Written Answers of 18 January 1991

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Footballers (Illegal Payments)
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) when he expects to meet representatives of the Football League in order to discuss the need to ensure consistency of treatment of clubs who make illegal payments to their players; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what information he has concerning the policy of the Football League towards the determination of penalties relating to illegal payments to players; what representations he has received on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  I condemn attempts by any club to gain unfair advantage over others. However, the question of the appropriate action to take when breaches of Football League regulations occur is for the football authorities which I understand consider all such cases on their merits. I have no plans to meet the League to discuss this matter.

  Last year my hon. Friend the previous Minister for Sport received a substantial number of representations, mainly from Swindon Town FC supporters, concerning the penalty imposed by the League on the club for making illegal payments to players.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of young people in the northern region entered higher education year by year since 1985.

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The table shows, for school leavers in the north of England and for England as a whole, the percentage whose intended destination was either degree or teacher training courses.

  Percentage of leavers going to degree or teacher training courses

  Academic year

  North of England

  All England

  1984–85

  7·2

  7·8

  1985–86

  7·1

  7·8

  1986–87

  7·2

  7·7

  1987–88

  7·9

  9·1

  1988–89

  9·5

  10·2

  Primary School Teachers
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what initiatives he is taking to reduce the shortage of teachers in primary schools in Leicestershire.

  Mr. Fallon
  Leicestershire local education authority is to receive grant support for £150,000 of expenditure on teacher recruitment in 1991–92. This is part of an overall 596
  allocation of £7·7 million between 86 LEAs, the average grant support being £90,000. A similar sum will be available in 1992–93. In addition, Leicestershire LEA will benefit from £80,000 allocated to support a licensed teacher scheme. This funding reflects the Department's commitment to assist authorities in the development of initiatives to improve teacher recruitment.

  Computers (Security)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what measures he is taking to ensure the security of(a) his Department's computers in-house and (b) lap-top personal computers when used by civil servants outside his Department's offices.

  Mr. Eggar
  It is not Government policy to disclose details of the protective security measures for safeguarding computers used for official purposes. To do so would be of assistance to potential attackers and therefore reduce the effectiveness of the measures. These measures are kept under review.

  Dyslexic Pupils
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what special arrangements he has now made for the marking of GCSE exam papers where the pupil has dyslexia; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  The GCSE examining group have a well-established common policy, drawn up in consultation with various national organisations, to deal with handicapped candidates, including those who are recognised as dyslexic. There are also appeals procedures available for those candidates who feel that such special circumstances have not been taken into account in the marking of their examinations. No changes to this provision have been proposed.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, following the statement by his predecessor, the hon. Member for Norfolk, South (Mr. MacGregor) how much extra capital moneys have been allocated for educational purposes in 1990–91; and what proportion of these have been allocated to(a) England and (b) Wales.

  Mr. Fallon
  With the exception of universities, the Department's expenditure programme does not cover education capital expenditure in Wales.

  Provision in the DES programme for capital expenditure on schools, colleges and PCFC institutions in England in 1990–91 was some £109 million higher than in 1989–90. Details are set out in the 1990 public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 1011).

  Examination Results
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all local education authorities in England in rank order showing the proportions of school-leavers with five or more GCSE results at grades A to C.
  597
  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all local education authorities in England in rank order showing the proportions of school leavers with five or more GCSE results at grades A to C.

  Mr. Fallon
  The information requested is set out in the table.

  LEA

  Rank

  Proportion of leavers with 5 or more GCSE results at Grades A-C as percentage of all school leavers1

  Sutton

  1

  39·1

  Barnet

  2

  38·9

  Harrow

  3

  38·6

  Surrey

  4

  38·0

  Buckinghamshire

  5

  36·0

  West Sussex

  6

  35·5

  North Yorkshire

  7

  34·5

  Richmond

  8

  32·4

  Berkshire

  9

  32·3

  Kingston upon Thames

  10

  32·2

  Hertfordshire

  11

  31·9

  Solihull

  12

  31·7

  East Sussex

  13

  31·4

  Gloucestershire

  14

  31·2

  Trafford

  15

  30·7

  Northumberland

  15

  30·7

  Shropshire

  17

  30·3

  Wigan

  18

  30·2

  Bromley

  19

  29·9

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  19

  29·9

  Hampshire

  21

  29·6

  Hereford and Worcester

  22

  29·2

  Cheshire

  23

  29·1

  Bolton

  24

  28·7

  Stockport

  25

  28·6

  Bexley

  26

  28·5

  Sefton

  26

  28·5

  Warwickshire

  26

  28·5

  Cambridgeshire

  29

  28·0

  Cumbria

  29

  28·0

  Wirral

  31

  27·8

  Avon

  31

  27·8

  Bury

  33

  27·7

  Oxfordshire

  33

  27·7

  Dorset

  35

  27·6

  North Tyneside

  36

  27·5

  Essex

  37

  27·4

  Kent

  38

  27·3

  Tameside

  39

  27·1

  Somerset

  39

  27·1

  Enfield

  41

  26·9

  Lancashire

  42

  26·8

  Cleveland

  43

  26·5

  Devon

  44

  26·3

  Wiltshire

  45

  25·9

  Kirklees

  46

  25·6

  Redbridge

  47

  25·5

  Dudley

  47

  25·5

  Hounslow

  49

  25·2

  Lincolnshire

  49

  25·2

  Leicestershire

  51

  25·1

  Bedfordshire

  52

  24·9

  Staffordshire

  52

  24·9

  Merton

  54

  24·6

  Derbyshire

  54

  24·6

  Norfolk

  56

  24·5

  Havering

  57

  24·4

  Suffolk

  58

  24·2

  Walsall

  59

  23·4

  Durham

  59

  23·4

  Nottinghamshire

  59

  23·4

  Salford

  62

  23·2

  Rotherham

  63

  23·0

  Northamptonshire

  64

  22·8

  598

  LEA

  Rank

  Proportion of leavers with 5 or more GCSE results at Grades A-C as percentage of all school leavers1

  Hillingdon

  65

  22·7

  Humberside

  66

  22·6

  Ealing

  67

  22·5

  Sheffield

  68

  22·2

  South Tyneside

  68

  22·2

  Croydon

  70

  22·1

  Leeds

  71

  22·0

  Sunderland

  72

  21·8

  Doncaster

  73

  21·7

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  74

  21·6

  Calderdale

  75

  21·5

  Coventry

  76

  21·2

  Rochdale

  77

  20·9

  Brent

  78

  20·6

  St. Helens

  79

  20·5

  Gateshead

  80

  20·4

  Wolverhampton

  81

  19·9

  Barnsley

  82

  19·7

  Isle of Wight

  83

  19·5

  Liverpool

  84

  19·4

  Birmingham

  85

  19·1

  Oldham

  86

  18·1

  Wakefield

  87

  17·5

  Bradford

  88

  16·9

  Haringey

  89

  16·6

  Manchester

  90

  16·4

  Inner London

  91

  15·9

  Sandwell

  92

  15·5

  Newham

  93

  14·9

  Waltham Forest

  94

  12·7

  Barking and Dagenham

  95

  11·3

  Knowsley

  96

  8·5

  TOTAL ENGLAND

  25·8

  1 The examination data are aggregated from the results of a sample survey for the academic years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89. These figures are based on a 10 per cent. sample of school leavers in maintained schools (excluding special schools). The percentages do not reflect exam achievements of pupils after leaving school. It includes GCSE and O-level grades A to C and CSE grade 1.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those local education authorities in England which achieved average or better examination results for school leavers on the basis of the latest information available and are budgeting to spend no more than 5 per cent. above the education component of their 1990–91 standard spending assessment.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those local authorities in England which achieved average or better examination results for school leavers on the basis of the latest information available and which are budgeting to spend no more than 5 per cent. above the education component of their 1990–91 standard spending assessment.

  Mr. Fallon
  The information requested is set out in the table:
  599

  Local education authority

  1986–87 to 1988–89 Numbers of leavers with 5 or more GCSE results at Grades A-C as percentage of all school leavers

  Indexed budgeted overspend on education element of 1990–91 SSA (100 = Parity)

  Barnet

  38·9

  99

  Harrow

  38·6

  102

  Surrey

  38·0

  103

  Buckinghamshire

  36·0

  103

  West Sussex

  35·5

  100

  Berkshire

  32·3

  98

  East Sussex

  31·4

  105

  Trafford

  30·7

  102

  Bromley

  29·9

  100

  Cornwall

  29·9

  98

  Hampshire

  29·6

  101

  Hereford and Worcester

  29·2

  100

  Bolton

  28·7

  101

  Bexley

  28·5

  100

  Sefton

  28·5

  104

  Cambridgeshire

  28·0

  104

  Wirral

  27·8

  101

  Essex

  27·4

  102

  Kent

  27·3

  95

  Tameside

  27·1

  100

  Enfield

  26·9

  104

  Note: Information is not available for the individual inner London boroughs, the City of London, Brent, Haringey or Barnsley.

  The information is based on:
  Examination data aggrevated from the results of a sample survey over the three academic years from 1986–87 to 1988–89 showing the proportions of school leavers with 5 or more GCSE results at grades A-C;
  Education budget data based on budget returns from LEAs to the Department of the Environment.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those local education authorities in England which achieved below-average examination results for school-leavers in the latest year for which information is available and are budgeting to spend more than 7·5 per cent. above the education component of their 1990–91 standard spending assessment.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those local education authorities in England which achieved below-average examination results for school leavers in the latest year for which information is available and which are budgeting to spend more than 7·5 per cent. above the education component of their 1990–91 standard spending assessment.

  Mr. Fallon
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  LEA

  1986–87 to 1988–89 Numbers of leavers with 5 or more GCSE A-C as percentage of all School Leavers

  Indexed budgeted overspend on education element of 1990–91 SSA (100 = Parity)

  Hounslow

  25·2

  110

  Leicestershire

  25·1

  110

  Merton

  24·6

  109

  Derbyshire

  24·6

  124

  Havering

  24·4

  109

  Suffolk

  24·2

  109

  Walsall

  23·4

  112

  Durham

  23·4

  110

  600

  LEA

  1986–87 to 1988–89 Numbers of leavers with 5 or more GCSE A-C as percentage of all School Leavers

  Indexed budgeted overspend on education element of 1990–91 SSA (100 = Parity)

  Salford

  23·2

  113

  Rotherham

  23·0

  112

  Hillingdon

  22·7

  111

  Sheffield

  22·2

  117

  South Tyneside

  22·2

  113

  Leeds

  22·0

  109

  Doncaster

  21·7

  108

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  21·6

  115

  Calderdale

  21·5

  110

  Coventry

  21·2

  110

  St. Helens

  20·5

  112

  Gateshead

  20·4

  117

  Wakefield

  17·5

  117

  Sandwell

  15·5

  112

  Barking and Dagenham

  11·3

  114

  Information is not available for the individual inner London boroughs, the City of London, Brent, Haringey or Barnsley.

  The information is based on:
  examination data aggregated from the results of a simple survey over the three academic years from 1986–87 to 1988–89 showing the proportions of school leavers with 5 or more GCSE results at grades A-C;
  Education budgets data based on budget returns from LEAs to the Department of the Environment.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  House of Commons Services
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, why the cleaners in the House of Commons itself and other associated buildings were requested to work on Monday 24 December.

  Mr. Beith
  For a number of staff of the House, Christmas eve was a normal non-sitting working day, although only a proportion of the House's directly employed cleaning staff was required for work that day.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Community Charge Benefit
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing his estimates of how much will be saved in community charge benefit subsidy in 1990–91 for each local authority which is a housing benefit authority as a result of charge-capping.

  Miss Widdecombe
  All authorities have until 30 September 1991 to submit claims to community charge benefit subsidy in respect of 1990–91. These claims will reflect community charge benefit expenditure incurred after the application of budget substitution, but it will not be possible reliably to estimate what the level of that expenditure would otherwise have been.

  Income Support
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the deductions that may be made from income support benefit before a claimant receives it.
  601
  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 26 November at cols.306–08.

  Pensioners' Christmas Bonus
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of a 1991 Christmas bonus for pensioners at(a) £10·00 per pensioner, (b) £15·00 per pensioner and (c) £20·00 per pensioner.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The estimated cost of paying the pensioners' Christmas bonus in 1991–92 is approximately £114 million. If the payment was increased to £15 per pensioner, the cost would be about £171 million; if the payment was increased to £20 per pensioner, the cost would be £228 million.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings his Department would make were no notice given of oral questions to Ministers and they were answered without civil service time being used on briefings.

  Miss Widdecombe
  No savings would be made and costs could increase because officials would have to brief Ministers on the whole range of subjects which could possibly arise.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average length of time taken and the average cost involved of officials' time in his Department preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The time taken to prepare ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions is not routinely recorded in this Department, although estimates would be made if the disproportionate cost threshold, currently £250, were likely to be exceeded for an individual question. However, the current estimate of the average cost throughout all Departments of answering an oral question if £99, on the basis set out in the reply of my right hon. Friend the Lord President to the hon. Member on 19 December 1990 at column 163.

  Disability Working Allowance
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide illustrative examples of people who would be(a) better off and (b) worse off claiming the disability working allowance compared with their current situation.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 16 January 1991]: Some illustrative examples of the level of income that disability working allowance (DWA) recipients will have were included in the note published on 12 November, a copy of which is in the Library. All recipients who claim more than eight weeks after starting work will be better off than if they did not have DWA. Most other potential recipients earning more than about £30 a week will be better off with DWA than they would be if they remained on an incapacity benefit.

  A small number of people in the circumstances listed might be worse off if they decided to take a job at a very
  602
  low rate of pay. However, no one will be obliged to claim DWA and, if they choose to take a job and claim DWA, all of them will be better off than if DWA were not available to supplement their earnings.

  The level of earnings below which people in the categories listed would be worse off would depend on the incapacity benefit to which they would be entitled if they were not working, the size and composition of their family and, in the case of (a), on the size of the claimant's mortgage.

  The circumstances in which a small number of people might be worse off if they decided to take a job at a very low rate of pay supported by DWA include the following:

  a. if the claimant has a mortgage (but we expect about 10,000 DWA recipients will have mortgages and will be better off on DWA);

  b. exceptionally, if the claimant has children and his income, including earnings and DWA, would be very little above income support level, loss of free school meals might take them below income support level;

  c. if the claimant is receiving invalidity benefit and has entitlement to a large amount of additional pension, or if he has a significant amount of capital or another source of income;

  d. if the claimant is on invalidity benefit and has a partner who is working (but we expect that some DWA recipients will have partners who are working and will be better off);

  e. if the IVB recipient is doing therapeutic work permitted by regulations.

THE ARTS

  Liverpool Playhouse
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the funding and future of the Liverpool Playhouse.

  Mr. Renton
  The funding of the Liverpool Playhouse is a matter for the Arts Council, and for the Merseyside local authorities and other local interests. However, I met hon. Members from Merseyside on 16 January to discuss the financial position of the company. I am well aware of the affection and loyalty that is felt for this famous theatre, and of the widespread concern for its future. The Arts Council has long shared that concern, and it is continuing to discuss funding arrangements with the Merseyside local authorities with a view to the local authorities aiming nearer to the level of financial contribution made by the Arts Council. I hope that there will be a successful outcome.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Public Sector Manpower
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the manpower figures for each part of nationalised industry in 1978–79 and 1988–89, showing the reduction or increase in each case and also the decrease in each sector due to denationalisation.

  Mr. Mellor
  Outturn data for the nationalised industries for 1978–79 and 1988–89 were published in appendix D of chapter 21 of the 1990 public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 1021). Over that period manpower fell by 1,062,000 from 1,843,000 to 781,000, a reduction of 57·6 per cent. Nationalised industries that were privatised between 1978–79 and 1988–89 employed about 650,000
  603
  people at the time of privatisation. Information on manpower figures for each nationalised industry for the years 1978–79 and 1988–89 can be found in the annual report and accounts of each industry for these years.

  Alcohol and Tobacco Duty
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it remains Government policy that harmonisaton of alcohol and tobacco duties must involve either effective restrictions or high minimum duty rates.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  The Government's view on harmonisation remains that centrally determined duty rates are not necessary for completion of the single market, but that alcohol and tobacco need to be treated as special cases under an approach based on the free operation of market forces.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what conclusions he has come on the future structure of the beer duty following the recent consultation exercise with the trade; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Trade responses to the Customs and Excise consultative paper have not revealed any major obstacles to the introduction of an end-product duty on beer. I have therefore decided to replace in due course the present worts-based duty by a duty on the finished beer, subject to satisfactory arrangements being devised following further consultation with trade interests. I have asked Customs and Excise to begin discussions on the details of a new system.

  Computers (Security)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to ensure the security of(a) Her Majesty's Treasury's computers in-house and (b) lap-top personal computers when used by civil servants outside his Department's offices.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  It is not Government policy to disclose details of the protective security measures for safeguarding computers used for official purposes. To do so would be of assistance to potential attackers and would therefore reduce the effectiveness of the measures. These measures are kept under review.

  Balance of Payments
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which sectors of the British economy were in balance of payments surplus in 1979 and for the latest available date.

  Mr. Mellor
  [holding answer 16 January 1991]: Industrial sector data of imports and exports on a balance of payments basis are normally available only for years in which input-output tables are compiled. Input-output tables exist for 1979 and 1984, and a simple update of 1984 to 1985 was carried out. For these years, the energy and services industrial sectors were in balance of payments surplus. The table gives the relevant data for these and the other main sectors of the economy.
  604

  Exports less imports of goods and services by industrial sector, on a balance of payments basis

  £ billion

  1979

  1984

  1985

  Agriculture

  -1·8

  -1·2

  -2·3

  Energy

  -1·5

  +5·9

  +6·9

  Manufacturing

  -3·7

  -15·3

  -14·3

  Services etc.

  +7·4

  +10·6

  +133

  Overall balance

  +0·5

  -0·9

  +3·6

  Notes on the table:

  The industrial sectors are defined in terms of the 1980 Standard Industrial Classification as follows:

  Agriculture:

  Division 0.

  Energy:

  Division 1.

  Manufacturing:

  Divisions 2–4.

  Services etc.:

  Divisions 5–9.

  The table is restricted to trade in goods and services, and does not include flows of interest, profits and dividends, and transfers. These items are included in the overall measure of the balance of payments for the United Kingdom.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Government Appointees
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the names of all Government-appointed nominees to the Northern Ireland Sports Council since its formation, giving the year of appointment and the length of service in each case.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 16 January 1991]: The information requested is set out in the table with names in alphabetical order. Length of service of members still serving is taken as up to January 1991.

  Name

  Year of appointment

  Length of service

  Allen, D. F.

  1990

  4 months

  Allen, J. H.

  1974

  16 years

  Allen, R.

  1981

  1 year

  Andrews, D. G.

  1986

  4 years, 4 months

  Barr, J. W. S.

  1977

  3 years

  Bell, Mrs. M.

  1976

  4 years

  Bloomfield, Lady

  1989

  1 year, 10 months

  Boyd, Mrs. D. M.

  1981

  1 year

  Burns, K. F.

  1977

  4 years

  Caldwell, W. A.

  1981

  7 years

  Cannon, J. F.

  1974

  2 years

  Carey, J.

  1977

  4 years

  Carlin, A.

  1990

  4 years, 4 months

  Clarke, Ms. A.

  1990

  4 months

  Clarke, A. N.

  1977

  4 years

  Close, S. A.

  1977

  3 years

  Colhoun, R. S.

  1974

  3 years

  Comerton, Mrs. E.

  1988

  3 years

  Conlon, Dr. W. A.

  1974

  7 years

  Connolly, B.

  1976

  1 year

  Connor, R.

  1982

  6 years

  Corry, W. C.

  1974

  3 years

  Craig, Rev. R. G.

  1977

  3 years

  Crozier, E.

  1977

  3 years

  Dixon, T. R. V.

  1981

  5 years

  Donnelly, T.

  1981

  1 year

  Edwards, B. G.

  1981

  1 year

  Faulkner, H.

  1980

  1 year

  Farrington, L. W.

  1981

  1 year

  Gallogly, S.

  1986

  4 years

  Ginn, G. J.

  1981

  5 years

  Girvan, A. H.

  1974

  3 years

  Glancy, Dr. B.

  1989

  1 year 10 months

  605

  Name

  Year of appointment

  Length of service

  Hamilton, J.

  1974

  3 years

  Haslett, V. C.

  1982

  6 years

  Hendra, Mrs. A.

  1988

  2 years 4 months

  Hendra, M. R.

  1977

  2 years

  Heron, P. J.

  1976

  1 year

  Hewitt, F. S. A.

  1988

  2 years 4 months

  Hogg, Mrs. M.

  1977

  2 years

  Huey, S. S. J.

  1974

  2 years

  Hunter, J. A.

  1976

  1 year

  Jamison, J. Q.

  1974

  3 years

  Johnston, A. N.

  1974

  3 years

  Johnston, Mrs. M.

  1986

  1 year

  Johnstone, H. A.

  1974

  3 years

  King, W. H.

  1986

  4 years 4 months

  Kirkwood, R. W. C.

  1981

  6 years

  Kyle, Mrs. M.

  1974

  3 years

  Lamont, R. A.

  1974

  3 years

  Lapsley, J. C.

  1974

  3 years

  Lee, I.

  1988

  2 years 4 months

  Linehan, A. J.

  1977

  3 years

  Martin, Mrs. C.

  1977

  3 years

  Mayne, H.

  1988

  2 years

  Miller, S.

  1988

  2 years

  McBriar, J. T.

  1982

  4 years

  McCloy, Mrs. J.

  1986

  4 years

  McCloy, T.

  1981

  1 year

  McColgan, R. J.

  1981

  1 year

  McCullough, R.

  1982

  4 years

  McKeag, H.

  1981

  1 year

  McKeever, J.

  1981

  9 years

  McKelvey, Mrs. M. R.

  1986

  4 years 4 months

  McKie, P.

  1976

  1 year

  McManus, Mrs. R.

  1974

  3 years

  McNicholl, Miss M. H.

  1986

  2 years

  McShane, P. R.

  1986

  4 years

  McWilliams P. H.

  1982

  6 years

  O'Connell, W.

  1974

  1 year

  O'Doherty, Ms. A.

  1990

  4 months

  O'Donoghue, P.

  1977

  3 years

  O'Neill, J. F.

  1974

  3 years

  O'Neill, V. P.

  1974

  1 year

  Title

  Created

  Introduced

  Lord Rippon of Hexham

  5 October 1987

  20 October 1987

  Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe

  6 October 1987

  20 October 1987

  Lord Thomas of Gwydir

  7 October 1987

  21 October 1987

  Lord Jay

  8 October 1987

  21 October 1987

  Lord Pym

  9 October 1987

  28 October 1987

  Lord Joseph

  12 October 1987

  28 October 1987

  Lord Dormand of Easington

  13 October 1987

  3 November 1987

  Lord Prior

  14 October 1987

  11 November 1987

  Lord Crickhowell

  15 October 1987

  4 November 1987

  Lord Colnbrook

  16 October 1987

  10 November 1987

  Lord St. John of Fawsley

  19 October 1987

  4 November 1987

  Lord Mason of Barnsley

  20 October 1987

  3 November 1987

  Lord Carlisle of Bucklow

  2 November 1987

  10 November 1987

  Lord Jenkin of Roding

  3 November 1987

  11 November 1987

  Lord Ross of Newport

  4 November 1987

  8 December 1987

  Lord Callaghan of Cardiff

  5 November 1987

  17 November 1987

  Lord Rees

  16 November 1987

  24 November 1987

  Lord Jenkins of Hillhead

  20 November 1987

  1 December 1987

  Lord Jakobovits

  5 February 1988

  9 February 1988

  Baroness Hart of South Lanark

  8 February 1988

  10 February 1988

  Lord Jauncey of Tullichettle

  9 February 1988

  9 February 1988

  Lord Donaldson of Lymington

  15.February 1988

  24 February 1988

  Lord Armstrong of Ilminster

  26 February 1988

  15 March 1988

  Lord Alexander of Weedon

  11 July 1988

  12 July 1988

  Lord Rees-Mogg

  8 August 1988

  25 October 1988

  Lord Butterfield

  10 August 1988

  9 November 1988

  Lord Mackenzie-Stuart

  18 October 1988

  30 November 1988

  Lord Macaulay of Bragar

  9 January 1989

  18 January 1989

  Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover

  31 January 1989

  31 January 1989

  Lord Lewis of Newnham

  8 February 1989

  8 February 1989

  Baroness Oppenheim-Barnes

  9 February 1989

  28 February 1989

  606

  Name

  Year of appointment

  Length of service

  Peacock, R.

  1977

  4 years

  Peters, Dr. M. E.

  1974

  20 years

  Pollock, J. S.

  1986

  4 years 4 months

  Redpath, Mrs. J.

  1981

  1 year

  Richardson, W. F.

  1974

  3 years

  Robinson, MP, P. D.

  1990

  4 months

  Rose, A. D.

  1974

  3 years

  Sansom, Rev. Canon C. N.

  1981

  1 year

  Scott, K.

  1986

  4 years 4 months

  Shearer, E. D. R.

  1974

  3 years

  Simpson, Mrs. M.

  1974

  3 years

  Sleith, Rev. A. A.

  1977

  3 years

  Stelfox, J. D.

  1988

  2 years 4 months

  Storey, G.

  1977

  3 years

  Sweetnam, Dr. J.

  1981

  1 year

  Traynor, Mrs. R.

  1981

  5 years

  Turner, E.

  1981

  5 years

  Walsh, J.

  1990

  4 months

  Warke, Dr. L.

  1977

  2 years

  Watson, W. G.

  1982

  3 years

  Wheeler, F. A.

  1974

  6 years

  Williams, Miss J.

  1982

  10 years

  Wilson, D. A.

  1987

  1 year

  Wilson, Miss M.

  1977

  9 years

PRIME MINISTER

  House of Lords
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list in the Official Report the names of all those members of the House of Lords nominated to sit therein since 1 August 1987, together with the dates upon which they took their seats.

  The Prime Minister
  Peerages created since 1 August 1987 are as follows, together with the dates on which the holders were introduced.
  607

  Title

  Created

  Introduced

  Lord Fraser of Carmyllie

  10 February 1989

  22 February 1989

  Lord Sharp of Grimsdyke

  21 July 1989

  26 July 1989

  Lord Walton of Detchant

  24 July 1989

  11 October 1989

  Lord McColl of Dulwich

  25 July 1989

  26 July 1989

  Lord Fieldhouse

  26 February 1990

  7 March 1990

  Baroness Park of Monmouth

  27 February 1990

  6 March 1990

  Lord Tombs

  28 February 1990

  13 March 1990

  Lord Clinton-Davis

  8 May 1990

  8 May 1990

  Lord Morris of Castle Morris

  9 May 1990

  9 May 1990

  Baroness Eccles of Moulton

  10 May 1990

  15 May 1990

  Lord Richard

  14 May 1990

  15 May 1990

  Lord Wade of Chorlton

  16 May 1990

  22 May 1990

  Lord Cavendish of Furness

  17 May 1990

  6 June 1990

  Baroness Cumberlege

  18 May 1990

  23 May 1990

  Baroness Brigstocke

  21 May 1990

  23 May 1990

  Lord Soulsby of Swaflham Prior

  22 May 1990

  12 June 1990

  Lord Holme of Cheltenham

  29 May 1990

  6 June 1990

  Lord Varley

  30 May 1990

  5 June 1990

  Baroness Hollis of Heigham

  1 June 1990

  11 June 1990

  Baroness Flather

  11 June 1990

  19 June 1990

  Lord Pearson of Rannoch

  18 June 1990

  19 June 1990

  Lord Porter of Luddenham

  116 July 1990

  24 July 1990

  Baroness Castle of Blackburn

  216 July 1990

  18 July 1990

  Lord Lane of Horsell

  17 July 1990

  17 July 1990

  Lord Haslam

  13 August 1990

  17 July 1990

  Baroness Dunn

  24 August 1990

  9 October 1990

  Lord Waddington

  4 December 1990

  4 December 1990

  Lord Sterling of Plaistow

  17 January 1991

  To be introduced

  1 a.m.

  2 p.m.

  Official Histories
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) how many official histories have been commissioned by the Government since 1960; what are their titles; when each was commenced; when each was completed; who were the authors; and what was the cost of each;

  (2) how many Government-sponsored official histories are currently in preparation; when they were commissioned; who are the authors; what are the estimated dates of completion; and what is the estimated cost of each.

  Title

  Author

  Commissioned

  Completion Publication

  Table A

  SOE in France

  M. R. D. Foot

  1960

  1966

  SOE in the Far East2

  C. Cruickshank

  1980

  1983

  SOE in Scandinavia2

  C. Cruickshank

  1984

  1986

  SOE in Greece2

  R. R. M. Clogg

  1984

  Estimated completion 1991

  SOE in the Low Countries2

  M. R. D. Foot

  1987

  Estimated completion 1991

  SOE in Yugoslavia2

  M. C. Wheeler

  1987

  Estimated completion 1992

  SOE in Italy

  C. M. Woods

  1989

  Estimated completion 1992–93

  Table B

  British Intelligence in the Second World War, vol I

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others

  1971

  1979

  British Intelligence in the Second World War, vol II

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others

  1971

  1981

  British Intelligence in the Second Word War, vol III

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others

  1971

  1984

  (Part I)

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others

  British Intelligence in the Second World War, vol III

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others

  1971

  1988

  (Part II)

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and others

  British Intelligence in the Second World War, vol IV

  Professor Sir Harry Hinsley and C. A. G. Simkins

  1971

  1990

  British Intelligence in the Second World War, vol V

  Professor Sir Michael Howard

  1971

  1990

  Table C

  608
  The Prime Minister
  The original programme of official histories commissioned by the War Cabinet covered the military and civil history of the second world war.

  Subsequently two further groups of wartime histories were commissioned, tables A and B;

  On 9 March 1966 the then Prime Minister announced that the official programme would be extended to include selected periods or episodes of peacetime history. The following were commissioned, table C.
  609

  Title

  Author

  Commissioned

  Completion Publication

  Environmental Planning

  Professor J. B. Cullingworth

  1969

  Published in 4 Vols. between 1975–1981

  Nationalisation of British Industry

  Professor Sir Norman Chester

  1969

  1975

  Colonial Development2

  D. J. Morgan

  1969

  Published in 5 Vol.s 1980

  External Economic Policy1

  Professor L. S. Pressnell

  1974

  Vol. I published 1987

  Vol. II estimated date of publication 1992

  Defence Organisation Since 19451

  Professor D. Cameron Watt

  1974

  Estimated date of publication 1992

  British Part in the Korean War1

  General Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley

  1978

  Vol. I published 1990 Estimated publication date Vol. II 1992

  The Health Services Since the War1

  Dr. Charles Webster

  1978

  Vol. I published 1988 Estimated publication of Vol. II 1992–3

  1 currently in preparartion.

  2 main preparation and all publication costs met by commercial publishers.

  The cost of preparing official histories is borne on the votes of several Government Departments, mainly the Cabinet Office; the cost of printing, publishing and distribution falls to HMSO. (Revenue from sales goes towards offsetting these costs). It is not possible without disproportionate cost to itemise the cost of individual histories.

  Ministers (Overseas Visits)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list in ranked order and by name the numbers of overseas trips undertaken by Ministers since June 1987.

  The Prime Minister
  This information is not held centrally and could not be produced without incurring disproportionate costs.

  Sanctions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what criteria have been adopted to judge the success of the application of sanctions upon Iraq imposed under the authorisation of the United Nations.

  The Prime Minister
  The test of the effectiveness of sanctions is whether they persuade Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. After nearly six months this has not been achieved.

  Security
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidance is issued to Ministers on answering questions from right hon. and hon. Members on matters affecting security during periods of armed conflict.

  The Prime Minister
  Normal procedures for answering questions on matters affecting security continue to apply.

  Mr. Ian Richter
  Mr. Ron Brown
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has made on behalf of Ian Richter, a British citizen presently held in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  We remain concerned about the position of Mr. Ian Richter. We have regularly raised his case with the Iraqi authorities and our ambassador did so again shortly before he left Baghdad earlier this month.
  610
  We have made arrangements to ensure that Mr. Richter continues to receive visits and comforts. We are in close touch with his family here.

WALES

  Tourism
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to improve the overseas marketing of tourism within Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The overseas promotion of Wales as a tourist destination is a statutory responsibility of the British Tourist Authority, although the Wales tourist board can, with the agreement of the BTA, act on its behalf.

  Following a meeting I had with the chairman of the WTB last June, the board commissioned a study intended to identify ways of improving the effectiveness of the overseas marketing of Wales, within the existing legal framework.

  I understand that the report is expected very shortly. I assure my hon. Friend that Ministers will consider its findings very carefully.

  Reading Standards
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will call an all-Wales conference of Her Majesty's inspectors, local education authority parent-teacher associations and teachers to discuss the reading standards of seven-year-olds in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 17 January 1991, column 569–70.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all sites where a total quantity of 25 tonnes or more of dangerous substances are present, quoting the ordnance survey eight-figure grid reference number for each site.

  Mr. Forth
  I have been asked to reply.

  This information is not available in the format requested. Each Health and Safety Executive area office keeps available for public inspection lists of premises in its area, by name and address, where dangerous substances

  611
  are present and where notification required under certain legislation has been received by the Health and Safety Executive.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Eggs
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the number and value of eggs(a) imported into the United Kingdom and (b) exported from the United Kingdom, between (i) September 1988 and August 1989 and (ii) September 1989 and August 1990.

  Mr. Curry
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number of eggs

  Value £

  (a) Eggs imported into the United Kingdom

  (i) 1 September 1988 to 31 August 1989

  276,432

  9,339,648

  (ii) 1 September 1989 to 31 August 1990

  684,988

  29,039,383

  (b) Eggs exported from the United Kingdom

  (i) 1 September 1988 to 31 August 1989

  395,018

  13,583,133

  (ii) 1 September 1989 to 31 Auguest 1990

  100,371

  4,549,383

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North dated 20 December 1990,Official Report, column 296, on CAP expenditure, if he will state the total net cost to the Exchequer of support for agriculture and the common agricultural policy, after deducting any relevant refunds and grants received; and if he will also show the amount per head of the population of the United Kingdom which this net figure represents.

  Mr. Curry
  The total figures, and the equivalent per head of United Kingdom population, which my hon. Friend has requested, are as follows:

  Estimate for 1990–91

  Total (£ million)

  £/head

  Exchequer expenditure on the common agricultural policy in the United Kingdom

  1,900

  33

  Receipts from the European Community in the relation to agriculture

  1,600

  28

  Total Exchequer expenditure on agricultural grants and subsidies in the United Kingdom (EC and national)

  1,950

  34

  Cost to the Exchequer of the United Kingdom's net contribution to the total Community budget (all EC expenditure including agriculture)

  2,100

  37

  It would be misleading to net off EC receipts in relation to agriculture from Exchequer expenditure on the CAP, because the United Kingdom is a net contributor to the EC budget. It is not possible, for the reasons given in the previous reply, to estimate the cost of the United Kingdom's contribution to agricultural expenditure elsewhere in the Community.

  Expenditure on Food
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk North dated 13 November 1990,Official Report, column 118, if he will now include with the information already given the expenditure on food at 1989 prices for 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1989.

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

  Consumers' expenditure on household food in the United Kingdom

  Household expenditure on food at current prices £ million

  Expenditure on food as a percentage of total consumers expenditure per cent.

  1 Household expenditure on food in real terms £ million

  1960

  4,228

  25·0

  38,789

  1970

  6,369

  20·0

  39,559

  1980

  23,655

  16·9

  40,785

  1989

  39,181

  11·9

  39,181

  1 United Kingdom household expenditure on food at current prices deflated by the Retail Price Index (all items) 1989= 100.

  Source: United Kingdom National Accounts, CSO.

  Sheep and Cow Subsidies
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the sheep subsidy and hill cow payments will be made; what delays there have been in payment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Government are not yet in a position to announce the arrangements for payment of hill livestock compensatory allowances in 1991. This is because problems have arisen over the detailed implementation of a new EC ceiling on payments of 1·4 livestock units per hectare. Claim forms and explanatory leaflets will be issued to producers as quickly as possible, once These problems have been resolved. The Government are well aware of the importance of making the HLCA payments in the early part of the year and every effort will be made to ensure that payments commence quickly.

  Fishing
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to implement the EC Council of Fisheries Ministers decision to have an eight consecutive days tie-up period in each month.

  Mr. Curry
  I expect implementing regulation to be laid before Parliament before the end of this month and to come into force on 1 February.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Product Liability Directive
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what inquiries have been received from the European Commission concerning the implementation by the United Kingdom of the 1985 EC product liability directive; what replies have been sent by his Department; and whether he will make a statement.
  613
  Mr. Leigh
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to his earlier question on the same subject,Official Report, 19 December 1990, column 187. The position is unchanged.

  Exhibitions
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the relative cost to British machinery manufacturers wishing to exhibit at international exhibitions abroad or arranging space bookings, stand building, etc.(a) directly with the exhibition and (b) through the governmental system.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Under my Department's export initiative, companies participating as a British group at the overseas trade fair are provided with space, a shell stand and essential display aids at 50 per cent. of the estimated cost. Assistance towards the cost of travel is also available for group members exhibiting outside western Europe. This support is provided generally on three occasions in any one country.

  No subsidy is available for independent exhibitors. Such companies negotiate the presentation standard they require with exhibition organisers and stand contractors.

  Textile Industry
  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the United Kingdom's relative position in world textile machinery exports in(a) 1970 and (b) 1990; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Information is readily available only for the OECD countries and in a form which includes leather working machinery. On this basis the United Kingdom was the second-largest OECD exporter of textile machines to world markets in 1970 and the seventh largest in 1988, the latest year for which data are obtainable.

  Sir John Farr
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what request his Department received to supply support to Camber International Ltd. of Leicester at the recent international textile manufacturing exhibition in China; what response was made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  On 23 February 1990 my Department formally offered to provide financial support to a group of British companies recruited by the British Textile Machinery Association to participate in this exhibition. An application from Camber International Ltd. to join the supported group was received early in May 1990. The association was informed on 10 May 1990 that the company was not eligible. This was because DTI trade fair assistance is restricted to three participations in any country, and Camber International had benefited from such support on three previous occasions in China.

  The company subsequently appealed against the decision on the grounds that it had been subject of successive takeovers and that in its new form the company had not previously exhibited in China. The appeal was rejected because it was considered that the reconstituted company was still producing broadly the same range of equipment as had benefited from the previous supported exhibition participations in China.

  United States Trade Act
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with his United States counterpart concerning the so-called Super 301 provision of the United States Trade Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  We have taken frequent opportunities over the past two years to make clear to our United States counterparts our opposition to the provisions of the United States Trade Act which permit unilateral GATT-illegal action. Fortunately, the legislative authority permitting new actions under the "Super 301" provision has now time-expired.

  Multi-fibre Arrangement
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with EEC countries on review of the multi-fibre arrangement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, together with EC colleagues, attended the GATT ministerial meeting in Brussels last month which discussed, among other things, how best to phase out the multi-fibre arrangement as part of a general settlement of the Uruguay round, including the strengthening of GATT rules and disciplines. The Government hope that the talks, which were suspended over the question of agriculture, will soon reconvene.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give a detailed breakdown of the £50 million reduction in central Government expenditure by his Department for 1991–92 as announced in the autumn statement as against the plans announced in the January 1990 public expenditure White Paper.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  This information will be published next month in the new Trade and Industry departmental report.

TRANSPORT

  Wheelchair Access
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to make all forms of public transport more accessible to people in wheelchairs.

  Mr. Freeman
  We are working on the development and introduction of low-floor buses that can accommodate wheelchair users on regular services. We hope to start trials of such vehicles later this year.

  British Rail has already made considerable progress in making its rolling stock accessible. All new Intercity trains are accessible in both first and standard class carriages and are also fitted with accessible toilet facilities.

  Access to public transport infrastructure is also being improved. Where new facilities are being provided, or when older ones are being refurbished, the public transport authorities are providing access wherever reasonably practicable.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to assist local authorities to
  615
  lower pavement heights and kerbs to enable people in wheelchairs to move freely along main public thorough-fares and footpaths.

  Mr. Freeman
  In 1986, the Department issued advice to local authorities on the provision of dropped kerbs to help wheelchair users in conjunction with tactile surfaces to guide blind and partially sighted people at uncontrolled crossings.

  We hope to issue similar advice for uncontrolled crossings and side streets shortly.

  In both cases local authorities can install these facilities as part of their planned maintenance programmes.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will list the items of personal and vehicle information that will be transferred to the new police national computer; and whether he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he received advice from, or had meetings with, the Data Protection Registrar before deciding upon the nature of the closer links between the DVLA and the new police national computer;

  (3) whether he intends to inform drivers of the items of personal information they provide that could be transferred to the new police national computer; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  DVLA has for many years passed to the police national computer organisation descriptive vehicle information and the names and addresses of vehicle keepers. No changes are planned to these arrangements. The information released at present from the driver record relates specifically to details about drivers who are disqualified. As a result of recommendations made by the road traffic law review committee, it is planned that details of all drivers on the DVLA record will be provided to the police national computer during 1992.

  The DVLA registrations under the Data Protection Act 1984 indicate that details from both the vehicle and driver registers are given to the police. The planned changes in the arrangements for providing additional details from the driver record do not require consultation with the Data Protection Registrar. The information on the police national computer facilitates law enforcement.

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he proposes to ensure that the benefits of the channel tunnel are shared by people and industry in Swindon and the south-west.

  Mr. Freeman
  British Rail has the statutory responsibility for planning and running rail services in the United Kingdom, including those which will use the channel tunnel. Its initial response to the recent proposal from the Transport Users Consultative Committee for western England for a major upgrading of the Reading-Ashford route for channel tunnel services to and from the west indicated that it is confident that its current plans for such services for 1993 will meet the needs of the west country.

  Cycle Lanes
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in descending order the London boroughs by proportion of cycle lanes to total highway in each borough.

  Mr. Chope
  This information is not available.

  Speed Limits
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has estimated the cost and if he has plans to provide additional finance to enable local authorities to introduce 20 mph speed limit zones in accordance with his Department's recent guidelines.

  Mr. Chope
  We estimate that a 20 mph speed limit zone can be introduced for as little as £50,000. Schemes are eligible for transport supplementary grant if they have a significant casualty reduction potential and can therefore be considered to be a local safety scheme. Over £31 million has been earmarked for local safety schemes within the minor works allocation of the 1991–92 TSG settlement.

  A4/M4 Corridor Study
  Sir Barney Hayhoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive and publish the A4/M4 corridor study from his consultants.

  Mr. Chope
  I have not yet received the consultants' final report on this study. I intend to publish it as soon as possible after its receipt.

  London Transport (Private Bills)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of London Transport detailing the cost in each year of presenting Private Bills to Parliament since the inception of London Regional Transport, listing the Bills, the costs associated with them and the outcome.

  Mr. Freeman
  This is a matter for London Transport. I am asking the chairman to let the hon. Member have whatever information is readily available.

EMPLOYMENT

  Economic Statistics
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing for the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany for the years 1979 to 1989 and 1985 to 1989 the change in the numbers for (i) unemployed, (ii) GDP, (iii) manufacturing output and (iv) employment.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information on unemployment and employment is contained in the following table. No figures are available for the unified Germany.

  Annual average

  United Kingdom (thousand)

  France (thousand)

  Italy (thousand)

  Unemployment

  Change 1979 to 1989

  710

  920

  1,181

  Change 1985 to 1989

  -1,244

  -161

  485

  617

  Annual average

  United Kingdom (thousand)

  France (thousand)

  Italy (thousand)

  Civilian employment

  Change 1979 to 1989

  1,374

  179

  776

  Change 1985 to 1989

  2,243

  569

  325

  Source: OECD "Labour Force Statistics 1968–1988" and "Quarterly Labour Force Statistics Number 4 1990" (except United Kingdom, Employment Department).

  Data for manufacturing output for the United Kingdom are published by the Central Statistical Office in Economic Trends and for other EC countries by the OECD in its monthly publication "Main Economic Indicators". Levels of gross domestic product for OECD countries can be obtained in the OECD publications "National Accounts—Main Aggregates—Volumes 1 1960–1988", part 6, table 7 for 1979 figures; and from "Main Economic Indicators—December 1990", part 3, for 1985 and 1989 figures. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the constituencies in Britain with more than 5,000 unemployed; and how long each constituency has been in that position.

  Mr. Jackson
  The information requested is contained in the following table.

  Constituency name

  Number of unemployed in December 1990 (not seasonally adjusted)

  Number of months unemployment has been above 5,000

  Tottenham

  7,599

  1

  Manchester Central

  7,505

  1

  Liverpool Riverside

  7,351

  1

  Hackney South and Shoreditch

  7,322

  1

  Liverpool Walton

  7,084

  1

  Hackney North and Stoke Newington

  6,851

  1

  Bootle

  6,790

  1

  Vauxhall

  6,502

  1

  Birkenhead

  6,432

  1

  Sunderland North

  6,289

  1

  Nottingham East

  6,265

  1

  Birmingham Small Heath

  6,262

  1

  Sheffield Central

  6,168

  1

  Tyne Bridge

  6,161

  1

  Middlesbrough

  6,000

  1

  Liverpool West Derby

  5,972

  1

  Islington North

  5,930

  6

  Knowsley North

  5,910

  1

  Birmingham Ladywood

  5,778

  1

  Knowsley South

  5,698

  1

  Liverpool Broadgreen

  5,680

  1

  Hornsey and Wood Green

  5,594

  2

  Stretford

  5,518

  6

  Bow and Poplar

  5,429

  5

  Glasgow Springburn

  5,401

  1

  Birmingham Sparkbrook

  5,349

  6

  Bradford West

  5,345

  5

  Lewisham Deptford

  5,325

  4

  Peckham

  5,321

  2

  Kingston-upon-Hull North

  5,321

  2

  Bethnal Green and Stepney

  5,249

  1

  Norwood

  5,231

  1

  Leeds Central

  5,171

  1

  618

  Constituency name

  Number of unemployed in December 1990 (not seasonally adjusted)

  Number of months unemployment has been above 5,000

  Glasgow Maryhill

  5,133

  1

  Islington South and Finsbury

  5,105

  1

  Isle of Wight

  5,097

  1

  Glasgow Provan

  5,056

  1

  Kingston-upon-Hull West

  5,023

  1

  1 Unemployment has been above 5,000 throughout the period since parliamentary constituency data on unemployment first became available in June 1983.

  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what is the level of youth unemployment in Liverpool:

  (2) what is the level of unemployment in Liverpool:

  (3) what is the level of long-term unemployment in Liverpool:

  Mr. Jackson
  The latest available data are given in the table:

  Unemployment (not seasonally adjusted) in Liverpool Travel-to-Work-Area

  Date

  Number

  Total number of unemployed claimants

  December 1990

  63,743

  Number of unemployed claimants who have been unemployed for 12 months or more

  October 1990

  27,596

  Number of unemployed claimants aged 18 to 24 years

  October 1990

  20,100

  Computers (Security)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures he is taking to ensure the security of(a) his Department's computers in-house and (b) lap-top personal computers when used by civil servants outside his Department's offices.

  Mr. Jackson
  It is not Government policy to disclose details of the protective security measures for safeguarding computers used for official purposes. To do so would be of assistance to potential attackers and therefore reduce the effectiveness of the measures. These measures are kept under review.

  Building Sites (Safety)
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what response he has given to the Transport and General Workers Union on the subject of health and safety on temporary and mobile building sites draft directive of the European Commission, Cm/90/275-SYN-Z79.

  Mr. Forth
  I have referred the letter in question to the Health and Safety Executive since I believe that this is a matter best dealt with by it. I understand that it will reply direct to the Transport and General Workers Union shortly.

  Manufactured Mineral Fibres
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made of the dangers to workers of handling manufactured mineral fibres; and if he proposes to take any steps to reduce these dangers.

  Mr. Forth
  The health effects of man-made mineral fibres (MMMF) were reviewed in 1989 by the Health and Safety Commission's Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances. As a consequence of this review a maximum exposure limit of two fibres per millilitre of air has been set for MMMF in schedule 1 of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1988 to supplement the already existing gravimetric MEL of 5 milligrammes per cubic metre. This additional MEL came into effect on 1 January 1991.

  The COSHH Regulations specify the precautions which employers should take to prevent or adequately control exposure to hazardous substances, including MMMF. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive has recently published two guidance documents which give details of the specific measures which should be taken to reduce exposure to MMMF.

  Restart Courses
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many organisations the Employment Service contracts to run Restart courses; how many Restart courses were organised within the last year by the Employment Service and how many by other organisations; what is the average cost of a Restart course run by the Employment Service and what is the average fee paid to other organisations that run Restart courses; what is the average length of a Restart course and what is the maximum length of such a course; how many participants on Restart courses fail to complete the course; what was the total amount paid to other organisations for running Restart courses within the last year; what is the average number of participants on Restart courses; how many people have participated on Restart courses within the last year; what are the basic aims and objectives of Restart courses; and how many unemployed claimants have been unemployed for more than two years.

  Mr. Jackson
  Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive. I have therefore referred the hon. Gentleman's questions about Restart courses to him to reply. The lastest available figures published in October 1990 show that, in the United Kingdom, 305,110 unemployed claimants have been unemployed for two years or more.

  Oral Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of time taken and the average cost involved of officials' time in his Department preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Jackson
  The time taken in preparing briefs for oral parliamentary questions is not routinely recorded in the Employment Department. Estimates are, however, made where there is a likelihood of exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold, currently £250. However,620
  following an interdepartmental exercise in 1972, in which the Employment Department participated, an assessment was made of the average cost throughout all Departments of answering an oral question. This assessment was based on staff time, using average rates of pay and associated costs for the grades concerned, together with a share of the cost of parliamentary sections and any substantial non-staff costs such as computer usage. This assessed figure is regularly updated and currently stands at £99.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what savings his Department would make were no notice given of oral questions to Ministers and they were answered without civil service time being used on briefings.

  Mr. Jackson
  No savings would be made and costs would almost certainly increase significantly. If the oral question is known in advance briefing can be tightly focused, thus avoiding the cost of producing a detailed brief, covering all subjects that could possibly arise.

  Health Personnel Pay Review Bodies
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of staff involved in servicing the review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration and on nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine; and what is the annual cost of running these bodies.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 14 January 1991]: A total of nine staff is involved in servicing the review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration and the review body for nurses, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine. The total annual cost of running these bodies in 1989–90, the latest figures available, was £472,623.

ENVIRONMENT

  Underground Structures
  Ms. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has maps of London and other major cities which reveal both the geology and the man-made services below the surface.

  Mr. Yeo
  My Department holds sets of published geological maps which cover all major cities including London. Sets of maps of man-made services below the ground are not held.

  Opencast Coal Mining
  Mr. Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current guidance given by him to local planning authorities in respect of opencast coal applications.

  Mr. Yeo
  Current guidance on the matters to be taken into account by mineral planning authorities when considering planning applications for opencast coal mining is contained in minerals planning guidance note 3 "Opencast Coal Mining", published by HMSO in May 1988. Copies are available in the House Library.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report a list of all sites where a total quantity of 25 tonnes or more of dangerous substances are present, quoting the ordnance survey eight-figure grid reference number for each site.

  Mr. Forth
  I have been asked to reply.

  This information is not available in the format requested. Each Health and Safety Executive area office keeps available for public inspection lists of premises in its area, by name and address, where dangerous substances are present and where notification required under certain legislation has been received by the Health and Safety Executive.

  Minerals Act
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the group to review the operation of the Minerals Act 1981 will be set up; and what the composition of the group will be.

  Mr. Yeo
  As announced in "This Common Inheritance", my officials are currently reviewing the operation of the provisions of the Minerals Act 1981. A small informal working group of planners and industry representatives is assisting in this.

  Any proposals for change arising out of the work of the group will be subject to full consultation in the usual way.

  Radioactive Discharges, Aldermaston
  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all consents held by the Ministry of Defence establishment at Aldermaston to discharge radioactive substances to water or land.

  Mr. Trippier
  There is one approval issued to the Ministry of Defence establishment at Aldermaston under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 to discharge radioactive substances to water and land. It covers the discharge of treated effluent to the River Thames at Pangbourne, discharge of trade waste into the sewers of Bradfield rural district council and disposal of solid radioactive waste by transfer to the Drigg disposal site in Cumbria operated by British Nuclear Fuels.

  Haringey Council (Accounts)
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he will have with the Audit Commissioners to deal with the failure of the borough of Haringey for five successive years to produce its accounts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [holding answer 17 January 1991]: I understand from the Audit Commission that the authority has held open its accounts for the years 1985–86 and 1986–87 pending the resolution of legal matters, including the question of interest rate swaps, which have a possible bearing on those accounts. The accounts for 1987–88 have just been produced. The accounts for the years 1988–89 and 1989–90 are expected next month. It appears, therefore, that Haringey is at last taking action to produce its accounts for the years concerned.

HEALTH

  Dialysis
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the latest figures for the cost of maintaining a person on haemodialysis for a year within a hospital renal unit and on home dialysis; and what is the cost of providing CAPD over the same period.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No major study of costs has been made in recent years. The latest estimates, based on a study undertaken for the Department in 1983, are as follows:

  £

  Hospital haemodialysis

  21,000

  Home haemodialysis

  17,000

  CAPD

  18,000

  The figures are in 1989–90 prices and do not take account of changes in clinical practice since the study.

  Organ Transplants
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the latest figure for the cost of a kidney transplant, heart lung transplant, lung transplant, liver transplant and transplants of other parts of the body; and if he will separately give the cost of the drug regime required to sustain the transplant within the human body on an annual basis.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The cost of organ transplantation varies between units and according to the complexity of the case. The figures represent the latest estimate of the likely range of costs involved in 1989–90 prices;

  Hearts between £15,000 and £20,000

  Livers between £20,000 and £30,000

  Kidney around £10,000

  No estimate is available of the cost of other organs.

  Information is not collected centrally of the annual cost of the drug regime required to sustain organ transplants.

  Hepatitis A
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of hepatitis A cases confirmed in schools during the past year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  No information on the number of hepatitis A cases confirmed in schools is held separately. However, the total number of cases of hepatitis A in school-age children in England and Wales reported to the communicable disease surveillance centre (CDSC) of the public health laboratory service for the year 1990 was 2,518 (provisional figures).

  All outbreaks are reported in the communicable disease report of the CDSC. Local consultants in communicable disease control are responsible for monitoring outbreaks and advising appropriate control measures.

  Meningitis
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of meningitis there have been in the last six months; what was the figure for the equivalent period last year; and to what factors he attributes the change.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The table shows the overall figures for both meningitis and meningococcal meningitis.
  623

  Notifications reported to OPCS—England and Wales (All data are provisional)

  Last 6 months 1990

  Last 6 months 1989

  Meningitis (all forms)

  1,105

  1,194

  Meningococcal meningitis

  369

  470

  Deaths1

  55

  96

  1 Deaths assigned to meningococcal infection.

  It is not yet clear whether the small decline in numbers represents a new trend, reversing the upsurge which began in 1986, nor to what it might be attributable. The position is being monitored closely.

  Diabetics
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will enable diabetics to be supplied with needles for the Novopen on prescription through the national health service.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  National health service supply arrangements for insulin pens and needles need to be considered together. Subject to our normal evaluation of individual brands, we would consider making pens and needles prescribable, as an alternative to syringes, if this could be done without additional cost. Discussions with suppliers are currently in progress.

  Specialty

  June 1989

  September 1989

  December 1989

  March 1990

  General surgery

  1,027

  1,093

  1,093

  1,098

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  1,129

  1,086

  1,231

  1,223

  Ear, nose and throat

  1,116

  1,116

  1,069

  945

  Ophthalmology

  616

  631

  549

  431

  Neurology

  25

  43

  44

  41

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what examination he has undertaken of the observance by Plymouth health authority of the procedures governing competitive tendering and the award of contracts in respect of the contract for the lease of its transport fleet.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None. I am advised that the current contract for the provision of leased cars to Plymouth health authority has been extended to March 1991 to enable the authority to link with Cornwall health authority in a joint tendering exercise to achieve improved value for money. That exercise is being carried out in full accordance with the standing orders of the health authorities concerned, and is subject to independent statutory audit.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will provide a table showing the quarterly spending on office refurbishment and equipment for 1989–90 and 1990–91 by Plymouth health authority;

  (2) if he will provide a table showing what moneys have been paid by Plymouth health authority to private nursing homes and other organisations not directly accountable to the authority for each year 1988–89 to 1990–91, inclusive.

  Mr. Dorrell
  Information in the form requested is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Sir Vernon Seccombe, the chairman of Plymouth health authority, for details.

  Gulf Crisis
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical personnel and in what categories are being called upon to serve in Her Majesty's forces in the Gulf; and what assessment has been made of the effect on the quality of service and waiting lists in(a) Sunderland, (b) Durham and (c) Hartlepool.

  Mr. Dorrell
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply of my hon. Friend the Minister for Health to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) on 14 January at column 415. No assessment has been made centrally of the impact on individual health authorities. We expect that all emergency cases will continue to be treated normally and that any effect on the treatment of non-emergency cases from waiting lists will be limited and short-lived.

  Plymouth Health Authority
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide a table showing the waiting lists in the Plymouth health authority area, by hospital, for the surgical, orthopaedic, ear, nose and throat, eye and neurology specialties, for January, April, June, September and December of the current year.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Information is available only quarterly and is not collected centrally for individual hospitals. The latest available information for Plymouth health authority is given in the table.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) on 6 December,Official Report, column 174, he will make a further statement on the action programme in favour of the elderly.

  Mr. Dorrell
  On 26 November 1990 the Social Affairs Council reached a decision for a Community action programme for the elderly in the employment, social security and health areas. The action programme will concentrate on: the exchange of information and experience; the establishment of a monitoring centre; and consideration of the feasibility and usefulness of establishing a network of innovative experiences.

  A European Year of the Elderly was proposed for 1993.

  Social Work Students
  Mr. Hinchcliffe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he is taking to ensure that adequate funding is available to social work agencies taking practice students on placement;

  (2) what action he is taking to rectify the shortfall in practice placements for social work students;
  625
  (3) what action he is taking to ensure that enough qualified social work practice teachers are available by 1995 to meet directives of the Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Employers in the personal social services are responsible for ensuring that they have adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff. In consequence they have a primary interest in providing high-quality practice experience for social work students. We recognise that it is important to secure this provision and, to this end, we shall shortly be announcing a new initiative aimed at assisting employers to boost the supply of practice teachers and placements as part of a wider training strategy for the personal social services.

  Nurses (Grading Appeals)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many grading appeals have been received by nurses employed by the Mersey region; what is the average time taken in dealing with an appeal; how many are still outstanding; and when it is anticipated all appeals will have been heard.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Breast Cancer
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of health service funds were spent on providing facilities for breast cancer screening for each year since 1979.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Government began setting up a comprehensive breast screening programme in 1987.

  The proportion of health service funds spent on providing facilities for breast screening in England for each financial year since 1987 is:

  Total NHS Funds (Gross) £

  Cost of Breast Cancer Screening £ million

  Percentage of Total Funds

  1987–88

  17,657

  5·894

  0·03

  1988–89

  19,604

  18·182

  0·09

  1989–90

  21,147

  31·834

  0·15

  1990–91

  23,687

  25·573

  0·10

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list all the hospitals in England and Wales which provide full facilities for the screening of breast cancer and the total number of patients screened for each year since 1979.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information is not available in the form requested. The Government began setting up a comprehensive breast screening programme in 1987. The service is provided mainly on a supra-district basis and not every screening centre is based at a hospital. Mobile screening units and static units not based in hospitals are also used. The table shows a list of districts in which breast screening services are based.

  Available figures show that from April 1988 to March 1990, in England, Scotland and Wales, 304,952 women were screened. These figures apply only to the centres with data for full years and therefore do not reflect our overall activity in breast screening.
  626
  Host districts of NHS breast screening programme

  Northern Regional Health Authority

  Newcastle

  Gateshead

  North Tees

  West Cumbria

  Yorkshire Regional Health Authority

  Huddersfield

  York

  Hull

  Leeds Eastern

  Trent Regional Health Authority

  Nottingham

  Leicestershire

  South Lincolnshire

  Rotherham

  South Derbyshire

  Sheffield

  East Anglian Regional Health Authority

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  Peterborough

  East Suffolk

  Norwich

  Cambridge

  North West Thames Regional Health Authority

  Riverside

  Barnet

  South Bedfordshire

  North East Thames Regional Health Authority

  West Essex

  Bloomsbury

  North East Essex

  City and Hackney

  Waltham Forest

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  Haringey

  Southend

  South East Thames Regional Health Authority

  Brighton

  Canterbury and Thanet

  Camberwell

  South West Thames Regional Health Authority

  South West Surrey

  Worthing

  Wandsworth

  Wesssex Regional Health Authority

  Southampton

  Isle of Wight

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  East Dorset Swindon/Bath

  Winchester

  Oxford Regional Health Authority

  Aylesbury Vale

  Northampton

  Wycombe

  Milton Keynes

  Kettering

  West Berkshire

  East Berkshire

  Oxfordshire

  South Western Regional Health Authority

  Cornwall

  Plymouth

  627

  Bristol and Weston

  Exeter

  Cheltenham

  Somerset

  West Midlands Regional Health Authority

  North Staffordshire

  Coventry

  Dudley/Wolverhampton

  Walsall/Sandwell

  Shropshire

  Mid Staffordshire

  South East Staffordshire

  West Birmingham

  South Birmingham

  Bromsgrove

  Mersey Regional Health Authority

  Liverpool

  Warrington

  Crewe

  Chester

  Macclesfield

  Wirral

  North Western Regional Health Authority

  South Manchester

  Wigan

  Bolton

  East Lancashire

  North Lancashire

  Theatre

  Army £

  RAF £

  Royal Navy £

  Total £

  United Kingdom

  655,200

  353,808

  175,812

  1,184,820

  Germany

  120,961

  31,558

  —

  152,519

  Cyprus

  34,858

  11,866

  —

  46,724

  Gibraltar

  6,355

  3,531

  3,531

  13,417

  Hong Kong

  8,600

  246

  1,597

  10,443

  Brunei

  1,286

  —

  —

  1,286

  Belize

  29,075

  6,203

  —

  35,277

  Nepal

  180

  —

  —

  180

  Royal Navy Ships

  —

  —

  200,018

  200,018

  Falkland Islands

  15,925

  22,295

  —

  38,220

  Gulf

  432,432

  51,251

  —

  483,683

  Ascension Island

  —

  3,000

  —

  3,000

  Total

  1,304,872

  483,758

  380,958

  2,169,587

  Public Relations
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what public relations, public affairs or marketing companies are advising him; on what basis they were appointed; what is the cost, tenure and nature of their appointment; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The MOD does not employ any public relations, public affairs or marketing companies to act as advisors. On occasion, companies are retained on a specific contract basis to assist with the production of films, exhibitions and publications and with attitude surveys and market research. In these instances they always work to strict specifications drawn up and controlled by departmental officials.

DEFENCE

  Hospital Beds (Service Personnel)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his meetings with Scottish health authorities about beds for wounded service personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  As part of the contingency plans for provision of treatment for casualties from the Gulf, discussions have been held at official level with the NHS management executive for health in Scotland. Scottish facilities will be available as required.

  Boeing AWACS
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total value of the orders placed with British firms under the Boeing AWACS offset arrangements.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Boeing has to date submitted seven progress reports listing contracts placed with United Kingdom companies to the value of $1,586 million, of which we have so far agreed that $1,149 million should count for offset—now referred to as industrial participation—credit purposes.

  Service Personnel (Meals)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list for each armed service and by operational area and region the average weekly cost of providing meals for service personnel.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The current average weekly cost of public funded food is set out in the table:

  RAF Nimrods
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum runway length required for United Kingdom airfields designated as planned diversionary airfields on training sorties by RAF Nimrods.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The figure is 6,000 ft.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Refurbishment Costs
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the expected total cost of the refurbishment of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall.
  629
  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The total expected cost, on a cash basis, spread over 18 years, is £98 million.

  Immigration
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details for each year from 1980 to 1990 of the number of people applying for entry clearance certificates both for a temporary visit and for permanent settlement at British High Commissions in(a) Jamaica, (b) Barbados, (c) Trinidad and Tobago and (d) Guyana and the numbers refused a certificate.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  The number applying for visitor entry clearances at the four posts, with the number refused, is as follows:

  Jamaica

  Barbados

  Applied

  Refused

  Applied

  Refused

  1983

  4,247

  297

  3,342

  n/a

  1984

  3,556

  293

  4,148

  n/a

  1985

  3,695

  340

  4,120

  n/a

  1986

  4,159

  565

  3,373

  182

  1987

  3,084

  619

  2,322

  1120

  1988

  3,121

  342

  1,489

  1100

  1989

  2,399

  387

  1,466

  1103

  1990

  2,634

  298

  1,037

  1114

  1 I Refusal figures for Barbados are for both settlement and visit.

  n/a = not available.

  No figures are available prior to 1983.

  Trinidad

  Guyana

  Applied

  Refused

  Applied

  Refused

  1983

  5,382

  24

  n/a

  n/a

  1984

  5,819

  17

  n/a

  n/a

  1985

  3,546

  22

  n/a

  n/a

  1986

  2,098

  20

  1,807

  109

  1987

  1,863

  70

  1,461

  93

  1988

  1,561

  83

  1,472

  81

  1989

  1,035

  91

  1,487

  153

  1990

  852

  106

  1,063

  76

  n/a = not available.

  No figures are available prior to 1983.

  The number applying for settlement entry clearances with the number refused is as follows:

  Jamaica

  Barbados

  Applied

  Refused

  Applied

  Refused

  1983

  371

  67

  111

  n/a

  1984

  331

  58

  90

  n/a

  1985

  324

  77

  102

  n/a

  1986

  377

  65

  90

  1

  1987

  396

  60

  86

  1

  1988

  408

  44

  62

  1

  1989

  318

  63

  51

  1

  1990

  498

  116

  119

  1

  1 Refusal figures for Barbados are for both settlement and visit.

  n/a = not available.

  No figures are available prior to 1983.

  Trinidad and Tobago

  Guyana

  Applied

  Refused

  Applied

  Refused

  1983

  49

  7

  n/a

  n/a

  1984

  53

  5

  n/a

  n/a

  1985

  92

  3

  n/a

  n/a

  1986

  74

  3

  105

  18

  1987

  60

  2

  96

  11

  1988

  92

  5

  92

  10

  1989

  44

  9

  126

  11

  1990

  102

  8

  110

  14

  630
  n/a = not available.

  No figures are available prior to 1983.

  Computers (Security)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to ensure the security of(a) his Department's computers in-house and (b) lap-top personal computers when used by his civil servants outside his Department's offices.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  It is not Government policy to disclose details of the protective security measures for safeguarding computers used for official purposes.

  Baltic States
  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Soviet Government on their military intervention in the Baltic states and other republics; whether he proposes to raise the situation within the CSCE process; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The Soviet forces' actions in Vilnius and the threats made against the other Baltic states are unacceptable, and we deeply deplore their tragic consequences. We have expressed our concerns to the Soviet authorities in the strongest terms. The Twelve have also said that the use of force and threats in the Baltic states is unacceptable and have made it clear that economic assistance to the Soviet Union cannot continue on any basis other than shared values and objectives. EC aid will not be implemented if military repression in Lithuania is prolonged or extended to the other Baltic states.

  Soviet actions in Lithuania contravene the Soviet Union's commitments under the Paris charter. We call on the Soviet authorities to honour their obligations under the charter and their other international commitments. We have raised the question of Lithuania in the CSCE meeting on the peaceful settlement of disputes at Valletta, and are considering what further action can be taken in the CSCE framework.

  Iraq (Sanctions)
  Mr. Blunkett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will outline and present, in detail, an appraisal of the effectiveness of United Nations sanctions against Iraq, the areas judged to require further action in order to tighten and improve their effectiveness and the time scale over which agreed objectives could be achieved in bringing such pressure to bear on the imports and exports from Iraq, so as to fully isolate the regime and cripple its economy; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The overall test of the effectiveness of sanctions is whether they persuade Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait. After five months there is no evidence that sanctions alone will reverse Saddam Hussein's policy. They have so far caused no serious disruptions in the Iraqi economy.

  Above all, sanctions have had a negligible effect on Iraqi military capability. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said in the House on 15 January, they are unlikely to achieve such a decisive rundown of Saddam Hussein's military machine that he will leave Kuwait.
  631
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the names of those countries breaking the trading embargo with Iraq;

  (2) if he will list in the Official Report those countries in receipt of British overseas aid known to have broken the trading embargo on Iraq.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We co-operate closely with the Governments of friendly countries exchanging information about the practical implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 661, and have alerted them when we have had information that their companies might be engaged in violations. Any such approach has been made in confidence. It is the responsibility of the United Nations sanctions committee to take action on sanctions violations.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Thornton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice he is giving to British subjects, in the light of the Gulf crisis, who are either resident in Cyprus or intending to travel there for business or tourist reasons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We see no reason for visitors to Cyprus to change their plans in the light of developments in the Gulf. We have not considered it necessary to give specific advice to the British community in Cyprus. We are keeping the situation under close review.

  Overseas Aid
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report those countries in receipt of British overseas aid known to manufacture and export to other countries chemical or biological weapons.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Only Iraq, the Soviet Union and the United States of America have publicly acknowledged possession of chemical weapons. None of these is in receipt of British overseas aid, although a know-how fund for the Soviet Union has been announced. No country has publicly admitted to the possession of biological weapons. It is not our practice to comment on the detailed information available to us about countries suspected of manufacturing, or exporting, chemical or biological weapons.

SCOTLAND

  Harbours
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the total amount contributed by his Department to harbour improvement projects in each year since 1984–85; and if he will detail the distribution of the total sum in each year.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Since 1984–85 the grants paid by the Scottish Office for harbour and pier projects have been as follows:

  1984–85

  Fisheries

  Peterhead

  57,130

  Keiss

  21,184

  632

  £

  Lochinver

  20,009

  Lybster

  5,164

  Mallaig

  1,044,714

  Wick

  10,590

  Port Seton

  12,128

  Blacksness

  251,445

  Campbeltown

  23,327

  Gairloch

  3,670

  Arbroath

  60,783

  Total Fisheries

  1,510,144

  Transport

  South Isles Ferry Terminals

  179,275

  Outer North Isles Terminals

  23,201

  Port Askaig

  18,197

  Fionnphort-Iona Ferry Terminals

  377,016

  Achnacroish Ferry Terminal

  101,672

  Feolin Ferry Terminal

  105,443

  Foula Pier

  11,357

  West Burrafirth Terminal

  84,099

  Tobermory Pier

  121,049

  Brodick Pier

  35,488

  Kennacraig Ferry Terminal

  73,017

  Gourock Pier

  103,520

  Port Ellen Pier

  21,382

  Mallaig

  144,291

  Scrabster

  276,853

  Total Transport

  1,675,860

  Total Fisheries and Transport

  3,186,004

  1985–86

  £

  Fisheries

  Fraserburgh

  48,452

  Keiss

  21,950

  Lochinver

  310

  Mallaig

  323,596

  Symbister

  28,938

  Arbroath

  130,666

  Total Fisheries

  553,912

  Transport

  Outer North Isles Terminals

  1,686

  Whitehall Pier, Stronsay

  93,158

  Moaness Pier, Hoy

  60,451

  Gott Bay Pier

  7,643

  Port Askaig

  35,286

  Bruray Out Skerries

  325,288

  West Burrafirth Terminal

  85,814

  Fair Isle Breakwater

  1,989

  Corran Ferry Terminal

  50,839

  Uig Ro-Ro Terminal

  930,654

  Tarbert Ro-Ro Terminal

  109,487

  Lochmaddy Ro-Ro Terminal

  469,728

  Tobermory Pier

  27,109

  Gourock Pier

  103,416

  Tarbert Ferry Terminal/Marshalling Yard

  415,189

  Rothesay Pier

  46,723

  Kennacraig Ferry Terminal

  3,843

  Mallaig

  19,856

  Scrabster

  10,455

  Total Transport

  2,798,614

  Total Fisheries and Transport

  3,352,526

  633

  1986–87

  £

  Fisheries

  Buckie

  72,082

  Burghead

  26,750

  Fraserburgh

  866,733

  Crail

  16,685

  Pittenweem

  50,000

  Kinlochbervie

  11,294

  Mallaig

  121,036

  Ullapool

  473,943

  Port Seton

  2,396

  Blacksness

  17,653

  Symbister

  2,678

  Ary

  4,678

  Tarbert

  18,570

  Arbroath

  1,976

  Total Fisheries

  1,686,474

  Transport

  Stronsay Terminal

  14,974

  Moaness Pier, Hoy

  29,956

  Tingwall, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre Piers

  589,016

  Achnacroish Ferry Terminal

  24,679

  Point Lismore Jetty

  35,861

  Fair Isles Breakwater

  1,131

  Bruray Ferry Terminal

  773

  Lochmaddy Ro-Ro Terminal

  470,071

  Tarbert Ro-Ro Terminal

  17,294

  Uig Ro-Ro Ferry Terminal

  455,140

  Corran Ferry Terminal

  85,992

  Lochaline Slipway

  40,322

  Tarbert Ferry Terminal/Marshalling Yard

  233,430

  Oban Pier

  122,317

  Mallaig

  8,981

  Scrabster

  12,014

  2,141,951

  Total Fisheries and Transport

  3,828,425

  1987–88

  £

  Fisheries

  Buckie

  34,463

  Fraserburgh

  278,375

  Anstruther

  28,452

  Wick

  23,012

  Trumland

  25,017

  Cullivoe

  17,960

  Oban

  305,338

  Total Fisheries

  712,617

  Transport

  Tingwall, Rousay, Egilsay and Wyre

  195,563

  Whitehall Pier, Stronsay

  5,691

  Feolin in Ferry Terminal

  18,676

  Vaila Pier

  49,302

  West Burrafirth Terminal

  17,164

  Corran Ferry Terminal

  19,517

  Armadale

  68,551

  Wemyss Bay

  140,890

  Scalasaig

  297,548

  Scrabster

  5,993

  Total Transport

  818,895

  Total Fisheries and Transport

  1,531,512

  634

  1988–89

  £

  Fisheries

  Lossiemouth

  1,899

  Anstruther

  39,235

  Pittenweem

  7,155

  Mallaig

  6,995

  Cullivoe

  750

  Oban

  31,694

  Arbroath

  99,938

  Total Fisheries

  187,666

  Transport

  Moaness Pier, Hoy

  2,545

  Feolin Ferry Terminal

  6,532

  Vaila Pier

  1,206

  Bruray, Out Skerries

  116,845

  Berneray Harbour

  123,359

  Scoraig Jetty

  29,010

  Tobermory

  8,300

  Wemyss Bay

  474,200

  Oban Pier

  39,000

  Scalasaig Pier

  172,700

  Total Transport

  973,697

  Total Fisheries and Transport

  1,161,363

  1989–90

  £

  Fisheries

  Fraserburgh

  450,639

  Peterhead

  381,351

  Anstruther

  643

  Gairloch

  313,653

  Kinlochbervie

  791,143

  Scrabster

  95,909

  Kirkwall

  109,166

  Lerwick

  283,693

  Total Fisheries

  2,426,197

  Transport

  Shapinsay Terminal

  68,611

  Kirkwall

  704,765

  Ham Voe, Foula

  163,572

  Lochmaddy

  56,023

  Castlebay

  401,100

  Kennacraig

  114,100

  Lochboisdale

  91,800

  Total Transport

  1,599,971

  Total Fisheries and Transport

  4,026,168

  These sums do not include ERDF grant.

  Sub-standard Housing
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what material assistance he intends to give to the residents of 1265 Pollokshaws road, Glasgow, who have bought houses which have subsequently been defined by building societies as being sub-standard and which cannot be resold; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  As I have explained to the hon. Member in our previous correspondence, the Government are under no direct obligation to provide public resources to assist the owners of this property. I
  635
  have, however, written further to the hon. Member about these houses, on which I understand that the district council is now prepared to make an offer of repair grant.

  Scottish Natural Heritage Agency
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the relevant bodies which were consulted before the appointment to the board of the Scottish Natural Heritage Agency under section IIIb of the consultation paper "Scotland's Natural Heritage: The Way Ahead"; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Appointments to the board of Scottish Natural Heritage will be made later in the year. My right hon. Friend will be willing to consider nominations from relevant bodies.

  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects a decision to be taken over the location of the headquarters of the new Scottish Natural Heritage Agency; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The location of the headquarters will be decided following receipt of advice from management consultants who are about to report on the locational, staffing and organisation options for SNH.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the number of additional staff which will be required by the proposed Scottish Natural Heritage Agency; and whether any additional funding for this purpose will be met out of the existing conservation budget.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  [holding answer 16 January 1991]: Staff numbers for Scottish Natural Heritage will be decided following receipt of advice from management consultants who are about to report on the locational, staffing and organisation options for SNH.

  Decisions about the resources for Scottish Natural Heritage will be taken within the timetable and context of the annual public expenditure survey.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Criminal Records
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish the terms of reference of the scrutiny committee studying public access to criminal records; whether the Data Protection Registrar is involved with the committee's activities; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the then Home Secretary to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ryedale (Mr. Greenway) on 28 November 1990 at column 418. The Data Protection Registrar has been invited to put views to the scrutiny team.

  Immigration
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a summary of the cases in which compelling and compassionate circumstances were deemed relevant in his handling of immigration cases.
  636
  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 30 November 1990,Official Report, columns 490–91, regarding the work of the Crown prosecution service and the police, if he will make a further statement on his consideration of the working party's proposals.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The working group's report has been discussed by senior officials of the Home Office, the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Crown prosecution service. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, my noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor and my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General will shortly be considering their proposals as to how the recommendations contained in that report should be taken forward.

  Overseas Students
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many students from overseas undertaking full or part-time education return after their course is completed; and of those who remain how many eventually qualify for residence.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The information requested is not available. Our information on embarkations, and on people accepted for settlement, does not comprehensively identify all those admitted as students.

  Crime
  Sir John Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out for each of the 43 police forces of England and Wales the number of scenes of crime officers employed and the percentage of crimes cleared up for the most recent 12-month period.

  Mr. John Patten
  The information requested is set out in the table. The figures for the number of scenes of crime officers employed show the position at 31 December 1989, and the percentage of crimes cleared up refers to the whole of 1989. These are the most recent figures available.

  Scenes of crime officers

  Percentage of crimes cleared up

  Police

  Civilians

  Avon and Somerset

  18

  24

  33

  Bedfordshire

  5

  8

  34

  Cambridgshire

  7

  3

  38

  Cheshire

  11

  9

  52

  Cleveland

  17

  9

  36

  Cumbria

  5

  20

  49

  Derbyshire

  2

  26

  37

  Devon and Cornwall

  13

  20

  36

  Dorset

  15

  4

  42

  Durham

  15

  8

  42

  Essex

  44

  2

  32

  Gloucestershire

  14

  0

  36

  Greater Manchester

  53

  1

  30

  Hampshire

  36

  2

  32

  Hertfordshire

  19

  4

  44

  Humberside

  22

  23

  35

  Kent

  15

  20

  32

  637

  Scenes of crime officers

  Percentage of crimes cleared up

  Police

  Civilians

  Lancashire

  34

  12

  40

  Leicestershire

  4

  15

  40

  Lincolnshire

  3

  15

  42

  London, City of

  7

  5

  20

  Merseyside

  23

  0

  45

  Metropolitan Police

  0

  181

  17

  Norfolk

  14

  9

  40

  Northamptonshire

  2

  13

  43

  Northumbria

  32

  27

  40

  North Yorkshire

  14

  4

  35

  Nottinghamshire

  4

  22

  35

  South Yorkshire

  20

  11

  43

  Staffordshire

  24

  4

  43

  Suffolk

  12

  0

  43

  Surrey

  6

  14

  33

  Sussex

  22

  24

  31

  Thames Valley

  20

  15

  33

  Warwickshire

  6

  6

  35

  West Mercia

  13

  32

  39

  West Midlands

  33

  29

  39

  West Yorkshire

  46

  15

  38

  Wiltshire

  18

  0

  46

  Dyfed Powys

  7

  4

  52

  Gwent

  11

  0

  54

  North Wales

  0

  12

  44

  South Wales

  40

  4

  39

  Total

  726

  656

  Grand total

  1,382

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what measures he proposes for the maintenance of the existing level of magistrates' judicial independence within the magistrates courts system; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what proposals he has to ensure continuance of existing magistrates courts clerks' practice to offer unbiased legal advice to members of their benches; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 17 January 1991]: It is of fundamental importance that the magistrates courts must remain independent of Government in respect of judicial decision-making and that justices' clerks, in giving advice to their magistrates for this purpose, should act on the basis of their knowledge and understanding of the law and of their duty to provide expert and independent advice. In considering any options for changes to the service, whether drawn from the report of the scrutiny of that service or elsewhere, we shall exclude arrangements which do not effectively maintain the independence of magistrates and their clerks at least at its present level.

ENERGY

  The Gulf
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to respond to the letter of Dr. John Cox of Wednesday 9 January on environmental consequences of the Gulf war.

  Mr. Moynihan
  A reply will be sent shortly.

  Computers (Security)
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what measures he is taking to ensure the security of(a) his Department's computers in-house and (b) lap-top personal computers when used by his civil servants outside his Department's offices.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It is not Government policy to disclose details of the protective security measures for safeguarding computers used for official purposes. To do so would be of assistance to potential attackers and therefore reduce the effectiveness of the measures. These measures are kept under review.

  Low-energy Light Bulbs
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will include low-energy light bulbs in his current advertising campaign aimed at promoting domestic energy efficiency.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The current domestic energy efficiency advertising campaign emphasises the improvements in insulation which can be made to older existing housing and explains that such improvements can improve comfort, reduce fuel bills and help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

  The advertisements are designed to encourage readers to send off for the Energy Efficiency Office's new booklet pack entitled "Energy in Your Home". The first of these booklets, "The Energy Friendly Home", contains a section explaining the benefits of low-energy light bulbs.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what compensation he intends for applicants for electricity distributor shares where applicants, through no fault of their own, were classified as non-priority.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  My Department will look into any cases where it is suggested that there may have been an error in the treatment of a particular application. I will then consider the appropriate action.

  Oral Questions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the average length of time taken and the average cost involved of officials' time in his Department preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The time taken in preparing ministerial briefs for oral parliamentary questions is not routinely recorded in my Department. Estimates are, however, made where there is a likelihood of exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold, currently £250. However, following an interdepartmental exercise in 1972 an assessment was made of the average cost throughout all Departments of answering an oral question. This assessment was based on staff time, using average rates of pay and associated costs for the grades concerned, together with a share of the cost of parliamentary sections and any substantial non-staff costs such as computer usage. This assessed figure is regularly updated and currently stands at £99.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what savings his Department would make were no notice given of oral questions to Ministers and they were answered without civil service time being used on briefings.
  639
  Mr. Wakeham
  No savings would be made and costs would almost certainly increase significantly. If the oral question is known in advance briefing can be tightly focused, thus avoiding the cost of producing a detailed brief, covering all subjects that could possibly arise.

  Oil Supplies
  Mr. Mans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action, in the light of commencement of hostilities in the Gulf, is being taken to ensure that oil supplies are maintained.
  640
  Mr. Wakeham
  The IEA gave notification yesterday morning, 17 January, that the contingency plan agreed last Friday 11 January is now being activated. Member countries agreed that in the event of hostilities in the Gulf they would make available to the market an additional 2·5 million barrels of oil per day through a combination of stockdraw, demand restraint and other measures. The United Kingdom share is 120,000 barrels per day and will come from stocks held by the oil companies.

  There are ample supplies at present. This action provides further reassurance that if shortages occur, additional supplies will be available.