Written Answers of 17 May 1990

THE ARTS

  Bands
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what financial support(a) the Arts Council and (b) regional arts associations have given to (i) brass bands and (ii) silver bands in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Luce
  This information is not held centrally. However, both the Arts Council and the regional arts associations are active in supporting the work of brass and silver bands where a professional input is involved. In particular, the Arts Council will consider applications for financial assistance under its music for small groups programme.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Manufactured Goods
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on action he proposes to reduce the deficit in trade in manufactured goods.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The deficit in trade in manufactures will fall as domestic demand and capacity pressures ease and exports increase. There are clear signs that this is happening; in the first quarter of 1990 the volume of exports of manufactures—less erratics—was 9½ per cent. higher than in the same quarter a year earlier, while imports were only 1 per cent. higher.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average public expenditure per capita paid for out of national taxation for each citizen of(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Public expenditure is financed from a number of sources including taxation, national insurance contributions, borrowing, interest and dividend receipts and local authorities' revenue collection. There is, generally, no direct linkage between specific areas of expenditure and sources of revenue. Consequently, information is not available in the form requested.

  Information on per capita general Government expenditure in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, financed from all sources including local authority revenue collection, was given in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wrye Forest (Mr. Coombs) on 19 December 1989, Official Report, columns 179–90.

  G7 Countries (Interest Payments)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list how much gross domestic product is used for scheduled interest payments(a) in the public sector and (b)in the private sector of the G7 countries.
  482
  Mr. Ryder
  United Kingdom sector net interest payments and GDP data are published in the CSO "Blue Book", 1989 edition. General Government net interest payments are published in the CSO's "Financial Statistics". Data on sectoral net interest payments and GDP for the other G7 countries are published by the OECD in "National Accounts volume II, 1975–1987".

  Civil Service Pensions
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give an estimate of the number and percentage of the total of(a) pensions in payment to retired civil servants, (b) pensions to be paid to existing civil servants on retirement which are/will be (i) uprated in line with prices each year and (ii) uprated by any other formula.

  Mr. Ryder
  There are 385,395 pensions in payment to retired civil servants, plus a further 117,905 dependants' pensions. The numbers of pensions in payment is expected to show some increase for the next 10 to 15 years. All civil service pensions, in common with other public service pensions, are uprated annually in line with prices.

  EC Finance Ministers
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his recent meetings with other European Community Finance Ministers.

  Mr. Ryder
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly meets his Community counterparts at the Council of Economic and Finance Ministers, the last meeting of which took place in Luxembourg on 23 April. My right hon. Friend made a statement in the House about the outcome on 25 April,Official Report, column 238.

  In addition, my right hon. Friend sees his European colleagues for bilateral discussion from time to time, most recently Sr Carli, the Italian Minister of Finance, on 30 April in Rome.

  Petrol Prices
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it remains Government policy that unleaded petrol should cost significantly less than the leaded variety.

  Mr. Ryder
  Yes.

  Civil Service Costs
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of civil service support for the Financial Secretary on the occasion of the debate on the private Member's motion on Monday 14 May.

  Mr. Lilley
  Ministers generally receive support for debates from the civil service on matters of fact and Government policy. Separate costings are not available.

  Economic Statistics
  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, further to his statement to the Treasury and Civil Service Committee on 3 April, he can now announce his plans to improve the quality of economic statistics.

  Mr. Major
  I have arranged for the Central Statistical Office to take further steps to improve the quality of
  483
  statistics in three areas—services, companies and balance of payments. My aim is to introduce these changes as quickly as possible so that some results will begin to appear in the figures as early as the end of this year. This is a development made possible by last summer's reorganisation of the CSO which was undertaken to enable improvements to be made to economic statistics.

  On services, I propose that extensions are made to quarterly inquiries of turnover in the services industries, and that more information on external trade in services is collected on a quarterly basis. On company statistics, I propose to obtain more quarterly information on capital expenditure, stockbuilding and profits. On balance of payments (and other financial) statistics, I propose that the quarterly direct investment inquiry should be expanded, and that more information be collected about United Kingdom companies' financial transactions with domestic and overseas residents. Because of the severe problems with balance of payments statistics, I have asked the CSO to undertake a thorough review over the next 12 months of the way in which these statistics are collected and compiled.

  In addition, I have asked the CSO, in consultation with the appropriate bodies, to consider the case for wider use of statutory surveys. This should improve the quality of statistics by increasing response rates. It should also ensure that the burden on businesses is shared more fairly.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Disturbances
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cellular spaces were destroyed during the recent prison disturbances.

  Mr. Mellor
  A total of 1,908 inmate places were lost during the recent prison disturbances at Bristol, Cardiff, Dartmoor, Glen Parva, Long Lartin, Manchester, Pucklechurch and Stoke Heath, of which 561 have now been brought back into use.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the findings of Lord Justice Woolf's inquiry into the recent prison disturbances.

  Mr. Waddington
  I have not asked Lord Justice Woolf to report by any particular time, but I know that he attaches importance to delivering his report to me at the earliest possible date.

  Deportations
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportations have taken place from the United Kingdom under regulations which relate to the cases of Messrs Alexander and Oladehinde since his Department lodged its appeal; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The divisional court decided on 21 February 1990 that members of the immigration service could not exercise deportation powers on behalf of the Secretary of State. This decision was reversed by the Court of Appeal on 15 March and an appeal has been made to the House of Lords. Despite the Court of Appeal judgment, the immigration service has not exercised the 484
  relevant powers since 21 February and action on outstanding affected cases has been suspended since that date. No affected deportation orders have been enforced since 21 February, although 34 people concerned have opted to leave the country under the voluntary supervised departure arrangements.

  Electoral Rights
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances citizens of Namibia enjoy the right to vote in United Kingdom elections.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Namibia joined the Commonwealth on 21 March 1990 and those of her citizens resident in the United Kingdom will become eligible to register as electors here once an Order in Council is made adding Namibia to the list of Commonwealth countries in schedule 3 to the British Nationality Act 1981.

  Football
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his reply of 8 May,Official Report, column 21, if he will make a statement on the meeting with representatives of the Football League and the Football Association.

  Mr. Waddington
  On 8 May I met at my request representatives of the Football Association and the Football League. I told the football authorities that it was unacceptable that they should ignore advice from a chief officer of police that a particular fixture ran a high risk of serious disorder. I indicated that it was their public duty to act on such advice. The Football League representatives accepted that they had been wrong to ignore the advice from the Dorset police on the Bournemouth v. Leeds United fixture on 5 May.

  The Football League agreed to work out urgently with the Association of Chief Police Officers effective arrangements for obtaining police advice about the scheduling of fixtures and to act upon it on all occasions.

  Extradition
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many United Kingdom citizens have been sought for extradition by foreign powers in the latest available year; and into what categories of alleged offence they fell.

  Mr. John Patten
  The United Kingdom does not distinguish between extradition requests in respect of its own nationals and nationals of other countries. For this reason, the nationality of those whose return is sought is not centrally recorded.

  During 1989, extradition proceedings were commenced against 35 individuals in England and Wales. The offences were as follows:

  Offence

  Number of applications

  Murder

  1

  Armed robbery

  1

  Theft

  5

  Burglary

  2

  Robbery

  4

  Obtaining property by deception

  2

  485

  Offence

  Number of applications

  Forgery

  3

  Fraud

  8

  Embezzlement

  2

  Parental kidnapping

  1

  Indecent exposure

  1

  Handling stolen goods

  1

  Drugs

  10

  In some cases, extradition was sought for more than one offence.

  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extraditions have been applied for by the United Kingdom in the latest available year; and into what categories of alleged offence they fell.

  Mr. John Patten
  In England and Wales during 1989, extradition applications in respect of 29 individuals were made to foreign and Commonwealth countries. The alleged offences were as follows:

  Offence

  Number of applications

  Murder

  2

  Armed robbery

  1

  Assault

  1

  Malicious wounding

  1

  Theft

  12

  Burglary

  2

  Obtaining money/property by deception

  8

  Forgery

  3

  Fraud

  3

  Receiving/handling stolen goods

  3

  Deception

  1

  Bankruptcy

  1

  False accounting

  1

  Procuring the execution of a valuable security

  1

  Perjury

  1

  Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

  1

  Evasion of liability by deception

  1

  Drugs

  5

  In some cases, extradition was sought for more than one type of offence.

  Women Prisoners
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners from Her Majesty's remand centre Pucklechurch the prison department has failed to produce in court on the due date following their removal to Her Majesty's prison Holloway after the disturbances in April 1990.

  Mr. Mellor
  Of the 44 female prisoners temporarily transferred from Her Majesty's remand centre Pucklechurch to Her Majesty's prison Holloway on 23 April as a result of the disturbances, five were not produced in court on the due date because of difficulties in arranging escorts over the long distances involved.

  All the women have now been transferred back to Her Majesty's remand centre Pucklechurch and arrangements have been made with the courts concerned to produce those not produced on the original due date.

  Smoke Alarms
  Mr. Alex Carlile
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to require every home in the United Kingdom to be fitted with a functioning smoke alarm; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  We would not anticipate legislation for this until at least the outcome of current research is known. Meanwhile, we are encouraging the installation and maintenance of smoke alarms on a voluntary basis. Since 1987, the proportion of homes with smoke alarms installed has increased from about 9 to 38 per cent.

  Sex Offenders
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consultations took place with interested parties in the county of Gwent before a decision was taken to move prisoners into the county who have been convicted of sex offences;

  (2) what additional security precautions, including recruitment of additional staff, have been taken following the decision to move into Gwent certain prisoners who have been convicted of sex offences.

  Mr. Mellor
  The role of Usk has recently been changed to that of an adult training prison. I have written to my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth (Sir J. Stradling Thomas) explaining the position and officials have written in similar terms to local authorities and other interested parties.

  In its former role, Usk held those convicted of a wide range of offences, including sex offences. A prisoner's present and past offences are among the factors taken into account in assessing his security requirements and, therefore, the establishment to which he will be allocated.

  Some work to upgrade physical security at Usk has already been completed. Other measures have been identified and work will be completed as soon as possible. The number and type of prisoners held there are within the capacity of existing staffing levels and appropriate to the general security standard of the establishment.

  Birmingham Pub Bombings
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 May, if a copy of the Devon and Cornwall report will be made available to solicitors for the men convicted of the Birmingham pub bombings.

  Mr. Waddington
  No. The report will be confidential. Its purpose will be to assist me in reaching a decision on whether to take any action to intervene in the safety of the convictions in the light of the representations I have received.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 May, whether the West Midlands chief constable will comment on the findings of the Devon and Cornwall inquiry when he submits the report to the Home Secretary.

  Mr. Waddington
  This will be a matter for the chief constable of the West Midlands police once he has had an opportunity to consider the report of the Devon and Cornwall police's inquiry.

  Mrs. Khadija Bi
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision is going to be taken on the application of Mrs. Khadija Bi, whose date of birth is 1 January 1936, and family to join Mr. Sadiq Hussain (Ref: H 155772/HUL 30/90) who was interviewed in Hull on 20 February last.

  Mr. Mellor
  The application is currently being considered by the immigration department and a decision will be reached shortly.

  Security Vetting
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list by year for the last 10 years the number of people for which his Department is responsible who have been negatively vetted;

  (2) if he will list by year for the last 10 years the number of posts for which his Department is responsible that required negative vetting.

  Mr. Waddington
  It is not our practice to give detailed information about security vetting procedures.

  Strangeways Prison
  Mr. Litherland
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the future of Strangeways prison, Manchester.

  Mr. Mellor
  [pursuant to the reply, 8 May 1990, c. 28]: After reviewing a range of options, my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has concluded that the redevelopment of Her Majesty's prison Manchester should be based on a major refurbishment of the inmate accommodation—including the installation of integral sanitation—and the provision of a range of new and improved supporting facilities. This approach offers, we believe, the best prospect of bringing the accommodation at Her Majesty's prison Mancheser back into use as quickly as possible, so as to end the use of police cells and ease pressures on other parts of the prison system in the north, while at the same time seizing this opportunity to make much-needed improvements in conditions and facilities at Manchester.

  About 970 places should be available within three years. Of these, over 300 places—in the remand wings—should all be available after about a year. The need for remand places in the north-west is, however, so great that the main part of the remand centre—K wing, the least damaged of the wings—will be repaired and brought back into use within 4 or 5 months, albeit without installing integral sanitation at this stage. It will be used with the places in the undamaged hospital to provide accommodation for up to 200 inmates who would otherwise be in police cells. Additional security will be provided, as will opportunities for education, religion, and physical education.

  The programme of work is estimated in all to cost over £60 million at outturn prices. It will be undertaken to stringent timings and management contracting will be used to assist in this.

  Discussions will now commence with all the interested parties including the board of visitors, Her Majesty's prison Manchester and the trade unions on the detailed arrangements to be made within the framework which I
  488
  have set out, including their operational consequences and arrangements for dealing with commitments to courts in the Manchester area.

  Other measures will, however, be needed at other establishments in the north, and we shall be discussing these with boards of visitors and trade unions at the establishments concerned.

PRIME MINISTER

  European Political Union
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what discussions she has had with other Heads of Government on the name of a politically unified Europe; and what has been the result.

  The Prime Minister
  I have had no such discussions.

  Hungary
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what action Her Majesty's Government are taking on the recommendations of Professor Paul Hare, of Heriot-Watt university, in relation to encouraging British financial institutions to counteract Hungarian over-dependence on financial institutions in Dusseldorf and Frankfurt, by British participation in the Hungarian economy and by linguistic, scientific and marketing practice assistance; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  British financial institutions' involvement in the development of the Hungarian economy is a matter for their commercial judgment. The Government's know-how fund is available for projects in Hungary including linguistic and marketing training. The Export Credits Guarantee Department is now considering applications for investment insurance in eastern Europe.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the issues concerning Cyprus that she discussed with the Prime Minister of Turkey during her recent visit to that country.

  The Prime Minister
  I discussed with President Ozal prospects for the future of the Cyprus intercommunal talks. Mr. Ozal reaffirmed his Government's support for the United Nations Secretary-General's good offices mission and said that Turkey accepted the common objective of a bizonal and bicommunal state in Cyprus.

  Scottish Constitutional Convention
  Mr. Harry Ewing
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will accept an invitation from the hon. Member for Falkirk, East in his capacity as joint chairman of the Scottish constitutional convention to address the convention at its July or September meetings.

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Image Building
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister whether she will review the official guidance for the Government information service that image building, whether explicit or implied, is not acceptable.
  489
  The Prime Minister
  There is no need to do so.

  Government Employees
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the rules governing the procedures under which personnel employed by Her Majesty's Government speak to hon. Members.

  The Prime Minister
  Ministers are accountable to Parliament for the policies and actions of their Departments, and will usually wish to be present at briefings of Members when policy issues are involved. Briefings of Members by civil servants on factual matters may be undertaken at the discretion of Ministers. On next steps agencies, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 15 May,Official Report, column 374–75.

  Security Vetting
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement as to the difference between(a) positive and (b) negative vetting.

  The Prime Minister
  It is not the normal practice to give detailed information about vetting procedures.

  Jordan (Arms Purchases)
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Prime Minister what undertakings were given by Jordan during her negotiations with King Hussein on the Jordan defence package about the forwarding of arms, ammunition and equipment to Iraq.

  The Prime Minister
  It is customary to include provisions restricting transfer in any major arms sales agreement.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) what financial agreements were considered during her negotiations with King Hussein on the Jordanian defence package;

  (2) whether her office authorised the preferential interest rates accorded to Jordan in the financing of the purchase of arms and ammunition under the Jordon defence package.

  The Prime Minister
  The financial arrangements governing defence sales of this kind are a matter of commercial confidence.

  Engagements
  Mr Lewis
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 May.

  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 May.

  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 May.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 May.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 17 May.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial 490
  colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with President Mubarak of Egypt.

HEALTH

  Syringes
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why he has decided to exclude one third millilitre syringes from the list of items available on prescription.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  One third millilitre syringes have recently been introduced into the market in this country. Our view is that there is insufficient clinical demand for this product to be included in the list of appliances GPs may prescribe. We are keeping the matter under review.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) one third millilitre syringes, (b) one half millilitre syringes and (c) one millilitre syringes were issued on prescription for 1989, 1988, 1987 and 1986.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  One third millilitre syringes have never been available on general practitioners' NHS prescriptions. Disposable syringes in one millilitre and one half millilitre sizes for use with U100 insulin became prescribable on 1 September 1987. Estimated prescribing figures in England are:

  Period

  Size

  Total

  1987

  1 September to 31 December

  0·5ml

  10 million

  1ml

  Not available

  1988

  January to December

  0·5ml

  27·3 million

  1ml

  4·9 million

  1989

  January to June

  (latest available data)

  0·5ml

  13·9 million

  1ml

  5·4 million

  Dukeries Community Hospital
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will be able to announce the start of the new Dukeries community hospital.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Hospital building is a matter for the relevant regional health authority. I therefore suggest that my hon. Friend contacts Sir Michael Carlisle for the information he seeks.

  Abortion
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretay of State for Health what instructions or advice his Department has issued to National Health Service hospitals concerning abortions after the 24th week of gestation.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 22 March at column 730.

  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many notifications of abortions from 1989 have been received by the chief medical officer of the Department of Health six months or later after the abortion took place;

  (2) what action his Department takes in cases where notifications of abortions are received by the chief medical officer later than the time specified by abortion regulations.
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  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The provisional data available suggest that in 1989 a total of 323 notifications were received six months or more after the month of termination. All notification forms are scrutinised by staff authorised by the chief medical officer. Where the forms received appear clearly to have been sent later than the period specified in the regulations, without a reasonable explanation, the matter may be taken up with the doctor concerned.

  Hearing Aids
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether deaf children are required to insure commercial hearing aids supplied by the National Health Service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 1 May at column 538.

  Hepatitis
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has of the number of professional people and workers who are at risk in contracting hepatitis B as a result of their duties; and what approximate percentage have been inoculated against it.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Hepatitis B can be contracted in many ways in private life as well as through professional activity. For this reason, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the numbers of professional people and workers at risk of contracting the disease as a result of their duties. The incidence of hepatitis B in both the general public and public service workers has declined markedly from a total of 1,785 laboratory reports in 1985 to 644 such reports in 1988.

  Professional people considered at risk may have been vaccinated either through occupational health services or by their general practitioners, and it is not possible therefore to estimate the percentage who have received vaccination.

  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that all who are at risk through their work in the public service have been given adequate warning about hepatitis B and information as to how they can obtain inoculation against it.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Departmental advice regarding hepatitis B vaccination is contained in the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation's memorandum "Immunisation against Infectious Disease". A new edition of this memorandum will be published this month, copies of which will be placed in the Library. The potential risks arising from work in the public service have been drawn to the attention of the relevant occupational health services whose responsibility it is to assess those who may be considered for vaccination.

  National Health Service Trusts
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many expressions of interest have been made for hospitals to opt out of existing arrangements within the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  A total of 193 units have expressed an interest in NHS trust status, including a number with more than one hospital.

  Health Link Workers
  Mr. Rooker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what considerations led his Department to cease to sponsor the health link worker for the Chinese community in Birmingham; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he has decided to withdraw funding for a health link worker with the Chinese community in Birmingham from 11 July; and what steps he is taking to ensure the continuation of this service.

  Mr. Dorrell
  As part of the "Helping the Community to Care" initiative, the Department of Health funded a health link worker post within the Birmingham Chinese community centre for the years 1988–89 and 1989–90. As with all these schemes, central funding for this project was planned to last for a limited period.

  Nurses (Training)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has approved the implementation of Project 2000 nurses training in any additional schools of nursing.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I am pleased to announce that approval has been given today to implementation of Project 2000 in 14 more schools of nursing during 1990–91, subject to the necessary educational approval being obtained from the English national board. They cover the following 30 health districts:

  Lancaster; East, South and West Cumbria

  Harrogate and Northallerton

  North and South Lincolnshire, Nottingham, and Central Nottinghamshire

  West Suffolk

  Hillingdon

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  Canterbury and Thanet, South-East Kent

  Croydon, Merton and Sutton

  Southampton and South-West Hampshire

  East and West Berkshire

  Cornwall and Plymouth

  Herefordshire, Kidderminster, Worcester, and Bromsgrove and Redditch

  South Sefton, Southport and Formby

  Salford, Bolton

  In addition, I am able at this stage to give approval in advance to implementation in 1991–92 for three further schools, covering a further five health districts:

  Shropshire, Staffordshire

  City and Hackney

  Stockport and Glossop

  The total funding to be made available by the Department for the implementation of Project 2000 in 1989–90 and 1990–91 will be approximately £38 million.

  Multiple Births
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the findings of the national study of triplets and higher order births will be published.

  Mr. Dorrell
  During the first half of July.

  Benzodiazepines
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to contra-indicate benzodiazepines for pregnant women.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 May.
  493
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much industry contributed to helping those addicted to benzodiazepines to withdraw from them in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Vaccinations
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was spent on vaccinations at GPs' surgeries in 1989.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Figures are not available on a comprehensive or consistent basis. The cost of item of service payments to GPs for vaccination and immunisation in the general medical service in financial year 1989–90 was £41 million. The basic ingredient cost of prescriptions for vaccines written by GPs and dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors in calendar year 1989 (financial year figures are not yet available) was £26 million; this excludes the cost of dispensing fees, and takes no account of discount, container allowance or VAT. These figures do not include the cost of vaccines which GPs obtain from health authorities or from any other source, information on which is not held centrally.

ENERGY

  UKAEA Chairman
  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what will be the salary of Mr. John Maltby as part-time chairman of United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority.

  Mr. Baldry
  The salary of Mr. John Maltby as part-time chairman of the UKAEA will be £50,000 per annum.

  Electricity Prices
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what assessment he has made of the probable rise in electricity prices for large electricity-intensive industries, when the transitional price-cap expires;

  (2) what assessment he has made of the effect on the electric arc steel-making industry of the ending of the qualifying industrial users schemes;

  (3) what assessment he has made on the effects on heavy industry of the ending of the qualifying industrial users schemes;

  (4) what representations he has received about the ending of the qualifying industrial users schemes for intensive industrial electricity consumers.

  Mr. Baldry
  Future prices to large users are a matter for negotiation between customer and supplier. It would be premature to try to predict the outcome of those negotiations. Privatisation is benefiting such customers by enabling them to seek competing bids for supply. Many have already succeeded in negotiating price reductions. Disputes between regional electricity companies and customers may also be referred to the Director General of Electricity Supply.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Local Management of Schools
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to the reply of 14 May, if he will name the local education authority which has sought to defer the implementation of LMS.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Rochdale.

  Rothera point
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the implications for wildlife from the construction of the airstrip at Rothera Point.

  Mr. Jackson
  An assessment of the implications for wildlife from the construction of the airstrip is given in the final comprehensive environmental evaluation published in September 1989 by the Natural Environment Research Council, prior to placing the contract for the construction. This document was referred to in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 19 October 1989,Official Report, column 189, and a copy is in the Library.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many seals are killed each year by personnel at the British Antarctic Survey station on Rothera point; how many deaths are classified as intentional, and how many as accidental; what is the purpose of the intentional deaths; what is the explanation for the accidental deaths; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  No accidental seal deaths have ever been reported from Rothera. Meat from some 140 seals is however used annually to feed about 30 sledge dogs at the Rothera base. There is full compliance with the agreed measures for the conservation of Antarctic flora and fauna of the Antarctic treaty.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the origin of the materials being used to construct the British Antarctic airstrip at Rothera point; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The origin of materials being used to construct the airstrip at Rothera point is given in the final comprehensive environmental evaluation published in September 1989 by the Natural Environment Research Council, prior to construction. A copy of the report is in the Library.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what company is constructing the British Antarctic strip at Rothera point; on what basis the contract was awarded; and what safeguards exist in the contract relating to environmental protection.

  Mr. Jackson
  Pelly Construction Company of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada is constructing the airstrip at Rothera. The contract was awarded by competitive tender and in consideration of experience, expertise and cost. Environmental safeguards were incorporated into the tender exercise and thence into the contract. They are given in the final comprehensive environmental evaluation published in September 1989 by the Natural Environment Research Council, prior to construction. A copy of the report is in the Library.
  495
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions he has had with other countries in respect of measures to ensure environmental protection in connection with the operation of the British Antarctic airstrip at Rothera; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  A draft comprehensive environmental evaluation for the Rothera airstrip was circulated to all Antarctic treaty consultative parties for comment in 1989 —as well as to environmental, non-governmental organisations such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has a provisional estimate of the number of aircraft likely to be using the British Antarctic airstrip at Rothera.

  Mr. Jackson
  A provisional estimate of the number of aircraft likely to be using the Rothera airstrip is five, all operated by the British Antarctic Survey in support of its science programme. I would also refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave on 11 May,Official Report column 243, on the use of the airstrip.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what precautions have been taken to prevent fuel spills at the British Antarctic airstrip being built at Rothera point; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  Precautions to prevent fuel spills at the Rothera airstrip are given in the final comprehensive environmental evaluation published in September 1989 by the Natural Environment Research Council, prior to construction. A copy of the report is in the Library.

  The fuel handling and emergency containment facilities are designed to Canadian Arctic standards. Facilities will exist to contain any spillage considered likely to result from national operations.

  Educational Performance
  Mr. Straw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what work is being undertaken or supported by Her Majesty's Government(a) to compare educational performance with that of other OECD countries and (b) to compare levels of performance after the introduction of the national curriculum with those before.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The Government are participating in a current OECD project which aims to develop a set of educational indicators applicable to the education system of all OECD member countries. The School Examinations and Assessment Council has a remit to analyse national curriculum assessment data, and will be considering how to compare these with earlier performance, particularly at age 16.

  Ryrie Rules
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has given polytechnics on privately funded projects in the light of the retirement of the Ryrie rules.

  Mr. Jackson
  The provision of advice to polytechnics and colleges funded by the Polytechnics and Colleges 496
  Funding Council is a matter for the council. The PCFC is encouraging institutions to seek a variety of sources of funding for capital projects and, subject to investment appraisal, gives priority to projects where substantial external funding has been raised.

  Thalassaemia
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much money was spent nationally on research in thalassaemia for each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Medical Research Council is the main Government agency for the promotion of medical and related biological research in this country. The council's total expenditure on research projects which could in whole or part be related to thalassaemia in the last 10 years is as follows:

  £000's

  1979–80

  211

  1980–81

  489

  1981–82

  697

  1982–83

  611

  1983–84

  666

  1984–85

  681

  1985–86

  906

  1986–87

  1,042

  1987–88

  1,057

  1988–89

  1,154

  Figures for 1989–90 should be available in July. Research on thalassaemia may have been undertaken by university departments and medical schools with support from the University Funding Council (UFC) block grants and by health authorities; but information on this is not collected centrally. Charities may also be spending money on research into thalassaemia.

  British Antarctic Survey
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science who has been appointed as environmental officer for the British Antarctic Survey; and what matters were of consideration in deciding the appointment.

  Mr. Jackson
  Mr. Shears will take up his post on 4 June 1990. The requirement of the post was a minimum of a good honours degree in the environmental sciences and a minimum of four years' postgraduate experience in aspects of environmental management, including waste management, and conservation. Relevant postgraduate qualifications were also sought. Normal Civil Service Commission procedures were followed in making the appointment.

  National Curriculum
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he plans to accept the advice given to him by the National Curriculum Council on core skills for 16 to 19-year-olds.

  Mr. MacGregor
  I have today written to the National Curriculum Council (NCC), endorsing in principle the list of core skills it proposes, namely:

  communication

  problem solving

  personal skills

  497

  numeracy

  information technology

  modern language competence.

  I have also written to the School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC), asking it to use the list as the basis of further work. The NCC advised that the first three core skills should be built into all AS and A-levels, and that the remaining three should be built into syllabuses where this does not distort the nature of the subject. I have asked SEAC to advise me by the end of July on the practicability of building in the various core skills in this way. There must of course be no question of compromising the academic standards of AS and A-levels.

  I have also commended to SEAC the idea, put forward by the NCC, that the themes of social and economic understanding, scientific and technological understanding and aesthetic and creative understanding should be included as guiding principles for those who design syllabuses at AS and A-level.

  The NCC's report comments on how attainment in the core skills might be described; how it might be assessed and reported; and how credit transfer might be developed. These are all issues on which I have already invited advice from SEAC. I have therefore asked SEAC to comment on those sections of the NCC report when it gives its advice in July.

  Finally, NCC stresses in its report that the core skills it has identified are suitable not only for those taking AS and A-levels but for all young people aged 16 to 19. I have accordingly, with the agreement of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, asked the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NCVQ), in consultation with the further education unit (FEU) and SEAC, to consider the applicability of the NCC list of core skills to vocational qualifications and report on this before the end of July.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Bomb Damage
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Housing Executive carries out emergency repairs to(a) executive homes and (b) private properties following damage by terrorist bombs.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Assistance is available under the first-aid repair scheme for householders whose dwellings have been damaged as a result of terrorist activity. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive operates the scheme for public sector housing. The Department of the Environment at present deals with privately owned residential properties.

  The Housing Executive maintains a 24-hour emergency call-out service which renders immediate remedial work to weatherproof all dwellings, public and private, as a result of criminal damage.

  Harbour Road, Ballyhalbert
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of road safety precautions along Harbour road, Ballyhalbert, County Down; whether local residents have expressed any concern about danger from traffic; how close the traffic is to the front doors of homes along 498
  this section of road; how wide is the carriageway; what evidence he has of traffic driving on the existing footway; and whether he has any proposals to widen Harbour road.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of road safety precautions along Harbour road at Ballyhalbert, County Down. Correspondence from a resident expressing concern about danger from traffic is currently being investigated. Traffic on the carriageway is separated from the houses by a 1·5 m wide strip at road level. There is no evidence of traffic driving on the footway on the shore side of the road. There are no plans at present to widen Harbour road.

  Sewage Station, Portavogie
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to replace the foul sewage station on the foreshore at Portavogie, County Down; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The sewage pumping station at New road, Portavogie, will be converted to an underground macerator station later this year.

  Gas Pipelines
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many kilometres of mains gas pipeline is still considered serviceable of the remaining mains gas distribution network in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  No repairs or maintenance works have been carried out on the mains gas distribution network since the closure of the former town's gas undertakings, so considerable degeneration in the former network can be assumed. Its precise condition could not be determined without a detailed and expensive technical investigation.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will consult the Manx Government regarding their participation in any future project to pipe gas from Morecambe bay through the Isle of Man to South Down in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  Consultations with the Manx Government are a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department, but no such project has been proposed.

  General Medical Practices
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many general medical practices have withdrawn from the health centres at(a) Bangor, (b) Lisburn, (c) Limavady and (d) Coleraine; how many practices remain at each of these four centres; from which other health centres general medical practices have withdrawn; and whether there are any plans to extend existing health centres or to provide new health centres for general medical practices.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 14 May 1990]: The numbers of general medical practices that withdrew from the four health centres during the past three years and the numbers now remaining are shown in the table:

  Bangor

  Coleraine

  Limavady

  Lisburn

  Practices withdrawn

  3

  1

  0

  0

  Practices remaining

  6

  2

  3

  8

  499
  The numbers that withdrew from other health centres in the same period are:

  Practices withdrawn:

  Cookstown 1

  Moneymore 1

  There are no plans to extend existing or to provide new health centres to accommodate additional general medical practices. The improvement or extension of facilities at existing health centres is a matter for the appropriate health and social services board.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Vietnamese Boat People
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to tackle the root causes of the departure of boat people from Vietnam; what role non-governmental organisations can play in this; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I welcome the recent UNHCR initiative aimed at tackling the root causes of the migration of Vietnamese boat people through intensified nongovernmental organisation (NGO) activity. In response, I am pleased to announce the setting up of a special scheme to support NGO activities in those parts of north Vietnam from which boat people have predominantly come in recent years. Under the special scheme, ODA will meet 80 per cent. of the costs of agreed humanitarian and economic projects put forward by British NGOs in the target areas. A sum of £1 million has been set aside to support these projects, separate from and additional to the allocation of £20 million for projects worldwide under the joint funding scheme.

  Though most of the population in the camps is from the north, not all boat people come from the north. Indeed, two thirds of arrivals in Hong Kong this year have come from the south of Vietnam. I have therefore decided to add Vietnam to the list of countries participating in the general joint funding scheme, under which the ODA meets 50 per cent. of the costs of agreed NGO projects. The details of the new scheme will be discussed with British agencies at working level shortly. I am confident that we shall receive a good response.

ENVIRONMENT

  Farmers (Compensation)
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to review the arrangements governing the compensation paid to farmers for the compulsory purchase of land and buildings.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Compensation for all types of interests in compulsorily purchased land and buildings is based on their market value. Those affected are also reimbursed their costs arising from the compulsory purchase. In addition farmers may be entitled to farm loss payments to help them start farming on unfamiliar land. These arrangements are all under review. Our consultation paper on land compensation and compulsory purchase legislation, issued in March 1989, contained proposals for improvements, including proposals relating to farm loss payments. We plan to introduce legislation on these proposals when the parliamentary timetable permits.

  Bellwin Scheme
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, for each event which led to the activation of the Bellwin scheme since 1 April 1989, he will list the qualifying local authorities and the total grant aid paid to each of them.

  Mr. Portillo
  Activations of the Bellwin scheme for England since 1 April 1989, with the exception of those for the flooding in the Severn valley and Maidenhead, have applied to all local authorities. Whether an authority qualifies for grant will depend on whether its eligible expenditure exceeds its threshold. Because the earliest deadline for the submission of claim forms is 30 June 1990 there is as yet no information on how many authorities will claim or how much grant will be paid.

  Polychlorinated Biphenyls
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what study he is making of the problems of leakage of polychlorinated biphenyls from hydraulic irrigation made available to him by Dr. Chris Mason of the Department of Biology in the university of Essex, and consequent dangers to others.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Neither I, nor my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have any record of receiving copies of a report from Dr. Mason on the problems of leakage of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from hydraulic irrigation pumps.

  My officials have written to Dr. Mason to obtain a copy of the report and when I have studied it, I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research is available to him on the concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls in large oily fish favoured by marine mammals.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Marine mammals show considerable variation in their feeding patterns and movements as illustrated in research on seals monitored around the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth and commissioned by my Department from the Natural Environment Research Council's sea mammal research unit. In some localities, marine mammals show a preference for oily fish such as herring, mackerel and sandeel.

  As part of their general monitoring programme of commercial 'species consumed by humans, both the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and in Scotland, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries monitor PCB levels in herring and mackerel. These show generally that concentrations of lipophilic contaminants such as PCBs are higher in the tissues of oily fish than in other fish with a lower natural lipid content, but not so high in edible tissues as to affect human health. As yet no comparable data are available for sandeels, but DAFS is currently considering new work on the food chains of marine mammals and this will address in particular the bio-accumulation of persistent organochlorines such as PCBs.

  Dangerous Dogs
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the number of successful prosecutions mounted under the
  501
  provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989; how many dangerous dogs have been destroyed under the provisions of section 1(a); how many owners have been disqualified from having custody of a dog under section 1(b); and what advice he is giving to local authorities on the operation of the Act.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  There are no statistics yet available for the number of successful prosecutions mounted under the provisions of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989. This Act extended the powers available to a court on a complaint under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 together with additional rights of appeal and enhanced penalties. It is not possible from the information held centrally to isolate such penalties from others under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871.

  Guidance on the Dangerous Dogs Act was given in Home Office circular 63/1989, copies of which were placed in the Library on 9 August 1989.

  Action for Cities
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of investment the Government plan for the inner cities under the action for cities programme in the current year.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Spending under the action for cities initiative is planned to be about £4 billion in 1990–91, compared with just over £3 billion in 1988–89 and just under £3·5 billion in 1989–90.

  Rates (Hammersmith)
  Mr. Carrington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the average capital value rates bill on a property worth (i) £50,000, (ii) £80,000 and (iii) £100,000 in Hammersmith in 1990–91 assuming such a system had to raise the same amount of revenue as the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  Figures placed in the Library on 4 April show illustrative levels of capital value-based rates in 1990–91 were such a system to be used to raise the same amount nationally as the community charge. The implied bills in Hammersmith and Fulham for properties worth(a) £50,000, (b) £80,000 and (c) £100,000 are £868, £1,389 and £1,736 respectively.

  Housing (Disabled People)
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has received a copy of Shelter's report entitled, "Our Homes, Our Rights—Housing, Independent Living and Physically Disabled People; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The report is based on a survey of 21 local authorities in England and Wales.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he has set for exemption from payment of the community charge by people with acquired brain damage; what guidance has been issued to general practitioners in this respect; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  A person is exempt from the personal community charge on the ground of severe mental 502
  impairment if he or she is entitled to one of a number of qualifying benefits and is in receipt of a certificate from a registered medical practitioner stating that he or she is severely mentally impaired. For the purposes of the community charge legislation, a person is severely mentally impaired if he or she has a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning, however caused, which appears to be permanent.

  Guidance to general practitioners has been issued in a circular letter from the Department of Health, dated 3 November 1989. A further letter of guidance will be issued shortly.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities to discuss local government finance.

  Mr. Chope
  My right hon. Friend met representatives of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and other local authority associations on 27 March. They discussed the community charge and other issues.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many local authority areas single prisoners who maintained unoccupied property would be liable to pay standard community charge at greater than a multiple of 0.

  Mr. Chope
  The information is not yet available.

  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average level of community charge, discounting the safety net, in inner London in boroughs that were(a) Conservative controlled and (b) Labour controlled before 3 May.

  Mr. Chope
  Conservative controlled—£227. Labour controlled—£516. The figures are based on charges at 1 April 1990.

  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the average capital value rates bill on a property worth (i) £50,000, (ii) £80,000 and (iii) £100,000 in London in 1990–91 assuming such a system had to raise the same amount of revenue as the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  Figures placed in the Library on 4 April show illustrative levels of capital value based rates in 1990–91 were such a system to be used to raise the same amount nationally as the community charge. The implied average bills for inner and outer London are:

  Value of property £

  Inner London £

  Outer London £

  (i) 50,000

  743

  507

  (ii) 80,000

  1,189

  811

  (iii) 100,000

  1,486

  1,014

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the local authority associations to discuss the relative effects of a tax on property values and the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  We have no plans to discuss a tax on property values with representatives of the local authority associations.
  503
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what a person on average male earnings would pay in local income tax in 1990–91 in order to raise the same amount of revenue as the community charge in London.

  Mr. Chope
  The level of local income tax payable by a person on average male earnings would depend on the precise way in which such a system were introduced and on the precise tax allowances which were available. Illustrative figures exemplifying possible local income tax rates and the bill payable with a taxable income of £12,800 were placed in the Library on 4 April.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to replace the community charge with a tax based on property floorspace.

  Mr. Chope
  No.

  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the local authorities in England which within the consideration given in regard to the determination of the standard spending assessment for 1990–91 emerged as more socially deprived than Rotherham.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 14 May 1990]: The main measure of relative social deprivation within standard spending assessments is the all ages social index which is used in the assessment of the standard spending assessment elements for all other services and for other social services. The composition of this index is described fully on page 24 of the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) which was approved by the House on 18 January. The following authorities are those which have higher scores on this index than Rotherham:

  Authorities with all ages social index scores greater than Rotherham's

  Avon CC

  Barking and Dagenham

  Barnet

  Barrow in Furness

  Bath

  Bedfordshire

  Berkshire CC

  Birmingham

  Blackburn

  Blackpool

  Bolton

  Bournemouth

  Bradford

  Brent

  Brighton

  Bristol

  Burnley

  Bury

  Calderdale

  Cambridge

  Camden

  Cannock Chase

  Carlisle

  Cheltenham

  Chester

  Cleveland CC

  Corby

  Cornwall CC

  Coventry

  Crewe and Nantwich

  Croydon

  Darlington

  Derby

  504

  Derwentside

  Devon CC

  Doncaster

  Dover

  Durham CC

  Ealing

  Easington

  East Staffordshire

  East Sussex CC

  Eastbourne

  Enfield

  Exeter

  Gateshead

  Gillingham

  Gloucester

  Gravesham

  Great Grimsby

  Great Yarmouth

  Greenwich

  Hackney

  Halton

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  Haringey

  Harlow

  Harrow

  Hartlepool

  Hastings

  Havant

  Hillingdon

  Hounslow

  Hove

  Humberside County Council

  Hyndburn

  Ipswich

  Isles of Scilly

  Islington

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Kent County Council

  Kerrier

  Kettering

  Kingston upon Hull

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  Kirklees

  Knowsley

  Lambeth

  Lancashire County Council

  Lancaster

  Langbaurgh-on-Tees

  Leeds

  Leicester

  Leicestershire County Council

  Leominster

  Lewisham

  Lincoln

  Liverpool

  Luton

  Manchester

  Medina

  Merton

  Middlesbrough

  Milton Keynes

  Newark and Sherwood

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  Newham

  North Bedfordshire

  Northampton

  Northamptonshire County Council

  Norwich

  Nottingham

  Nottinghamshire County Council

  Nuneaton and Bedworth

  Oldham

  Oxford

  Pendle

  Penwith

  Peterborough

  Plymouth

  Portsmouth

  505

  Preston

  Reading

  Redbridge

  Redditch

  Restormel

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  Rochdale

  Rochester upon Medway

  Rossendale

  Rugby

  Rushmoor

  Salford

  Sandwell

  Scunthorpe

  Sefton

  Sheffield

  Shepway

  Slough

  South Shropshire

  South Tyneside

  Southampton

  Southend-on-Sea

  Southwark

  St. Helens

  Stockton-on-Tees

  Stoke-on-Trent

  Sunderland

  Swale

  Tameside

  Thamesdown

  Thanet

  Thurrock

  Torbay

  Tower Hamlets

  Trafford

  Tunbridge Wells

  Walsall

  Waltham Forest

  Wandsworth

  Watford

  Wear Valley

  Wellingborough

  Westminster

  Weymouth and Portland

  Wirral

  Wolverhampton

  Wrekin

  York

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 9 May, how much of the additional £2·5 billion in budgeted receipts for local authorities in the current financial year over the last financial year will be received by authorities which at the time of setting the community charge were under(a) Labour control, (b) Conservative control, (c) Liberal Democrat control and (d) under no outright control.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 16 May 1990]: A breakdown of the £2·5 billion estimate is not possible on information currently available. The increases in demands and precepts in 1990–91 over the estimated equivalent figures for 1989–90 uprated by 8·1 per cent. are as follows:

  Political control of authority

  Increase in £ million

  Conservative

  690

  Labour

  790

  SLD or Liberal

  30

  No overall control

  420

  Other

  10

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any estimate of the percentage of the additional £2·5 billion in budgeted receipts for local authorities in the current financial year 506
  over the last financial year which will (a) be used to build up reserves which were depleted in the last financial year and (b) be spent upon services.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 16 May 1990]: Local authorities as a whole are budgeting to draw down about £500 million from reserves in 1990–91.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the increase per capita in the level of community charge paid by residents in an area if their local authority were to increase by £1 per capita its total revenue; and what comparative increase would be borne by payers of the uniform business rate in the same area.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 16 May 1990]: Local authorities have a number of ways of increasing their revenue, not all of which increase the community charge in their area, and none of which impacts directly on payers of the uniform business rate.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the grant settlements for Westminster city council for the year 1990–91 related to a calculation of needs.

  Mr. Chope
  As for all other charging authorities, the RSG entitlement for Westminster is calculated on the basis of the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England), approved by the House on 18 January, and is related to the assessment of the cost of providing a standard level of service. In Westminster's case, this amount is reduced by the £75 per adult contributions of the safety net.

  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he plans to increase central Government assistance to local authorities to reduce the community charge.

  Mr. Portillo
  We will be taking decisions on the amount of central Government support to local authorities in the next few months. The detail of the revenue support grant settlement for 1991–92 will be the subject of consultation with the local authority associations in the autumn.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the average capital value rate bill on property worth (i) £50,000, (ii) £80,000 and (iii) £100,000 in England in 1990–91 assuming such a system had to raise the same amount of revenue as the community charge.

  Mr. Chope
  Figures placed in the library on 4 April show illustrative levels of capital value-based rates in 1990–91 were such a system to be used to raise the same amount nationally as the community charge. The implied average bills in England for properties worth (i) £50,000, (ii), £80,000 and (iii) £100,000 are £528, £845 and £1,056 respectively.

  Tenants' Choice
  Mrs. Gorman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the initiatives taken on and the level of resources committed to promoting tenants' choice.

  Mr. Chope
  The Department carried out a national publicity campaign to make tenants aware of their rights
  507
  and opportunities under tenants' choice at the time of its introduction in March 1989. This cost £524,000. It was followed in March this year by a regionally based publicity campaign, costing £130,000, in some areas where awareness of tenants' choice remained relatively low. Last week, I launched a series of four explanatory videos about tenants' choice, which the Housing Corporation will make available to interested groups of tenants. These cost £120,000. Further publicity may be undertaken later this year. The Housing Corporation also provides advice and information to tenants as part of its day-to-day work on tenants' choice.

  Lake District
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has any plans to extend the environmentally sensitive areas programme currently in operation in the Lake district.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  There is no such programme currently in operation in the Lake district.

  Farmland (Conversion)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement on the progress of the pilot scheme administered by the Countryside Commission in which farmers are paid to convert land for wildlife or recreational use.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The countryside premium scheme which was launched last June is currently operating on a pilot basis in seven counties in eastern England. Under these arrangements farmers who have taken land out of agriculture production under the set-aside scheme administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, agree to take prescribed measures to manage the land in ways which will be beneficial to wildlife, the local community and the landscape. I have been delighted with the response to the scheme so far. In less than a year since the scheme was launched agreements have been signed with 115 farmers covering nearly 15 per cent. of the land eligible for the premium scheme.

  Landfill Sites
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will identify those landfill sites which his Department considers represent a threat to the environment; what remedial action is required; and what action he is taking to ensure the safety of these sites.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Responsibility for assessing environmental threats associated with individual landfill sites rests with the appropriate waste disposal authorities, working in conjunction with the National Rivers Authority and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. It is for the authorities concerned to decide upon appropriate remedial action in each case. For the particular problem of landfill gas, the Government have made special provision of £33 million in the form of supplementary credit approvals for 1990–91, to allow authorities to undertake remedial work on those sites where problems have been identified.

  Waste Disposal
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the special waste disposal facilities operational in the west midlands area.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  This information is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of waste disposal authorities to make details of disposal site licences available for public inspection. I understand that the west midlands hazardous waste unit, based at Walsall, should be able to provide the information the hon. Member seeks.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an estimate of the volume of(a) household waste, (b) industrial waste and (c) special waste produced in the west midlands area and disposed of in the west midlands area for each of the next five years.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Regional estimates are not held centrally. It is for waste disposal authorities in preparing and reviewing waste disposal plans under section 2 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974, to include future estimates of the kinds of quantities of controlled waste arisings and disposals in their area based upon relevant survey work. I understand that the west midlands joint committee is currently preparing a revised plan for its area.

  Smoke Alarms
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for making smoke alarms mandatory.

  Mr. Chope
  A consultation paper containing proposals for amendments to part B, "Safety in Fire", of the Building Regulations 1985 was issued in March this year. It includes a proposal that new dwellings not protected by an automatic fire detection and alarm system should be provided with one or more self-contained smoke alarms. Comments on the proposals in the consultation paper have been invited by 30 June.

  Otters
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the threatened extinction of the otter.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  A major national otter survey, covering 8,606 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, was carried out in 1977–79, and repeated in 1984–86. The repeat survey showed a higher percentage of sites with otters present, indicating likely population recovery in particular in Wales, Scotland and the south-west, north-west and Welsh borders of England. Between the two surveys, legal protection for the otter was introduced and the use of organochlorine insecticide was reduced. These two positive factors seem likely to have contributed to the apparent recovery in distribution.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research is available to him on the damage caused to otters' wombs by polychlorinated biphenyls.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I am not aware of any study which directly links exposure to PCBs to damage to otters' wombs. However, several studies have been reported
  509
  which may be indirectly related to the effects of PCBs on the reproductive performance of otters. These are reviewed in a draft environmental health criteria document which will be published by the International Programme on Chemical Safety. The relevant section of the draft has been prepared by the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology (NERC) under contract to my Department and as part of the United Kingdom contribution to the international programme.

  Ivory
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from the records of trade in ivory maintained by his Department in accordance with article VIII.6 of CITES in terms of the impact in the United Kingdom of the ban on ivory trade.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  None. In accordance with normal practice, records of trade in ivory in 1990, which are being maintained under article VIII.6 of CITES, will not be collated until early 1991.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what details he possesses in his Department of tradeable ivory currently held in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside on 1 May 1990,Official Report, column 504.

  Leaded Petrol
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is undertaking to establish the incidence of motor vehicles being converted back to be able to run on leaded petrol; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Discussions with motoring organisations following a recent press story produced no evidence to suggest that readjustment to leaded tune is widespread. A minority of cars—their number diminishing all the time—cannot be adjusted to run on unleaded petrol. This is made clear in the Department's booklet "Adjust to Unleaded", and in information diseminated by the vehicle and petrol trades. In all other cases, however, provided that the manufacturer's guidance is followed by competent mechanics, I am confident that motorists will encounter no problems in using unleaded petrol. They will, of course, both contribute to an important environmental improvement and save money by doing so.

  Endangered Species
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what applications for exemption under article 6.1(a) of EC regulation 3626/82 have been considered by his Department in each of the last three years; and how many were granted.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Housing Grants
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many organisations, funded under section 73, have had such funding stopped; if he will list the names of these organisations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley) on 11 May 1990,Official Report, column 245.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is yet able to respond to the report of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology on the Government's proposals for the future of the Nature Conservancy Council.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I have today written to Lord Flowers, conveying the Government's response to the Select Committee's most helpful report. A copy has been placed in the Library of both Houses.

  City Grant
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the application for city grant by 3Ds Ltd.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 May 1990]: No. Information presented by developers in city grant applications is commercially confidential.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the application for city grant was received for the west end development in Bradford from 3Ds Ltd.; how much grant is being requested; what assessment has been made of the application; when a decision is likely to be made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 May 1990]: The application for city grant from 3Ds Ltd. for the west end development in Bradford was received on 3 April 1990. The information presented in this application is commercially confidential. The application will be dealt with in the normal way and a decision made as quickly as possible.

  Peat
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what specific guidance has been circulated to local authorities and Government Departments regarding suitable alternatives to peat, if he will list the local authorities to which his Department has given guidance on this subject; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  [holding answer 14 May 1990]: My Department has not circulated any specific guidance to local authorities or other Government Departments on this subject. However, advice on peat alternatives has been provided to some local authorities on a contractual basis by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. In addition the Forestry Commission's arboricultural advisory and information service, which is funded by the

  511
  Department, is preparing a note on "Organic Soil Amendments" in relation to amenity tree planting. This note will report the results of recent research carried out for the Department and is likely to indicate that the money traditionally spent on bulky organic matter, inluding peat, to establish trees would often be better spent on thorough site preparation and post-planting care. This note will be available to local authorities. Finally, I refer the Member to the concluding paragraphs of the debate on peat resources which took place in another place on 9 May. Lord Reay set out the Government's position in his concluding speech on that debate.

  Norman Shaw North (Heating)
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the heating system was on full strength in Norman Shaw North on Monday 23 April; what was the outside temperature for the main part of the day; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope:
  [holding answer 3 May 1990] The highest outside temperature recorded on the roof of the Palace of Westminster on 23 April was 17·2 degrees centigrade. The heating was still on then because neither the House authorities nor the Parliamentary Works Office considered that the weather had settled sufficiently for the boilers to be shut down. Once the boilers have been shut down it is not possible to reheat the building quickly when there is a subsequent drop in temperatures. The situation was reviewed on 30 April and the boilers were then shut down for the summer.

  Community Charge
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from parish councils following the introduction of the community charge about the loss of business rate and the exemption of overseas service personnel from the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 4 May 1990]: My right hon. Friend has received many representations from parish councils about the treatment of business rates under the new system. He has received a few about the exemption from liability to pay the community charge of overseas service personnel.

  Commercial Rateable Values
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the anticipated time period for settling an appeal on new commercial rateable values to be completed by the valuation and community charge tribunal for(a) the York area and (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 4 May 1990]: The length of time will depend on when the proposal to alter the rating list is lodged, whether the ratepayer is able to reach agreement with the valuation officer without recourse to the valuation and community charge tribunal, and, if he is not, on how complex the matter is and on the volume of appeals in the area concerned.

  Sewage Disposal
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government have any plans to implement programmes encouraging alternative sewage sludge disposal methods.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The development and operation of alternative sewage sludge disposal methods are a matter for the water service companies themselves. Several novel methods of water or sewage treatment are currently being looked at and the Government encourage this development of new and innovative technology to deal with sludge disposal.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Mineral Water
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what steps he is taking to review the sale of Perrier water in the House.

  Sir Geoffry Howe
  None. New production Perrier water will continue to be available on demand in the Dining Rooms.

  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Lord President of the Council what information he has about illness among hon. Members following purchase of sparkling mineral water in the House of Commons.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  None. I understand that no such cases of illness have been reported.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Namibian Children
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given by Her Majesty's Government to the Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte in its attempts to ensure that children from Namibia who are currently in children's homes in East Germany are identified before they are returned to Namibia and that their welfare in Namibia is monitored following their return.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are not providing any help to the Internationale Gesellschaft für Menschenrechte.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any information concerning the numbers of children from Namibia who are curently in children's homes in(a) East Germany, (b) Cuba, (c) Zambia and (d) Czechoslvakia.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have no precise information about numbers of children from Namibia in children's homes abroad. However, we understand from press and other reports that there may be as many as 430 Namibian children in East Germany, 350 in Cuba and 60 in Czechoslovakia. We have no information about numbers of Namibian children in Zambia.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information
  513
  he has on the involvement of the South-West Africa People's Organisation in expatriating to children's homes in other countries which are sympathetic to its aims the children of Namibians who oppose SWAPO's policy and methods.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are aware of general allegations that Namibian children from families opposed to SWAPO may have been expatriated against their will. These allegations have been denied by the relevant authorities. We have no information about any specific cases.

  Immigration
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be made on the application of Mr. Umar Hayat, whose date of birth is 2 January 1967, Ref: KA 0526, to enter the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is going to be taken on the application made to Her Majesty's Government's post in Islamabad on Mrs. Azra Bi, whose date of birth is 1 January 1970 Ref: IMM/98119, to join Mr. Mohd Amanat, who was interviewed in Hull in August 1989.

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

  `Bahia Paraiso'
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any information regarding the oil aboard the Argentinian vessel Bahia Paraiso currently lying in Antarctic waters.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  According to a report provided by the Argentine authorities at a meeting of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (November 1989), the following amounts of oil products were estimated to be still on board the Bahia Paraiso:

  568 cu m diesel fuels

  73 cu m "Artic" diesel fuels

  43 cu m JP1 Aviation Kerosene

  9 cu m lubricating oil

  Antarctica
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his intention to arrange any meetings with members of the Antarctic treaty before the special convening of all the Antarctic treaty parties in November.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have no present plans to arrange formal meetings with other Antarctic treaty consultative parties before November.

  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government intend to reconsider their position in the light of the decision by the New Zealand Government not to ratify the convention on the regulation of antarctic mineral resource activities; and if he will make a statement.
  514
  Mr. Sainsbury
  Our understanding is that the New Zealand Government have not decided against ratifying CRAMRA. Rather they have "set aside" the convention for the time being.

  Our position on CRAMRA is unchanged.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Scotch Whisky
  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Her Majesty's Government will continue to make representations to the Japanese Government urging them to fulfil their general agreement on tariffs and trade obligations in full with regard to liquor tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Redwood
  Japan reformed its liquor tax last year following a GATT ruling, and Scotch whisky sales in Japan have since increased by 72 per cent. in value. We made strong representations to the Japanese Government last year about whisky lookalike products, which subsequently have not sold well. We continue to watch developments in the Japanese whisky market to ensure that the beneficial effects of the tax changes are not undermined, and will make further representations to the Japanese authorities as appropriate about any problems which arise from the remaining tax differentials.

  Mr. Sims
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations have been made to the South African Government about the legislation which prevents certain Scotch malt whiskies from being sold in South Africa.

  Mr. Redwood
  Her Majesty's Government raised the matter with the South African Board of Trade and Industry on 17 April.

SCOTLAND

  Planning Procedures
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what powers he considers appeals by regional authorities for the calling in of planning decisions by district councils; what are the limits of time required for such decisions; if provision is made for cases where the time limits cannot be kept; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Under the terms of section 179 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 a district planning authority may appeal to my right hon. and learned Friend against the calling in of a planning application by a regional planning authority. There is no statutory time limit on my right hon. and learned Friend for determining a call-in appeal. SDD circular 29/1988 advised planning authorities that my right hon. and learned Friend would normally reach his decision on an appeal against call-in within 21 days of receiving written statements from both planning authorities.

  ICI (Explosives Dumping)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland why the 1987 licence to dump explosives from ICI's Nobel division in the Clyde estuary was excluded
  515
  from the 1989 "Disposal of Waste At Sea" report; what other licences granted in respect of dumping at sea have been excluded from the report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  Information on the licence for ICI to dump explosive waste at the Birch Point site in the firth of Clyde was omitted in error from the report "Disposal of Waste at Sea—1986–87". The information in respect of Scotland was based on material which had been compiled for another purpose which did not require information on this type of dump site. The omission of figures in respect of the ICI licence for dumping at Birch Point was not noticed in preparation of this report.

  I regret and apologise for this unintended omission. The information which should have been included in the report for 1986 and 1987, and the corresponding details for 1988 and 1989, are as follows:

  Licences to dump solid industrial waste at Birch Point in the Firth of Clyde

  Licensee

  Amount licensed for dumping (tonnes)

  Amount dumped (tonnes)

  Gross

  Net

  1986 ICI Nobel's

  250

  19·3

  16·0

  1987 ICI Nobel's

  250

  75·0

  62·7

  1988 ICI Nobel's

  250

  19·5

  15·5

  1989 ICI Nobel's

  250

  102·0

  69·1

  The licences for ICI in each year permitted dumping of wastes arising from the production of explosives and returned explosives (classes 1–4 of the 1984 Health and Safety Executive list of authorised explosives) including, in 1989, the slurry explosive NE1820 (class 2). The amount permitted for dumping in the licences granted to ICI Nobel applied to the gross quantity of material to be dumped including inert weighting, absorbent and packaging material (which are excluded from the net figures of amounts actually dumped).

  Details of all licences issued for the dumping of waste at sea in Scottish waters are available for inspection on a public register maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland as required under section 14 of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985.

  Private Hospitals
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many operations, by type, were carried out in private hospitals in each of the last 10 years on behalf of the National Health Service; and at what cost.

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

DEFENCE

  Aircraft Noise
  Mr John Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has received the final report of the NATO committee on the challenges of modern society pilot study on aircraft noise; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Neubert
  My right hon. Friend has now received this report and a copy has been placed in the Library of the 516
  House. The report surveys a very wide range of topics related to aircraft noise, including source noise, noise measurement, community response and health effects, operational considerations and public relations. It identifies areas in which further work is needed and proposes new arrangements for co-ordinating activity and exchanging information within the alliance.

  Taking into account the work done by NATO, my Department has set in hand studies into the sources of noise within and around aircraft and to obtain further information on noise levels generated by aircraft operating at low level. A study has also been commissioned to review available information on any possible relationship between aircraft noise and hearing loss. To co-ordinate these and any follow-up studies and to ensure that the conclusions are taken into account in the future design and operation of aircraft, a low flying noise panel has been set up in the Ministry of Defence on which all relevant service, scientific and administrative staff are represented. My Department will also be co-operating fully in the wider co-ordination of activity and exchange of information within NATO as recommended by the CCMS report.

  This work underscores the commitment of the Ministry of Defence to seek ways of reducing the impact of defence activities on the environment.

  Regimental Mascots
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the aggregate costs of regimental mascots, for those units stationed both in the United Kingdom and abroad, during the last financial year.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  At present 10 regiments are authorised to keep regimental mascots. The majority of costs associated with mascots are met from non-public regimental funds, with certain veterinary and movement costs being paid for from public funds. Records are not held centrally for these costs, which could be isolated only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Colin Wallace
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the positions or posts of the senior officials referred to in paragraph 19(a) of his document, "Conclusions and Recommendations of the Enquiry into the Papers relating to Colin Wallace"; whether any of them are still in Government service; and whether any of them have been questioned;

  (2) what was the rank of the official referred to in paragraph 13 of the report on the handling of papers relating to Mr. Colin Wallace.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  I have nothing to add to the information contained in the conclusions and recommendations of the report into how papers were overlooked in recent years in the case of Mr. Colin Wallace.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what considerations of public policy informed his decision to give the answer to the intervention of the hon. Member for Linlithgow on 18 October 1989,Official Report, column 156.
  517
  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None. At the time of the intervention by the hon. Member, the special reexamination of departmental records was still at an early stage.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what search of the archives was carried out before briefing the Prime Minister to answer questions from the hon. Members for Linlithgow and for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone) in the case of Mr. Colin Wallace between 1981 and 1989, in the light of the report on the mishandling of relevant documents.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  During the period to which the hon. Member refers, some papers were recalled from archives in dealing with inquiries about the case of Mr. Colin Wallace, but as the conclusions of the report into how papers were overlooked makes clear, the main papers concerning Mr. Wallace's disciplinary case remained in archives from 1985 until August 1989.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what stage developments relating to the scrutiny in progress within his Department of files relating to Mr. Colin Wallace had reached on 18 October 1989.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  An early stage.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the reasons for the delay between 4 September 1989 and 30 January 1990 in bringing to the attention of the House past inaccuracies in statements relating to Mr. Colin Wallace.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The period to which the hon. Member refers was taken up by a special re-examination of departmental records relating to the case of Mr. Colin Wallace, and the preparation of the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel (Mr. Marshall) on 30 January 1990 at column 110.

  Personal Papers
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the usual practice of his Department after the resignation of an officer of the rank of major as to where to hold relevant personal papers on file.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Normally once the immediate action relating to the resignation has been completed, the personal papers are added to the Department's archives.

  Iraq (Presidential Guard)
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration was given to the fact that the presidential guard consisted of three infantry divisions and one armoured division when authorisation was given to the sale of ballistic jackets to the presidential guard of Iraq.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  All relevant factors are taken into account when exports of defence equipment are considered for any country, but it is not the practice to comment on specific defence sales matters.

  Aldermaston
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set up an inquiry into the management of the contract to construct the A90 plant at Aldermaston by his Department and the Property Services Agency.
  518
  Mr. Neubert
  No.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the work to replace defective plutonium ductwork and supports in the A90 plant room area—Aldermaston commenced and finished.

  Mr. Neubert
  The replacement of the zone 1 ductwork in A90 commenced in September 1989 and was completed in April 1990.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there was any wrongful substitution of materials in the construction and completion of the contract for the A90 building at Aldermaston.

  Mr. Neubert
  Investigation by both the PSA's central inquiry unit and the Ministry of Defence police found no evidence of the wrongful substitution of materials under the A90 mechanical and electrical contract at AWE Aldermaston. The outcome of these investigations was reported to the House of Commons Defence Committee in March 1990.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department's police have submitted to him the results of their investigations into the malpractices that were alleged to have taken place during the construction of the A90 plant at Aldermaston.

  Mr. Neubert
  Yes.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the plutonium ductwork initially installed in zone 1 of the Aldermaston A90 plant conformed to atomic energy standard specification 6008;

  (2) for what reasons the £5 million replacement of zone 1 plutonium ductwork in the A90 plant room area Aldermaston was required.

  Mr. Neubert
  I refer the hon. Member to House of Commons Defence Committee's Fifth Report on "The Progress of the Trident Programme" (HC374), and in particular to memorandum No. 5 included therewith, giving full details of the reasons for replacement of the zone 1 ventilation ductwork in the A90 building.

  Jordan
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department authorised the preferential interest rates accorded to Jordan in the financing of the purchase of arms and ammunition under the Jordan defence package.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The financial arrangements governing defence sales are a matter of commercial confidence.

  Firth of Clyde (Dumping)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 May about dumping, whether any areas of the firth of Clyde have been used by his Department for dumping in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Neubert
  No.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Lone Parents
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he is planning for the collection of maintenance for lone parents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Government are very concerned about the number of lone-parent families who receive little or no maintenance. We believe that absent parents should do more to meet their responsibilities. We are currently reviewing the maintenance system to see what changes need to be made and we aim to bring forward proposals later this year.

  We have already taken action to improve the current system. We have strengthened the basis on which local social security offices assess absent parents' ability to pay maintenance and have improved our instructions on interviewing lone parents about the identity of the absent father. We have also introduced a new clause to the present Social Security Bill to expand our ability to take action and address some of the problems lone parents have experienced. In addition, my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury has just announced that the Inland Revenue will help the Department in tracing absent parents.

  As a result of the action taken we aim to increase maintenance recovered from absent parents of lone-parent families on benefit from £180 million last year to £260 million in 1990–91.

  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the number of lone parents receiving supplementary benefit/income support by length of time on benefit, distinguishing between those who have been receiving it for less than one year, one to two years, two to three years, four to five years, over five years and over 10 years.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  I regret that not all the information requested is available. The information we do have on duration of claims by lone-parent families to supplementary benefit/income support is contained in table 20.21 of the 1988 edition of the income support annual statistical inquiry and a copy of this is in the Library.

  Self-defence Courses
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he is giving to social security office managers in Lothian region about the proposals of Lothian regional council that courses in self-defence should be offered to public service employees in jobs, where they may have to serve potential assailants; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Department does not provide training in self-defence for staff who deal with members of the public, and has no plans to do so. Interviewing and visiting staff receive training to help them cope with potentially aggressive situations, and to minimise risks to their safety.

  Mobility Allowance
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of recipients of mobility allowance who have failed to have the allowance continued, on re-application, following the expiry of the original period of qualification giving the figures for each year from 1983 to 1989.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is in the table:

  Year

  Renewal Claims Decided

  Renewal Claims Disallowed

  1983

  19,500

  3,050

  1984

  23,950

  4,050

  1985

  27,520

  5,020

  1986

  29,530

  5,110

  1987

  31,790

  5,570

  1988

  34,060

  4,840

  1989

  40,120

  8,970

  Therapeutic Earnings
  Mr. Hannam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people currently benefit from his Department's therapeutic earnings allowance;

  (2) what figures he has on (i) the average number of hours worked per week and (ii) the average level of payment received per week by those people receiving therapeutic earnings.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Information on the number of people claiming an incapacity benefit and receiving earnings for therapeutic work is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Similarly, information on the number of hours worked and level of payment received is not collected centrally and is not held locally in all cases.

  Students (Rents)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will direct local authorities to determine the claim for rent from students on the basis of information received from rent officers prior to a tenancy agreement being signed.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  No. Rent officers' determinations are made for the purposes of calculating housing benefit subsidy, and do not form the basis on which local authorities are required to determine benefit entitlement.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will reconsider the procedures for the referral of rents by the relevant officer for students in rented accommodation.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We have no plans for doing so, although we are keeping the rent officer arrangements under review.

  Savings
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the basis on which income from savings is calculated for the purpose of benefit withdrawal.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  No income is calculated from the first £3,000 of any savings in the income-related
  521
  benefits. An assumed (tariff) income of £1 a week for every £250, or part of £250, is calculated for savings above £3,000, up to £8,000 in income support and family credit and up to £16,000 in housing benefit and community charge benefit. The actual income generated from savings is ignored.

  In income support, tariff income is taken into account in full against entitlement. However, the effect of tariff income on family credit, housing benefit or community charge benefit depends on the amount of other income available and the circumstances of the individual case, including the amount of eligible rent or community charge and the effect of the tapers. The tapers are applied to any income above the appropriate applicable amount and the resulting figure is offset against the maximum benefit payable. In family credit the taper is 70 per cent., in housing benefit it is 65 per cent. and in community charge benefit it is 15 per cent.

  Means-tested Benefits
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the effects of rent rises and the switch to community charge on the number of(a) families and (b) persons in families entitled to means-tested benefits during the current financial year; and if he will give the figures for before and immediately after the April 1988 benefit changes.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Estimates of the number of people eligible for particular benefits can be made only retrospectively from survey data. The latest available information on take-up of income-related benefits is contained in the technical notes on take-up of benefits, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Students
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had with organisations of and for deaf people regarding the proposed definition of disability contained in his proposals for the Social Security Benefits (Student Loans) Amendment Regulations: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The Social Security Benefits (Student Loans) Amendment Regulations were referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee, which consulted a variety of organisations including those representing the interests of deaf people. The committee's report is now being given careful consideration and will be published, together with the Government's formal response, when the draft regulations are laid before Parliament.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will introduce changes to remedy the situation whereby young people undergoing a full-time course of study are not entitled to any benefit in their own right, but whose parents cannot claim for them as dependants when they become 19 years old nor receive child benefit.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  In such a situation, as in others where a young person is not in the labour market by reason of undertaking studies, local education authorities have power to provide financial assistance. We do, however, keep the benefit rules under review.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received 522
  regarding the proposed definition of disability contained in his proposals for the Social Security Benefits (Student Loans) Amendment Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Representations have been received from a number of individuals and organisations, including the All Party Disablement Group, the Royal National Institute for the Deaf, and the British Dyslexia Association.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to ensure that deaf students and those with dsylexia retain entitlement to social security benefits while pursuing a course of higher education.

  Mr. Scott
  We propose that those deaf students and those with dyslexia who meet the criteria for the disability premium will continue to be eligible for income support and housing benefit. This will include any such student in receipt of attendance allowance, mobility allowance, invalidity pension or severe disablement allowance, and those who are also registered blind. Deaf students and those with dyslexia who face additional costs in connection with their course of study will continue to be eligible for the disabled students allowance under the mandatory award arrangements.

  Family Credit
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give the reasons on which he based the decision to withdraw family credit from those whose weekly hours spread over 52 weeks fall below 24 hours, but who have previously been awarded both family income supplement and family credit on the basis of working more than 24 hours a week during school terms.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Decisions on individual claims for family credit are the responsibility of the independent adjudicating authorities who are required to make their decisions in accordance with the legislation. One of the conditions for the award of family credit detailed in the legislation is that the claimant or her partner must be working, on average, not less than 24 hours a week. The legislation provides that, where the number of hours for which a person works fluctuates according to a recognisable cycle, the average number of hours shall be determined by reference to the average worked over the period of one complete cycle. Some adjudicating authorities have interpreted the legislation as providing that, in certain claims from school workers, the number of hours worked should be determined according to the average over 52 weeks. Where the adjudicating authorities determine that neither the claimant nor her partner works on average for 24 hours or more, the family would not therefore qualify for family credit but would not be debarred by the number of hours worked from receiving income support.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will amend the poll tax benefit regulations so that the capital element of an annuity received by an elderly person under a home income plan is not treated as income and therefore does not affect benefit entitlement.
  523
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  We have no such plans.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action his Department is taking in respect of the application of Samuel Stitt of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, for a social fund cash payment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Mr. Stitt was originally refused a community care grant for domestic assistance on 11 April 1989. His subsequent application for judicial review was discussed by the High Court on 21 February 1990 and is now before the Court of Appeal. Mr. Stitt made another application for a community care grant for domestic assistance on 2 March 1990. This application was considered by the social fund officer on 8 March and he decided not to make an award. Mr. Stitt has not applied for a review of this decision.

  Grants and Loans
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have been refused(a) community care grants, (b) budgeting loans, and (c) crisis loans, on the grounds that there were insufficient funds/priority too low, by his offices within the Barnsley, East constituency during the period April 1988 to March 1989, and April 1989 to December 1989.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 8 May 1990]: The information in the table represents the number of processed applications for the periods April 1988 to March 1989 and April 1989 to December 1989 where one of the reasons for refusal given by the social fund officer was that of insufficient priority. The number of people refused or awarded payments from the social fund is not collected. Individuals can make more than one application during each accounting period and a social fund officer can give up to six reasons for not allowing an application.

  Social Fund Refusals of Applications on Grounds of Insufficient Priority

  April 1988-March 1989

  Community Care Grants

  Budgeting Loans

  Crisis Loans

  Barnsley East

  9

  229

  0

  Wath On Dearne

  1

  182

  0

  April 1989-December 1990

  Barnsley East

  74

  255

  0

  Wath On Dearne

  203

  375

  0

WALES

  Agricultural Developments
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state what his policy is with regard to development control over agricultural developments in areas of outstanding natural beauty and areas designated as heritage coasts.

  Mr. Roberts
  Most agricultural development is permitted under the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1988 and does not require specific planning consent. Where planning consent is required and 524
  the development proposed—whether it be agricultural or not—is in an area of outstanding natural beauty, it is important that its design and appearance, as well as its location, are subject to special scrutiny to ensure that the development fits properly into its surroundings. Attention should be paid not only to the natural scenery but to the traditional character of buildings in the area and the use of local materials. Similar considerations apply to those stretches of coast of particular scenic quality which have been designated as heritage coasts. Here, too, special care is needed to ensure that the beauty of these areas is protected.

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy as to the language in which he answers letters which are written to him in the Welsh language; and whether this is also the policy of(a) his ministerial team and (b) officials of his Department.

  Mr. Roberts
  Our policy is to reply in Welsh to letters which are written in Welsh.

  Gwynedd Health Authority
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were employed by Gwynedd health authority on the most recent convenient date; and what was the corresponding figure five and 10 years previously.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The available information, which relates to whole-time equivalent staff in post as at 30 September, is given in the table:

  Number

  1979

  3,588

  1984

  4,138

  1989

  4,269

  These figures have not been adjusted to take account of the change in nurses' hours from 40 to 37·5 in 1980.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of the Deloittes consultant's report on the financial position of Gwynedd health authority undertaken in 1987; how much of this was paid for by(a) his Department and (b) Gwynedd health authority; what are the estimates of the corresponding figures for the new report currently being undertaken by consultants into Gwynedd health authority finances; whether this new report will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The final cost of the financial review and related work undertaken for Gwynedd health authority by Deloitte, Haskins and Sells in 1987 and 1988 was £173,650 inclusive of VAT. All of this was met by the Welsh Office.

  The cost of the current review of the authority's financial strategy, which is being undertaken by Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte, is estimated at £7,000 plus VAT. This will be met by the authority, along with the further cost of an evaluation of its estate by the consultants at an estimated cost of £10,000 plus VAT. The consultants have also been commissioned to assist the authority to study the strategic options open to it and to produce pathfinder procurement and unit business plans for the contractual provision of services from 1 April 1991. The cost of this

  525
  particular element in the consultant's brief is estimated at £53,000 plus VAT. The Welsh Office and the authority will each meet half this cost.

  The decision on whether to publish the studies is one for Gwynedd health authority.

  Drugs Education
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress of drugs education in Welsh schools.

  Mr. Roberts
  All maintained schools in Wales are required to provide education about drugs as part of the national curriculum.

  Since 1986 education support grant has been available to fund the employment of drugs education co-ordinators, whose role was to stimulate and support the development of drugs education by schools, colleges and the youth service. From 1989–90 the co-ordinators' remit was extended to health education generally, with particular emphasis on drugs, alcohol and AIDS.

  To support the work of the co-ordinators, the Department has provided grant support since 1986 for in-service training for education professionals in drug misuse. From 1990–91, this programme has also been broadened to cover health education generally.

  House Repossessions
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of house repossessions in Wales in 1979, 1988 and 1989, respectively.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Friendly Societies
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to establish for Wales its own registrar for friendly societies.

  Mr. Ryder
  I have been asked to reply.

  There are very few friendly societies with headquarters in Wales and we consider that these matters are best handled centrally on an England and Wales basis.

  Computerisation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the computerised personnel information contract awarded to McDonnell-Douglas on 9 May is compatible with the IBM UK financial management information systems contract awarded in August 1986.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The two contracts referred to are for separate, unrelated systems. The question of compatibility does not, therefore, arise.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the duration of the contract for computerising the personnel information systems awarded to McDonnell-Douglas on 9 May.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Four months from the date of delivery (4 May).

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the penalties for late completion of the contract 526
  for computerising the personnel information systems awarded to McDonnell-Douglas on 9 May; and whether these provisons are based on the delay of the completion of the IBM contract awarded in August 1986.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The contract concerned contains no specific penalty clauses for late completion, but adequate remedies to deal with such an event, should it occur, are available under common law.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the contract for computerising the personnel information systems awarded to McDonnell-Douglas on 9 May duplicates any part of the contract awarded to IBM UK in August 1986.

  Mr. David Hunt
  No.

  Teachers
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what steps he is taking to ensure there will he sufficient numbers of mathematics and science teachers in the primary and secondary schools in Wales;

  (2) what efforts he is making to ensure that there will he sufficient teachers of (a) German, (b) French, (c) Italian and (d) Spanish.

  Mr. Roberts
  The teacher training bursary scheme provides an incentive to graduates of mathematics, chemistry, physics, technology and CDT to train as teachers. From September the scheme is to be extended to include modern foreign languages and Welsh and the level of the bursary increased to £1,500 with £2,000 for physics.

  A number of other measures have been introduced to increase the supply of teachers. The Welsh Office is providing financial support to enable initial teacher training institutions to run "taster" courses in shortage subjects for mature people to encourage entry or return to teaching. £116,000 is being made available through education support grant for four LEAs in Wales to support the development of measures to increase the recruitment of teachers in the shortage subjects. TASC (teaching as a career) has been established to promote teaching as a career and help local education authorities and initial teacher training institutions to mount more effective recruitment campaigns.

  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he proposes to take to ensure that there will be sufficient numbers of teachers of Welsh in the primary and secondary schools of Wales.

  Mr. Roberts
  To help meet the increased demand for Welsh teachers Welsh is being added to the list of secondary shortage subjects for which a bursary of £1,500 will be available in initial teacher training (ITT). An incentive supplement of £1,200 will be available from September this year to increase the number of students training as primary teachers through the medium of Welsh. The revised criteria for the approval of ITT courses requires that institutions in Wales should provide students on primary courses with an opportunity to learn or increase their competence in Welsh to a point where they can teach the language.

  We are not relying solely on new entrants to the profession however to meet this demand. Nearly £1 million is being made available this year to local education

  527
  authorities to help teachers, currently teaching other subjects, develop their skills and competence in the Welsh language and to prepare them to teach the language.

  These initiatives have been welcomed and the response so far is very promising.

  Cardiff Bay Development Corporation
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the future employment of the chief executive of the Cardiff Bay development corporation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  None.

  Hospitals
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish, on the basis of the most recent available figures, the average number of nursing staff hours per standardised unit of work at each of the district general hospitals in Wales and the all-Wales average; and if he will make a statement on the implications of these figures.

  Mr David Hunt
  The information requested is not readily available; however, information on nurses per 1,000 units of work for each district health authority in Wales is shown in table 5.1 of the publication "Key Statistical Indicators for National Health Service Management in Wales, No 7, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing for each district general hospital in Wales the number of outpatient attendances for ear, nose and throat treatment during the most recent

  Per cent1

  Patient's Home

  Other Hospitals

  Other Locations2

  Deaths

  Not Known

  Ysbyty Glan Clwyd

  91

  5

  2

  3

  0

  Wrexham Maelor

  94

  1

  1

  3

  0

  Bronglais General

  91

  6

  1

  2

  0

  West Wales General

  93

  3

  1

  3

  0

  Withybush

  93

  2

  1

  3

  0

  Nevill Hall

  91

  4

  1

  4

  0

  Royal Gwent

  92

  4

  2

  2

  0

  St. Woolos

  84

  5

  4

  7

  0

  Ysbyty Gwynedd

  89

  6

  2

  3

  0

  Princess of Wales

  93

  3

  2

  2

  0

  East Glamorgan

  90

  5

  2

  2

  0

  Prince Charles

  91

  6

  1

  2

  0

  University Hospital of Wales

  94

  3

  1

  2

  1

  Cardiff Royal Infirmary

  84

  9

  1

  4

  3

  Llandough

  91

  5

  1

  4

  0

  Morriston

  88

  6

  2

  4

  0

  Singleton

  91

  6

  1

  2

  0

  Neath General

  94

  1

  4

  2

  0

  1 Figures may not sum to 100 per cent, owing to rounding.

  2 Discharges to private nursing homes cannot be separately identified, but are included within 'other locations'.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list changes in the definitions of units of work used by his Department for the measurement of managerial performance in National Health Service hospitals in Wales since the concept was first introduced; and whether he has any plans for further changes.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the introduction to chapter 1 in the publication "Key
  528
  12-month period available; and what was the notional period of time in days to clear the waiting list for each such hospital at the end of that 12-month period.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The most recently readily available information is published in "Welsh Hospital List Bulletin 1990: No 1", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish, for each of the district general hospitals in Wales, figures showing for the most recent available date the cost per standardised unit of work; if he will rank these on an indexed basis, taking the all-Wales average as 100; and if he will make a statement on the implications of these figures.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Information on costs per standardised unit of work are shown in section 2 of the publication "Key Statistics Indicators for National Health Service Management in Wales, No. 7, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The tables also show indexed costs, taking the average for hospitals of a similar classification as 100.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish an analysis for each of the district general hospitals in Wales, showing the total number of deaths and discharges, indexed as 100 for each hospital; and what proportion is accounted for by virtue of(a) discharge to their own houses, (b) discharge to other National Health Service hospitals, (c) discharge to private nursing homes, (d) discharge to other locations and (e) deaths.

  Mr. David Hunt
  Figures on the destination of patients, based on the available information for 1988, are as follows:

  Statistical Indicators for National Health Service Management in Wales, No. 7, 1988", a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The methodology is constantly under review.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table showing in each district health authority in Wales the number of new hospitals costing
  529
  over £1 million which are all currently at various stages of planning, design and construction; and of these how many in each district are currently under construction.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  District health authority and proposed new hospital

  Under construction

  Clwyd—Deeside community hospital

  Mid Glamorgan—North Rhondda community hospital

  2. In planning/design

  Gwent—Ebbw Vale community hospital

  Gwynedd—West Monmouth community hospital

  Mid Glamorgan—District general hospial for Taff Ely/Rhondda

  West Glamorgan—District general hospital for Neath/Port Talbot

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total number of general practitioner beds available in National Health Service hospitals in each district health area in Wales at the most recent available date; and what is his policy towards the maintenance and extension of the availability of general practitioner beds.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The latest available information is published in "Hospital Bed Use Statistics, 1988–89", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

  The provision of general practitioner beds is a matter for district health authorities, in consultation with family practitioner committees, in the light of their assessments of local need and resources available.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will publish a table showing the number of beds in community hospitals in each of the nine district health authorities in Wales;

  (2) what was the total number of hospital beds available in 1978–79 and at the most recent available date (a) for Wales as a whole and (b) for each district health authority in Wales.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is published annually in "Hospital Bed Use Statistics", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Separate publications are available for each calendar year 1973 to 1987, and for each financial year 1982–83 to 1988–89.

  Ysbyty Gwynedd
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many outpatients were on the waiting list for ear, nose and throat treatment at Ysbyty Gwynedd in September 1987, September 1988, September 1989 and at the latest available date;

  District health authority

  Revenue provision per capita of resident population

  Increase in revenue provision per capita of resident population over previous financial year

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  Clwyd

  263·22

  286·45

  16·02

  19·10

  East Dyfed

  287·83

  317·63

  23·04

  21·08

  Gwent

  285·95

  309·69

  15·52

  19·29

  Gwynedd

  267·79

  289·39

  14·57

  16·28

  Mid Glamorgan

  279·35

  301·26

  15·91

  16·94

  Pembrokeshire

  225·86

  251·81

  14·37

  21·19

  Powys

  265·68

  290·63

  20·95

  21·38

  530
  (2) how many persons were on the outpatient waiting list for ophthalmology at Ysbyty Gwynedd in September 1987, September 1988; September 1989 and at the latest available date;

  (3) how many people were on the waiting list for outpatient treatment for oral surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd in September 1987, September 1988, September 1989 and at the most recent available date.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information is given in the following table:

  Outpatient waiting list at Ysbyty Gwynedd

  Ear, nose and throat

  Ophthalmology

  Oral surgery

  September 1987

  482

  401

  263

  September 1988

  582

  477

  244

  September 1989

  757

  612

  389

  11989

  546

  549

  488

  1 Latest available date.

  Health Service Finance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the interest rate which will be used for capital provided for the National Health Service in Wales with the new captital accountancy system; and if he will estimate what will be the impact of these changes on each of the nine district health authorities in Wales in their first year of operation.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The interest rate to be used for the purpose of calculating capital charges has been set at the current Treasury discount rate of 6 per cent. It is intended that the effect of capital charges will be neutral in the first year of operation with each authority being funded precisely in line with the estimated capital charges it will meet in that year. In due course the receipts from capital charges will be passed on to authorities according to their share of revenue resources. However, before then, there will be a transitional period to enable authorities and hospitals to adjust to the effects of charges on the costs of providing services. Until capital charges (which will include an element of depreciation as well as interest) have been calculated, it is not possible to estimate the effects on individual authorities.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each of the nine district health authorities in Wales for 1989–90 and 1990–91 (a) the total revenue grant per head of population and (b) the cash increase over the previous baseline for their districts allocated per head of population.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested is as follows:
  531

  District health authority

  Revenue provision per capita of resident population

  Increase in revenue provision per capita of resident population over previous financial year

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  1989–90 £

  1990–91 £

  South Glamorgan

  428·17

  468·41

  23·03

  26·12

  West Glamorgan

  303·70

  328·64

  16·50

  18·49

  Source: Initial revenue allocations to health authorities 1989–90 and 1990–91.

  Note: The population figures used are based on latest available (1988) mid-year estimates of resident population of district health authorities. However, it should be noted that district health authorities are currently funded to serve catchment populations rather than resident populations and the provision to South Glamorgan health authority also reflects the revenue costs associated with the medical and dental teaching functions of that authority.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will publish in the Official Report in tables for (a) the whole of Wales and (b) Gwynedd, showing for each year since and including 1979–80 (i) the average hospital cost per in-patient case, (ii) the average hospital cost per out-patient case and (iii) the average hospital cost per day case attendance, showing figures both in cash terms and adjusted by the HCHS pay and price index.

  Patients using a bed1

  Out patients

  Day cases

  Cash £

  Adjusted £

  Cash £

  Adjusted £

  Cash £

  Adjusted £

  1987–88

  Gwynedd

  54·18

  59·87

  26·84

  29·66

  19·24

  21·26

  Wales

  55·10

  60·89

  24·91

  27·53

  15·84

  17·50

  1988–89

  Gwynedd

  62·67

  —

  27·41

  —

  24·94

  —

  Wales

  66·41

  —

  25·57

  —

  19·55

  —

  1 In-patients and day cases.

  Notes:

  1. These costs exclude general services (for example catering, laundry cleaning and administration).

  2. The H & CHS pay and price index used to adjust 1987–88 cash figures to 1988–89 pay and price levels is produced by the Department of Health and reflects the impact of pay and price movements on the mix of pay and non-pay expenditure in English authorities. It may not therefore be wholly representative of the effects of pay and price movements on the mix of pay and non-pay expenditure in health authorities in Wales.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will state for each of the periods 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1990 and 1 April 1990 to 31 March 1991(a) the funds available for (i) employment training and (ii)

  Employment Training

  Youth Training

  1989–90 Provisional Outturn

  1990–91 Plans

  1989–90 Provisional Outturn

  1990–91 Plans

  Total Expenditure

  £1,097 million

  £1,156 million

  £1,002 million

  £903 million

  trainee weeks

  10·5 million

  11·2 million

  19·4 million

  1—

  average in training

  202,000

  215,000

  373,000

  1—

  entrants

  430,600

  450,000

  288,500

  260,000

  Expenditure on: Allowances

  £527 million

  £505 million

  2—

  2—

  Trainee travel

  £30 million

  3—

  £48 million

  3—

  Childcare

  £15 million

  3—

  4—

  4—

  1 During 1990–91 youth training targets have been set for vocational qualifications achieved, but not for training weeks of numbers in training.

  2 TECs and training providers are required to ensure that trainees on youth training receive at least the minimum levels of trainee allowance. The public contribution towards trainee allowances cannot be separately identified because employers also contribute and a proportion of trainees are employed and receiving wages.

  3 TECs and training providers are required to ensure that travel costs above specified levels are paid to YT and ET trainees and child care costs to lone parents are also reimbursed. Expenditure on trainee allowances and child care will not be separately identified in 1990–91.

  4 Child care costs are not available on youth training.

  532
  Mr. David Hunt
  The information requested can be provided for 1987–88 and 1988–89 only since figures for the years prior to 1987–88 are not readily available on a comparable basis and those for. 1989–90 are not yet available.

  YTS, (b) the number of (i) ET and (ii) YT trainee weeks achieved or forecast on those resources, (c) the number of (i) ET and (ii) YT trainee places provided or forecast on those resources and (d) the amounts to cover (i) training allowances, (ii) trainee travel, and (iii) child care for single parents.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The requested information is shown in the table:

  TECs
  Mr. Eastham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what mechanisms he intends to introduce to monitor the spending of public money by training and enterprise councils.

  Mr. Eggar
  Training and enterprise councils (TECs) will operate under a performance-based contract with my Department. They will be required to submit regular management and financial information on their performance. Additionally TECs will publish audited annual accounts and will be subject to independent audits by my Department and the National Audit Office.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what directions he has given to the training and enterprise councils about the provision of child care facilities for women returning to training courses.

  Mr. Eggar
  Under the terms of their operating agreements with the Training Agency, training and enterprise councils are required to ensure that lone parents training on ET receive the cost of caring for children under 16.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will arrange for a special needs representative to be included in each of the training and enterprise councils.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is for each training and enterprise council to determine the membership of its board within the broad parameters set by my Department.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that TECs are taking sufficient measures to meet the training needs of disabled people; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that minimum national standards for the training of disabled people are introduced when TECs are fully operational;

  (3) what plans he has to monitor and evaluate the provision of training for disabled people and those with mental handicap in TECs.

  Mr. Eggar
  Each TEC will set out how it intends to provide for he needs of people with disabilities, including those with mental handicaps, in its corporate and business plans. These plans will be subject to my approval.

  Specific contractual requirements common to all operating TECs include providing appropriate training to people with disabilities, and special access and communication arrangements where necessary.

  TECs' performance against their plans will be regularly monitored by Training Agency operational offices. In addition, the training standards advisory service will be appraising the quality of training offered by TECs to people with disabilities.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ensure that TECs submit an annual report to Parliament on how they are meeting the training needs of disabled people.

  Mr. Eggar
  Training and enterprise councils (TECs) will produce and publish an annual report within three months of the end of the financial year describing all the activities the TEC has undertaken during the year.

  Small Firms
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will list the principal measures taken by his Department since June 1987 to assist small firms.

  Mr. Eggar
  Since June 1987 my Department has introduced several new measures to assist small firms and improve on the existing range of fiscal, financial, training and advisory measures.

  The principal departmental measures include:
  The first of the new network of training and enterprise councils (TECs) came into being this April. TECs are responsible both for encouraging more businesses to invest in training and for enterprise activities designed to strengthen local economic growth.
  The Department is giving high priority to its campaign to open up Government procurement to small firms. In the past year the guide for small businesses, "Tendering for Government Contracts" has been updated, and a booklet "Think Big, Buy Small" has been published and widely distributed to Government purchasing officers. My Department is also supporting a purchasing specialist in the Treasury's Central Unit on Purchasing to help Government Departments improve their purchasing procedures and to provide greater access for small firms to Government business.
  April 1989 saw the introduction of business growth training (BGT) offering small firms help for better business and training plans. In its first year of operation BGT provided assistance to 83,000 clients.
  This January the Training Agency sponsored the launch of the small business programme, an open learning initiative backed by the Open university and Cranfield school of management.
  Two years ago the booklet, "Prompt Payment Please", was published in conjunction with an initiative to encourage good payment practice in both large and small firms. This has been welcomed by both the public and private sectors as a valuable guide to avoiding late payment of bills, which can particularly effect small firms.
  The local enterprise agency project scheme (LEAPS) was introduced in April 1988 as part of the action for cities initiative. Financial support is available to enterprise projects run by approved enterprise agencies in any of the 57 urban programme authority areas. to date over £900,000 has been given in support of 136 projects. This complements the local enterprise agency grant scheme (LEAGS) which continues to contribute to enterprise agency core funding costs. Between them, both schemes have encouraged private sector sponsors to donate nearly £15 million over the past three years to support LEA work in advising small firms.
  The loan guarantee scheme was improved in 1988 by simplifying the application procedure for loans up to £15,000, and in April 1989 by increasing the upper limit on loans to £100,000. As a result applications now average over 270 per month, compared to 100 a month two years ago.
  Additionally, clients in the 16 inner-city task force areas have had a greater proportion of their loan guaranteed since 1988, and from April 1990 their premium has been reduced. Both changes are in recognition of the particular difficulties faced by inner-city residents trying to raise seed capital. In the three years to the end of this March over 6,800 loans were guaranteed to a value of £215 million.

  These and other existing measures, such as the enterprise allowance scheme and the small firms service, have been successful in creating and maintaining a framework for enterprise and growth of the small business sector. During the last year alone my Department dealt with over 625,000 inquiries, counselling sessions and training activities for small firms at a cost of £237 million. In addition the 500,000th person has been helped to set up in business by the enterprise allowance scheme.

  Inspection Visits
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list by area office of the Health and Safety Executive the number of factories which should have received a basic inspection visit in the financial year 1989–90 and the number which did receive such a visit; and when he expects the shortfall and the accumulated backlog from previous years' shortfalls to be made good.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available in respect of factories only. The table relates to all premises inspected by the factory inspectorate and the plans for their inspection in 1989–90.

  Area

  Basic inspections planned

  Basic inspections completed

  South West

  2,027

  1,987

  South

  2,450

  2,091

  South East

  2,448

  2,055

  London North

  3,934

  2,943

  London South

  2,013

  2,194

  East Anglia

  1,639

  2,266

  Northern Home Counties

  2,412

  2,094

  East Midlands

  1,923

  1,813

  West Midlands

  3,170

  2,946

  Wales

  2,541

  2,584

  Marches

  3,001

  3,376

  North Midlands

  1,972

  2,317

  South Yorkshire and Humberside

  3,094

  2,395

  West and North Yorkshire

  2,579

  2,400

  Greater Manchester

  2,499

  2,504

  Merseyside

  2,240

  2,313

  North West

  2,350

  1,768

  North East

  2,050

  2,624

  Scotland East

  2,724

  1,993

  Scotland West

  2,405

  1,616

  The plan is to recover the shortfall and accumlated backlog over five years.

  Clothing Industry
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many redundancies have been announced in the current year in the clothing industry.

  Mr. Nicholls
  It is provisionally estimated that there have been 4,029 confirmed redundancies in the footwear and clothing industries (SIC(80) 45) in Great Britain during the 12 months to March 1990.

  Low Pay
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the latest available data on the number and percentage of jobs that are paid(a) less than £2·50 an hour (b) less than £3·50 an hour and (c) less than £5 an hour.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The latest available information on the distribution of hourly earnings of employees is published in the 1989 new earnings survey report, a copy of which is in the Library. Numbers of all employees in the sample with gross hourly earnings in specified ranges are given in table 20 of part A. Percentages of full-time employees on adult rates with hourly earnings below stated amounts are given in table 26 of part A and similar information for part-time female employees is given in table 175 of part F.

  Female Employment
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to encourage employers to provide places for older women who wish to return to work.

  Mr. Nicholls
  While it is for employers to make arrangements to recruit the employees they need for the jobs they want doing, my right hon. and learned Friend and his colleagues will continue to take every opportunity to encourage them to make their recruitment and retention policies attractive to women and to older workers. My hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Employment recently launched a campaign aimed at raising employers' awareness of the likely impact of demographic change and to help them develop and implement action plans to meet it. The Department of Employment group also has a number of employment and training programmes which can help people wishing to return to work to take advantage of job vacancies provided by employers.

  Minority Groups
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will set up a research project into the impact of the 1992 legislation on minority groups.

  Mr. Eggar
  My Department has no plans for such research. Minority groups should benefit from the opportunities offered by the completion of the single European market along with all other groups in society.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest figure for the rate of unemployment; what the figure was for each of the last five years in(a) the Bolton and Bury travel-to-work area and (b) the rest of the north-west area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The requested information is provided in the table.

  Direct comparisons over the period cannot be made because of the various changes to the count over the period, in particular the change in benefit regulations for under 18-year-olds in September 1988 and because of seasonal influences.

  Unadjusted unemployment rate (workforce base) April 1985 to April 1990

  Bolton and Bury travel-to-work area

  April

  Rate

  1985

  14·7

  1986

  14·4

  1987

  13·1

  1988

  10·7

  1989

  8·2

  1990

  6·8

  Rest of north-west region

  April

  Rate

  1985

  14·7

  1986

  14·8

  1987

  13·7

  1988

  11·5

  537

  April

  Rate

  1989

  8·9

  1990

  7·6

  United Kingdom

  April

  Rate

  1985

  11·8

  1986

  12·0

  1987

  11·1

  1988

  9·0

  1989

  6·6

  1990

  5·7

  Work force rate is unemployed claimants expressed as a percentage of the work force (ie unemployed, employees in employment, self-employed, Her Majesty's forces and participants on work-related Government training programmes).

  Unemployed Claimants
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate for 1989(a) the number of claimants without paid jobs who wanted full-time jobs, (b) the number who wanted part-time jobs, (c) the number who had no preference and (d) the number who did not want a job who (i) had not looked for a job in the last week, (ii) had not looked for a job in the last four weeks, (iii) were not available for work within the next two weeks, (iv) (i) and (iii), (v) (ii) and (iii), breaking the estimates down by sex and according to whether the main reason for not seeking work was (1) looking after family/home, (2) long-term sick/disabled, (3) believed no jobs available, (4) retired, (5) temporarily sick, on holiday, awaiting results of job application or waiting to start a job already obtained, (6) did not want/need work, (7) studying, (8) not yet started looking, (9) other reason/no reply/not applicable and (10) all reasons.

  Mr. Nicholls
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 10 May 1990 at column 220

  European Social Fund
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the impact of the delays in the administration of European social fund funding for voluntary sector organisations.

  Mr. Eggar
  The reform of the structural funds, including the European social fund, involves major changes to the administrative procedures. This will necessarily take time to effect and will have an impact on applicant organisations.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of voluntary sector organisations currently in receipt of grant aid from the European social fund to finance training programmes for Great Britain and each of the standard regions.

  Mr. Eggar
  During 1989 165 voluntary organisations received assistance from the European social fund for vocational training programmes in Great Britain. The regional breakdown is as follows:538

  Region

  Voluntary organisations

  Northern

  17

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  9

  East Midlands

  2

  East Anglia

  2

  South East

  57

  South West

  5

  West Midlands

  7

  North West

  17

  Wales

  8

  Scotland

  36

  National

  5

  No decisions have yet been announced on the amount of European social fund support for 1990.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on whether some voluntary sector organisations may withdraw their interest in the European social fund programme as a result of his Department's failure to administer European social fund funding within the timetable.

  Mr. Eggar
  I have no information at this stage about any voluntary sector organisations withdrawing from the European social fund in 1990.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the amount of financial assistance currently being made available to voluntary sector organisations by the European social fund.

  Mr. Eggar
  Arrangements are currently being made to pay those outstanding voluntary organisation final claims for 1988, cleared by the Commission. A total of £1·826 million has been received to date this financial year for this purpose. Final claims for 1989 projects are in the process of being received and checked, before being forwarded to the Commission for clearance and payment authority. No decisions have yet been announced on the amount of European social fund (ESF) money to be allocated to any organisation in 1990.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the failure of his Department to provide application forms to voluntary sector organisations for European social fund funding for 1990 by the end of April.

  Mr. Eggar
  No projects can be considered until the finalised operational programmes have been approved by the Commission.

  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the total number of training places currently being supported in the voluntary sector, by grant aid from the European social fund.

  Mr. Eggar
  There have been no decisions announced regarding individual organisations' ESF support for 1990. Therefore, I canot say how many training places are currently being supported in the voluntary sector by the ESF.

  National Council for Vocational Qualifications
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the work of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications.
  539
  Mr. Eggar
  The Government established the council to spearhead the drive to create a coherent and comprehensive system of vocational qualifications. Such a system is a key component of the training framework Britain needs to meet the employment demands of the 1990s.

  In the three years the council has been operating it has many achievements to its credit. Work is now under way in many organisations, including over 150 groups of employers, to develop new vocational qualifications. It is now time to take stock of progress and to consider how relationships between all the various partners are developing.

  With the agreement of the Secretaries of State for Education and Science, for Wales and for Northern Ireland, the Department of Employment will undertake a review of the council's progress and make a full report of its findings.

  Safety Offences
  Mr. Nellist
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the text of his recent letter to the Magistrates Association on the need for higher fines for safety offences, as referred to in the May issue of the Employment Gazette, page 236; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholls
  [holding answer 14 May 1990]: I will arrange for a copy of the letter and press release to be placed in the Library.

TRANSPORT

  Air Traffic Control
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department has undertaken towards the introduction of a single air traffic control system for Europe; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  My right hon. Friend has recently agreed, with 22 other European Transport Ministers, an action programme to increase capacity in Europe by integrating air traffic control systems and optimising the air traffic route network. This can be achieved more quickly and commits European states to intensify work on measures to handle safely the forecast growth in traffic to the end of the century. A copy of the report which sets out the programme unanimously agreed by European Transport Ministers has been placed in the Library.

  Severn Bridge
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of the repair and maintenance work on the Severn bridge up to the latest available date; and what is likely to be the total cost after it has been completed.

  Mr. Atkins
  The total cost of repair and maintenance work on the bridge up to the end of the last financial year is £60 million. The final cost of the repair and maintenance work is estimated at £74 million.

  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when is the expected date for the completion of the repair and maintenance work on the Severn bridge.
  540
  Mr. Atkins
  Repair work on the Severn bridge is now substantially complete. The resurfacing work is due to be completed by spring 1991. Routine maintenance work on the bridge will continue as normal.

  Radioactive Substances
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many shipments and what quantity of plutonium nitrate were shipped from Dounreay to Barrow in 1989; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department does not collect detailed information of the kind requested. However, I understand that there were no shipments from Dounreay to Barrow in 1989 but two shipments took place from Dounreay to Workington.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains carrying radioactive material arrived for off-loading at Dounreay in(a) 1987, (b) 1988 and (c) 1989; how many trains carrying radioactive material left Dounreay in (i) 1987, (ii) 1988 and (iii) 1989; and what were the origins or destination points of the journeys.

  Mr. Freeman
  The Department does not collect data of the kind requested. However, I understand that a number of minor shipments took place from Dounreay and consisted of minute quantities of radioactive materials of low activity.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy in respect of methods of transport for returning plutonium to Japan after it has been processed at the THORP reprocessing plant; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  Plutonium will be returned to Japan in containers certified by my Department as fully complying with stringent international safety regulations which do not depend for their effectiveness on the mode of transport used.

  The decision on the mode of transport, whether by air or by sea, will be for BNFL, whose arrangements will have to comply with the international regulations.

  Crash Barriers
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been carried out by his Department to establish whether the erection of crash barriers on the edges of central reservations can increase the dangers of collisions between motor vehicles.

  Mr. Atkins
  In researching, testing and developing the various designs of safety fences currently deployed, particular attention was given to ensuring that errant vehicles are redirected in such a manner as to minimise any hazard to other vehicles.

  Three research studies in the past 20 years by the Department's transport and road research laboratory have confirmed that, where such fencing is provided, the general reduction in the number and severity of casualties, particularly in crossover accidents, is substantial. A copy of the most recent report, entitled "Safety Fence Criteria for All-Purpose Dual Carriageway Roads", is in the Library.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of accidents on trunk roads where the
  541
  central reservation is equipped with a crash barrier on the edge of such reservation can be ascribed to vehicles rebounding off such barriers into other vehicles.

  Mr. Atkins
  The information is not available in the precise form requested. The presence or absence of a central reserve safety fence at the site of an injury accident is not collected routinely but is specifically reported when a vehicle hits the fence.

  The Secretary of State for Transport is highway authority for trunk roads in England and Wales. On these roads in 1988, there were 1,072 injury accidents in which a vehicle was reported to have collided with the central reserve safety fence. In 302 of these accidents the vehicle was further reported to have rebounded into the carriageway. In 155 of these 302, at least one other vehicle was involved in the accident but it is not possible to determine if any collision between vehicles took place before or after the collision with the central fence. The 155 accidents represent slightly more than half of 1 per cent. of injury accidents on trunk roads in England and Wales in 1988, and roughly 15 per cent. of accidents in which at least one vehicle hit a central reserve safety fence.

  London City Airport
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to license London City airport to receive BAe 146s.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The owners of London City airport have made two planning applications which would provide for the use of the airport by the BAe 146 and certain other aircraft which cannot use it at present. The applications have been called in by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment for his decision. A public inquiry into the applications, which will be held jointly with a public inquiry into proposed changes to the design of the east London river crossing, will commence on 3 July.

  French Railways
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an official visit to France to assess the TGV Atlantique train and the environmental protection measures undertaken by SNCF to protect local residents alongside the route.

  Mr. Freeman
  Other Ministers from my Department have already looked at French TGV services and the environmental protection measures on the TGV Atlantique route.

  Traffic Area Offices
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the local traffic area offices that he is proposing to close; and if any relocation of staff is planned.

  Mr. Atkins
  I expect to reach conclusions shortly on the future number and pattern of traffic area offices.

  Oil Spillages
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the clean-up cost for the oil slick in the English Channel from the Rosebay; and 542
  how this cost will be apportioned between (a) his Department, (b) the oil producer, (c) the oil transporter and (d) local community charge payers.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Rosebay is registered in a state which is a signatory to the international convention on civil liability for oil pollution damage. The owners of the vessel are thus strictly liable for any pollution damage including prevention and clean-up costs. Whilst the owner of a tanker is entitled to limit liability based on the ship's tonnage, in this instance that liability is about £8 million and insurance or other financial security has to be maintained in that sum. This should be more than sufficient to meet all the clean-up costs likely to be incurred by Her Majesty's Government and local authorities in dealing with the oil slick. These cannot be assessed at such an early stage of an on-going operation, but they could well be in excess of £1 million.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the location of all oil tanker spillages off the British coast in the last 30 years, the tankers involved and the amount of oil spilled.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  Details of incidents between 1970 and 1979 involving the Department's clean-up organisation are listed in table 9·2 of the eighth report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (Cmnd. 8358). The information from 1980 onwards is not readily available in the form requested. I will therefore write to the hon. Member giving details as soon as I can.

  Flags of Convenience
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those countries where ships are registered which are deemed by his Department to operate flags of convenience.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department does not categorise the registers of other countries. The Government are however concerned that flag states live up to their international obligations. As one of the parties to the Paris memorandum on port state control, we more than meet our obligations to inspect foreign ships in British ports.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents at sea occurring in(a) British waters and (b) the English channel during the last 10 years have involved either (i) oil tankers or (ii) any other ship flying a flag of convenience; and if he will express this as a percentage of all accidents in both cases.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The information is available for United Kingdom vessels only on a worldwide basis. The numbers of accidents involving United Kingdom tankers, expressed as a percentage of the total number of accidents involving United Kingdom vessels, in each of the last 10 years is:

  Year

  Number

  Per cent.

  1979

  82

  14

  1980

  74

  14

  1981

  65

  12

  1982

  67

  11

  1983

  54

  11

  1984

  56

  11

  1985

  36

  7

  1986

  39

  10

  543

  Year

  Number

  Per cent.

  1987

  19

  4

  1988

  18

  3

  Rail Accident Inquiry
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he proposes to order an inquiry into the rail accident between Chorleywood and Rickmansworth in the early hours of 16 May; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  This tragic accident caused the death of four men who were struck by a wagon while undertaking track maintenance work on the Metropolitan line of the London underground. My right hon. Friend has ordered an inquiry into the accident by the railway inspectorate under the Regulation of Railways Act 1871. The inspector's report on the inquiry will be published.

  PCB Spillage
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes of his Department's procedures he has made following his investigation into the PCB spillage at the 1974 channel tunnel workings at Shakespeare cliff.

  Mr. Parkinson
  My Department arranged for a full internal investigation into the preparation and supervision of the contract made in 1978 for removing a boring machine from the 1974 channel tunnel workings at Shakespeare cliff and into how officers of the Department and other Departments learnt about and dealt with the spillage of polychlorinated biphenyls from the machine. The investigation revealed shortcomings in the contractual arrangements and in the action taken by the Department between 1979 and 1985 to deal with the spillage.

  Although it is exceptional for the Department to be involved in the disposal of specialised machinery of this kind, steps are being taken to strengthen the Department's procedures to remove the risk of such shortcomings being repeated. Officers concerned with contracts involving purchase or disposals involving hazardous chemicals are being cautioned on the need to vet the suitability of contractors from that standpoint and to ensure that terms of contracts provide safeguards against accidents or mishandling. The Department has tightened relevant aspects of its internal personnel supervision, reporting and training procedures.

  Type

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  MG

  871

  802

  735

  657

  576

  468

  452

  473

  Number of accidents

  19

  23

  27

  27

  23

  17

  12

  10

  Number of fatalities

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  1

  MCB

  432

  423

  403

  394

  363

  338

  326

  321

  Number of accidents

  —

  —

  1

  2

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Number of fatalities

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  MCB/CCTV

  168

  184

  194

  201

  220

  228

  251

  258

  Number of accidents

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  2

  3

  Number of fatalities

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  AHB

  250

  255

  267

  280

  291

  315

  323

  357

  Number of accidents

  10

  4

  6

  6

  9

  9

  3

  4

  Number of fatalities

  2

  2

  2

  3

  3

  5

  2

  2

  A19
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the further lane closures on the A19 viaducts at Portrack and Leven valley which commenced on 10 May.

  Mr. Atkins
  The works on the Al9 Tees viaduct involve operations which could not be completed during the winter period as part of the main refurbishment scheme. Primarily the work involved is in painting the outer faces of steel plate girders and repaired sections of the bridge parapets, which requires warmer weather conditions. The nearside lane closures will continue until the end of June. They are not expected to cause significant delays to traffic.

  The works to Leven valley viaduct are similar and are expected to be completed shortly.

  Whaley Bridge Bypass
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the reports by Allol and Lomax, consulting engineers, into the performance of the consulting engineers employed on the Chapel-en-le-Frith/Whaley Bridge bypass; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

  Mr. Atkins
  The report is not yet completed. Phase (iii) of the geotechnical investigation is in hand and phase (iv) may be necessary, depending on the outcome of phase (iii). When the full report is available, consideration will be given to placing a copy in the Library.

  Level Crossings
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of gated railway crossings with(a) automatic barriers and (b) controlled barriers and the number of (i) reported accidents and (ii) fatal accidents for each year from 1981 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Freeman
  Level crossings may be provided with gates, which are manually operated, or with barriers which are either manually operated, or operated automatically by an approaching train. There are no gated crossings with automatic barriers. The table shows the number of level crossings with(a) manned gates (MG), (b) manually operated barriers (MCB), (c) manually operated barriers with CCTV surveillance (MCB/CCTV), (d) automatic half barriers (AHB) and (e) automatic half barriers with local monitoring (ABCL), in operation in the period 1981 to 1988. The table also shows total numbers of accidents and numbers of fatalities included in those totals, during the same period.
  545

  Type

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  ABCL

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Number of accidents

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Number of fatalities

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Battery Egg Production
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the welfare implications of battery egg production systems.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Government have commissioned extensive research into the welfare implications of battery production and other egg production systems. The EC battery hens directive is to be reviewed by the European Commission by the end of 1992 and I shall be seeking a number of welfare improvements including an increase in the minimum space allowance for caged birds.

  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to announce modifications to the regulations regarding battery egg production to improve the welfare of the laying hens.

  Mr. Maclean
  I plan to introduce amendments to the Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987 later this year which will include improvements to the design of cage openings. The EC Commission is required by the battery hens directive to review current systems for the keeping of laying hens and to bring forward any appropriate proposals for change by the end of 1992.

  Green Pound
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the announcement of the green pound devaluation will have on farm incomes in 1990–91.

  Mr. Gummer
  As I have indicated, the decisions on farm prices for 1990–91 should add at least £500 million to farmers' returns in the United Kingdom in a full year. Most of this increase is due to the devaluations agreed for the green pound.

  Mr. David Davis
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the gross income of a farmer growing 200 acres of wheat at 3 tonnes per acre will increase as a result of the green pound devaluation.

  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect he estimates will arise from the green pound devaluation for cereals.

  Mr. Gummer
  The recently agreed green pound devaluation, taken in isolation, will increase cereal support prices in the United Kingdom by 10·7 per cent. at the start of the next marketing year. What this means for the income of the individual farmer will, of course, depend upon a number of factors. Prices received by producers are dependent, for example, on local supply and demand and the size and quality of the harvest, as well as the level of support prices.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what effect the green pound devaluation will have on beef producers.
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  Mr Gummer
  The Agriculture Council agreed a devaluation of the green pound for beef to take effect on 14 May. It will benefit beef producers in a number of ways. It will raise the beef special premium from £29·32 to £31·81; it will increase support from intervention; and, by reducing monetary compensatory amounts by over £40 for an average beast, it will reduce the payment on beef imports and help to stimulate exports. These measures should contribute to producers' returns, and improve price in the beef market.

  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what date green pound monetary gaps will be eliminated.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller).

  Bass Nursery Areas
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about proposed bass nursery areas.

  Mr. Curry
  Our plans to establish 34 nursery areas in coastal waters to protect stocks of juvenile bass were announced on 19 April at column 980. In these areas fishing for bass from any vessel will be prohibited for all or part of the year. Regulations, to be made under section 5 of the Sea Fish Conservation Act 1967, will be laid before the House shortly.

  Intervention Board
  Mr. Clelland
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what time scale he envisages for the transfer of posts from the intervention board in Reading to Newcastle upon Tyne.

  Mr. Curry
  The transfer of the 350 posts will be spread over the coming two years. The recruitment process will begin shortly when advertisements for clerical staff appear in local papers.

  Scottish Fishing Industry
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from Scottish west coast fishermen concerning catch limits; and what action he proposes to take.

  Mr. Curry
  Fisheries departments issued a consultation paper on 26 March seeking an industry-wide view on additional conservation measures off the west coast of Scotland. Comments have been received from Scottish west coast fishermen and we are considering their views together with those of other interested parties.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the Scottish Fishermen's Association to discuss quotas.
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  Mr. Curry
  I last discussed quotas with representatives of the Scottish fishing industry at the December Fisheries Council. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my noble Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office, with whom I am in close touch, are in frequent contact with Scottish fishing industry organisations.

  National Consumer Council
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the National Consumer Council to discuss consumer matters.

  Mr. Maclean
  On 3 April 1990, representatives of the National Consumer Council attended the first of the periodic meetings set up by my right hon. Friend with representatives of consumer organisations.

  Cereal Set-aside Schemes
  Mr. Strang
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total sum of money payable to farmers with cereal set-aside schemes in the United Kingdom in 1989; and what estimate he has made of the amount likely to be paid in the current year.

  Mr. Curry
  A total of £9·8 million was paid in the financial year 1989–90 to participants in the first year of the set-aside scheme and a further £22 million has been allocated in the 1990–91 financial year in respect of participants in the second year of the scheme.

  Northumberland Fishing Industry
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the present state of the Northumberland fishing industry.

  Mr. Curry
  The Northumberland industry involves a wide range of stocks including shellfish, salmon and white fish such as cod, haddock and whiting. Catch levels are down this year because of bad weather and because of some variations in stock levels. But prices are holding up well.

  Organic Farmers
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about assistance for organic farmers.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have received a number of representations. In response I have pointed out that my Department is grant-aiding the United Kingdom register of organic food standards with £60,000 per annum. Last year it supported research directly related to organic farming amounting to £198,000 and other research of assistance to organic farmers amounting to £892,000. In addition last year it commissioned a study of the economics of the production and marketing of organically grown farm produce in Great Britain. Further support is available in the form of advice from the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service. Assistance is given to the formation of co-operatives for organically grown produce under the agricultural and horticultural co-operation schemes. Payments under the fallow options of the set-aside scheme can help farmers with the cost of converting to organic production. Grants under the farm 548
  and conservation grant scheme can go towards investment in organic production, and I intend shortly to issue a consultation document on a pilot whole farm organic extensification scheme under the EC extensification scheme.

  Food Labelling
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the labelling of food for welfare criteria.

  Mr. Maclean
  I have specifically asked the Food Advisory Committee, as part of its current comprehensive review of food labelling, to address the question of whether particular methods of rearing or slaughtering animals should be indicated on food labels. The views of all interested parties have been sought and the committee hopes to report to Ministers with recommendations by the end of the year.

  National Farmers Union
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the National Farmers Union to discuss farming.

  Mr. Gummer
  I meet representatives of the National Farmers Union frequently to discuss agricultural matters. At the most recent such meeting, on 27 April, discussion centred on the outcome of the price-fixing negotiations.

  State Veterinary Service
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the future of the state veterinary service.

  Mr. Maclean
  I believe that the state veterinary service will continue to play a vital role in the fields of animal and public health.

  EC Rural Policy
  Mr. Andy Stewart
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much the European Community Commission is putting into its rural world policy; and what share his Department will have to bear.

  Mr. Gummer
  The "Rural World" document published in 1988 was an analysis of rural problems and a series of ideas for overcoming them. It made no specific proposals and no expenditure was budgeted for at that time. The EC Commission has recently announced that 400 mecu (about £280 million) has been earmarked to deal with problems of rural development but has not yet made any proposals on how this money will be spent.

  Following the reform of the structural funds in 1988, 38 becu (£27 billion) was allocated over the period 1989 to 1993 for expenditure in objective 1 areas (which are the least developed areas in the Community and include substantial rural areas). In addition, 2·6 becu (£1·8 billion) has been allocated to objective 5(b) areas (which are other rural areas in need of development). My Department does not contribute to the funding of investments under these programmes.

  British Veterinary Association
  Mr. John P. Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met the British Veterinary Association to discuss matters within its responsibilities.

  Mr. Maclean
  I attended a working lunch with the BVA on 28 February; another is being arranged. My officials have regular discussions with the association on many issues and my right hon. Friend the Minister was pleased to be able to speak on 5 April 1990 to the annual general meeting of the Pig Veterinary Society, which is a constituent body of the BVA.

  Farm Animal Welfare
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress he is making in gaining Europe-wide support for his proposals on farm animal welfare.

  Mr. Maclean
  Discussions are continuing on Commission proposals for the protection of calves and pigs. The Commission has also tabled proposals on protection of animals in transport and is preparing proposals in other areas of animal welfare. We will continue to take every opportunity to press for high standards of animal husbandry throughout the Community.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to lay the parliamentary orders necessary to implement recent recommendations of the Farm Animal Welfare Council.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Farm Animal Welfare Council has recently published reports on the handling and transport of poultry and on the enforcement of animal welfare legislation. My Department is currently seeking views from interested organisations on these recommendations and the Government's response to them will be published when all comments have been carefully considered.

  Beef Industry
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the present state of the beef industry.

  Mr. Curry
  The beef breeding herd is at its highest level for a decade. Last year there was a rise of 9 per cent. over 1988. The devaluation of the green pound agreed in the price fixing will further assist the industry by increasing the value of the beef special premium and the support provided by intervention; and, through lower monetary compensatory amounts, beef exports should be stimulated and the impact of imports on the market reduced.

  Farm Investment
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to farm investment in 1989.

  Mr. Gummer
  The value of new investment in the United Kingdom agricultural industry is estimated to have been about £1,000 million in 1989.

  Food From Britain
  Mr. Favell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to improve the performance of Food From Britain.

  Mr. Gummer
  Earlier this year I announced an extension, by two years to March 1993, of the Government contribution to the funding of Food From Britain. On 30 April I announced the appointment of Paul Judge as the new chairman of Food From Britain. I am confident that he will continue the good work done by his predecessor, Walter Goldsmith. It is now for the industry to work together with Food From Britain to continue to improve the marketing of British food and drink and, in particular, to gear itself up to meet the challenges and opportunities of the single European market.

  Inshore Fishing Industry
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had on aids to the inshore fishing industry.

  Mr. Curry
  The Minister and I are in regular contact with fisheries organisations about a wide range of issues affecting the inshore fleet.

  British Sausages
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will oppose any action that would lead to the banning of the British sausage by the EEC.

  Mr. Maclean
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) on 15 May 1990 at column 394.

  Atrazine
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce controls over the use of the herbicide atrazine; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  The herbicide atrazine is subject to the strict controls on all pesticides introduced in the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. It is on the Government's red list of substances whose inputs to the aquatic environment must be reduced substantially.

  The Advisory Committee on Pesticides is conducting a review of all pesticides registered before 1981, and intends to give atrazine a high priority.

  Butter
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of butter consumed in the United Kingdom originates in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) other European Community countries, (c) New Zealand and (d) elsewhere in the world.

  Mr. Curry
  The following are provisional estimates for 1989:

  Origin of butter consumed in the United Kingdom

  Per cent.

  (a)United Kingdom

  55·6

  (b)New Zealand

  24·2

  (c)Elsewhere in the world

  20·2

  Sheep Industry
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current state of the sheep industry.

  Mr. Curry
  Prices for finished lamb have been strong so far this year, although they are now falling back in line with the normal seasonal pattern. Exports remain well up on the corresponding period in 1989 as our industry continues to take advantage of the export opportunities offered by the reformed EC sheepmeat regime.

  Meat Products
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received regarding European Community draft regulations for fresh meat and meat products.

  Mr. Maclean
  We are consulting all interests concerned about the EC proposals for fresh meat and meat products in the single market. The views we have received indicate a wide degree of support for the principle of a single standard for all meat plants after 1992. However, the Commission's proposals contain some unnecessary restrictions on the composition of some products such as minced meat, which the Government will continue to resist firmly.

  Hill Farmers
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the measures which he has taken in the last year to assist hill farmers in the less-favoured areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  My response to my hon. Friend's question on 19 April listed the ongoing schemes to assist farmers in the less-favoured areas. In July 1989 the Government submitted an application to the EC Commission for an extension of those areas. We await a formal response.

  Soil Association
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met representatives of the Soil Association to discuss matters within its responsibilities.

  Mr. Maclean
  On 30 April 1990.

  Crustaceans, Devon
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to protect the crustacean stocks off the south Devon coast.

  Mr. Curry
  Crab and lobster stocks are already subject to minimum landing size regulations. The Undersized Crabs (Variation) Order 1989 prescribes a minimum size of 160 mm for male, and 140 mm for female crabs landed in south Devon, and Council regulation (EEC) No. 3094/86 prescribes a minimum carapace length of 85 mm for lobsters landed throughout our waters.

  Milk Marketing Boards
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any proposals for changes in the role and responsibilities of the five milk marketing boards in the context of the European Community.

  Mr. Curry
  I have repeatedly made clear my views that our milk marketing arrangements need to be more flexible and market-oriented.

  The current pricing and allocation arrangements do not serve our industry well in meeting the increasing competition within the Community, but it is for the industry, not Government, to identify the changes needed. Therefore, I am not making proposals but am encouraging the Milk Marketing Board and the Dairy Trade Federation to come forward with their own proposals. I will do all I can to assist them.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he last met members of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations to discuss quotas.

  Mr. Curry
  I last met representatives of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations during my visit to Hastings on 14 May. A number of issues were discussed of importance to fishermen locally and nationally including United Kingdom quotas and their management.

  Poultry Industry
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the present state of the poultry industry.

  Mr. Curry
  The market for poultrymeat remains firm and stable. Packer to producer prices for eggs are well above the levels for this time last year.

  Agricultural Research and Development
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the future of agricultural research and development.

  Mr. Gummer
  I believe agricultural research and development will continue to make a strong and important contribution in the future. My Department is committed to R and D as a means of stimulating technological development in the agricultural industry, and I have encouraged the industry to invest more in its own future. In addition we support work which is aimed at issues of public interest such as food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection.

  Irradiated Food
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are being made to ensure customers have a choice in relation to the purchase of irradiated food; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I have already stated several times that we intend that consumers will be given clear information
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  indicating whether foodstuffs have been irradiated. The EC food labelling directive has been amended to provide for the appropriate labelling of prepacked foodstuffs. I propose to introduce requirements extending the provisions to non-prepacked foodstuffs and food sold through catering outlets. I shall be consulting interested parties on my proposals in due course.

  Fish Licensing
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to issue a consultation paper about further changes to the fish licensing arrangements.

  Mr. Curry
  We will be circulating within the next few days to fishing industry organisations a consultation document on Government proposals for further changes to the United Kingdom's licensing system for fishing vessels, which would allow fishermen to acquire increased fishing opportunities without necessarily increasing their fishing capacity. Comments are required by 31 July. Subject to the views expressed, it is hoped to introduce the new arrangements in 1991. Copies of the consultation document have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether milk collected from cows injected with bovine somatotropin is still on sale to the public; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Yes. The Veterinary Products Committee has confirmed its advice that there is no risk to consumers.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the animal welfare implications of bovine somatotropin.

  Mr. Maclean
  We attach great importance to animal safety and welfare and I know that the Veterinary Products Committee is examining in detail the short and long-term welfare implications of BST with the help of data from the current field trials.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research has been undertaken to establish differences in molecular structure between naturally occurring and genetically engineered bovine somatotropin; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maclean
  Among the data required from companies in support of their applications for ATCs and PLs are the results of their research to establish the molecular structure of their BST material and an account of any differences from natural versions of BST.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline the Department's policy in respect of bovine somatotropin.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Department's policy has not changed: no licence for any BST product shall be issued until an applicant company satisfies independent experts that it meets stringent criteria of safety, quality and efficacy as required by the Medicines Act.
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  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the residue levels in milk from cows injected with bovine somatotropin.

  Mr. Maclean
  The Veterinary Products Committee has concluded that BST levels in milk from cows injected with BST fall within the normal range of variability.

  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will now carry out random tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy on slaughtered cattle heads; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he will now stop feeding pigs and other animals cattle offal to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) whether he will now impose a statutory ban on the use of sheep and cattle offal in pet food; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 16 May.

  Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make available to Dr. Natrang of the public health laboratory at Newcastle brain tissues from the cat recently found to have spongiform encephalopathy for further diagnostic analysis.

  Mr. Gummer
  No. Samples from this cat were referred to the central veterinary laboratory by Bristol veterinary school for a definitive diagnosis.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the 1987 licence to dump explosives from ICI's Nobel division in the Clyde estuary was excluded from the 1989 disposal of waste at sea report; what other licences granted in respect of dumping at sea have been excluded from the report; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  Disposal at sea in Scottish waters is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The report published in 1989 covered dumping of wastes at sea throughout Great Britain in 1986 and 1987 and includes all licences issued for that purpose for England and Wales under part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985. In covering licensed dumping at sea it did not extend to operations exempt from licensing under the Deposits in the Sea (Exemptions) Order 1985 (SI 1985 No. 1699), nor to materials dumped by the Ministry of Defence which have Crown exemption from licensing.

  The report was not intended to deal with other activities controlled by licensing under part II of the Act, including construction works below mean high water, use of tracers in research, application of biocides and burial at sea.

  ROMANIA: KNOW HOW FUND
  ROMANIA: KNOW HOW FUND
  NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFIERATION TREATY
  NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFIERATION TREATY
  NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY: POLICY
  NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY: POLICY
  NATURE CONSERVANCY COUNCIL: FUTURE
  NATURE CONSERVANCY COUNCIL: FUTURE
  LONDON BOROUGHS AND METROPOLITAN DISTRICTS: CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
  LONDON BOROUGHS AND METROPOLITAN DISTRICTS: CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
  PASSENGER TRANSPORT AUTHORITY FUNDING: COST TO CHARGEPAYERS
  PASSENGER TRANSPORT AUTHORITY FUNDING: COST TO CHARGEPAYERS