HC Deb 23 July 1991 vol 195 cc456-7W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the work on marine mammals which is carried out at the Truro veterinary investigation centre; and how many and what type have been seen at that veterinary investigation centre in each of the last five years.

Mr. Gummer

Post mortem examinations of marine mammals are carried out on behalf of research workers at the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London as part of a project funded by the Department of the Environment. The number and type of submissions examined at the Truro veterinary investigation centre in each of the last five years are:

Post mortem examinations of carcasses Examinations of carcass viscera only (carcasses not examined)
Whale Dolphin/Porpoise Seal Whale Dolphin/porpoise Seal
1986 0 1 1 0 0 1
1987 0 0 0 0 0 0
1988 0 0 2 0 3 0
1989 1 2 5 1 2 1
1990 1 10 6 0 0 1
1991 0 5 5 0 0 0

Table 6.7 Costs and earnings of hired labour
£ million (unless otherwise specified) Calendar years
Average of 1979–81 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 (forecast)
Hired labour costs Wages and salaries1 906 1,271 1,271 1,330 1,375 1,479
Insurance payments 112 104 99 106 117 129
Other payments2 2 7 7 7 8 7
Total 1,021 1,383 1,378 1,443 1,500 1,616
Hours and earnings of regular whole-time male workers, 20 years and over
Hours per week3 46.1 46.7 46.5 46.6 46.6 46.8
Earnings per week (£)4 84.7 140.8 148.0 155.4 167.4 187.4
Index of earnings in real terms (deflated by the RPI, 1985 = 100) 91.1 101.5 102.4 102.6 102.6 104.7
1 Includes perquisites.
2 Includes redundancy payments, workers' pension scheme and youth training scheme.
3 All hours worked and statutory holidays.
4 Includes pay for statutory holidays, employers' contribution to employees' community charge and payments in kind for houses, board and lodging and milk which are valued at rates laid down by the agricultural wages boards.

Table 6.8 Interest
£ million (unless otherwise specified) Calendar years
Average of 1979–81 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 (forecast)
Interest rates
Average bank base lending rate in the United Kingdom (percentage) 14.4 10.9 9.7 10.1 13.9 14.8
Average rate of interest on bank advances to agriculture (percentage) 16.8 13.3 12.1 12.5 16.2 17.1
Interest charges (for current farming purposes and buildings and works) on:
bank advances 423 656 595 636 881 991
AMC loans 5 6 7 7 9 11
instalment credit 20 30 29 34 48 59
leased assets 14 58 42 50 65 68
other credit1 3 3 4 4 5 6
less interest on deposits2 47 54 40 34 52 54
Total 417 700 637 696 955 1,080
1This includes interest paid on loans from the Agricultural Credit Corporation, from the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and from private sources.
2Interest earned on money held on short term deposit.

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