borne the best character and rendered the longest service in the British Army.
  The commissioners may at their discretion admit such out-pensioners of good character as may from time to time be required for the efficient administration of the hospital, irrespective of their age, length of service or earning capability."

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Kilroot Power Station
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when a decision regarding the start date for the second phase of development is likely to be announced for Kilroot power station; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Timing of the Kilroot phase II project will depend on the outcome of investigations currently being made into the potential benefits of establishing an electricity interconnection with Scotland.

  It is hoped to clarify the position on these matters within the next few months.

  Job Market, Rathcoole
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will provide funding at an early date to provide for a job market at Rathcoole, Newtownabbey.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  A job market will be established in the Newtownabbey area as soon as suitable accommodation is found.

  Farmers (Utilities Supply)
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to compensate farmers in rural areas in South Down in respect of the cutting off of their electricity and mains water supply during recent storms.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  With sympathy, the answer is no.

  Fire Service
  Rev. William McCrea
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the required statutory period within which the Northern Ireland Fire Authority was required to serve notice of appeal on interested parties in the case of Kerr v Northern Ireland Fire Authority; and on what date notice of appeal was served.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  These were matters for the fire authority.

  Deaf-Blind Children
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaf-blind children have been identified in Northern Ireland in the age range(a) 0 to 2, (b) 2 to 5, (c) 6 to 11, (d) 12–15 and (e) 16 to 19 years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  A number of Northern Ireland children have been identified as having both hearing and visual impairment but few are totally blind or totally deaf. The information below relates to children who in a varying degree have a multi-sensory handicap which may, in some cases, be associated with a physical or mental handicap.

  Age ranges

  Number

  0 to 2

  1

  2 to 5

  32

  6 to 11

  32

  12 to 15

  9

  16 to 19

  4

  437
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaf-blind children in Northern Ireland attend specialist deaf-blind units.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are no such specialist units in Northern Ireland but two pupils from Northern Ireland attend such units elsewhere.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to issue a policy statement on the education of deaf-blind children in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department of Education (Northern Ireland) is currently considering policy and provision for children with multi-sensory handicaps and will be taking into account the policy statement on this subject issued by the Department of Education and Science.

  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provision is made to ensure the training of teachers of deaf-blind children in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  There are already in Northern Ireland a number of teachers in the education sector who in addition to specific qualifications in deaf education also possess qualifications in visual impairment. Opportunities also exist through in-service and distance learning courses for teachers to extend and develop their expertise in particular spheres, including teaching children with multi-sensory handicaps.

  Roads
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the capital expenditure on major capital roads provision in Down district council area in each year since 1 April 1977 until 31 March 1989.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The information is as follows:

  £

  1977–78

  Nil

  1978–79

  181,000

  1979–80

  299,000

  1980–81

  20,000

  1981–82

  29,000

  1982–83

  58,000

  1983–84

  17,000

  1984–85

  4,000

  1985–86

  Nil

  1986–87

  Nil

  1987–88

  Nil

  1988–89

  Nil

  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the expenditure on major capital roads provision in Newry and Mourne district council area in each year since 1 April 1977 until 31 March 1989.

  Mr. Peter Bottomely
  The information is as follows:

  £

  1977–78

  450,000

  1978–79

  210,000

  1979–80

  660,000

  1980–81

  324,000

  438

  £

  1981–82

  427,000

  1982–83

  493,000

  1983–84

  1,365,000

  1984–85

  1,320,000

  1985–86

  839,000

  1986–87

  1,198,000

  1987–88

  1,466,000

  1988–89

  590,000

  Agriculture
  Mr. Molyneaux
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the structural weaknesses which he has identified in the agricultural industry in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 13 March 1990]: The main structural weaknesses in the beef sector are the pronounced seasonality of production allied to the marketing challenge.

  GPs' Contracts
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining the proposed formula for deprivation allowances in relation to general medical practitioners' contracts arrived at by the DHSS in Northern Ireland, listing those electoral wards which would qualify for the allowance under that formula and indicating the Government's conclusions regarding that proposal.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 14 March 1990]: It was agreed with the General Medical Services Committee (NI) that the index of social deprivation should be used as the basis for calculation of the deprivation supplement in Northern Ireland.

  Further work has been undertaken to refine the Northern Ireland index.

  This work is nearing completion and the results will be the subject of further consultation with the profession's negotiators.

  Finishing Beef Cattle
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from the Ulster Farmers Union concerning the financial implications for producers of finishing beef cattle over the recent winter; and how he intends to respond to the Ulster Farmers Union request for special measures to help keep these producers in business.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 14 March 1990]: I met the Ulster Farmers Union on 17 January 1990 about the difficulties affecting beef producers in Northern Ireland. Subsequently I put the issues involved to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, who has given the union an assurance that he will be seeking a substantial devaluation of the United Kingdom green pound in this year's price-fixing round. The Government have also sought to optimise beef intervention in Northern Ireland in recent months and substantial tonnages of beef have been taken off the market recently.

  The special measure which the union has sought is a slaughter premium on finished cattle marketed since 1

  439
  December 1989. The Government have made it clear that such a measure would be difficult to justify let alone to negotiate in Brussels. The EC Commission and most member states disliked the United Kingdom's beef variable premium scheme and would be certain to oppose any suggestion to reintroduce that kind of end price support. Unilateral action by the United Kingdom would be illegal.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Capital Assets
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what is the total current value of the capital assets of the Church of England; and what are comparable figures updated to 1990 values, for 1960, 1970, and 1980.

  Mr. Michael Alison (Second Church Estates Commissioner, Representing the Church Commissioners)
  The Church Commissioners' assets produce about 72 per cent. of the Church of England's investment income and, at their last published valuation, at the end of 1988, were worth £2,640 million or £2,860 million at 1990 prices. The comparable figures for the Church Commissioners' assets in 1960, 1970 and 1980 were, at 1990 prices, £2,240 million, £2,700 million and £2,040 million respectively.

  Income
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what have been the trends in the Church Commissioners' income over the past 12 months.

  Mr. Alison
  Although final figures for 1989 are not yet available, it is expected that the commissioners' investment income for that year will have increased by about 14 per cent. over that for 1988.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Accountancy Bodies
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will introduce legislation to ensure that before a recommendation is made for the granting of a supplemental royal charter to the accountancy bodies a formal invitation is issued to the public to comment on the conduct of such bodies.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Legislation is not necessary for this purpose. As a matter of standard practice, notice of the receipt of any petition for the grant of a supplemental charter is published in the relevant gazette, together with an invitation to anyone wishing to make representations to communicate with the Privy Council Office within a specified period.

  Official Duties
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, on average, how much of his time has been spent on his duties as(a) Lord President of the Council and (b) Leader of the House of Commons since 1 January.
  440
  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  It is not possible sensibly to separate and quantify the duties associated with the two offices referred to, as distinct from my wider duties as a member of the Administration.

  Civil Servants (Advice)
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will issue guidance indicating under what circumstances civil servants in the Official Box can advise and offer briefings to Back-Bench Members during the course of a debate; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  It is the function of civil servants in the Official Box to advise Ministers.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Members' Interests
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether he proposes to recommend any changes to the rules governing the registration of Members' interests.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have no proposals to make at this time. However, the hon. Member will recall the motion which I moved, and to which the House agreed, on 7 March.

  EEC Affairs
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will take steps to improve the provision of factual information to hon. Members on EEC affairs; and if he will make a statement.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  The Government attach great importance to keeping the House informed of developments in the Community and will continue to report promptly on the outcome of Council meetings as necessary. The Government are actively considering the report by the Procedure Committee on parliamentary scrutiny published on 30 November 1989 which covers a wide range of issues concerning the way in which the House deals with European Community legislation.

  Leicestershire
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many debates on Leicestershire have taken place since March 1989.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  Three Adjournment debates related specifically to Leicestershire have taken place since 1 March 1989.

  Official Visit (South America)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 7 March,Official Report, column 963, if he will make a statement on (a) his visit to Brazil and his discussions on rain forests and (b) his discussions with President Menem of Argentina in relation to the Falklands.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  I have no plans to do so.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Staff Numbers
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what was the number of people employed (i) full-time and (ii) part-time(a) by the House of Commons and (b) by an outside agency but working at the House of Commons as of 1 January 1990.

  Mr. Beith
  (on behalf of the House of Commons Commission): A total of 832 full-time and 166 part-time staff, and three agency secretarial staff were employed by the House of Commons Commission on 1 January 1990. In addition, agency staff are employed on a regular basis in the Refreshment Department to cover absences and to assist at functions. An average of 11 such agency staff were employed on each working day during January. These figures do not include full-time and part-time staff employed in the House of Commons by agencies such as the Parliamentary Works Office, the Metropolitan police and Post Office, who are not the direct responsibility of the Commission.

  Training
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what training opportunities are provided by the House for those employed(a) by and (b) in the House of Commons.

  Mr. Beith
  I can reply only for those staff employed by the House. For them training is available either on the job or in external organisations, such as the Civil Service college, the Industrial Society and various academic institutions. Training falls into four broad categories: induction courses; professional training; career development; and educational courses.

  Responsibility for the identification and organisation of relevant courses lies in the main with individual departmental training officers who advise their own management and staff of available courses. Certain courses of common interest such as induction and staff reporting and appraisal are, however, organised centrally by the Establishments Office.

  Staff undertaking relevant educational courses are assisted financially towards the cost of the course, books, and examination fees and, where necessary, are allowed time off and special leave with pay.

  Trade Union and Labour Relations Act
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will place in the Library copies of all the correspondence between the House of Commons management and the Association of First Division Civil Servants over the last 15 years concerning the applicability of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974, and other national employment legislation, to its employees.

  Mr. Beith
  No. Correspondence between management and trade unions is not written with a view to publication. The applicability of the Trade Union and Labour 442
  Relations Act 1974 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1975 are dealt with in replies given today to other questions from the hon. Member.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what is the policy of the Commission as to whether the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974 applies in its entirety to employees in the House of Commons service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Beith
  Subject to the right of the House to determine its own actions and the interpretation of the law by the courts, there is no reason to believe that the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1974, as amended, does not apply in its entirety to employees in the House of Commons service.

  Health and Safety at Work etc. Act
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, what progress has been made since 1 November 1989 by the head of the Administration Department in considering whether the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies to Commission employees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Beith
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: As explained in reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 19 June 1989, at column 16, it is the policy of the House of Commons Commission to endeavour to comply fully with the requirements of t he Act and with all other relevant statutory provisions, subject only to specific exemptions provided for in legislation. Further advice has confirmed that there has been no change in this position.

WALES

  Severn (Rail Tunnel)
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans for the construction of a second rail tunnel under the Severn.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  No. This would be a matter for the British Railways Board.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the highest and lowest community charge levied in Wales for 1990–91.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My information is not yet complete. but the charge set by Clwyd county council is £223 and by Powys £147. The charge set by Cardiff city council is £78, and £7 by South Pembrokeshire. When full details are reported to me I will place in the Library a comprehensive report on the community charges set by all councils in Wales together with details of their expenditure decisions. It will be for the electorate to consider whether explanations given by councils for their decisions are acceptable.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will, as a matter of urgency, meet representatives of Welsh district and borough councils to discuss the implications of the community charge.
  443
  Mr. Peter Walker
  I meet representatives of Welsh district and county councils on a regular basis in the forum of the Welsh consultative council on local government finance. I have no plans to convene a meeting of the consultative council to discuss the implications of the community charge.

  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what lessons he has learnt from the process of implementing the poll tax in Wales.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I have learnt that, in setting their budgets, some local authorities appear to have acted with insufficient regard for the interests of their charge payers, especially those on low or fixed incomes.

  Hospice at Home Movement
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to make a statement for funding of the Hospice at Home Movement in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  I will be meeting representatives of district health authorities and the voluntary hospice movement to discuss the way in which resources for the movement in Wales can best be deployed. A statement will be made after their views have been considered.

  Welsh Assembly
  Mr. Gow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the setting up of a Welsh assembly in Cardiff.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None for more than a year. Coal Miners

  Coal Miners
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to how many of those coal miners employed in the south Wales coalfield up to and including 1981 are still receiving pensions from their employers.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  British Coal does not have information in the form requested. It believes, however, that the majority of the 134,000 or so persons who left the south Wales coal industry between 1961 and 1981 will either be receiving pensions now or are entitled to payment in the future.

  Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what level of support he intends to give to Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin in the coming year.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin is one of many organisations that have applied for Welsh language grant support next year. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be announcing individual allocations shortly.

  Local Government Leaders
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to meet the leaders of the organisations representing local government in Wales; and what subjects will be discussed.
  444
  Mr. Peter Walker
  I meet the leaders of organisations representing local government in Wales as and when required. I have no such meetings arranged at the moment.

  Cancer
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the figures for the incidence of(a) leukaemia, (b) lung cancer, (c) colon cancer and (d) stomach cancer in each district in Wales will be published in relation to 1985.

  Mr. Grist
  As indicated in my answer of 15 March, I expect this information to be published before the end of this year.

  Geriatric Patients
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will commission a study into the location of future geriatric patient care facilities in towns and cities in Wales, from the point of view of convenience of access to(a) patients, (b) relatives and friends and (c) medical staff.

  Mr. Grist
  No. While the Government place great emphasis on responding effectively to local health needs and preferences, and to being people-centred, the detailed planning and development of services is a matter for individual district health authorities in consultation with other key local interests.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will institute a fire and public safety review of day patient geriatric care wards of wooden construction in actual or prospective use in Wales.

  Mr. Grist
  Operational responsibility for fire and public safety rests with individual district health authorities which are expected to comply with Firecode, a comprehensive code of guidance on fire precautions in NHS premises issued in 1988 by the Welsh Office. As part of its monitoring function the Department will shortly be asking DHAs to review their compliance with Firecode.

  If, in the meantime, the hon. Gentleman is concerned about fire or public safety at a particular hospital, I suggest that he contact the appropriate health authority general manager as a matter of urgency. If he believes that there is a more general problem he should write to me more specifically on the matter.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to institute an analysis and review of the staffing qualifications and training of medical and paramedical staff involved in geriatric patient care in the hospital service in South Glamorgan.

  Mr. Grist
  No. These matters are the operational responsibility of South Glamorgan health authority.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to meet a deputation concerning the future quality of geriatric patient care in South Glamorgan.

  Mr. Grist
  I understand that South Glamorgan health authority is proposing to consult on changes to geriatric services in the district. I suggest that the hon. Gentleman should ensure that his views on these proposals are made known to the authority at this stage.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what representations he has received regarding the future of St. David's hospital, Cardiff;
  445
  (2) what representations he has received regarding the future provision of geriatric patient care in South Glamorgan.

  Mr. Grist
  My right hon. Friend has not received any such representations since approving the broad thrust of South Glamorgan health authority's draft strategic plan.

  South Glamorgan Health Authority
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will institute a study into the causes of the revenue shortfall for 1990–91 of the South Glamorgan health authority.

  Mr. Grist
  We have no plans to do so at the present time. Health authorities have a statutory duty to manage services within available resources. We would therefore expect South Glamorgan health authority to plan accordingly when rolling forward its financial plan and capital programme for the next 10 years and preparing its business plan for 1990–91. These plans will be scrutinised by the Department as part of the annual review process in the course of the next few months; and officials will be seeking to ensure that they are realistically based in terms of prospective resources and provide a clear agenda for the management of the authority's services within those resource assumptions.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fish Farming
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information and statistics he has for the turnover of and growth in the trout farming industry in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Curry
  The United Kingdom trout farming industry has shown steady and impressive growth and is a major contributor to our aquaculture industry. In 1989, about 16,000 tonnes of farmed trout were produced for consumption whose first sale value was some £40 million. This compares, for instance, with production of 4,500 tonnes in 1979, worth around £6·5 million.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the fish farming industry over proposals for the National Rivers Authority on residual flows.

  Mr. Curry
  We have received a number of representatons from fish farming interests, principally concerning the NRA's plans for the introduction and operation, in England and Wales, of abstraction licences and discharge consents, and charges for these.

  Fish Producers
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) when he expects to allocate the sectoral quota management arrangements to the Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation;

  (2) when he expects to make available the final sectoral quota figures for fisheries management arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Following consultation with the industry, Fisheries Departments have agreed to the introduction of 446
  sectoral quota management arrangements in the cod, plaice, sole and whiting fisheries in the Irish sea for 1990. Departments will shortly be writing to producer organisations asking them to supply the information necessary to begin the calculations which are likely to be complicated. We would aim to produce provisional allocation figures in May and final figures in June.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list by location for the last 10 years the fisheries in Yorkshire and Humberside that have been affected by acid rain; and if he will make a statement as to what effect this has had on their revenue.

  Mr. Curry
  I am asking the National Rivers Authority to write to the hon. Member with whatever information it has on the impact of acid rain on fisheries in these areas.

  EC Surplus Food
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he has made for implementing the EC surplus food scheme in the United Kingdom in 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Pending its detailed review of this scheme in 1990, the European Commission has decided to authorise the distribution of surplus food from intervention stocks to the most needy for one further year. The Government continue to believe that such a scheme is an inefficient method both of dealing with surpluses, which are now substantially lower than at the outset of the scheme in 1988, and of assisting those whom it should help. Nevertheless, the Government do not wish to deprive eligible United Kingdom citizens of an opportunity available to their counterparts elsewhere in the Community.

  The Commission has allocated 150 mecu to the European Community for this purpose, the same as was allocated in 1989. The United Kingdom has obtained some 22·9 mecu, the same proportion as last year, which represents about £17 million worth of butter and beef. This produce will be distributed in the United Kingdom by charitable and other non-profit-making organisations which meet the prescribed conditions and wish to apply. The scheme applies to certain clearly defined categories of people. Pensioners or the unemployed are eligible only if they fall into one or other of these categories. The coverage of those who are eligible will depend on the extent to which the organisations participate.

  I am arranging for further details to be sent to the appropriate bodies, and I will place a copy of this information in the Library.

  New Forest
  Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to respond to the report of the New Forest review group.

  Mr. Curry
  The responses of the Government and the Forestry Commissioners to the review group's recommendations will be made public tomorrow. Copies of the document containing these responses will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Sheep Premiums
  Mr. John Greenway
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the payment of advances of sheep annual premium.

  Mr. Curry
  The revised sheepmeat regime which my right hon. Friend negotiated last year gives member states the option of making two advances of premium to all sheep producers, or of combining the two advances into a single payment which would be made at the time the second advance was due.

  My right hon. Friends and I recognise the advantage to producers of an early advance payment. We also see it as important to ensure that United Kingdom producers are not at a disadvantage compared with producers in other member states. We have, therefore, decided to adopt the system of two advance payments of premium. The precise timing will depend on European Community decisions as well as the speed with which our local offices can complete the various checks which have to take place before payments can be made. By adjusting priorities, we hope to complete the administrative arrangements in time to pay the majority of first advances under this year's scheme by no later than early autumn, with the second advance following in January 1991, and the balancing payment in the spring of 1991. The level of payments will be determined by the European Community Commission in the light of forecasts of income loss.

  I am sure that sheep producers will welcome this feature of the new sheepmeat regime which will give them earlier benefit from the sheep annual premium.

  Coastal Eutrophication
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department will be represented at the international conference on marine coastal eutrophication on 21 to 24 March.

  Mr. Curry
  No.

  Salmon Net Fishing
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to complete his review of the north-east salmon net fishing.

  Mr. Curry
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 12 January to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) at columns 779–80.

  Shellfish
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he proposes to take to ensure a regular and adequate future supply of nephrops suitable for processing into scampi.

  Mr. Curry
  We have, through EC legislation, adopted conservation measures to maintain and safeguard the renewability of fish stocks including nephrops. It is for the processing industry to arrange for its supplies of nephrops suitable for scampi.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what temporary financial assistance he is prepared to offer shellfish processors who have to resort to temporary lay-offs and closures because of shortage of prawns, nephrops and other types of shellfish.
  448
  Mr. Curry
  None.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will amend by-catch restrictions for the use of separator trawls for prawns.

  Mr. Curry
  Amendments to the bycatch restrictions in the Community's technical conservation regulation EEC Regulation No. 3094/861 require the agreement of the Council of Fisheries Ministers. Specific provisions for the use of separator trawls need to take account of the nature of the gear and enforcement aspects as well as the catch composition. Further studies are necessary. At the request of the United Kingdom, the Commission will report on the effects of the use of these trawls which is to be permitted from 1 April 1990 for catching nephrops in the Bay of Biscay.

  1 Official Journal L288/1, 11.10.86.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for a one net rule.

  Mr. Curry
  The recent paper the United Kingdom put to the EC Commission setting out possible improvements in technical conservation measures included a proposal, which was agreed with the fishing industry, for a one-net rule. We expect the idea to be discussed in Brussels shortly as part of the work of the high-level working group which the Council of Ministers asked to report at the end of June.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to introduce a comprehensive shellfish licensing scheme.

  Mr. Curry
  We have no plans at present to introduce such a scheme.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to restrict beam and pair trawling within inshore waters, particularly on the Scottish west coast, Orkney and Shetland.

  Mr. Curry
  We have no such plans.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the extra cost to the average family of the additional costs of the common agricultural policy.

  Mr. Curry
  The magnitude of the costs of the common agricultural policy depends on the nature of the alternative policy envisaged. The Government's aim is to achieve lower levels of agricultural support worldwide, thereby reducing the costs borne by consumers and taxpayers.

  Food Safety Bill
  Mr. Maxwell-Hyslop
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much of the £30 million per annum extra cost falling on local authorities as a result of the Food Safety Bill he estimates will not be included in central Government grants while being taken into account in setting rate support grants and standard spending assessment levels for 1991–92 and 1992–93.

  Mr. Maclean
  None.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Sultan of Brunei
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what continuing commitments the Government still have arising from the agreement made between the British Government and the Sultan of Brunei in 1985.

  Mr. Maude
  We know of no agreement between the British Government and the Sultan of Brunei signed in 1985.

  East Jerusalem
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to oppose any increase in Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Yes. We regard Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, as illegal.

  China (Foreign Compensation)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been paid out under the Foreign Compensation (People's Republic of China) (Registration) Order 1980, and to how many claimants; and if he will estimate how much is still owing to current and potential claimants.

  Mr. Maude
  No compensation was paid to claimants under the 1980 order which merely provided a framework for registering claims against China prior to the start of intergovernmental negotiations.

  The China compensation fund was established by the Foreign Compensation (People's Republic of China) Order 1987. In January 1989 an interim distribution of 5 per cent. of the assessed value of a claim was begun by the Foreign Compensation Commission to successful bond claimants. To date, a total sum of approximately £504,000 has been paid in this way to 1,660 such bond claimants. Judicial determination of property claims is a more complex task than determination of bond claims. The payment of the balance owing in respect of bond claims and the full and final payment in respect of property claims will not be made until the final distribution from the fund. It is expected that this will be announced in the autumn.

  Only when all claims against the fund have been determined will it be possible to assess the amount payable in relation to the assessed value of each claim. It is expected, however, at this stage that the percentage of the assessed value of a claim received by successful claimants will exceed 10 per cent.

  Lithuania
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government recognise the declaration of political independence by the new Parliament of Lithuania.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The well-established criteria which we have applied to the recognition of a state are that it should 450
  have, and seem likely to continue to have, a clearly defined territory with a population, a Government who are able of themselves to exercise control of that territory, and independence in their external relations. We will therefore continue to watch the situation closely as it develops.

  Test Ban Treaty (Conference)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of planning for the preparatory conference for the amendment conference of the 1963 partial test ban treaty, to be held in January 1991.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Parties to the partial test ban treaty have agreed that a preliminary meeting will be held in New York from 29 May to 8 June 1990 to address organisational aspects of the amendment conference. Consultations on the details of the meeting are continuing.

  Iraq
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he, or any Ministers or officials in his Department, met or communicated with the deputy Foreign Minister of Iraq, Mr. Nizar Hamdoun, during his visit to the United Kingdom on 8–9 March.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I raised the case of Mrs. Parish and Mr. Bazoft when I met Nizar Hamdoun on 8 March. I expressed our serious concern for the two and emphasised the importance of a fair trial. Mr. Hamdoun took note of these points and emphasised the sensitivity of these cases for the Iraqi authorities. Similar representations were made to Mr. Hamdoun at a senior official level.

  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent his actions in respect of Iraq have been influenced by his assessment of the likelihood that Mr. Bazoft was involved in espionage.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have seen no proof that Mr. Bazoft was a spy. Our concern in his case has throughout been entirely humanitarian.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the area covered by permanent ice in Antarctica and in the British area of Antarctica; and what was the comparable area so covered 10, 20 and 30 years ago.

  Mr. Maude
  The main Antarctic ice-sheet extends to 12 million sq km with attached ice shelves covering an additional 1·5 million sq km. Data are unavailable specifically for the British Antarctic territory. However, the Antarctic peninsula contains a grounded ice-sheet of 0·3 million sq km and ice shelves totalling 0·14 million sq km.

  Comparisons with ice cover 20 and 30 years ago are not possible due to the rudimentary survey methods then employed. Satellite imagery since the mid-1970s indicates no discernible changes overall in the areas of grounded ice or ice shelves in the Antarctic. It is estimated, however, that ice shelves in the Antarctic peninsula have decreased by more than 750 sq km in the past 10 years, a reduction of around 0·5 per cent.

  Albania
  Mr. John Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that the Albanian gold bullion held by Britain following the second world war is returned to the Albanian Government only on payment of full compensation at today's value to the families of sailors who died and the survivors of the crews of HMS destroyers Saumarez and Volage sunk by Albanian mines in 1946.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Our policy remains that we shall be able to agree to the Tripartite Gold Commission's releasing gold to Albania only when Albania has paid the compensation awarded to Britain by the International Court of Justice in the Corfu channel case. This delay will not, however, penalise the survivors and the families of those killed on board HM ships Saumarez and Volage. All concerned were fully compensated at the time under the regulations then in force.

  Germany (Ministerial Meeting)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, during his meeting with Ministers and officials of the Federal German Government on 12 March he discussed(a) the forthcoming fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and its final preparatory committee meeting in April, and (b) the geopolitical implications for nuclear arms control of an independent Lithuanian state.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No.

  Katyn Massacre
  Dame Jill Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's latest information on who bears the responsibility for the Katyn massacre.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  There is substantial circumstantial evidence pointing to Soviet responsibility for the Katyn massacre. We urge the Soviet authorities to help establish the facts once and for all.

SCOTLAND

  Fishing
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what representations he has received regarding the state of the fishing industry on the west coast of Scotland;

  (2) what measures his Department intends to take to protect the west coast fishing industry;

  (3) what measures his Department intends to introduce to restrict fishing effort during 1990 on the west coast of Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  Representations have been received concerning the need to protect certain west coast fish stocks from excessive fishing effort. My noble Friend the Minister of State announced on 8 March that a consultation paper on possible conservation measures would be issued soon. It is hoped to do so in the next few days.
  452
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department intends to introduce pressure stock licensing to assist in effort limitation on the fishing of stocks on the west coast of Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  Pressure stock licensing already applies to stocks on the west coast of Scotland.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to restrict twin and triple rig trawling in the Minch.

  Mr. Lang
  Fisheries departments will shortly be issuing a consultation paper on a range of measures for conserving stocks on the west coast of Scotland. This will include seeking views on the use of twin and triple rig trawls since some sections of the fishing industry have expressed concern about their impact.

  Local Government Finance
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what training Scottish Office spokespersons receive in local government finance; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  Government press officers receive training in media techniques, which includes communication of information to the press and broadcasters on a wide range of subjects, including local government finance.

  Technology Academies
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland where the city technology academy will be sited.

  Mr. Lang
  The company which was set up to establish the first technology academy in Scotland is actively pursuing the acquisition of a suitable site in Glasgow.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the opening of a technology academy.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: Progress with establishing a technology academy will depend on a number of factors, and in the first instance on the acquisition of a suitable site.

  Disabled Students
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make in the support arrangements for disabled students in higher education.

  Mr. Lang
  In recognition of their particular needs, I propose for session 1990–91 to increase the maximum allowance for disabled students from £765 to £1,000 per session. In addition, I propose to introduce two new provisions which will provide up to £3,000 to cover the cost of expensive specialist equipment over the period of the course, and up to £4,000 per session for those students requiring non-medical personal help such as readers for the blind and interpreters for the deaf. We will be taking steps to publicise these new arrangements.

  Disabled students will continue to be eligible for relevant social security benefits. These, together with the basic award and the new allowances, should fully meet the disabled student's requirements.

  When top-up loans are introduced this autumn, subject to the passage of the Bill before Parliament, I accept that

  453
  disabled graduates' capacity to repay loans may be affected by additional living costs associated with their disability. I therefore propose to disregard disability related benefits when assessing graduates' income for the purpose of determining when to defer the repayment of the loan.

  Infant Mortality
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many post-neonatal death per 1,000 live births there were, for each year since 1975, in(a) Scotland, (b) the United Kingdom, (c) Denmark, (d) France, (e) West Germany, (f) Italy, (g) the Netherlands, (h) Spain and (i) Sweden.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: The information readily available is as follows:

  Post-neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births.

  Year

  Scotland

  United Kingdom

  1975

  5·4

  5·1

  1976

  4·5

  4·6

  1977

  4·8

  4·6

  1978

  4·1

  4·5

  1979

  4·2

  4·6

  1980

  4·3

  4·4

  1981

  4·4

  4·4

  1982

  4·2

  4·6

  1983

  4·1

  4·3

  1984

  3·9

  3·9

  1985

  3·9

  4·0

  1986

  3·6

  4·2

  1987

  3·8

  4·1

  1988

  3·7

  4·1

  1989

  1—

  1—

  1 Figures not yet available.

  Deprivation
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what account has been taken of the work of the Medical Research Council sociology unit in Glasgow in shaping his policies regarding deprivation effects on the health of Scottish people.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: In formulating policy, account is taken of all relevant research.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures the research project into community health promotion in a deprived area, funded by his Department, recommended regarding effects of deprivation on physical and mental health.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: It was concluded that a community development approach to health promotion is feasible and that models, which involve local people, can be developed.

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what specific measures he has carried out in response to the "Scottish Health Authorities' Priorities for the Eighties" report recommendations.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: The recommendations of the SHAPE report were reviewed
  454
  in 1988 with the publication of the SHARPEN report (Scottish Health Authorities Review of Priorities for the Eighties and Nineties). This endorsed the broad thrust of SHAPE but stressed the importance of care in the community for the priority groups.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many speech therapy posts are established in the Greater Glasgow health board area; how many are vacant; and for how long they have been vacant.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: Greater Glasgow health board employs 66·1 whole-time equivalent speech therapists. Sixteen vacancies were identified last October and five have since been filled.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many speech therapy posts are vacant in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: Speech therapists are employed almost exclusively by health boards and information about current vacancies is not held centrally.

  Terminally Ill People
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what provisions he has made for augmented community care reviews for the terminally ill in his allocation of money to the National Health Service in Scotland in 1990–91; and how much has been allocated to each of the health board areas.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]Health boards are expected to fund the provision of community care services from within their general allocations.

  Schools and Colleges
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what surveys he has undertaken on the physical conditions of Scotland's schools and colleges; and what were the findings.

  Mr. Lang
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: My right hon. and learned Friend has undertaken no comprehensive survey of the physical condition of local authority schools and other educational buildings in Scotland. It is the responsibility of the authorities and the bodies responsible for the management of colleges to maintain information about the condition of their building stock.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensioners
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion on the basis of the 1987 family expenditure survey of(a) all pensioners and (b) newly retired pensioners have neither a state additional pension nor an occupational pension.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information is not available in the form requested. However, the 1987 family expenditure survey shows that 52 per cent. of all pensioners and 73 per cent. of recently retired pensioners receive an occupational pension.

  Residential Homes
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people are currently in receipt of income support, living in nursing homes and claiming for accommodation and meals in the categories(a) suffering from terminal illness, (b) physically disabled, under pensionable age and (c) physically disabled, over pensionable age;

  (2) how many people are currently in receipt of income support, living in residential care homes and claiming for accommodation and meals, in the categories (a) of retirement age, (b) very dependent elderly, (c) physically disabled, under pensionable age and (d) physically disabled, over pensionable age.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) on 15 February 1990 at columns 375–78.

  Social Security Reform
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update tables 1.5, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10 and 1.11 which appeared on pages 18 to 21 of Reform of Social Security, volume 3, Cmnd. 9519.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Comparable figures for years after 1982 could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Area Computer Centres
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who tendered for the contract to run the area computer centre at Livingstone; and to whom it was awarded.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The contract to run the area computer centre at Livingstone was tendered for by two companies and awarded to Electronic Data Systems.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security who tendered for the contract to run the area computer centre at Norcross, Lancashire; and to whom it was awarded.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The contract to run the area computer centre at Norcross was tendered for by Electronic Data Systems, to whom the contract was awarded.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Broadwater Farm (Convictions)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to seek information from the Police Complaints Authority under the provisions of section 98 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 in relation to the Broadwater Farm convictions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have already carefully considered the reports of investigations supervised by the Police Complaints Authority into complaints against the police arising out of the Broadwater Farm disturbances and can find no evidence from these investigations which casts doubt on the safety of any of the convictions of those concerned.

  Road Traffic Offences
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the total cost of police time, for each of the last three years, of all activities relating to traffic management, including attendance at accidents and court appearances relating to Road Traffic Act offences.

  Mr. Waddington
  In 1987, 1988 and 1989, approximately 8 per cent. of the total police strength in England and Wales was deployed on specialist traffic duties. The proportion of non-specialist officers' time spent on traffic matters is not recorded. The total costs could not be reliably estimated.

  Vehicle Registration
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to allow police authorities to reveal the keeper of a vehicle when a member of the public has a good reason to seek the information and has details of the vehicle registration number.

  Mr. Waddington
  The police obtain details of vehicle keepers as necessary for police purposes from the driver and vehicle licensing centre at Swansea. The disclosure of such information to members of the public is a matter for that organisation and there is an established procedure for this purpose. The driver and vehicle licensing centre will, on request from a member of the public and on payment of a charge of £3·50, supply the name and address of the owner of any vehicle registered with it providing that that person can show that he has reasonable cause for his request. It would not be appropriate for the police to assume the responsibilities of the driver and vehicle licensing centre for deciding whether the information should be made available.

  Custodial Sentencing
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to reduce custodial sentencing.

  Mr. John Patten
  Our proposals for statutory framework for sentencing were set out in the White Paper, "Crime Justice and Protecting the Public" (Cm 965), which was published on 6 February. These include restrictions on the use of custody for all but the most serious offenders, together with a wider and more flexible range of strengthened community penalties and reduced maximum penalties for theft and burglary, except burglaries of people's homes.

  Prison Privatisation
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the privatising of prisons and remand centres; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  We are still considering the outcome of the further studies into the likely cost-effectiveness of contracting out to the private sector the design, construction and operation of remand centres which my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) announced in his statement on 1 March 1989 at columns 277–78. We hope to make a further announcement soon.

  Bingo
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the way in which section 42 of the Gaming Act operates in so far as it refers to bingo; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  In the 12 months to 15 March 1990, four hon. Members have asked questions about any plans which we might have to amend section 42 of the Gaming Act 1968 in so far as it provides controls on the advertising of licensed bingo clubs, and we received 102 letters from hon. Members, and one letter from a member of the public, about these controls. The correspondence from hon. Members has mainly been on behalf of constituents employed in the licensed bingo club industry who supported a campaign by the Bingo Association of Great Britain (BAGB) for the complete removal of the controls.

  As the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr. Lloyd), explained in his reply on 17 January—at column 265—to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson), we have informed the BAGB that we cannot accept its campaign, but that it is open to it to resume discussions with the Gaming Board for Great Britain on the scope, if any, for some relaxation of the controls. I understand that the board has offered the BAGB a date next month for such discussions.

  Terrorist Suspects
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce safeguards to ensure that suspected terrorists who should be interviewed under his two-year experiment at either Bridewell police station, Liverpool or Paddington Green police station, London, will not be taken to other police stations for interview.

  Mr. Waddington
  No. Main Bridewell and Paddington Green are the stations used whenever possible in terrorist cases by the Merseyside and Metropolitan police respectively. It may be necessary on occasions to use other stations if the accommodation for terrorist suspects is full or out of use, but tape recordings would still be made in such circumstances.

  Juvenile Offenders
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest number of juvenile offenders in youth custody; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  On 31 December 1989 there were 358 sentenced juvenile offenders in prison service establishments. This compares with 907 sentenced juvenile offenders who were held in prison establishments on 31 December 1984. It is the Government's policy that juvenile offenders should, wherever possible, be dealt with other than by a custodial sentence. Many young offenders are already dealt with under a range of demanding and constructive community-based measures. Under the proposals in the White Paper, "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public", the courts will have a wider range of powers for dealing with young offenders in the community.

  West Midlands Police
  Mr. Beaumont-Dark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report on the progress of the inquiry into the West Midlands serious crime squad; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Members for Mansfield (Mr. Meale) and for Dumbarton (Mr. McFall) on 25 January at column 873. I understand that the investigation team, led by Mr. Shaw, assistant chief constable of the West Yorkshire police, is continuing to examine the files relating to all the arrests made by the squad since 1986, and is also investigating individual complaints made against officers of the squad. It will be some time before all cases have been examined.

  Passports
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to privatise the passport-issuing function of his Department.

  Mr. Waddington
  There are no such plans, but work is well advanced on arrangements for the proposed conversion of the passport department to an executive agency, and for making use of relevant private sector expertise where this would help to improve standards of service.

  Child Crime (Accountability)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about his proposals to make parents more accountable for crimes committed by their children.

  Mr. John Patten
  Since we published the White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" last month, we have received about 10 responses on the proposals to increase parental responsibility. These broadly support the proposals contained in the White Paper. We look forward to receiving more responses in the next few weeks.

  Immigration
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications of other European Community countries' immigration policies for the Government's policies on immigration and deportation.

  Mr. Waddington
  While the United Kingdom's policies on immigration and deportation are not determined by those of other Community countries, the Government seek to keep informed of developments in and between Community countries, and is engaged in discussion with them in the context of the implementation of the Single European Act.

  Victim Support
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what grants he has made in each of the last five financial years to the National Association of Victims Support Schemes; and what assessment he has made of the effect of actual and planned changes in funding by his Department.
  459
  Mr. John Patten
  Home Office funding of victim support since 1986 has been as follows:

  Local victim support schemes

  Victim support headquarters

  Total

  Annual increase

  £

  £

  £

  per cent.

  1985–86

  —

  126,000

  126,000

  —

  1986–87

  136,000

  150,000

  286,000

  127

  1987–88

  1·60 million

  103,000

  1·70 million

  494

  1988–89

  2·55 million

  190,000

  2·74 million

  61

  1989–90

  3·70 million

  210,000

  3·91 million

  43

  This funding has enabled local victim support schemes to expand to cover 94 per cent. of the population of England and Wales with the following effects on provision of service:

  Number of schemes

  Number of paid co-ordinators

  Number of referrals

  Number of Volunteers

  1985–86

  293

  133

  180,000

  3,935

  1986–-87

  305

  151

  257,083

  4,200

  1987–88

  294

  180

  328,174

  5,900

  1988–89

  299

  227

  400,810

  6,292

  1989–90

  355

  300

  1420,000

  16,800

  1 Estimates.

  For 1990–91 the planned level of grant in aid subject to parliamentary approval is £4·47 million for local schemes and £235,000 for headquarters.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from Birmingham city council on the Birmingham pub bombings case.

  Mr. John Patten
  We are not aware of recent representations from Birmingham city council about the Birmingham pub bombings case.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has completed his consideration of the new evidence in the Birmingham pub bombings case.

  Mr. John Pattern
  No. My right hon. and learned Friend is still considering very carefully the further material presented to him by a solicitor on behalf of the six men and will decide as soon as possible whether it justifies any intervention on his part.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has sought the opinion of the Lord Chief Justice on the new evidence in the Birmingham pub bombings case.

  Mr. John Patten
  No.

  Domestic Violence
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special units have been established within the Metropolitan police area dealing with cases of domestic violence.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  There are 33 units operated by the Metropolitan police offering support to the victims of domestic violence, reflecting the priority given to this in the Commissioner's strategy statement for 1990.

  Homosexuality Law
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take in relation to the criminal law on homosexuality in(a) Jersey and (b) the Isle of Man.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Discussions between the Home Office and the Jersey and Isle of Man authorities are continuing. Both islands have been made aware of the urgent need to amend their current legislation in order to enable the United Kingdom to conform with its international obligations under the European convention on human rights.

  Prisoners (Media Interviews)
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to prevent the holding of press conferences by, and the sound or television broadcasting of, interviews with persons detained, following conviction, in Her Majesty's prisons; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  Media interviews with prisoners about their individual cases are not permitted. We are reviewing our procedures to try to ensure that, when the media are invited into establishments for a particular purpose, unauthorised interviews do not take place.

  Jurors
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to enrol extra jurors for cases expected to last several months.

  Mr. John Patten
  We have no present plans to change the law in this respect, although we will keep it under review. A trial can generally proceed so long as nine jurors are still serving. Enlarging the jury beyond 12 at the outset would introduce complexity, and place a greater burden on the pool of jurors. The special procedures introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 1987 for handling serious and complex fraud trials (which the hon. Member may have particularly in mind) were designed to keep the proceedings before the jury as short as possible.

  Animal Protection
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to extend the scope of the Protection of Animals Act 1911 to afford the same protection to wild animals as that presently afforded to domestic and captive animals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waddington
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: Wild animals which are in captivity are protected by the Protection of Animals Act 1911 (1912 in Scotland), but we do not have any plans to extend the scope of this legislation to include animals which are not in captivity.

  However, there ar other statutes which provide protection for particular species in the wild, for example, deer, seals and badgers. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, special protection can be given to certain species which are considered to be in need of it on conservation grounds.

HEALTH

  Ambulance Dispute
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he hs as to the cost to public funds of the ambulance dispute; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The cost of providing military assistance during the ambulance dispute up to the end of January was £3·3 million. The cost of assistance by the police and other agencies has not yet been fully assessed by the authorities concerned.

  Free Prescriptions
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the total numbers of people entitled to free prescriptions on the ground of low income alone(a) on 31 March 1988 and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  At 31 March 1988 about 3·8 million people were entitled to free prescriptions on the grounds of low income. The corresponding figure for 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is available, is estimated to have been 3·4 million.

  South West Thames RHA
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he is to have with officials of the South West Thames regional health authority on the health cuts now being considered by the authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  No discussions are planned with officials of the South West Thames regional health authority. Regional health authorities must live within their allocated resources and difficult decisions about priorities have sometimes to be made. South West Thames RHA has received a cash increase of 36 per cent. over the last three years.

  RHAs (Resources)
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by each regional health authority, the percentage cash increase in resources being made available for the financial year 1990–91, over the financial year 1989–90.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is shown in the table. The percentage figures shown represent the cash increase in each authority's 1990–91 initial revenue cash limit compared with the equivalent 1989–90 figure.

  Regions

  Percentage increase

  Northern

  7·3

  Yorkshire

  7·6

  Trent

  7·5

  East Anglian

  9·7

  North West Thames

  7·1

  North East Thames

  6·9

  South East Thames

  8·7

  South West Thames

  7·7

  Wessex

  9·5

  Oxford

  7·4

  South Western

  9·0

  462

  Regions

  Percentage increase

  West Midlands

  7·3

  Mersey

  6·2

  North Western

  6·6

  Hormone Replacement Therapy
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on the preventive properties against illness of hormone replacement therapy.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  In recent months I have received representations and have also met and discussed hormone replacement therapy with my hon. Friend and the assistant medical director of the Amarant Trust. I have also met the voluntary organisation, Women's Health Concern. I also had a meeting about osteoporosis with the National Council of Women and affiliated organisations at which we discussed hormone replacement therapy.

  Psychotherapy
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to retain, within the National Health Service, specialist in-patient psychotherapeutical services for severely disturbed patients and families.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is national policy that all district health authorities should, as resources allow, develop locally based psychiatric services, the main components of which are summarised in paragraph 7.3 of the White Paper "Caring for People" (Cm 849). Within this overall objective, it is for each authority to determine the exact content of its service, including whether facilities for in-patient psychotherapy should form part.

  Psychosocial Nursing
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the training of nurses in psychosocial nursing.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  All nurses who are admitted to part 3 of the Professional Register (Registered Mental Nurse) are given training in psychosocial nursing. This aspect of development psychology is encompassed in the knowledge base of the 1982 syllabus of training.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a table showing the number of people on waiting lists for urgent and non-urgent operations for each health authority in Yorkshire and Humberside for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  The available information is given in the table. The Körner committee on health services information felt that the distinction between urgent and non-urgent cases was too subjective to be reliable. The information has thus not been subdivided in this way since 1987.
  463

  In-patient waiting list, surgical specialties1, by district health authority, Yorkshire and Humberside standard region, as at 31 March 1979 to 1989

  1979

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  93

  7,589

  7,682

  East Yorkshire

  10

  2,185

  2,195

  Grimsby

  40

  2,627

  2,667

  Scunthorpe

  28

  2,563

  2,591

  Northallerton

  0

  386

  386

  York

  18

  3,352

  3,370

  Scarborough

  28

  1,407

  1,435

  Harrogate

  45

  2,726

  2,771

  Bradford

  57

  5,416

  5,473

  Airedale

  67

  1,122

  1,189

  Calderdale

  15

  2,172

  2,187

  Huddersfield

  176

  3,599

  3,775

  Dewsbury

  2

  1,236

  1,238

  Leeds Western

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Leeds Eastern

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Wakefield

  117

  2,912

  3,029

  Pontefract

  17

  2,990

  3,007

  Barnsley

  196

  3,961

  4,157

  Doncaster

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Rotherham

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Sheffield

  2—

  2—

  2—

  1980

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  40

  6,179

  6,219

  East Yorkshire

  2

  1,796

  1,798

  Grimsby

  30

  2,668

  2,698

  Scunthorpe

  6

  2,089

  2,095

  Northallerton

  0

  334

  334

  York

  6

  1,985

  1,991

  Scarborough

  37

  1,504

  1,541

  Harrogate

  33

  2,144

  2,177

  Bradford

  98

  4,334

  4,432

  Airedale

  63

  1,433

  1,496

  Calderdale

  19

  1,372

  1,391

  Huddersfield

  43

  2,603

  2,646

  Dewsbury

  3

  748

  751

  Leeds Western

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Leeds Eastern

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Wakefield

  125

  2,198

  2,323

  Pontefract

  9

  1,942

  1,951

  Barnsley

  72

  3,831

  3,903

  Doncaster

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Rotherham

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Sheffield

  2—

  2—

  2—

  1981

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  24

  6,333

  6,357

  East Yorkshire

  8

  1,660

  1,668

  Grimsby

  28

  2,615

  2,643

  Scunthorpe

  7

  2,293

  2,300

  Northallerton

  0

  371

  371

  York

  2

  1,766

  1,768

  Scarborough

  40

  1,703

  1,743

  Harrogate

  25

  1,513

  1,538

  Bradford

  60

  4,181

  4,241

  Airedale

  17

  1,519

  1,536

  Calderdale

  8

  1,214

  1,222

  Huddersfield

  0

  2,077

  2,077

  Dewsbury

  2

  595

  597

  Leeds Western

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Leeds Eastern

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Wakefield

  69

  2,455

  2,524

  Pontefract

  7

  1,391

  1,398

  Barnsley

  36

  2,777

  2,813

  Doncaster

  2—

  2—

  2—

  464

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Rotherham

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Sheffield

  2—

  2—

  2—

  1982

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  23

  4,550

  4,573

  East Yorkshire

  0

  1,444

  1,444

  Grimsby

  8

  2,354

  2,362

  Scunthorpe

  32

  2,966

  2,998

  Northallerton

  1

  434

  435

  York

  0

  1,787

  1,787

  Scarborough

  13

  1,682

  1,695

  Harrogate

  11

  1,065

  1,076

  Bradford

  61

  3,995

  4,056

  Airedale

  6

  1,457

  1,463

  Calderdale

  10

  1,186

  1,196

  Huddersfield

  1

  1,962

  1,963

  Dewsbury

  2

  668

  670

  Leeds Western

  308

  3,162

  3,470

  Leeds Eastern

  659

  3,724

  4,383

  Wakefield

  119

  1,788

  1,907

  Pontefract

  7

  1,542

  1,549

  Barnsley

  60

  2,346

  2,406

  Doncaster

  489

  2,942

  3,431

  Rotherham

  23

  2,675

  2,698

  Sheffield

  992

  10,345

  11,337

  1983

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  55

  6,973

  7,028

  East Yorkshire

  0

  1,588

  1,588

  Grimsby

  19

  2,467

  2,486

  Scunthorpe

  44

  5,125

  5,169

  Northallerton

  0

  677

  677

  York

  2

  3,249

  3,251

  Scarborough

  16

  1,988

  2,004

  Harrogate

  6

  1,222

  1,228

  Bradford

  110

  5,677

  5,787

  Airedale

  196

  1,606

  1,802

  Calderdale

  6

  1,209

  1,215

  Huddersfield

  4

  2,862

  2,866

  Dewsbury

  12

  1,127

  1,139

  Leeds Western

  452

  3,875

  4,327

  LeedsEastern

  855

  5,022

  5,877

  Wakefield

  55

  3,353

  3,408

  Pontefract

  64

  2,183

  2,247

  Barnsley

  102

  3,580

  3,682

  Doncaster

  533

  5,221

  5,754

  Rotherham

  168

  3,972

  4,140

  Sheffield

  1,391

  12,237

  13,628

  1984

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  78

  6,228

  6,306

  East Yorkshire

  1

  1,307

  1,308

  Grimsby

  29

  1,797

  1,826

  Scunthorpe

  12

  4,843

  4,855

  Northallerton

  0

  644

  644

  York

  7

  2,713

  2,720

  Scarborough

  21

  2,061

  2,082

  Harrogate

  0

  1,146

  1,146

  Bradford

  206

  5,340

  5,546

  Airedale

  155

  2,108

  2,263

  Calderdale

  7

  1,237

  1,244

  Huddersfield

  1

  2,585

  2,586

  Dewsbury

  4

  904

  908

  Leeds Western

  428

  3,728

  4,156

  Leeds Eastern

  615

  4,535

  5,150

  Wakefield

  20

  2,601

  2,621

  465

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Pontefract

  30

  1,972

  2,002

  Barnsley

  64

  2,813

  2,877

  Doncaster

  376

  4,475

  4,851

  Rotherham

  64

  4,174

  4,238

  Sheffield

  1,327

  10,777

  12.104

  1985

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  2

  7,079

  7,081

  East Yorkshire

  0

  1,268

  1,268

  Grimsby

  46

  1,491

  1,537

  Scunthorpe

  12

  4,120

  4,132

  Northallerton

  0

  559

  559

  York

  4

  2,751

  2,755

  Scarborough

  29

  1,749

  1,778

  Harrogate

  5

  1,292

  1,297

  Bradford

  141

  5,231

  5,372

  Airedale

  98

  2,263

  2,361

  Calderdale

  10

  1,232

  1,242

  Huddersfield

  0

  2,770

  2,770

  Dewsbury

  8

  798

  806

  Leeds Western

  633

  3,406

  4,039

  Leeds Eastern

  531

  4,628

  5,159

  Wakefield

  16

  1,934

  1,950

  Pontefract

  399

  1,802

  2,201

  Barnsley

  23

  2,032

  2,055

  Doncaster

  337

  4,713

  5,050

  Rotherham

  78

  3,903

  3,981

  Sheffield

  1,120

  10,137

  11,257

  1986

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  0

  6,615

  6,615

  East Yorkshire

  0

  1,101

  1,101

  Grimsby

  8

  1,237

  1,245

  Scunthorpe

  0

  2,030

  2,030

  Northallerton

  0

  419

  419

  York

  9

  2,656

  2,665

  Scarborough

  43

  1,541

  1,584

  Harrogate

  35

  1,604

  1,639

  Braford

  181

  6,103

  6,284

  Airedale

  101

  2,537

  2,638

  Calderdale

  1

  985

  986

  Huddersfield

  0

  2,697

  2,697

  Dewsbury

  4

  652

  656

  Leeds Western

  555

  3,650

  4,205

  Leeds Eastern

  595

  4,939

  5,534

  Wakefield

  39

  2,122

  2,161

  Pontefract

  508

  1,671

  2,179

  Barnsley

  90

  2,358

  2,448

  Doncaster

  401

  4,172

  4,573

  Rotherham

  113

  4,060

  4,173

  Sheffield

  1,112

  10,300

  11,412

  1987

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  0

  6,908

  6,908

  East Yorkshire

  0

  1,410

  1,410

  Grimsby

  27

  1,373

  1,400

  Scunthorpe

  0

  2,832

  2,832

  Northallerton

  0

  676

  676

  York

  11

  2,522

  2,533

  Scarborough

  83

  1,621

  1,704

  Harrogate

  30

  1,827

  1,857

  Bradford

  146

  6,925

  7,071

  Airedale

  73

  1,990

  2,063

  Calderdale

  5

  991

  996

  Huddersfield

  0

  2,175

  2,175

  Dewsbury

  2

  427

  429

  466

  District Health Authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Leeds Western

  343

  3,989

  4,332

  Leeds Eastern

  445

  5,523

  5,968

  Wakefield

  47

  2,131

  2,178

  Pontefract

  311

  1,768

  2,079

  Barnsley

  4—

  4—

  2,584

  Doncaster

  4—

  4—

  4,625

  Rotherham

  4—

  4—

  4,435

  Sheffield

  4—

  4—

  10,146

  19883

  District Health authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  4

  4

  7,357

  East Yorkshire

  4

  4

  1,833

  Grimsby

  4

  4

  1,032

  Scunthorpe

  4

  4

  2,875

  Northallerton

  4

  4

  686

  York

  4

  4

  2,734

  Scarborough

  4

  4

  2,099

  Harrogate

  4

  4

  1,332

  Bradford

  4

  4

  6,294

  Airedale

  4

  4

  2,223

  Calderdale

  4

  4

  1,086

  Huddersfield

  4

  4

  1,793

  Dewsbury

  4

  4

  571

  Leeds Western

  4

  4

  5,300

  Leeds Eastern

  4

  4

  6,644

  Wakefield

  4

  4

  2,282

  Pontefract

  4

  4

  1,701

  Barnsley

  4

  4

  2,382

  Doncaster

  4

  4

  4,452

  Rotherham

  4

  4

  3,087

  Sheffield

  4

  4

  9,713

  19893

  District Health authority

  Urgent

  Non-urgent

  Total

  Hull

  4

  4

  6,867

  East Yorkshire

  4

  4

  1,579

  Grimsby

  4

  4

  1,746

  Scunthorpe

  4

  4

  2,881

  Northallerton

  4

  4

  663

  York

  4

  4

  2,498

  Scarborough

  4

  4

  2,076

  Harrogate

  4

  4

  1,901

  Bradford

  4

  4

  6,734

  Airedale

  4

  4

  2,452

  Calderdale

  4

  4

  1,053

  Huddersfield

  4

  4

  2,215

  Dewsbury

  4

  4

  781

  Leeds Western

  4

  4

  5,644

  Leeds Eastern

  4

  4

  6,333

  Wakefield

  4

  4

  2,045

  Pontefract

  4

  4

  2,056

  Barnsley

  4

  4

  2,492

  Doncaster

  4

  4

  3,924

  Rotherhama

  4

  4

  3,350

  Sheffield

  4

  4

  9,895

  1 General surgery, Urology, T & O, ENT, Ophthalmology, Oral surgery, Restorative dentistry, Paediatric dentistry, Orthodontics, Neurosurgery, Plastic surgery, Cardiothoracic surgery, Paediatric surgery Gynaecology, Radiotherapy.

  2 Data are not available, due to NHS restructuring in 1982.

  3 Less self deferred cases.

  4 Data are not available.

  Project 2000
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what incentives are being offered to nurses to remain in the nursing profession, in the light of Project 2000; and if he will a statement.
  467
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Our aim is to ensure the Health Service's ability to recruit and retain the staff it needs. We have increased the pay of nursing staff by an average of 43 per cent. in real terms since 1979. The new grading structures for clinical and educational staff allow nurses to be better rewarded for the work they do and provide improved career prospects. The current pilot scheme of flexible pay supplements for nursing and midwifery staff is intended to improve retention and re-entry rates in areas where there are special difficulties. There is also an increased emphasis on the importance of providing flexible working arrangements and improved facilities for re-entry after breaks in service, on which the national steering group on equal opportunities for women in the NHS has published advice.

  Community Care
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that users of community care services are formally consulted when local authorities are drawing up their plans for community care; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  We will be issuing guidance to local authorities on community care plans. This will reinforce our intention, set out in the White Paper "Caring for People", that local authorities should consult representatives of users of services and their carers in drawing up plans.

  Salmonella
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the sources of his information regarding the number of incidents of salmonella enteritidis-induced food poisoning reported during the first six months of the current year.

  Mr. Freeman
  The sources of information this year (which is less than three months old) are the same as in past years, and are detailed in annex 1 of the public health laboratory service's evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee on Agriculture in October 1988.

  The sources of information for the routine surveillance of human salmonellosis in England and Wales include:

  (i.) reports of human isolates to the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre (CDSC) from public health and other laboratories;

  (i.) referrals of human isolates of salmonellas for detailed identification to the PHLS division of enteric pathogens from public health and other laboratories;

  (iii.) laboratory reports of outbreaks to CDSC;

  (iv.) local authority reports of outbreaks to CDSC;

  (v.) outbreaks ascertained by CDSC by other means and verified.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his assessment of the future trend in outbreaks of food poisoning through the consumption of eggs infected by salmonella enteritidis.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is impossible to predict trends in outbreaks of salmonellosis with any degree of certainty. Early indications, however, from data from the PHLS division of enteric pathogens indicate that the levelling off in total salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 isolates seen last year has been maintained in the early part of this year. There is room for cautious optimism that this trend will continue.

  Cotaract Operations
  Mrs. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average length of the waiting list for cataract operations throughout the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information about specific conditions and proposed method of treatment of patients on hospital waiting lists is not collected centrally. On 31 March 1989 the average length of lists for patients awaiting admission for treatment by a consultant ophthalmologist in district health authorities in England was 491. The individual lists, which varied from one in Kettering to over 3,000 in central Manchester, are influenced by the nature of local and neighbouring facilities, the size of the population being served, and the number of consultants providing the service.

  Child Abuse Allegations
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider financial assistance to the organisation called Parents Against Injustice which seeks to help those parents who have been falsely accused of abusing their children.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Department has contributed to the organisation's headquarters administrative expenses each year since 1987. In the current financial year the contribution totalled £24,000. I have agreed to meet representatives of the organisation.

  Dental Health
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the dental experts who were involved in the COMA panel's report on sugars.

  Mr. Freeman
  The members of the committee on medical aspects of food policy's panel on dietary sugars are listed in the report. The dental member was Professor A. J. Rugg-Gunn of the departments of child dental health and oral biology at the dental school of the university of Newcastle upon Tyne.

  A number of submissions on dental and other aspects of health were received and considered by the panel. These are also listed in the report, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the change in the occurrence of dental cavities in the teeth of five-year-old children over the last 10 years for which figures are available.

  Mr. Freeman
  Surveys of children's dental health are carried out at 10-yearly intervals by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys on behalf of the health departments. The last survey which was conducted in 1983 showed that the proportion of five-year-olds in England and Wales with dental decay experience fell from 72 per cent. in 1973 to 49 per cent. The average number of teeth estimated to have had some decay, allowing for the condition of missing deciduous teeth, was 4·0 in 1973 dropping to 1·8 in 1983.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy when considering the findings of the COMA panel report on sugars relating to the reduction of dental caries to assess the findings of the
  469
  United States Food and Drugs Administration in 1986, the British Nutrition Foundation in 1987, and the European congress on diet, nutrition and dental caries held in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The panel on dietary sugars of the committee on medical aspects of food policy (COMA) took account of these, and other, reports in coming to its conclusions. The COMA report is, we believe, the definitive statement on present knowledge of the relationship between dietary sugars and health.

  The COMA report on dietary sugars and human disease was published by HMSO on 12 December 1989. Copies are in the Library.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any official medical report concerning the incidence of dental caries has distinguished between natural sugars and added sugars in terms of their effects on dental health.

  Mr. Freeman
  The report on dietary sugars and human disease produced by the committee on medical aspects of food policy included the relationship between sugar and dental caries. It distinguished between sugars naturally integrated into the cellular structure of a food (intrinsic) from those, whether natural or added, which are free in the food (extrinsic).

  It argued that this distinction was more logical and comprehensive than distinctions such as that between "added" and "natural" sugars. It noted (para. 2.6) that
  "this difference in physical location influenced [the sugars] availability for bacterial metabolism in the mouth …"
  and concluded that
  "if the prevalence of dental caries in the UK is to be reduced further it will be necessary to reduce the amount and frequency of consumption of non-milk extrinsic sugars"
  (para. 6.13).

  We are not aware of any other official report which has made a distinction between "natural" and "added" sugars.

  Visitors (National Health Service Treatment)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visitors from overseas were treated by the National Health Service in each year since 1980; and what was the cost.

  Mr. Freeman
  We do not hold information centrally on the number of overseas visitors treated by the National Health Service or the cost of their treatment. Such visitors are normally charged for hospital treatment unless they are from a country with which we have a reciprocal agreement.

  Health Authorities, Yorkshire
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is hospital expenditure per head for each of the regional health authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside for each of the last 10 years;

  (2) if he will give the figures for hospital expenditure per head of population for each Yorkshire and Humberside health authority for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Freeman
  Figures of revenue expenditure per head of population on hospital services (HS) and on hospital and community health services (HCHS) for the district health authorities providing health services in Yorkshire 470
  and Humberside are shown in the table for the years since the establishment of those authorities on 1 April 1982. I should point out that the table includes all the district health authorities comprising the Yorkshire health region with the addition of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield health authorities which form part of the Trent health region.

  Total revenue expenditure per resident for hospital services (HS) and hospital and community health services (HCHS)

  1982–1983

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  126

  160

  East Yorkshire

  149

  171

  Grimsby

  107

  126

  Scunthorpe

  84

  102

  Northallerton

  68

  97

  York

  146

  184

  Scarborough

  91

  110

  Harrogate

  137

  154

  Bradford

  136

  159

  Airedale

  119

  139

  Calderdale

  113

  136

  Huddersfield

  142

  170

  Dewsbury

  98

  118

  Leeds Western

  171

  184

  Leeds Eastern

  156

  184

  Wakefield

  228

  259

  Pontefract

  98

  118

  Barnsley

  98

  120

  Doncaster

  114

  133

  Rotherham

  89

  109

  Sheffield

  200

  224

  1983–1984

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  134

  171

  East Yorkshire

  157

  181

  Grimsby

  121

  142

  Scunthorpe

  90

  109

  Northallerton

  73

  105

  York

  144

  183

  Scarborough

  97

  117

  Harrogate

  151

  170

  Bradford

  143

  167

  Airedale

  124

  147

  Calderdale

  119

  144

  Huddersfield

  146

  176

  Dewsbury

  103

  123

  Leeds Western

  184

  204

  Leeds Eastern

  167

  192

  Wakefield

  236

  273

  Pontefract

  107

  126

  Barnsley

  105

  127

  Doncaster

  120

  141

  Rotherham

  95

  117

  Sheffield

  216

  241

  1984–1985

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  144

  184

  East Yorkshire

  161

  187

  Grimsby

  129

  152

  Scunthorpe

  98

  119

  Northallerton

  77

  111

  York

  150

  191

  Scarborough

  104

  127

  Harrogate

  156

  178

  Bradford

  149

  176

  Airedale

  132

  155

  Calderdale

  125

  152

  Huddersfield

  154

  184

  471

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Dewsbury

  107

  130

  Leeds Western

  196

  218

  Leeds Eastern

  176

  205

  Wakefield

  258

  293

  Pontefract

  111

  135

  Barnsley

  113

  138

  Doncaster

  127

  150

  Rotherhara

  103

  126

  Sheffield

  229

  256

  1985–86

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  152

  193

  East Yorkshire

  165

  193

  Grimsby

  152

  176

  Scunthorpe

  107

  130

  Northallerton

  80

  116

  York

  154

  198

  Scarborough

  111

  138

  Harrogate

  161

  184

  Bradford

  154

  182

  Airedale

  145

  170

  Calderdale

  133

  161

  Huddersfield

  163

  195

  Dewsbury

  114

  139

  Leeds Western

  208

  232

  Leeds Eastern

  190

  220

  Wakefield

  270

  307

  Pontefract

  119

  145

  Barnsley

  120

  146

  Doncaster

  133

  157

  Rotherham

  112

  136

  Sheffield

  243

  271

  1986–87

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  164

  210

  East Yorkshire

  168

  198

  Grimsby

  165

  194

  Scunthorpe

  110

  135

  Northallerton

  86

  125

  York

  163

  211

  Scarborough

  122

  151

  Harrogate

  171

  196

  Bradford

  165

  195

  Airedale

  152

  177

  Calderdale

  140

  173

  Huddersfield

  171

  206

  Dewsbury

  121

  149

  Leeds Western

  222

  247

  Leeds Eastern

  206

  237

  Wakefield

  282

  321

  Pontefract

  129

  159

  Barnsley

  134

  162

  Doncaster

  145

  174

  Rotherham

  124

  152

  Sheffield

  262

  294

  1987–88

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  178

  236

  East Yorkshire

  175

  212

  Grimsby

  172

  207

  Scunthorpe

  120

  151

  Northallerton

  94

  139

  York

  167

  225

  Scarborough

  129

  167

  Harrogate

  178

  211

  Bradford

  175

  214

  Airedale

  158

  191

  472

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Calderdale

  149

  187

  Huddersfield

  181

  224

  Dewsbury

  125

  162

  Leeds Western

  246

  275

  Leeds Eastern

  218

  263

  Wakefield

  297

  339

  Pontefract

  135

  172

  Barnsley

  141

  178

  Doncaster

  155

  191

  Rotherham

  137

  170

  Sheffield

  273

  322

  1988–1989

  £ cash

  District health authorities

  HS

  HCHS

  Hull

  198

  265

  East Yorkshire

  181

  223

  Grimsby

  186

  227

  Scunthorpe

  134

  171

  Northallerton

  99

  145

  York

  179

  242

  Scarborough

  143

  185

  Harrogate

  190

  230

  Bradford

  191

  237

  Airedale

  167

  209

  Calderdale

  163

  208

  Huddersfield

  197

  248

  Dewsbury

  138

  181

  Leeds Western

  260

  301

  Leeds Eastern

  252

  301

  Wakefield

  317

  368

  Pontefract

  141

  187

  Barnsley

  158

  199

  Doncaster

  170

  215

  Rotherham

  151

  188

  Sheffield

  307

  357

  Sources:

  (a) Annual accounts of the named health authorities.

  (b) Mid-year estimates of resident populations 1982 to 1988 (Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys).

  Notes:

  1. Hospital and community health services (HCHS) covers total expenditure including that on hospital, community health and where applicable patient transport (i.e. ambulance), blood transfusion and other services. District capital expenditure and expenditure on family practitioner services is excluded.

  2. The table also excludes all revenue and capital expenditure incurred by the Yorkshire and Trent regional health authorities on behalf of their regions as a whole. Such revenue expenditure on health and community health services was equivalent to about £7 and 14 per head for the Yorkshire and Trent regions respectively in 1988–89.

  3. Significant variations in expenditure figures per head of population at district level arise principally because:

  (i) people travel across district boundaries for treatment and sub-regional resource allocations reflect the pattern of service provision locally;

  (ii) the population figures used make no allowance for people resident in one district who receive treatment in another or for the differences in morbidity and age/sex structure of particular populations.

  Self-governing Hospital Trusts
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the amount of money allocated for assisting self-governing hospital trusts for 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The total available in 1990–91 for NHS review-related initiatives is just over £300 million. So far no resources have been allocated to regions specifically for work on NHS trusts.

  Personal Social Services
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the last 10 years(a) the gross sum for expenditure on the personal social services in England assumed in the rate support grant settlement and (b) the actual outturn; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The table sets out details of the provision in the rate support grant settlement and actual expenditure on the personal social services in England for the period 1981–82 to 1989–90. Comparable figures for the rate support grant provision are not readily available for earlier years. The outturn figure for 1989–90 is based on local authority budget estimates.

  £ million

  Provision

  Outturn

  1981–82

  1,551

  1,616

  1982–83

  1,857

  1,967

  1983–84

  2,017

  2,132

  1984–85

  2,156

  2,271

  1985–86

  2,328

  2,361

  1986–87

  2,521

  2,628

  1987–88

  2,843

  2,964

  1988–89

  3,031

  3,264

  1989–90

  3,336

  3,603

  It is of course the responsibility of each local authority to determine its own spending priorities, in the light of legislative requirements and of its own knowledge of local needs, within the overall resources available.

  Hepatitis B
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities actively offer vaccination against hepatitis B for those identified as belonging to high risk groups.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to include refuse collectors among the high risk groups for whom vaccination against the hepatitis B virus is recommended.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is not our intention to do so.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has issued to sexually transmitted diseases clinics regarding vaccination of patients and staff against the hepatitis B virus.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department has issued the following advice on hepatitis B vaccination to health authorities whose responsibilities include genito-urinary medicine clinics:

  (i) Chief Medical Officer's letter 1982—CM0(82)13;

  (ii) Executive letter 1988—EL(88)P/125.

  Advice on hepatitis B and other vaccinations is also contained in the memorandum "Immunisation against Infectious Disease" which is prepared for the health departments by the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI). It is issued free to all doctors, including consultants in charge of GUM clinics.

  The Health Education Authority publishes a booklet "Guide to A Healthy Sex Life" which includes information on hepatitis B vaccination. The authority is reviewing this and other publications on sexually transmitted diseases.
  474
  Copies of all these documents are available in the Library.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with organisations representing medical staff regarding the risks of contracting the hepatitis B virus and the availability of vaccination.

  Mr. Freeman
  No such discussions have been held.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the number of drug addicts who have been vaccinated against the hepatitis B virus.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the prevalence of the practice of offering the hepatitis B vaccine after an incident in which the patient may have contracted the virus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Reports on needlestick or other injuries where hepatitis immunoglobulin has been given are collated by the PHLS communicable disease surveillance centre. The reports for 1989 (provisional data) show that hepatitis B vaccination was recommended in 62 per cent., not recommended in 11 per cent. and in 27 per cent. this information was not recorded on the reporting form.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has regarding incidents in which refuse collectors have been tested for infection by the hepatitis B virus after being wounded by discarded needles in refuse.

  Mr. Freeman
  This information is not held centrally.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that drug addicts dispose of used needles in a safe manner.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department of Health has made over £14 million available to health authorities in 1989–90 to enable drug services to expand and develop in such a way as to make contact with more drug misusers in order to offer help and advice on safer behaviour.

  Money from this allocation is used to fund exchange schemes, which encourage drug misusers to return their used equipment when obtaining sterile needles and syringes. There are about 120 such schemes in England.

  In addition, we are monitoring arrangements in Scotland whereby drug misusers are provided with personal sharps containers for the return of used equipment to a safe disposal facility. Some English drug services are also issuing personal containers. We know of some other experimental disposal facilities such as "hole in the wall" sharps boxes, deliberately located in areas where needles and syringes are discarded.

  Cardiothoracic Surgery
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to provide a substantive reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Fylde for priority written answer on 6 March about specialist units carrying out cardiothoracic surgery.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I gave my hon. Friend a substantive reply to his question on 16 March 1990.

  Prescribing Analyses and Costs
  Mr. Michael Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) why there has been no dispensing information level I from PACT since September 1989;

  (2) why there has been no prescribing information level 1 from PACT since September 1989.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Level 1 PACT reports are issued on a quarterly cycle to all prescribing and dispensing general practitioners. Reports have been issued on time since September 1989 to all FPCs and GPs.

  Drug Costs
  Mr. Norman Hogg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those drugs which on an average doctor's prescription cost less than the prescription charge.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A list setting out those preparations which had an average net ingredient cost per prescription of less than the prescription charge in 1988—the latest year for which figures are available—has been placed in the Library. The list shows preparations in an abbreviated form, but has an explanatory list of abbreviations attached. It is possible to produce a list containing the full names of preparations only at disproportionate cost.

  The list contains 2,323 preparations—less than one third of the 7,124 different preparations dispensed by pharmacies and appliance contractors in that year. The net ingredient cost does not represent the full cost to the NHS of dispensing a prescription, this being made up, when prescriptions are dispensed by pharmacies, of the net ingredient cost, less discount, plus dispensing fees, on-cost and container allowance. Because of the extensive exemption arrangements, over 75 per cent. of prescriptions are dispensed free.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to the National Health Service, for the latest year for which figures are available, of all road accidents.

  Mr. Freeman
  Data on the actual cost to the National Health Service in England of road accidents is not collected by the Department. However, the Department of Transport has estimated the medical and ambulance costs associated with the treatment of road accident victims in Great Britain at around £160 million in 1988.

  Newton Lodge Secure Unit
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether, in view of the absconding of a patient on the evening of 11 March from the Newton Lodge secure unit, he will initiate an inquiry into security at Newton Lodge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a local matter for the health authority concerned. I have written to Sir Bryan Askew, chairman of Yorkshire regional health authority, to alert him that the hon. Member may contact him.

  Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985
  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions have been undertaken under the Surrogacy Arrangements Act for negotiating commercial arrangements contrary to section 2.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None.

  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what records and information he has of the surrogacy arrangements reached between interested parties.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  None.

  Sir Trevor Skeet
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Her Majesty's Government propose any amending legislation to the Surrogacy Arrangements Act 1985; and whether he is prepared to put into regulations the ethical guidelines issued by the British Medical Association.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill currently before Parliament contains an amendment to the Surrogacy (Arrangements) Act 1985 to make surrogacy contracts unenforceable, an issue referred to in the ethical guidelines recently issued by the British Medical Association. Matters of this kind are generally best left to codes of practice such as that which clause 25 of the Bill will require the new authority to prepare.

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies he has commissioned into the relative energy conservation merits of(a) pre-world war one, (b) inter-war, (c) post-war and (d) new hospital buildings; what further studies he will commission into this subject; and if he will publish any available information or figures.

  Mr. Freeman
  The monitoring of energy efficiency in NHS hospitals in England and Wales is a continuous process. The data produced by the NHS does not distinguish between the variety of buildings within the estate.

  Studies in England have majored on the development of low energy hospital buildings with the object of minimising energy consumption. The results of these studies are being used to promote energy efficiency in all new buildings and where appropriate in existing buildings. In 1985 the Welsh Office assumed responsibility for energy matters in Wales.

  >Dentists
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement outlining the guarantees which dentists are required to provide to patients on National Health Service work; and if he will further state any conclusions from these responsibilities in respect of dentures.

  Mr. Freeman
  If after investigation by its dental services committee a family practitioner committee considers that a dentist has acted in breach of his terms of service, it may recommend the recovery from the dentist of any expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred by the patient as a result of the dentist's failure, and pay such sum to the patient.
  477
  Any complaint relating solely to the fit and efficiency of a denture may be considered by a denture conciliation committee set up by the FPC. This committee may eventually recommend that the contribution made by the patient to the cost of the denture should be repaid, either wholly or in part, where expenses have been incurred in obtaining dentures from another dentist.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had recently with the British Dental Association and the Dental Laboratories Association in relation to dentures and denturism; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  We have not had any recent discussions with the British Dental Association or the Dental Laboratories Association about the provision of dentures or denturism, nor have we been requested to do so.

  Junior Hospital Doctors
  Mr. Wareing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what currently are the hours of work of junior hospital doctors in each regional health authority area in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 12 March 1990]: The information is not readily available in the form requested and I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 8 February at column 770. I shall be meeting representatives of the Joint Consultants Committee, the British Medical Association and NHS management before Easter to consider how to take this important issue forward.

  Neuroblastoma
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe,Official Report, 12 December 1989, column 631, what is his estimate of the cost of producing the requested information on the number of deaths from neuroblastoma.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 14 March 1990]: Approximately £1,600. National mortality statistics do not routinely identify neuroblastoma as a cause of death, and this figure represents the estimated staff cost of identifying and extracting this information from the death certificates of all children who have died from cancer.

  DHA Chairmen
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library for each chairman of each district health authority, including new appointments, the curriculum vitae and relevant qualifications submitted in relation to their appointment.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: District health authority chairmen are appointed on the basis of their personal qualities and experience. We do not look for any specific qualifications. We look for people of ability with the knowledge and drive to provide leadership to the officers of their authority. They must also hold a deep commitment to the NHS. The chairmen's curricula vitae are submitted to us in confidence.

ENVIRONMENT

  Crown Suppliers
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for the Environment what is the estimated value of the work the Property Services Agency and the Ministry of Defence have guaranteed to award TCS over the next three years.

  Mr. Chope
  Neither Department has given any guarantees to the Crown Suppliers in relation to future purchases from it of supplies, although PSA is discussing with the Crown Suppliers a commercial agreement which would involve PSA undertaking to buy routine furniture and furnishings for PSA's own offices subject to the requirements of the EC and GATT rules and to PSA's continuing satisfaction on service and prices. The estimated value of such an undertaking is estimated to be £1 million in each of the years 1990–91, 1991–92 a nd 1992–93. The Ministry of Defence's plans are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the Property Services Agency and the Ministry of Defence were asked to guarantee TCS work.

  Mr. Chope
  The Property Services Agency and the Ministry of Defence were not asked to guarantee TCS work. They are each discussing commercial agreements with the Crown Suppliers because agreements were considered likely to be to the mutual advantage of the parties involved.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state the expenditure of the Dorset county council and Bournemouth borough council for 1989–90 and 1990–91; what the domestic rate poundage and average rate for the Bournemouth ratepayer was for 1989–90 and what it would have been for 1990–91; what the community charge for Bournemouth would have been for 1989–90 and what it is for 1990–91; and if he will make a statement on the outcome taking account of the revenue support grant for both authorities.

  Mr. Chope
  Paragraphs 3.1(i) to (v) of the Revenue Support Grant Transition Report (England) explain the calculation made of the amount of income received by each local authority in 1989–90 comparable with 1990–91 levels. The calculation produces a 1989–90 income of £257·3 million for Dorset county council and £15·6 million for Bournemouth borough council.

  In 1989–90 the average domestic rate poundage in Bournemouth was 219·5p, producing an average domestic rate bill before any allowance for rebates—of £480.

  Illustrative 1989–90 community charges were published in July 1989 and showed a figure of £234 in Bournemouth, after taking account of the transitional arrangements.

  Information for 1990–91 based on returns received from local authorities will be placed in the Library shortly.

  It is our intention, when community charges are finally set, to say what the increase would have been in domestic rates had that taken the place of the community charge.

  Mr. Robert B. Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will set out a table
  479
  showing for Hertfordshire county council (a) the budget for net expenditure for 1989–90, (b) the budget for net expenditure for 1990–91, (c) the increase in net expenditure between 1989–90 and 1990–91, (d) the net addition to balances budgeted for 1990–91 and (e) the percentage rate increase that would have occurred had the domestic rating system still been in place and no change in domestic rateable value occurred;

  (2) whether he will set out a table showing (1) for Durham county council and (2) for Darlington borough council (a) the budget for net expenditure for 1989–90, (b), the budget for net expenditure for 1990–91, (c) the increase in net expenditure between 1989–90 and 1990–91,(d) the net addition to balances budgeted for 1990–91 and (e) the percentage rate increase that would have occurred had the domestic rating system still been in place and no change in domestic rateable value occurred;

  Mr. Chope
  Net current expenditure in 1989–90 for these authorities is as follows:

  Net current expenditure 1989–90

  £ million

  Hertfordshire county council

  498·786

  Durham county council

  313·538

  Darlington borough council

  8·847

  Budgeted net current expenditure and budgeted net additions to balances in 1990–91 are not yet available. It is our intention when community charges are finally set to say what the increases would have been if domestic rates had taken the place of the community charge.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for Lancashire the estimated percentage of the adult population, including spouses, now paying rates, the percentage expected to be chargeable to the poll tax and the number expected to contribute the same as or less than at present.

  £/adult

  Safety net receipt

  Low rateable values area grant

  Cash change GRE to SSA

  Business rate income

  (a)

  (b)

  (c)

  (d)

  Beverley

  —

  —

  6

  293

  Boothferry

  70

  17

  25

  293

  Cleethorpes

  46

  —

  -1

  293

  Glanford

  23

  —

  17

  293

  Great Grimsby

  46

  —

  -5

  293

  Holderness

  33

  —

  14

  293

  Kingston upon Hull

  74

  25

  -6

  293

  East Yorkshire

  67

  11

  12

  293

  Scunthorpe

  65

  —

  -2

  293

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each district authority the amount taken out of reserves by that authority and, where relevant, the county authority and per capita effect on the poll tax in that authority area.

  Mr. Chope
  I intend to place a summary of the information returned from local authorities in the Library of the House after information has been received from all authorities.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the estimated total amount
  480
  Mr. Chope
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations he has received about the replacement of the community charge with a system of raising local government finance based on a local income tax.

  Mr. Chope
  I continue to receive representations on a wide range of issues relating to the abolition of domestic rates.

  Mr. Hayward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the 10 London boroughs with the largest per capita overspend against his Department's standard spending assessment; and if he will indicate that overspend;

  (2) if he will list the 10 metropolitan boroughs with the largest per capita overspending against his Department's standard spending assessment; and if he will indicate that overspend;

  (3) if he will list the 10 shire counties with the largest per capita overspend against his Department's standard spending assessment; and if he will indicate that overspend.

  Mr. Chope
  I intend to place a summary of the information returned from local authorities in the Library of the House after information has been received from all authorities.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each district authority of Humberside(a) the safety net figure, (b) the low rateable value allowance, (c) the increase or decrease of standard spending assessment and grant-related expenditure and (d) the loss or gain from unified business rate, all on a per capita basis.

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

  of local government spending per head (a) for 1989–90 and (b) 1990–91 for each of the counties of Somerset, Devon and Dorset, each of the London boroughs of Lambeth, Camden, Islington, Wandsworth and Westminster and each of the metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Bradford, Manchester and Sheffield.

  Mr. Chope
  Following is the available information. I intend to place a summary of the information on 1990–91 budgets in the Library of the House when information has been received from all authorities.
  481

  Net current expenditure

  1989–90

  Per head1

  £

  Somerset

  508

  Devon

  473

  Dorset

  427

  Lambeth

  564

  Camden

  495

  Islington

  501

  Wandsworth

  432

  Westminster

  631

  Birmingham

  583

  Bradford

  632

  Manchester

  704

  Sheffield

  563

  1 Using Office of Population Censuses and Surveys mid-year estimates of total population to derive per capita values.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he anticipates informing local authorities of his definition of mentally impaired for the purposes of community charge rebates.

  Mr. Chope
  People who are severely mentally impaired are exempt from the personal community charge providing they are in receipt of one of a number of qualifying benefits and a certificate from a registered medical practitioner, stating that for the purposes of the community charge they are severely mentally impaired.

  The Personal Community Charge (Exemption for the Severely Mentally Impaired) Order 1990 was made on 6 March. The order amends the qualifying benefits and the definition of severely mentally impaired, in order to bring in such people as those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. Copies have been sent to charging authorities and placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

  People who are exempt from the personal community charge do not need to claim community charge benefit.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department expects to inform local authorities which 19-year-olds are on appropriately defined full-time courses for the purposes of entitlement to community charge rebates.

  Mr. Chope
  My Department wrote to all charging authorities on 16 November 1989 explaining the range of courses it intends to define in regulations, for the purposes of extending exemption from the personal community charge to certain people under the age of 20 who are in full-time further but not higher education. A copy of the letter is in the Library of the House of Commons. Regulations will come into force by 1 April 1990.

  People who are exempt from the personal community charge do not need to claim community charge benefit.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of(a) the national sum to be collected from ministers of religion and their immediate families in respect of the community charge and (b) by how much this is likely to differ from receipts by local authorities from rating demands on them or on church bodies responsible for their accommodation.

  Mr. Chope
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each district authority 482
  in England (a) the increase or decrease in Government assessment of spending levels, standard spending assessment against grant-related expenditure, for that authority and each authority contributing to the poll tax total, (b) his estimate of the number of households qualifying for transitional relief and (c) the safety net figure for that authority.

  Mr. Chope
  I have today placed in the Library a table showing the available information. In calculating the change between adjusted grant-related expenditure and standard spending assessment at column(a), the grant-related expenditures and standard spending assessments of precepting authorities have been allocated between their constituent authorities in proportion to relevant population. I have no estimates of numbers qualifying for transitional relief in individual authorities.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assumptions he made in setting his estimate of the community charge about the size of the standard charge for second homes.

  Mr. Chope
  In calculating the community charge for standard spending of £278, my right hon. Friend has made no assumption about the standard charge.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, with reference to paragraph 3.29 of his Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England), what effect the choice of the figure of(a) £7·11 and (b) £1·37 has on (i) the level of the standard spending assessment for Humberside and (ii) his estimate of the level of poll tax for Great Grimsby.

  Mr. Chope
  The figures referred to in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) contributed(a) £9 and (b) £5 per relevant adult to the standard spending assessment for Humberside. On (ii) I propose to place in the Library of the House a summary of the information returned on community charges for individual authorities, when this information has been received from all authorities.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, with reference to paragraph 3.32 of his Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England), what effect the choice of the figure of(a) £1,928·93 and (b) £13·05 has on (i) the level of the standard spending assessment for Humberside and (ii) his estimate of the level of poll tax for Great Grimsby.

  (b)Mr. Chope
  The figures referred to in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) contributed(a) £28 and (b) £2 per relevant adult to the standard spending assessment for Humberside. On (ii) I propose to place in the Library of the House a summary of the information returned on community charges for individual authorities, when this information has been received from all authorities.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the community charge which each county council would have set if it had been required to do so in respect of(a) a budget set according to his Department's guidelines and (b) the actual budget determined; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  County councils do not set community charges. Revenue support grant and business rates are
  483
  paid into the collection fund in each non-metropolitan area in support of the expenditure by both the county council and the district council. It is not possible to hypothecate these sums to county council or district council spending. As a result it is not possible to calculate hypothetical community charges for county councils.

  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many people in Coventry would be eligible for transitional protection on a poll tax of £394 per person; and if he will outline the methodology used to calculate the level of relief.

  Mr. Chope
  I have no information on the number of people in individual local authorities who are eligible for transitional relief. The basis for calculating the level of relief is set out in the practice note, "Community Charge: Transitional Relief Scheme for England". Copies of the practice note were placed in the Library when it was published in December 1989.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision on the arrangements for reimbursing local authorities for the costs of the community charge transitional relief scheme.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Local authorities will be reimbursed in full for the estimated £810 million which they would forgo in community charge income as a result of abating personal community charges for some 7·5 million charge payers over the next three years. Authorities will also be reimbursed for their reasonable costs incurred in preparing for and administering the scheme.

  Following a study of these costs by KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock, management consultants, I announced proposals for these costs on 15 February. Following consultation with the local authority associations, I have decided to make the following arrangements.

  Authorities' preparation costs for the scheme, largely for computer software, will be reimbursed in full on the basis of the actual expenditure incurred as confirmed by the authority's auditor. I estimate preparation costs to be about £7 million in total.

  The general administrative costs which authorities will incur as a consequence of the scheme, in particular dealing with inquiries, will be reimbursed by a single flat rate payment of 27p per charge payer, with an allowance for higher costs in London. In inner London the rate will be 31p per charge payer and in outer London 30p per charge payer. The administrative costs grant will be about £9·5 million in total.

  Applications by elderly or disabled persons for extra relief will be reimbursed at a rate of £3 per application made, which includes both successful and unsuccessful applications. In inner London the rate will be £3·60 and in
  484
  outer London £3·45. Where an authority issues a second bill, which does not relate to a substitute charge, it will be reimbursed at a rate of 50p per bill for the cost of printing and postage.

  The total cost of this package of grant aid is about £21 million. I believe that it fulfils the Government's commitment to meet in full authorities' reasonable costs incurred in preparing for and administering the community charge transitional relief scheme.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much it would cost the Government to exempt all non-employed status YTS trainees with special training needs endorsements from paying the community charge.

  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the net cost of exempting all non-employed status YTS trainees with special training needs endorsements from paying the poll tax.

  Mr. David Hunt
  [holding answers 15 and 16 March 1990]: The gross cost of exempting all non-employed status YTS trainees with special training needs endorsements would be about £5·6 million. This assumes a total of 15,500 such trainees liable to pay the charge. The information is not available to give a net cost to the Government. Virtually all non-employed trainees, and a proportion of employed trainees, will be entitled to community charge benefit.

  Sports Clubs (Rating)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the representations made to him by cricket clubs and cricket organisations requesting zero rating of cricket clubs for the business rate; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given to the position of sports clubs with additional rating relief in relation to the effect of the proposed business rate; and what action he proposes to take in this matter.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations from cricket and other sports clubs requesting relief from rating.

  Charging authorities have discretion to grant up to 100 per cent. relief to sports clubs and certain other non-profit making organisations. Seventy-five per cent. of the cost of any relief given is borne by the national non-domestic rate pool. We have issued a practice note which gives charging authorities guidance on the criteria which they should take into account in the exercise of their powers.
  485
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what effect the new business rating system will have on the rate bills for sports facilities.

  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made an assessment of the effect of the new business rate upon sport and sports clubs; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Contrary to the impression given recently in the press, the great majority of sports facilities will attract lower rate bills in real terms as a result of the introduction of the uniform business rate and the non-domestic revaluation.

  There are 25,331 properties included in the category of sports grounds, sports stadia, playing fields and club houses in England in the draft rating lists deposited with charging authorities on 20 December. In 1990–91 average rate bills for these, including inflation but before transition, will increase by just 2·5 per cent. This is a fall of about 5 per cent. in real terms.

  Certain kinds of facilities, many provided primarily on a commercial basis, will attract larger rises. There are 3,272 properties in the category of golf courses, swimming pools and tennis courts. Average rate bills for these facilities will rise by 20·5 per cent. and those for leisure and sports centres, of which there are 2,015 properties, by 30 per cent., again including inflation but before transition.

  These figures take no account of rate relief: local authorities will continue to have discretion to grant up to 100 per cent. rate relief on property occupied by non-profit-making bodies. Seventy five per cent. of the cost of any relief given is borne by the national non-domestic rate pool. We have given authorities guidance on the criteria they should use in considering applications for relief.

  Local Authorities (Staffing)
  Mr. Riddick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out a table showing for each year since 1979(a) the full-time, (b) the part-time and (c) the total staffing levels of local authorities in England and Wales.

  Mr. Chope
  The information for England is listed in the table. For information on local authority staffing levels in Wales, I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Staffing levels of local authorities in England at June

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Total

  1979

  1,626,362

  886,231

  2,512,593

  1980

  1,609,073

  865,827

  2,474,900

  1981

  1,577,866

  843,090

  2,420,956

  1982

  1,551,960

  840,891

  2,392,851

  1983

  1,553,663

  851,785

  2,405,448

  1984

  1,551,240

  858,321

  2,409,561

  1985

  1,545,469

  873,824

  2,419,293

  1986

  1,544,874

  903,835

  2,448,709

  1987

  1,549,917

  940,601

  2,490,518

  1988

  1,548,059

  966,271

  2,514,330

  1989

  1,506,175

  947,471

  2,453,646

  Source: The Joint Staffing Watch for England.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the totals of staff in post, expressed as full-time equivalents, in each of the past five years to the latest date for which figures are available for 486
  Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Hereford and Worcestershire, Kent, Essex, Lincolnshire and Norfolk; and how many there were in each case per head of the population on the latest census estimates.

  Mr. Chope
  Information on full-time equivalents at individual authority level is not collected centrally, but local authorities are required to make this information available locally.

  County Councils (Staffing)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the total number of staff employed by each county council in 1981–82 and in 1989–90 or the latest year for which figures are available and the percentage change in the number employed between these dates.

  Mr. Chope
  The information requested is as follows:

  Authority

  Staff numbers

  Percentage Change

  June 1981

  June 1989

  Avon

  33,779

  33,642

  -0·4

  Bedfordshire

  20,107

  19,876

  -1·1

  Berkshire

  22,655

  23,136

  2·1

  Buckinghamshire

  20,540

  21,905

  6·6

  Cambridgeshire

  20,364

  22,295

  9·5

  Cheshire

  35,617

  36,720

  3·1

  Cleveland

  24,041

  26,424

  9·9

  Cornwall and Scilly

  13,621

  15,514

  13·9

  Cumbria

  18,192

  19,029

  4·6

  Derbyshire

  35,368

  43,186

  22·1

  Devon

  31,169

  32,494

  4·3

  Dorset

  17,777

  19,524

  9·8

  Durham

  23,488

  24,690

  5·1

  East Sussex

  22,065

  21,716

  -1·6

  Essex

  48,449

  53,085

  9·6

  Gloucestershire

  18,214

  18,380

  0·9

  Hampshire

  48,669

  51,152

  5·1

  Hereford and Worcester

  21,976

  20,233

  -7·9

  Hertfordshire

  37,894

  137,667

  1 -0·6

  Humberside

  33,229

  36,026

  8·4

  Isle of Wight

  4,134

  4,211

  1·9

  Kent

  45,903

  43,040

  -6·2

  Lancashire

  50,075

  53,452

  6·7

  Leicestershire

  28,444

  33,278

  17·0

  Lincolnshire

  17,347

  17,322

  -0·1

  Norfolk

  22,043

  24,183

  9·7

  Northamptonshire

  17,823

  21,039

  18·0

  Northumberland

  11,548

  12,007

  4·0

  North Yorkshire

  23,896

  24,967

  4·5

  Nottinghamshire

  35,332

  39,028

  10·5

  Oxfordshire

  18,604

  16,796

  -9·7

  Shropshire

  13,804

  15,058

  9·1

  Somerset

  14,572

  17,546

  20·4

  Staffordshire

  38,593

  39,650

  2·7

  Suffolk

  19,656

  21,267

  8·2

  Surrey

  28,263

  26,350

  -6·8

  Warwickshire

  17,873

  18,456

  3·3

  West Sussex

  20,039

  21,693

  8·3

  Wiltshire

  19,179

  20,805

  8·5

  1 June 1988 data used.

  Source: Joint Staffing Watch for England

  The figures above are for general services only; they do not include law and order services. In some of the non-metropolitan counties the police function is carried out by a joint police authority.

  Pollution (North Sea)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he authorised a special briefing for the Sunday Express newspaper on the levels and causes of pollution of the North sea in advance of its issue of 4 March.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  With my approval, officials have given general background briefing on the North sea conference to a wide range of journalists.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the contribution of pollution derived from the United Kingdom to the problem of algal blooms in the North sea.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Eutrophication and algal blooms are a problem only in certain parts of the North sea along the eastern coastal seaboard, particularly in the Skaggerak. It is generally accepted that nutrients present in local run-off from intensive agriculture and discharges of sewage effluent can be a determining factor especially when receiving waters are shallow and slow moving.

  Recent studies carried out by the Natural Environment Research Council's Institute of Oceanographic Science show that the United Kingdom does not contribute to this problem as continental seaboard water is kept separate from the rest of the North sea by more saline water flushing through from the English channel.

  In addition, inputs of nitrogen, the most important nutrient to the sea from the United Kingdom, have shown no increasing trend in recent years and the IOS study shows that the central North sea, which would be influenced by United Kingdom nutrient inputs, show low levels, even in winter, when other areas have high levels.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline his Department's responsibilities in respect of the North sea.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: The Department has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the Government's policy input to the series of North sea conferences as well as housing the United Kingdom's North sea scientific task force co-ordinator who manages our scientific input into international work in preparing a fully updated quality status report for the North sea. This reflects the Department's general co-ordinating interest in respect of marine environmental matters, including those which lie within the responsibility of other Departments.

  In addition, the Department also has specific policy responsibility for the water sewage industry, for bathing waters and for control of waste discharges by pipelines to rivers and coastal waters.

  West Country Councils
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was(a) the total spending and (b) the total amount of Government grant in Somerset, Devon and Dorset county councils in each of the past four years; what was the total amount raised in non-domestic rates in those years for each county; and what are his estimates of (i) spending, (ii) the total of Government grant and (iii) redistribution from the national business rate for each in 1990–91.
  488
  Mr. Chope
  The available information is given in the table. Revenue support grant and receipts from the national non-domestic rate pool are not paid to county councils.

  Net current expenditure

  Revenue grants1

  Non-domestic rates2

  £ million

  £ million

  £ million

  Somerset County Council

  1986–87

  173·350

  82·845

  41·662

  1987–88

  193·597

  89·608

  45·687

  1988–89

  208·231

  81·969

  52·546

  1989–90

  232·345

  93·550

  59·102

  Devon County Council

  1986–87

  372·467

  188·496

  86·399

  1987–88

  407·749

  204·013

  94·374

  1988–89

  435·854

  213·313

  105·990

  1989–90

  483·103

  211·710

  115·651

  Dorset County Council

  1986–87

  219·597

  75·080

  59·160

  1987–88

  237·217

  94·635

  66·896

  1988–89

  263·430

  92·349

  73·177

  1989–90

  280·229

  85·814

  78·234

  1 Comprising block grant, specific and supplementary grants.

  2 Non-domestic contribution to the amount raised by the precept, gross of rate rebates.

  Capital Finance Regulations
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider extending the list entitled "New Land or Building used for the Same Purposes in Schedule 2 of the draft Capital Finance Regulations" to include dwellings with particular reference to dwellings which need to be disposed of to facilitate a commercial redevelopment.

  Mr. Chope
  No.

  Community Charge
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about community charge capping.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department has received many representations about capping from hon. Members, local authorities and from the public, the vast majority of which have been to urge us to use our capping powers next year.

  Red List
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the dangerous chemicals and substances currently on his Department's red list.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The following dangerous substances are currently on the red list:

  Mercury and its compounds

  Cadmium and its compounds

  Gamma-Hexachlorocyclohexane

  DDT

  Pentachlorophenol

  Hexachlorobenzene

  Hexachlorobutadiene

  Aldrin

  Dieldrin

  Endrin

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls

  Dichlorvos

  1, 2-Dichloroethane

  489

  Trichlorobenzene

  Atrazine

  Simazine

  Tributyltin compounds

  Triphenyltin compounds

  Trifluralin

  Fenitrothion

  Azinphos-methyl

  Malathion

  Endosulfan

  Radiation (Cumbria)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the environmental consequences in terms of spots of high radiation in Cumbria arising from the uranium fire in B/30 decanners in the 1970s.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The incident and its consequences are described by the National Radiological Protection Board in its report on "The Risks of Leukaemia and Other Cancers in Seascale from Radiation Exposure" (NRPB—171) prepared at the request of Sir Douglas Black's independent advisory group. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Westminster City Council
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in what way Westminster city council's role in funding the English National Opera and English National Ballet is reflected in its revenue support grant and uniform business rate funding in 1990–91; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The revenue support grant and NNDR entitlements for 1990–91 for Westminster city council have been calculated on the same basis for all other charging authorities. The fact that they fund these two organisations has no bearing.

  Mortgaged Property
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to review the rights and obligations of mortgage lenders and borrowers in respect of renting out mortgaged property.

  Mr. Chope
  No. Arrangements for the letting of mortgaged property are essentially a matter for agreement between lender and borrower.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has plans to bring forward legislation to prevent people from being evicted if they rent houses from others who fail to meet mortgage commitments.

  Mr. Chope
  No.

  Property Services Agency
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the privatisation of the activities of the Property Services Agency on its staff; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The terms and conditions of service of staff will be protected. Privatisation will not itself affect the number of staff required, and future staff numbers will depend on the success of the company in competition.
  490
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will detail the measures being taken to ensure the commercial viability of those activities in which the Property Services Agency is currently involved and which it is the intention of the Property Services Agency Bill to privatise, prior to their privatisation; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether any proof of commercial viability is required as a prerequisite to privatisation of the activities of the Property Services Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Departments will be untied from PSA from 1 April 1990. PSA will provide its services in competition with the private sector, and its future success will depend on the work which it wins. When PSA is privatised, any buyer will have satisfied himself that the company has a viable future.

  Land Registers (Pollution)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce legislation to ensure that local authorities compile comprehensive registers of land contaminated with toxic wastes and polluting chemicals.

  Mr. Trippier
  I shall shortly have before me a departmental working party report on the feasibility of establishing registers of contaminated land. My assessment of that report will include consideration of any matters that might require legislation.

  Lake Baikal
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, following the experience gained in the United Kingdom with the Red List of chemicals developed for pollution control, he has any plans to offer assistance to the Soviet Union in cleaning up Lake Baikal.

  Mr. Trippier
  The Government share the international concern about the state of Lake Baikal and are well aware of USSR thinking on plans for tackling the problem. A representative from Her Majesty's Government will be attending a meeting in Irkutzk organised by the USSR authorities starting on 5 April. We will be studying the report of that meeting very carefully.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new measures he has taken recently to encourage the safe disposal of chlorofluorocarbons and their containers.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside recently visited ICI in Runcorn to launch its nationwide network to recycle the chlorofluorocarbon from the refrigerant in domestic refrigerators.

  K factor
  Mrs. Anne Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assumptions about infrastructure charges were made for the purposes of setting the K factor for the water and sewerage undertakers.

  Mr. Trippier
  My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Wales determined Ks for
  491
  the 10 water and sewerage undertakers on the assumption that infrastructure charges would be payable on all new connections for domestic purposes in accordance with the limits set by the Secretary of State. The infrastructure charge limits for the 10 companies are as follows:

  Water services companies: water and sewerage infrastructure charges (at 1990–91 prices)

  Water

  Sewerage

  £

  £

  Anglian Water Services Limited

  479

  597

  Southern Water Services Limited

  365

  485

  Thames Water Utilities Limited

  403

  337

  Yorkshire Water Services Limited

  529

  626

  Northumbrian Water Limited

  111

  240

  North West Water Limited

  198

  338

  Severn Trent Water Limited

  498

  356

  South West Water Services Limited

  654

  557

  Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig

  259

  332

  Wessex Water Services Limited

  551

  983

  Bristol Channel (Sewage Discharge)
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many permits for the discharge of new or part-treated sewage into the Bristol channel he has authorised; how long these permits last; and if he has any plans to renew them.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is for the National Rivers Authority to issue consents for the discharge of sewage to the Bristol channel. Details of consents are held on the N RA register established by section 117 of the Water Act 1989.

  Local Authority Employees (Pension Rights)
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish guidelines governing the treatment of former periods of part-time service in assessing the pension rights of local authority employees.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  It is expected that draft regulations on this subject will be published for consultation in the next few weeks with the object of making regulations by the summer. The regulations will be retrospective in effect.

  Local Authorities (Company Interests)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress his Department has made in preparing for the implementation of part V of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (Local Authority Interests in Companies).

  Mr. David Hunt
  My Department is today sending to the local authority associations a draft of an order under part IV and an extract of a draft order under part V of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 which deal with the application to companies in which the local authority has an interest of the new capital finance system for local authorities.

  These drafts make it clear that the new system of regulation of local authority interests in companies will apply from 1 July 1990, rather than from 1 April 1990 as earlier envisaged.
  492
  A draft of the remainder of the order under part V and of the directions for exemption and approval under that part will be sent to the local authority associations for comment shortly.

  Estuaries
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies his Department has commissioned into the environmental effects of constructing barrages in English and Welsh estuaries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 13 March 1990]: Studies on the environmental effects of constructing barrages in English and Welsh estuaries are being undertaken as part of a wide-ranging programme of research and development related to the proposals for barrages on the Mersey and Severn in England and Cardiff bay and Conwy in Wales. This work is funded by the Government, the electricity industry and the barrage promoters. The Nature Conservancy Council has also undertaken relevant work and my Department is kept informed on the progress of these environmental impact studies.

  Eutrophication
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, for each year since 1987, all the monitoring controls for eutrophication carried out on the coasts of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 13 March 1990]: As a consequence of the second North sea conference in London in November 1987, the Department of the Environment and the Scottish Development Department wrote to water authorities in England and Wales and river purification boards in Scotland to establish if evidence of eutrophication could be found in coastal waters. Similar surveys were made by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland. These surveys have shown that evidence of eutrophication is confined to a handful of small, localised inshore locations.

  For this reason no regular and formal monitoring of eutrophication—algal blooms—is conducted or planned in the United Kingdom. Attention instead is being focused on trends in nutrients levels in coastal waters and detailed examination of fluxes of nutrients through estuaries. A regular monitoring programme is maintained by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food along the eastern coast of the United Kingdom for paralytic shellfish poisoning in mussels. This is caused by blooms of certain algal species which produce natural toxins. The occurrence of paralytic shellfish poisoning on this coastline has a long but intermittent history and is not believed to be linked to eutrophication.

  Caravan Sites Act
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now received all outstanding views following consultation relating to the application from Bradford council for designation under the Caravan Sites Act 1968; when he expects to reach a decision on the application; and if he will make a statement.
  493
  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: I have now received the views of all bodies consulted as part of Bradford's application for designation and it is my intention to announce my decision very soon.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the current and projected carbon dioxide emissions for the United Kingdom, broken down by fuel source, in the sectors(a) industrial, (b) commercial, (c) public sector, (d) residential, (e) transport and (f) other.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]:Emissions of carbon dioxide by the sectors requested and by fuel type for 1987 are given in the table below. Estimates of carbon dioxide in the future will depend on a large number of factors which are difficult to predict. Forecasting models are being developed by Warren Spring laboratory on DOE's behalf, but no data are yet available.

  Estimated emissions of carbon dioxide as carbon in the United Kingdom by type of fuel and emission source (million tonnes), 1987.

  Emission source

  Fuel type

  Solid1

  Liquid2

  Gas3

  Total

  Industrial4

  8·2

  6·8

  6·5

  31·5

  Commercial and public5

  1·4

  3·1

  4·6

  9·1

  Domestic

  6·6

  1·6

  16·5

  24·7

  Transport6

  0·003

  28·3

  0·0

  28·3

  Other7

  51·4

  6·2

  2·4

  60·0

  Total

  67·6

  46·0

  40·0

  8 153·6

  Source: Warren Spring laboratory.

  1 Solid fuel includes coal, coke, anthracite, smokeless solid fuels (SSF) and petroleum coke.

  2 Liquid fuels include motor spirit, DERV, fuel oil, burning oil, petroleum gas and other petroleum.

  3 Gas is primarily natural gas but includes small amounts of liquified petroleum gas, other petroleum gas, coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, and town gas.

  4 Includes collieries, iron and steel, production of SSF, coke and town gas, and other industry.

  5Includes public services, other non-industrial and miscellaneous.

  6 Includes shipping and civil aviation.

  7 Agriculture, power stations and refineries.

  8 Excludes emissions from non-fuel incineration, gas flaring and cement.

  Genetically Engineered Organisms
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made an assessment of the impact on the environment of releases of genetically engineered organisms in other countries.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: Information on such releases is available via the European Communities, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the United Nations environment programme, and other international fora in which the United Kingdom participates. This information is monitored on a regular basis and has been taken fully into account in developing proposals for the control of the release of genetically modified organisms in this country.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has had in respect of the plans announced in the Environmental Protection Bill to regulate genetically modified organisms.
  494
  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: A wide range of representations were received in response to the consultation paper on the matters which form part VI of the Bill—genetically modified organisms; hon. Members have made various representations in the course of debates on the Bill; and my Department has continued to benefit from the views of the Royal Commission on environmental pollution.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last discussed the regulation of genetically engineered organisms with his European Community counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 15 March 1990]: My Department has participated fully in discussions on the Council directives on the deliberate release to the environment of genetically modified organisms and the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms, most recently at the Environment Council on 19 September 1989, at which a political agreement was reached on the deliberate release directive.

  Standard Spending Assessment
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library the indicator values used in the calculation of standard spending assessment for 1990–91 for all shire counties in England and Wales.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: I have placed in the Library today a set of tables giving the required information for English shire counties. The equivalent information for the shire counties in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to produce a green book on standard spending assessment similar to that for grant-related expenditure assessment.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: My right hon. Friend has made no decision yet on this matter. He intends to seek the views of local authority representatives shortly.

  Bankside Power Station
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the archaeological significance of the site of Bankside power station.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: Discoveries made during the construction of the power station comprised pockets of Tudor debris as well as evidence of leather manufacturing but no finds of significance.

  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Bankside power station is a listed building.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: No.

  Covent Garden
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the possible archaeological significance of works in Covent Garden proposed by the Royal Opera House.
  495
  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 16 March 1990]: None.

  Rugby League (Taylor Report)
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to meet representatives of the Rugby League to discuss the Taylor report.

  Mr. John Patten
  I have been asked to reply.

  We shall be writing to the Rugby League shortly inviting it to discuss the implications of Lord Justice Taylor's recommendations, including those on providing all-seated accommodation at rugby league grounds. We shall also be inviting representatives of other sports to similar discussions.

  Hooliganism
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the policies which he intends to implement regarding football hooliganism and related issues.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government are vigorously supporting the police in their operations against football hooliganism. We are developing the full potential of the newly formed national football intelligence unit to enable the police to target more effectively their resources on hooligan ringleaders. We are encouraging the enhancement of optical evidence-gathering systems at football grounds in this country and the training of their operators.

  British police have been and will remain in close liaison with the Italian authorities on policing supporters from this country during the World cup in Italy in June and July. Currently about 60 carabinieri are visiting the Police Staff college and local forces to familiarise themselves with the policing of British football supporters.

  Part II of the Football Spectators Act 1989 will be implemented shortly. This will enable courts to impose restriction orders on those convicted of football hooliganism to prevent them from travelling to key matches abroad.

  In his final report on the Hillsborough inquiry Lord Justice Taylor recommended the creation of some new offences specific to behaviour at football grounds, and recommended that consideration be given to applying attendance centre orders and electronic tagging to convicted football hooligans. The Government are considering these matters urgently and sympathetically.

TRANSPORT

  Lighthouse Dues
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Ports Authority is to publish its report on lighthouse dues for yachts; and what representations he has received on the matter.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I understand the British Ports Federation report will be ready shortly. My right hon. Friend expects to invite views on the report from interested parties before reaching any conclusions.

  Network SouthEast
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the Central Transport Consultative Committee: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend is meeting the Central Transport Consultative Committee on 26 March. It was a pity that the report on Network SouthEast did not highlight that British Rail's plans are for an increase in train miles to be operated.

  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Central Transport Consultative Committee concerning overcrowding on Network SouthEast services.

  Mr. Portillo
  I have received its recent report on BR's 1990 corporate plan.

  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the current investment projects in Network SouthEast which have been approved by his Department.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport calls in for approval only a selection of projects costing over £10 million. The remainder are authorised by the board. In the last two years, the Government have approved the following major investment projects for Network SouthEast:

  Portsmouth to Southampton electrification

  324 class 319/321 electrical multiple unit vehicles (for services north of the Thames and Thameslink)

  Cambridge to King's Lynn electrification

  180 class 165 Networker vehicles (for Thames and Chiltern lines)

  400 class 465 Networker vehicles

  (a further 276 approved in principle)

  (for Kent and inner surburban lines)

  Bradford Trolleybus Project
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to consider what assistance he can give to the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority to secure the Bradford trolleybus project; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have already allocated credit approvals to enable the passenger transport authority to invest in this project, and will consider any further proposals which are put to us on their merits and subject to the availability of resources.

  Foreign Railway Systems
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the foreign railway systems on which he has travelled in his official capacity since assuming his present position.

  Mr. Portillo
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State travelled on the Washington metro in January. I have travelled on the French train à grande vitesse.

  Prestwick
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart), of 6 March,Official Report, columns 550–51, what indications he has received from the BAA about keeping open the passenger terminal at Prestwick airport.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  In its response to my Department's consultation document on Scottish lowland airports policy, BAA plc stated its firm intention to keep Prestwick open. Following my right hon. Friend's announcement of a less restrictive policy for the lowland airports, the BAA chairman said that appropriate terminal and passenger facilities would be provided at Prestwick to meet the demands of the airlines.

  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Eastwood (Mr. Stewart), of 6 March,Official Report, columns 550–51, whether Prestwick airport will be maintained as a diversion airport beyond 1991.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  BAA plc has stated its firm intention of keeping Prestwick open. The level of rescue and fire services provided at the airport, which is dictated by the size of aircraft normally using it, will determine its availability to aircraft on diversion.

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

  (2) how many incidents have been reported of tube doors opening on the wrong side of the platform on each

  Year

  Training agents

  Training managers

  Contracts Terminated

  Providers in Receivership

  Contracts Terminated

  Providers in Receivership

  1988

  None

  None

  None

  None

  1989

  2

  None

  12

  1

  1990 to 14–3

  None

  None

  1

  None

  The information for YTS is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Training and Enterprise Councils
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the value of development funding awarded to TECs in England and Wales and LECs in Scotland(a) in total and (b) by each TEC/LEC.

  Mr. Eggar
  To date, a total of £6·973 million in development funding has been awarded to TECs in England and Wales and to LECs in Scotland. A breakdown by TEC/LEC is given in the table. TECS in their development stage whose funding has not yet been confirmed are not included.

  Development Funding awarded to TECs in England and Wales and LECs in Scotland

  TEC/LEC

  Award (£)

  South East

  Essex

  110,000

  Hampshire

  149,000

  498
  line on the London underground for each of the last 12 months; and what measures exist to prevent this from happening.

  Mr. Portillo
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 February, Official Report, column 931]: Railway accidents, and some incidents involving failure of railway works and equipment, are reported to the railway inspectorate within the terms of the Railways (Notice of Accidents) Order 1986. In the case of unintentional door openings, London Underground Ltd (LUL) is required by the order to report cases where any door irregularity results in death or injury. It must also report instances of electrical or mechanical failure which are likely to cause an accident or to kill or injure any person. LUL is not required to report occasions where doors are opened due to staff error and do not result in fatality or injury.

  In 1989 LUL reported the one incident referred to in my previous answer because it involved malicious damage. LUL did not consider that any other incident was covered by the requirement to notify the Department but I now understand that there were 32 other other instances when the doors of underground trains opened either on the wrong side or when the train was in motion.

EMPLOYMENT

  Employment Training
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many ET training agents, ET training managers and YTS managing agents have(a) had their contracts terminated and (b) gone into receivership for each year since 1987 and in the case of ET, since the programme started.

  Mr
  Nicholls: The information for ET is given in the following table:

  TEC/LEC

  Award (£)

  Heart of England (Oxfordshire)

  110,000

  Hertfordshire

  110,000

  Isle of Wight

  85,000

  Kent

  158,000

  Milton Keynes

  110,000

  Thames Valley

  125,000

  London

  AZTEC (Kingston/Merton/Wandsworth)

  111,000

  London East

  195,000

  South West

  Avon

  115,000

  Devon/Cornwall

  190,000

  Dorset

  95,000

  Gloucestershire

  112,000

  Somerset

  110,000

  West Midlands

  Birmingham

  139,000

  Coventry/Warwickshire

  114,000

  Dudley

  98,000

  Sandwell

  115,000

  Staffordshire

  113,000

  499

  TEC/LEC

  Award (£)

  Walsall

  104,000

  Wolverhampton

  88,000

  East Midlands and Eastern

  Central and South Cambridgeshire

  116,000

  Norfolk/Waveney

  149,000

  North Nottinghamshire

  120,000

  Suffolk

  106,000

  Yorkshire andHumberside

  Calderdale/Kirklees

  106,000

  Leeds

  120,000

  North Yorkshire

  125,000

  Rotherham

  90,000

  Sheffield

  138,000

  Wakefield

  109,000

  North West

  Bolton/Bury

  110,000

  Cumbria

  115,000

  East Lancashire

  118,000

  Manchester

  150,000

  Oldham

  81,000

  Rochdale

  75,000

  South and East Cheshire

  106,000

  St. Helens

  75,000

  Stockport/High Peak

  110,000

  Wigan

  94,000

  Northern

  County Durham

  94,000

  Northumberland

  92,000

  Teesside

  127,000

  Tyneside

  136,000

  Wearside

  90,000

  Wales

  Gwent

  100,000

  Mid Glamorgan

  104,000

  North East Wales

  98,000

  North West Wales

  110,000

  South Glamorgan

  100,000

  West Wales

  110,000

  Scotland

  Scottish Enterprise

  Dumbartonshire

  100,000

  Dumfries and Galloway

  50,000

  Fife

  100,000

  Forth Valley

  100,000

  Grampian

  100,000

  Lanarkshire

  88,000

  Lothian and Edinburgh

  100,000

  Renfrew

  100,000

  Highland and Islands Enterprise

  Skye and Lochalsh

  30,000

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest £1,000.

  2. Development funding for LECs in Scotland is jointly provided by the Department of Employment and the Scottish Office.

  YTS
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the weekly public cost of each YTS trainee in 1989–90; and what it will be in 1992–93.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The average cost to the Exchequer of YTS in 1989–90 is expected to be £50 per trainee week. New arrangements for youth training will be introduced from 29 May and youth training will increasingly be delivered by training and enterprise councils. As the result of the funding flexibilities which training and enterprise councils will have for youth training, it will be possible to 500
  secure higher levels of employer contributions towards training costs than has been the case under YTS. Consequently, by 1992–93, the average cost to the Exchequer of youth training is expected to be £33 per week.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many participants there are in YTS schemes and employment training in the Peterlee and Seaham areas.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There were 846 people on the youth training scheme at the end of January and 600 on employment training at the beginning of March in the Peterlee and Seaham areas.

  Mining Inspectors
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present complement of coal mines inspectors; and if he has any proposals to increase the number of mines inspectors.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive's mines inspectorate inspects all mining operations, including coal mines. On 1 March 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 48 mines inspectors in HSE. The executive has no plans to increase this number.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the change in the number of unemployed males and females over the age of 50 years in the Seaham and Peterlee areas over the last five years.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information in the table is also available in the Library.

  Unemployed claimants aged 50 years and over—Unadjusted1

  Seaham

  Peterlee

  Male

  Female

  Male

  Female

  January

  1985

  391

  91

  555

  101

  1990

  207

  55

  147

  53

  Change

  -184

  -36

  -408

  -48

  1 Direct comparisons are affected by the changes to the unemployment count over the period.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in the Lancashire, West parliamentary constituency in March 1986, March 1987, March 1988, March 1989 and March 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Information about employment in parliamentary constituencies is available only from the census of employment. The most recent figures are for September 1987. There were then 31,000 employees in employment in the Lancashire, West constituency. This compares with a figure of 30,400 in September 1984 when the previous census of employment was taken. These figures exclude the self-employed and members of Her Majesty's forces.

  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were unemployed in the parliamentary constituency of Lancashire, West in March 1986, March 1987, March 1988, March 1989 and March 1990; and if he will make a statement.
  501
  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is available from the Library. March 1990 figures are not available until April. Between March 1986 and February 1990 the number of unemployed claimants fell by 2,932, or 40·6 per cent., in Lancashire, West parliamentary constituency. The table gives the remaining information requested. The figures are affected by seasonal influences as well as by changes to the count over the period.

  Unadjusted unemployment in Lancashire, West parliamentary constituency for March of each year

  Year

  Total

  1986

  7,225

  1987

  6,882

  1988

  5,565

  1989

  4,293

  Earnings
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the proportion of female and male part-time workers in the south-west and in Avon, respectively, whose hourly earnings, exclusive of overtime, fell below(a) £2·80, (b) £3·00, (c) £3·20, (d) £3·60, (e) £4·00 and (f) £4·50 in April 1989.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The estimated percentages of part-time adult female employees earning below specified amounts in the new earnings survey sample in April 1989 were:

  Hourly earnings less than

  Avon

  South West

  (£)

  (per cent.)

  (per cent.)

  2·80

  41

  44

  3·00

  48

  53

  3·20

  57

  61

  3·60

  68

  73

  4·00

  78

  80

  4·50

  86

  86

  Note:

  Hourly earnings excluding overtime, earnings not affected by absence.

  Equivalent figures for part-time males are not available.

  Job Clubs
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give details of the location of existing job clubs available for people living in the Stretford constituency; and if he will make a statement on the future of these clubs.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are currently two job clubs in Stretford. A number in other parts of Manchester are within easy travelling distance.

  There are no plans to change the number of job clubs in Stretford, although the location of one of the clubs will change.

  Welding and Fabrication Work
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on proposed changes to British standards and European Community regulations governing welding and fabrication work.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Discussions are now well advanced within the European Standards Organisation (CEN) in connection with the production of up-to-date standards for 502
  welder approval and weld procedure approval. These draft standards, now out for public comment, will be based on United Kingdom standards, as modified to take account of the views of other countries. Although such standards are unlikely to be the subject of a specific EC directive on welding, they may be called up in support of directives where weld quality is important in ensuring the integrity of fabricated components.

  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the supply of British qualified trainers in welding and fabrication after 1992.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The supply of British qualified trainers in welding and fabrication after 1992 is primarily for industry and training providers to determine.

  The Government are helping to improve the quality of trainers generally by establishing an industry-led group to define the standards of competence required by qualified trainers and by initiatives to improve the quality and development of trainers.

  Earnings
  Mr. Sahnond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) in which sectors of employment or industries a fixed national minimum wage is existent; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) which sectors of employment and industries are covered by wage councils; at what levels the current basic pay is set under the influence of these institutions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no national minimum wage in this country which is applicable to all workers. Wages councils set minimum rates of pay in certain trades and industries. The rates apply to all workers covered by the councils. Full descriptions of the relevant industries and operations are listed in statutory instruments. The legal minimum requirements of the councils are set out in wages orders which also contain a summary of the industries and operations covered. Copies of the instruments and current wages orders have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the official definition of low pay in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no official definition of low pay. Pay is relative. At any time, and by whatever measure, some people will always be lower paid than others.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were average earnings by region for the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is available from the annual new earnings survey reports, copies of which are in the Library.

  Hazardous Substances
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many workers have died of asbestos-induced diseases attributable to their exposure at work in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Three diseases are known to be associated with asbestos: asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer.
  503
  The incidence of lung cancer is heavily influenced by other factors, most notably smoking, and it is not possible to give accurate figures for asbestos-related lung cancer deaths. Asbestosis is uniquely caused by asbestos exposure, but it is estimated that about 100 cases of mesothelioma may occur each year from other causes.

  The following table lists the number of death certificates mentioning mesothelioma or asbestosis for the years 1979 to 1988. The figures for 1989 are not yet available.

  Year

  Mesothelioma

  Asbestosis

  Total

  1979

  434

  102

  536

  1980

  458

  102

  560

  1981

  472

  137

  609

  1982

  504

  128

  632

  1983

  573

  121

  694

  1984

  624

  129

  753

  1985

  615

  140

  755

  1986

  700

  166

  866

  1987

  807

  144

  951

  1988

  815

  146

  961

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will initiate a study on the health effects of the use of toxic chemicals in the micro-electronics industry in England.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive is aware of the concerns surrounding the use of hazardous substances in the micro-electronics industry and is working with the micro-electronics semiconductor manufacturing joint working group to develop guidance relevant to the industry. Guidance in special gases has already been published and further guidance on hazardous substances and monitoring is in preparation.

  The Health and Safety Executive is also assessing the feasibility of conducting a study of the reproductive health of women working in the semiconductor industry in the United Kingdom including sites in England and Scotland.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many occupational hygiene health audits have been carried out in Wales under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act since legislation came into force; and how many firms in Wales have yet to conduct control of substances hazardous to health audits.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no requirement under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations for companies to carry out occupational hygiene health audits.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how may control of substances hazardous to health audits have been conducted on companies registered to make micro-electronics in Scotland.

  Mr. Nicholls
  There is no requirement under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations to notify to the Health and Safety Executive the completion of the assessments required under those regulations. The information requested is therefore not available.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will conduct an investigation into the health effects of use of acids and toxic chemicals at the Seagate Microelectronics plant in Scotland.
  504
  Mr. Nicholls
  In May 1989, the HSE investigated a complaint about the storage and use of chemicals at Seagate Microelectronics and concluded that the complaints were substantially unjustified. It is not considered that any further investigation outside normal inspection activities at Seagate Microelectronics is appropriate at this stage.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will initiate a study into the health effects on workers of working in the Scottish microelectronics industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive is aware of the concerns surrounding the use of hazardous substances in the micro-electronics industry and is working with the micro-electronics semiconductor manufacturing joint working group to develop guidance relevant to the industry. Guidance in special gases has already been published and further guidance on hazardous substances and monitoring is in preparation.

  The Health and Safety Executive is also assessing the feasibility of conducting a study of the reproductive health of women working in the semiconductor industry in the United Kingdom, including the sites in England and Scotland.

  Advertising Expenditure
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total publicity and advertising expenditure, including for privatisation, of his Department and public bodies for which his Department has responsibility in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Mr. Eggar
  Total publicity and advertising expenditure figures for my Department in(a) 1979–80 financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  The planned expenditure by my Department on total publicity in (b) 1989–90, to include that for the Training Agency, remains as stated in table 7.29 on page 25 of the public expenditure White Paper, CM607, published in January 1989. No further detailed information is yet available.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stretford of 13 March, what leak inquiries have been undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive since 1 January.

  Mr. Nicholls
  None.

  Child Care
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what studies of day care, to enable mothers to take up employment, have been undertaken.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Department constantly monitors research in this area and is aware of a number of such studies. Main studies include: (1) Brannen, J. and Moss, P. "New Mothers at work". Unwin, 1988, (2) Cohen, B. "Caring for children". Commission for the European Communities, 1988, (3) Institute of Manpower Studies Commentary number 43 "Retaining women employees, 1990", (4) Institute of Personnel Management "Work and
  505
  the family, 1990", and (5) Moss, P. "Childcare and equality of opportunity". Consolidated report to the European Commission, 1988.

  Journals such as "Equal Opportunities Review" and "Industrial Relations—Review and Report" have also conducted their own small surveys.

  Action for Jobs
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much of the expenditure on Action for Jobs in addition to expenditure on television advertising and printed material in 1988–89 was spent through the Central Office of Information.

  Mr. Eggar
  In addition to Action for Jobs expenditure on television advertising and printed material, £175,000 was spent through the Central Office of Information in 1988–89.

  HEALTH AUTHORITY CONSTRUCTION WORK: VAT REFUNDS
  HEALTH AUTHORITY CONSTRUCTION WORK: VAT REFUNDS
  STUDENTS: SCHOOL BACKGROUND
  STUDENTS: SCHOOL BACKGROUND
  PAPAIN MEAT TENDERISING TREATMENT
  PAPAIN MEAT TENDERISING TREATMENT
  EC SURPLUS FOOD DISTRIBUTION SCHEME
  EC SURPLUS FOOD DISTRIBUTION SCHEME
  NEW FOREST REVIEW GROUP REPORT: RESPONSES
  NEW FOREST REVIEW GROUP REPORT: RESPONSES
  COMMUNITY CHARGE: UPPER AND LOWER LEVELS
  COMMUNITY CHARGE: UPPER AND LOWER LEVELS
  SHEEP ANNUAL PREMIUM PAYMENT ADVANCES
  SHEEP ANNUAL PREMIUM PAYMENT ADVANCES
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING ACT, PART V: IMPLEMENTATION
  LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING ACT, PART V: IMPLEMENTATION
  SPORTS FACILITIES: RATES
  SPORTS FACILITIES: RATES
  COMMUNITY CHARGE TRANSITIONAL RELIEF SCHEME COSTS: REIMBURSEMENT
  COMMUNITY CHARGE TRANSITIONAL RELIEF SCHEME COSTS: REIMBURSEMENT