Written Answers of 1 March 1991

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Property Marking
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is the policy of his Department to mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

  Mr. Eggar
  DES property is not indelibly marked, but an inventory of serial numbers is maintained for such items as personal computers and printers, television receivers and video recorders.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Fallon
  There are four major areas of education policy interest in the Government's White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", which the Department is taking forward. Those are: environmental education in the school curriculum which has been identified as a cross-curricular theme in the national curriculum: guidance has been issued to all schools in England on this aspect of their work; the built and external environment for education; further and higher education provision relevant to the environment; and the establishment of a new environment unit within the further and higher education sector to support post-experience environmental training geared to the specific needs of employers and their employees. Our departmental report, published last month, records, with a reference to the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", that about half publicly funded environmental research is financed from the science budget. The Department also has a strategy which is designed to achieve savings of 15 percent. in the total energy bill, for the premises it occupies on the Government estate, over a five-year period.

  Opted-out Schools
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the average effect on public expenditure involved when(a) a primary school and (b) a secondary school opts out of local education authority control.

  Mr. Eggar
  In terms of the annual maintenance grant (AMG) for grant-maintained schools the average effect should be broadly neutral. A GM school's AMG reflects what it would have received for direct costs from its maintaining authority. It includes an additional amount in respect of LEA central costs and of LEA subsidies for school meals; these are costs previously incurred centrally by the LEA.

  Transitional grants, special purpose grants (SPG) and capital grants reflect the particular circumstances of
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  individual schools. It is not possible to construct a meaningful average public expenditure figure. Some grants replace benefits or services which LEA-maintained schools are eligible to receive in another way. For example, SPG(V) is paid to GM schools as they are liable to VAT whereas LEAs are not so liable.

EMPLOYMENT

  Pregnancy
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what he estimates as the cost of implementing the draft directive on the protection of pregnant women at work; and what this figure is as a percentage of the national payroll.

  Mr. Forth
  It is estimated that implementing the maternity pay provisions of the draft directive would cost up to £500 million per annum. This would be the equivalent of 0·2 per cent. of the national payroll. It is not yet possible to estimate the cost of the other provisions of the directive because it is not clear how many women would be affected by them, but the additional cost would be considerable.

  Property Marking
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether it is the policy of his Department to mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

  Mr. Forth
  My Department is conscious of the need to safeguard government property and has recently investigated measures to prevent theft of information technology and other vulnerable equipment.

  Currently, equipment is recorded by serial number when purchased. A periodic equipment census is then performed where records of equipment held are compared with those of equipment purchased. Any irregularities are then taken up with the last recorded holder of the machine.

  Schemes currently being considered to supplement this operation include:

  1. Tagging of equipment using aluminium tabs.

  2. Engraving identity details upon equipment.

  3. Indelibly marking equipment.

  No firm decisions have yet been taken, but we hope to commence using at least one of these property identification schemes in the near future.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Forth
  My Department, like all the others, has been active in implementing and developing the commitments made in the Environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", since its publication in September. Our departmental report published on 13 February, copies of which have been placed in the House of Commons Library, recorded progress with a wide range of initiatives, reflecting the White Paper's comprehensive review of policy affecting the environment. These include progress in health and safety, tourism and training.

  Tourism
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether he plans to give financial assistance to the Discover Britain in 1991 campaign.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 28 February 1991]: My noble Friend Viscount Ullswater announced on 26 February that, following discussions with my Department, the English tourist board, working closely with the British Tourist Authority, will be launching next month a campaign to ensure that United Kingdom residents are aware of the opportunities to take a holiday in the United Kingdom. £800,000 has been allocated by the boards to this campaign. The other three national tourist boards in the United Kingdom will also be fully involved.

TRANSPORT

  Coastguards
  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated saving in public expenditure of the recommended abolition of regular watchkeeping by auxiliary coastguards at the Gwennap Head (Land's End), St. Ives and the Lizard lookouts.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The review of the coastguard sector organisation and auxiliary service is a consultative document, not a statement of intent, and recommends that the case for retaining fixed lookouts should be re-examined.

  In the event of a total abolition of the fixed lookouts at Gwennap Head, St. Ives and the Lizard it is estimated that total savings in public expenditure would be of the order of £38,000 per annum. Against this would need to be offset the costs of providing observations from coast response vehicles in "casualty watch" situations which it is envisaged would be an ongoing requirement.

  Mr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the reduction in the total number of auxiliary coastguards if the recommendations of the review of the auxiliary coastguard service are implemented in full.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The review of the coastguard sector organisation and auxiliary service was accepted as a consultative document not a statement of intent. Local coastguard senior management is holding discussions with local interests and staff about the implications of the review's recommendations in each region. No decisions will be taken until these implications have been fully assessed and full account has been taken of local circumstances and conditions.

  It is therefore not yet possible to estimate what, if any, reduction there might be to the total number of auxiliary coastguards as a result of the implementation of the review.

  Minicabs
  Miss Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations govern the licensing of minicabs and their drivers.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  I assume that the hon. Member's question relates to the position in London. All London's622
  minicabs and their drivers must operate within general motor vehicle regulations and traffic law. No specific licensing system is applicable to this group.

  London Regional Transport
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, consequent to his permission to London Regional Transport to increase its borrowing powers, what increase, or reduction, in services planned by that body will be in operation subsequent to the new financial arrangement.

  Mr. Freeman
  On 14 February, my right hon. and learned Friend announced an increase of £62·55 million in London Transport's external finance limit for the current financial year. This will be achieved by the payment to London Transport of additional grant, not by an increase in borrowing powers. Of the £62·55 million additional grant, £55 million is needed in order to allow London Transport to meet its cash requirements for the remainder of the current financial year. The increase will allow London Transport to maintain present service levels during the remainder of this financial year. The announcement has no implications, favourable or adverse, for service levels in the coming financial year.

  Central Line
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his announcement of Wednesday 20 February of an investigation into incidents on the Central line of London Underground on Tuesday 19 February, he will seek and make it his policy to publish particulars concerning(a) the number of staff rostered and on duty, respectively, at platform level at Bethnal Green and Liverpool Street stations, respectively, at the commencement of the incident and (b) any changes in the arrangements for the overhaul and maintenance of Central line rolling stock that has occurred since 1984.

  Mr. Freeman
  London Underground is undertaking an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incidents on the Central Line of 19 February. The Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate will consider the report when it is received and, subject to its findings, make any necessary recommendations. As far as rolling stock is concerned, day-to-day maintenance is an operational matter for the Underground. Current rolling stock will all be replaced by 85 brand new trains as part of the ongoing modernisation of the Central line, with the first of the trains due in service early next year.

  Air Bags
  Mr. Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research is being carried out into the fitting of air bags in cars to protect drivers and passengers involved in accidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Research into air bags has been carried out for many years by the motor industry. By comparison with seat belts, air bags are expensive and are effective in protecting drivers and passengers only in certain types of accident. They should be regarded as a supplement and not an alternative to seat belts. Their safety potential is greater in the United States than here because seat belts are less widely worn there. Nevertheless, in view of their
  623
  growing popularity in the United States and their apparent effectiveness in certain accidents, I have commissioned research to monitor these developments.

  Bomb Scares
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with British Rail concerning disruption to services due to bomb scares.

  Mr. Freeman
  My right hon. and learned Friend most recently discussed these matters with the chairmen of British Rail and London Transport, together with the chief constable of the British Transport Police on 27 February.

  Bicycle Lights
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any plans to require all new bicycles sold to be equipped with lights.

  Mr. Chope
  I have no such plans. Regulations already require cyclists to use good quality front and rear lights at night. Lights must be maintained in good working order and switched on between sunset and sunrise. The real problem is that too many cyclists fail to do this. This problem would not be addressed by requirements relating to sale of new bicycles. It is important for cyclists to see and be seen.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McLoughlin
  The Department makes every effort to identify and evaluate the environmental implications of transport policy decisions. There is a substantial programme of research and data collection to improve understanding of the problems.

  Stolen Equipment
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a list of the equipment stolen from his Department in the last three years for which information is available; and what was the approximate value of each item.

  Mr. Mcloughlin
  Pursuant to the answer given on 11 February, details of equipment stolen from the Department in the last three financial years are set out in the tables.

  £

  Financial year 1987–88

  Portable radio

  146·00

  Dritex suit

  26·00

  Waterproof oversuit

  16·00

  Briefcase and hammers

  44·00

  Equipment

  194·00

  Franking machine

  495·00

  Jacket

  10·00

  Bodywarmer

  8·00

  Flashing beacon

  40·00

  Safety shoes

  13·00

  Black anorak

  12·00

  624

  £

  Black overtrousers

  6·00

  Protective clothing

  64·00

  30m steel tape

  14·00

  Miscellaneous clothing

  111·00

  Donkey jacket

  8·00

  Equipment

  83·00

  Magnetic aerial

  19·00

  1·5-tonne jack and steel vice

  131·00

  Twist drills

  11·00

  Open-ended spanner

  2·00

  Equipment

  287·00

  Spotmatic welding machine

  174·00

  Prototype fog protector

  30·00

  Lathe

  20·00

  Sharp pocket computer

  170·00

  Black anorak

  20·00

  Financial Year 1988–89

  Portable dictating machine

  60·00

  Video cassette recorder

  300·00

  Pocket calculator

  10·00

  Video equipment

  600·00

  Telescope

  200·00

  Gas foghorn and refill

  5·00

  12v battery

  5·00

  Coastguard equipment

  529·00

  5 6v handlamps

  25·00

  Pye 294 VHF base set

  440·00

  7 Handheld dictation machines

  350·00

  Protective clothing

  143·007

  Doppel binoculars

  1,900·00

  Flashing beacon

  42·00

  Torch

  5·00

  Fibron tape

  8·00

  Financial Year 1989–90

  2 Gas lamps

  50·00

  Cleartone radio

  275·00

  Binoculars

  75·00

  Motorola pager

  165·00

  Binoculars

  90·00

  2 portable dictating machines

  60·00

  Pocket calculator

  10·00

  Deskjet printer

  600·00

  Computer accessory

  70·00

  Pocket calculator

  20·00

  Word processor and printer

  300·00

  Metrix convertor calculator

  10·00

  Laptop computer and printer

  1,000·00

  Answerphone

  120·00

  Grundig dictaphone

  60·00

  HP deskjet printer and leads

  1,100·00

  2 answerphones

  60·00

  Toshiba computer

  2,590·00

  Calculator

  10·00

  Room heater

  25·00

  Calculator

  25·00

  Heater

  50·00

  Portable computer and printer

  920·00

  2 flashing beacons

  176·00

  Maintenance sign

  6·00

  Reflective jacket

  25·00

  Jacket

  25·00

  Miscellaneous equipment

  150·00

  Ladders

  40·00

  Flexitime recording equipment

  200·00

  Coffee-maker

  20·00

  Protective clothing

  158·00

  Amber flashing beacon

  40·00

  Safety torch

  5·00

  Hammer and torch

  24·00

ENVIRONMENT

  TCS Board Meeting
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which Minister in his Department attended the July 1990 TCS board meeting.

  Mr. Yeo
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the Crown Suppliers.

  Estate Action Funding
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much estate action funding has been made available for improvements on the Angell Town estate, Brixton, for the current year; and whether expenditure of those funds will be concluded in the current financial year.

  Mr. Yeo
  In February 1990, Lambeth council was invited to work up further details of a proposed scheme on this estate. Estate action resources of some £2·9 million

  £ million

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  1990–91

  Estate action

  1·625

  1·424

  4·490

  6·679

  3·517

  Homelessness

  —

  1·275

  1·245

  —

  3·845

  Urban programme1

  0·250

  1·500

  1·850

  0·884

  1·317

  Derelict land grant1

  0·025

  0·630

  0·090

  0·087

  0·222

  Urban development grant approved2

  0·728

  —

  0·109

  —

  —

  1 Initial allocations.

  2 Does not include city grant, which is paid direct to the developer.

  Uranium Mines, Germany
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any request has been received for technical assistance from the German Government to help the clean-up of defunct uranium mines.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  I have been asked to reply. We have received no such approach.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Aid
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the change in the level of aid to Peru since the election of President Fujimori.

  Mrs. Chalker
  None.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what was the total of aid flows from the United Kingdom to the Andean group of countries in each of the last five years;

  (2) what percentage of United Kingdom aid flowing to the Andean group of countries is linked to income-generation projects;

  (3) what percentage of United Kingdom aid flowing to South American countries is linked to income-generation projects.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Details of total United Kingdom aid flows to the countries of the Andean Pact including Peru, in the last five years for which figures are available, are given in the following table:
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  were earmarked over the next three years, including £850,000 in 1990–91. The Department is currently discussing with Lambeth the final form of the application. It is unlikely that there will be any estate action expenditure incurred on the scheme in the current financial year.

  Greenwich (Financial Assistance)
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the amounts of special financial assistance provided to the London borough of Greenwich for housing and other urban problems during each of the most recent five years.

  Mr. Yeo
  In addition to the resources made available to the council from its housing investment (HIP) allocation and capital receipts, the London borough of Greenwich has received resources under the Department's specific housing and inner city programmes for each of the most recent five years as follows:

  Total United Kingdom bilateral aid and United Kingdom share of multilateral aid to andean pact countries 1985 to 1989

  £ thousand

  Bilateral aid

  Multilateral aid attributable to United Kingdom

  Bolivia

  1985

  1,421

  3,990

  1986

  1,953

  5,410

  1987

  1,748

  4,530

  1988

  3,090

  8,800

  1989

  4,010

  1—

  Colombia

  1985

  838

  1,300

  1986

  1,018

  2,680

  1987

  762

  1,500

  1988

  1,810

  1,100

  1989

  1,982

  1—

  Ecuador

  1985

  909

  1,980

  1986

  836

  2,020

  1987

  2,560

  1,740

  1988

  1,477

  1,000

  1989

  1,172

  1—

  Peru

  1985

  928

  1,730

  1986

  1,214

  1,560

  1987

  1,012

  2,410

  1988

  1,374

  2,090

  1989

  1,075

  1—

  Venezuela

  1985

  1

  80

  1986

  10

  120

  1987

  24

  130

  1988

  15

  230

  1989

  17

  1—

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  11989 figures not available by country

  Aid statistics do not identify environmental or income-generating projects and the information requested could not be provided without disproportionate cost to public funds.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of United Kingdom aid flowing to South America is linked to environmental projects.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Information on aid flows is not available in the form requested.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of United Kingdom aid flowing to Peru is linked to(a) environmental projects and (b) income-generation projects.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Aid statistics do not separately identify environmental or income-generating projects. The current programme of bilateral assistance to Peru includes support to veterinary services in the south of the country, with the aim of increasing the income of livestock owners. Allocations to this project constitute approximately 25 per cent. of bilateral funds. There are no environmental projects in the current bilateral programme.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total level of aid which flowed via the European Commission to(a) South American countries, (b) the Andean group of countries and (c) Peru in each of the last five years.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Total net official development assistance through the European Commission for the five year period up to 1988, the latest year for which figures are available, was as follows:

  £ million

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  1988

  a. South America

  20·59

  32·58

  54·46

  41·91

  57·53

  b. Andean group

  12·21

  17·09

  19·66

  19·33

  22·49

  c. Peru

  2·32

  3·63

  2·87

  7·83

  8·47

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what emergency aid the United Kingdom Government are providing to Peru to combat the outbreak of cholera.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In response to a request from the Peruvian Government, the Overseas Development Administration made an immediate cash contribution of US$20,000 through the Pan American Health Organisation which is co-ordinating the relief response.

  In addition, we are providing US$140,000 as Britain's share of the European Community's emergency aid.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister to consider the environmental implications of the Overseas Development Administration's policies; and if he will make a statement.
  628
  Mrs. Chalker
  A wide variety of work is under way to implement the commitments set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance" published in September 1990. The FCO departmental report published earlier this month described some of this activity.

  For example, in November 1990, the Government announced a new public expenditure sub-programme, separate from the budget for aid for developing countries, on global environmental assistance. From this we have pledged £40·3 million to the core fund of the global environment facility to be established under the leadership of the World bank, UNDP and UNEP. We have approved a number of new forestry projects. The strategic studies on ODA's role in the conservation of biological diversity referred to in the White Paper are now complete and will be discussed in a workshop in ODA on 8 March. We are discussing finance for studies on the impacts of climate change with the Government's of Kenya and Ghana. We have held a number of training seminars on environmental issues for ODA staff, and more are planned. We are working on a revision of ODA's manual on environmental appraisal, first published in 1988. We continue to work closely with other development agencies, including the multilateral agencies, as well as with our partners in developing countries, to improve the environmental sustainability of all aid-financed activities.

  These examples are illustrative of our activities. I will describe our actions following up the White Paper in more detail when I address the Royal Geographical Society on 30 April, and copies of my speech will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Attorney-General what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in the Lord Chancellor's Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  There is no separate Minister with responsibility for the environmental implications of the Lord Chancellor's policies: that rests with the Lord Chancellor himself. In following up the policies and initiatives set out in the Environment White Paper, the Lord Chancellor is particularly concerned to take forward the Department's action plan to help achieve the Government's target of a 15 per cent. cut in energy bills over the next five years; to contribute to the conservation of the heritage, particularly by preserving the fabric of courts designated as listed buildings; and to make use of the "Environmental Action Guide" issued by the Department of the Environment to assist managers in assessing the environmental aspects of their operations and establishing what can be done to improve them.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Attorney-General what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  It is in the nature of the work of the legal secretariat to the Law Officers, the Treasury
  629
  Solicitor's Department, the Crown prosecution service and Serious Fraud Office that it does not have a direct impact on the environment and the principal environmental concerns will be with the administration and running of those Departments.

  All the Departments will be making use of the "Environmental Action Guide" issued by the Department of the Environment, and a number of steps have already been taken to promote good environmental practice.

  The legal secretariat to the Law Officers, the Serious Fraud Office and the Treasury Solicitor's Department now use recycled paper for internal communications and for correspondence and the use of such paper is being considered in the Crown prosecution service.

  All new vehicles used by the Crown prosecution service under a contract hire scheme use unleaded fuel while others have been converted wherever this is technically possible. The Serious Fraud Office has obtained an undertaking from suppliers that any wooden furniture supplied is made from readily renewable sources of wood.

  All the Departments are giving consideration to the use of low-energy light bulbs wherever practicable.

PRIME MINISTER

  Electricity Distribution Companies
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Prime Minister what communication his Office has had with the electricity distribution companies or their representatives in the last three months; and on what subjects.

  The Prime Minister
  None, so far as I am aware.

  Nuclear-free Authorities
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations have been received by Her Majesty's Government from the international secretariat committee of nuclear-free local authorities.

  The Prime Minister
  None, so far as I am aware.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Prime Minister what parliamentary approval was given in principle to extra-statutory spending on cold weather payments.

  The Prime Minister
  Some cold weather payments will be of an extra-statutory nature, while others will be ex-gratia payments. Under the rules in "Government Accounting", the Treasury's guide to accounting and financial procedures in Government, they are reported as special payments.

  Transactions of a kind which Parliament cannot be supposed to have contemplated when Supply was granted (which will include special payments) are required to be drawn to the attention of Parliament in the relevant account when more than £100,000 in aggregate is paid out.

  President Gorbachev
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister what subjects he intends to discuss during his forthcoming meeting with President Gorbachev.
  630
  The Prime Minister
  There will be no fixed agenda for the meeting, which is expected to cover a range of topics of mutual interest, including the middle east, European security, and British-Soviet bilateral relations.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy during his forthcoming meeting with President Gorbachev to raise the matter of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

  The Prime Minister
  I have no plans to do so.

HEALTH

  Health Services, Kent
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each health authority covering the Kent area (1) what is the most recent figure for the number of people on the day patient waiting list;

  (2) what was the number of people on the in-patient waiting list in (a) March 1979, (b) March 1989 and (c) September 1990.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The information requested and the latest information available at March 1990 is given in the table. It is the time patients wait which is important, not total numbers on the list. In the 12 months to March 1990, the number of patients waiting over a year for in-patient treatment in South East Thames as a whole fell by 1 per cent. The number of day cases waiting over a year fell by 4 per cent. in the same period. Since 1979 the region has increased the number of in-patients treated by 23 per cent. and the number of day cases by 96 per cent.

  Number of patients on the day case waiting list at 31 March 1990 in Kent:

  District health authority

  Number on list1

  South East Kent

  851

  Canterbury and Thanet

  46

  Dartford and Gravesham

  1,499

  Maidstone

  1,236

  Medway

  665

  Tunbridge Wells

  1,264

  Bexley

  699

  Bromley

  1,009

  1 Excludes self-deferred cases.

  Number of patients on the in-patient waiting list at 31 March 1979, 31 March 1989 and 31 March 1990 in Kent:

  Number1 of patients on list at 31 March

  District health authority

  1979

  1989

  1990

  South East Kent

  3,135

  3,043

  2,804

  Canterbury and Thanet

  4,633

  4,722

  5,507

  Dartford and Gravesham

  4,067

  4,219

  4,398

  Maidstone

  2,474

  3,382

  4,058

  Medway

  2,516

  3,549

  4,105

  Tunbridge Wells

  6,482

  4,374

  5,337

  Bexley

  1,047

  1,977

  2,727

  Bromley

  1,855

  1,771

  2,252

  1 Excludes self-deferred cases.

  Still-birth Statistics
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will issue a circular to health authorities and hospital trusts reviewing the procedures involved in still-birth cases, what information he has on burials being
  631
  refused to still-born children where certificates of death have been withheld; how many still-births and miscarriages occurred in the United Kingdom in the last 12 months; and what plans he has to introduce legislation to change the definition of still birth and the present gestational upper limits of still-birth definition.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Detailed guidance on procedures in respect of still-born babies is contained in circulars DS 211/75, HN(76)18 and HN(85)31, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Information about burials of still-born children and the number of miscarriages is not collected centrally. A total of 3,688 stillbirths occurred in the United Kingdom in 1989, the latest year for which figures are available.

  As soon as a suitable legislative opportunity arises, the Government will seek Parliament's agreement to amend the definition of still-birth to include babies born dead after the 24th week of gestation.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what level of charges are imposed on local authorities who submit samples of food to the public health laboratory service for analysis.

  Mr. Dorrell
  At present laboratories of the public health laboratory service analyse a limited number of food samples for local authorities free of charge. There are plans to put this arrangement on to a contractual basis in future in English laboratories, and contracts will show the charges to be applied for any work which may be required above an agreed minimum. Such charges will reflect the cost to the laboratories of the additional work. Corresponding arrangements in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Benzene
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on mortality resulting from concentrations of benzene in the air.

  Mr. Dorrell
  None.

  Benzene is toxic at high doses and is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a human carcinogen. However, exposure of the general population to benzene—from all sources combined—is very low compared with that of the special occupational groups that have been studied and the health effects attributable to it are difficult to assess. It is therefore not possible, on present information, to attribute any specific excess mortality to environmental exposure to benzene.

  The Department of Health, in conjunction with several other Government Departments, is funding research by the Small Area Health Statistics Unit (SAHSU). SAHSU is an independent body based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It has built up a comprehensive database on the distribution of mortality (by specified cause) and on the incidence of cancer related to small areas of the country. It is currently undertaking studies of the incidence of mortality and cancer in the neighbourhood of industrial installations, including benzene works.

  Property Identification
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is the policy of his Department Ito mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

  Mr. Dorrell
  It is not the Department's present policy to mark property in this way. The matter is, however, currently under active consideration.

  Indices of Deprivation
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken by his Department of indices of deprivation(a) in allocating funds to regional health authorities and (b) in setting the guidelines for the allocation of funds by regional health authorities to district health authorities; what indices of deprivation are approved by his Department for this purpose; and how they are compiled.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The formula used for making allocations based on weighted capitation to RHAs makes no use of indices of deprivation. The formula does, however, use standardised mortality ratios as an indicator of the relative health of regional populations.

  We are currently analysing regional proposals for implementing weighted capitation at district level and will be drawing up a national policy on the formula to be used, including any factors for the weighting of deprivation.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dorrell
  The Department, like all others, has been active in implementing and developing the commitments made in the Environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance", since its publication in September.

  The Department has an over riding responsibility to protect the health of the public and this spans a wide range of environmental issues. For a majority of such issues (eg air and water quality) the Department's primary function is to provide advice to Government on the implications for human health of actual or potential environmental hazards. The Department has specific responsibilities for the public health aspects of food safety and for matters concerning communicable diseases.

  In the national health service, both regional and district health authorities are well aware of their responsibilities to the environment. We attach particular importance to their meeting the requirements of environmental protection legislation and to energy conservation.

  Eye Tests
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 21 January,Official Report, column 79, on the number of eye tests in Trent region, if he will review his policy on the provision of national health service sight tests for all.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  There are no plans to change the current policy for free national health service sight
  633
  tests. We believe it is right that those people who can afford to do so should pay for their optical costs. Provision has been made for the more vulnerable groups in the community, such as children, those in receipt of income support or family credit and people with special medical needs to continue to receive free sight tests under the NHS.

  Revenue expenditure on hospital and community health services (HCHS)

  Total salaries and wages expenditure

  Total non-pay expenditure

  Review body staff

  All other staff

  £000 cash

  £000 at 1990–91 prices

  £000 cash

  £000 at 1990–91 prices

  £000 cash

  £000 at 1990–91 prices

  1978–79

  1,745,353

  4,410,088

  1,533,099

  3,873,773

  1,143,039

  2,888,185

  1979–80

  2,312,709

  5,008,287

  1,680,011

  3,638,148

  1,340,202

  2,902,274

  1980–81

  3,161,777

  5,786,336

  2,081,018

  3,808,450

  1,642,636

  3,006,172

  1981–82

  3,466,215

  5,785,217

  2,258,307

  3,769,182

  1,905,463

  3,180,275

  1982–83

  3,746,024

  5,837,766

  2,333,346

  3,636,263

  2,061,859

  3,213,180

  1983–84

  3,957,260

  5,894,616

  2,456,394

  3,658,971

  2,211,703

  3,294,486

  1984–85

  4,227,113

  5,992,186

  2,551,322

  3,616,652

  2,356,419

  3,340,365

  1985–86

  4,520,820

  6,077,293

  2,594,567

  3,487,850

  2,494,012

  3,352,675

  1986–87

  4,949,899

  6,434,077

  2,735,157

  3,555,266

  2,632,110

  3,421,322

  1987–88

  5,556,864

  6,849,724

  2,911,090

  3,588,384

  2,808,757

  3,462,242

  1988–89

  6,454,412

  7,414,829

  3,107,182

  3,569,531

  2,993,451

  3,438,877

  1989–90

  6,864,179

  7,413,313

  3,390,776

  3,662,038

  3,318,422

  3,583,896

  Source:

  Annual accounts of regional and district health authorities in England and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals. (Predecessor authorities for the years prior to 1982–83).

  Notes:

  1. The figures have been expressed at 1990–91 prices by the use of the gross domestic product deflator.

  2. Revenue expenditure on HCHS covers the total revenue expenditure by the health authorities concerned including that on hospital, community health, patient transport (i.e. ambulance), blood transfusion and other services. All capital expenditure and expenditure on family practitioner services is excluded. However, the figures for the years prior to 1 April 1985 include small elements related to the administrative expenses of family practitioner committee (FPCs) which before that date were included in the accounts of the health authorities with which the FPCs were associated and are not separately identifiable.

  3. The figures of salaries and wages expenditure are gross costs including employers' superannuation and national insurance contributions. That for "review body staff" for 1978–79 is slightly understated (with a corresponding overstatement of that for "all other staff") as the annual accounts did not provide for the separate identification of salaries and wages costs currently attributed to "professions supplementary to medicine" until 1979–80. The costs of employing all non-national health service (agency, etc.) staff are included with "all other staff".

  4. The figures of total non-pay expenditure are essentially for the purchase of goods and services but include some miscellaneous costs (e.g. staff travel and subsistence expenses, student bursaries, patients allowances, etc.).

WALES

  Schools
  Mr. Gwilyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the level of funding for capital expenditure for primary and secondary schools during each of the last five years.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  Capital spending by county councils for education and other services is covered by the issue of credit approvals (formerly capital allocations) which convey permission to borrow. The majority of resources to individual councils are distributed by means of a formula and are not hypothecated to specific schemes or to particular services. At an all-Wales level the total assumed gross provision for capital spending on education was:

  Total assumed gross provision for capital spending on education

  Wales

  £ million

  1987–88

  43·0

  1988–89

  47·5

  1989–90

  52·9

  Health Spending
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the level of hospital and community health services' expenditure on(a) staff now covered by pay review bodies, (b) other staff and (c) goods and services, in cash and constant prices, in each year since 1978–79.

  Mr. Dorrell
  [holding answer 28 January 1991]: Information derived from annual accounts submitted to the Department is as follows:

  £ million

  1990–91

  53·7

  1991–92

  66·6

  Priority Estates Project
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the progress of the priority estates project in Wales.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  I was pleased to have had the opportunity of addressing the PEP conference, "Quality Matters", on 15 February to launch the report, "Locally Based Housing Services—Winning Customer Approval". I have placed copies in the Library of the House.

  The report reviews the entire PEP programme in Wales. It draws on key findings from previous reports, and especially from last year's surveys of PEP tenants' views about their homes and estates, and of the housing service they receive.

  PEP was intended to put tenants in the lead as regards decisions affecting their homes by decentralising local authorities' housing management and making it more

  635
  customer-oriented. It has shown that decentralised management brings real improvement in performance; that tenants view localised services as providing good value for money; that targeting investment in response to tenants' wishes maximises its effect; and that tenant participation is an integral part of effect management.

  Several local authorities in the programme, and many others, too, have embarked upon wider centralisation of their housing management since PEP commenced. We estimate that up to 40 per cent. of council houses in Wales now receive a locally based housing service more or less along PEP lines.

  I commend the report to local authorities throughout Wales, as I am sure that they will find it valuable in pursuing further improvements in the management of their stock.

  Capital Projects
  Sir Anthony Meyer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the(a) total and (b) per capita expenditure on capital projects wholly or partially financed by his Department in Clwyd and Gwynedd for the periods (i) 1974 to 1979 and (ii) 1979 to the present.

  Mr. David Hunt
  This information is not available except at disproportionate cost.

  Tertiary Education
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of Slate for Wales how much money has been spent on developing tertiary education by the local education authorities of Wales in each year from 1975 onwards.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Pupil Places
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the current numbers of surplus school pupil places in(a) the primary sector and (b) the secondary school sector in each local education authority district in Wales.

  Sir Wyn Roberts
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Gower (Mr. Wardell) on 18 February 1991 at cols.43–44.

  Foxes
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many fox destruction societies or clubs are registered with his Department; and what level of financial assistance they currently receive.

  Mr. David Hunt
  There are no fox destruction societies or clubs registered with the Welsh Office.

  South Glamorgan TEC
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he first discussed the construction of a new South Glamorgan TEC headquarters building at Dumballs road with the chairman of the TEC.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I have had no discussions with the chairman of the TEC on this subject.

  Prince of Wales Orthopaedic Hospital, Rhydlafar
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide regional specialism funding to expand the number of in-patient children's beds at the Prince of Wales orthopaedic hospital, Rhydlafar, to meet the demand for leg-lengthening and analogous treatments.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  There are no plans to provide central funding for these treatments, which will continue to be the responsibility of the district health authority under the new purchaser and provider functions which come into effect on 1 April 1991.

  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of South Glamorgan health authority regarding the number of beds for the current intake of patients in the children's ward at the Prince of Wales Orthopaedic Hospital, Rhydlafar, Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  None. This is a matter for South Glamorgan health authority.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Hunt
  The White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", is of special importance to Wales. That is why the White Paper has a special chapter on Wales and why I published a Welsh version of the abridged White Paper.

  Since its publication last September my Department, like all others, has been active in implementing and developing the commitments made in it. Our departmental report published on 15 February recorded progress with a wide range of initiatives, reflecting the White Paper's comprehensive review of policy affecting the environment. These included the two major initiatives by the Welsh Development Agency which I announced last September—"Landscape Wales" and "Urban Development Wales"—on which planned expenditure next year will be increased to £41 million as projected in the departmental report, and the 1991–92 urban programme package which I announced in December. This now stands at £6·6 million and will support many environmental improvements in the Principality.

  Other action I have taken to implement the principles of the White Paper include the publication of a design guide for roads in rural areas; the launch of an environmental competition for schools in Wales; and a conference on green belts in Wales.

ENERGY

  Energy Conservation
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much money has been allocated by the United Kingdom Government towards energy conservation in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Improvements in energy efficiency are promoted within a range of Government
  637
  programmes. Information on some of these was given in the 1989 National Audit Office report, "National Energy Efficiency" (HC 547). It is not normally possible to attribute expenditure between the energy efficiency and other objectives of the programmes, and reliable estimates of total expenditure in each of the last 10 years is not available.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the annual budget of the Energy Efficiency Office in each year since 1986.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Expenditure by the Energy Efficiency Office since 1986 is:

  £ millions

  1985–86

  22·5

  1986–87

  24·5

  1987–88

  18·6

  1988–89

  18·5

  1989–90

  14·8

  1990–91

  123·4

  1991–92

  241·9

  1Latest Estimates provision.

  2 Subject to the approval of Parliament.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to report to Parliament on the outturn costs incurred in the privatisation of(a) the electricity distribution companies and (b) the electricity generating industry in England; and what is his latest estimate of (i) the pre-sale costs, including marketing and printing, and (ii) the direct sale costs, including stamp duty and underwriting fees, for each privatisation in each financial year.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  The costs incurred in each preceding financial year, in connection with the privatisation of the electricity industry in England and Wales, are published each autumn in the appropriations accounts. As regards cost estimates, the Department had up until the end of March 1990 spent £18·7 million and has been granted provision through this year's supply estimates of a further £302·1 million.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give a detailed breakdown of his latest estimate of all costs incurred in the privatisation of the South Wales electricity board.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  Costs incurred in the privatisation of the 12 regional electricity companies in England and Wales cannot meaningfully be broken down and attributed to individual companies in this way.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Wakeham
  My Department, like all others, has been active in implementing and developing the commitments made in the Environment White Paper,638
  "This Common Inheritance", since its publication in September 1990. Progress has been recorded in my Department's report "The Government's Expenditure Plans within the Energy Sector" (Cm. 1505), published on 7 February. Specific initiatives in the last few months include:
  two meetings of my ministerial committee on energy efficiency, which is reviewing energy efficiency activities across Government and setting up a system for reporting energy efficiency improvements in the Government estate;
  the launch of the home energy efficiency scheme for low-income households;
  a long-term strategic review of the coal research and development programme, which includes research on cleaner coal combustion.

  Fuel Imports
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when his Department first started excluding the costs of insurance premiums and freight from the cost of fuel imports in answering parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Wakeham
  It is appropriate, when directly comparing the values of fuel imports and exports, to exclude the costs of insurance and freight. Figures on fuel imports, both including and excluding the costs of insurance and freight, are published by the Central Statistical Office each month in the balance of payments press notice.

  European Energy Charter
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the implications for the United Kingdom of the European energy charter adopted by the European Commission in February.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The Government support the objectives of the proposal for a European energy charter. The development and improved efficiency of the energy economies of eastern Europe and the Soviet Union are vital to their more general economic development; they are also important to the rest of Europe. There is a clear complementarity between the resources of the Soviet Union and the countries of eastern Europe and western technology, experience and finance. We hope that the charter will be of benefit to all signatories by creating an open and liberalised energy market throughout all of Europe, allowing for increased co-operation and trade. The paper which the European Commission has presented to member states suggests one possible way forward on the proposal; the initiative is still at an early stage.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Students
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide a statistical breakdown of the characteristics of students in(a) higher education and (b) further education in Northern Ireland analysed by gender, aged over 25 years, country of origin and category of award for the past five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The information is as follows:
  639

  Sex

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  1989–90

  (a) (i) Number of students in higher education by gender

  Male

  11,551

  11,423

  11,581

  11,657

  11,932

  Female

  9,425

  9,862

  10,534

  11,201

  11,862

  Total

  20,976

  21,285

  22,115

  22,858

  23,794

  (ii) Number of students under and over 25 years of age in higher education

  Under 25

  15,344

  15,582

  15,957

  16,253

  16,753

  25 and over

  5,632

  5,703

  6,158

  6,605

  7,041

  Total

  20,976

  21,285

  22,115

  22,858

  23,794

  (iii) Number of students in higher education by country of origin

  Northern Ireland

  19,235

  19,172

  19,595

  20,027

  20,762

  Great Britain

  836

  869

  862

  794

  735

  Republic of Ireland

  450

  629

  945

  1,239

  1,505

  Other EEC

  55

  90

  79

  98

  141

  Commonwealth

  225

  282

  349

  408

  415

  Other Overseas

  175

  243

  285

  292

  236

  Total

  20,976

  21,285

  22,115

  22,858

  23,794

  (iv) Number of students in higher education by category of award

  Mandatory

  13,983

  14,753

  14,894

  15,717

  n/a

  Discretionary

  3,199

  3,101

  3,135

  3,385

  n/a

  Total

  17,182

  17,854

  18,029

  19,102

  n/a

  (b) (i) Number of students in further education by gender

  Male

  28,317

  26,231

  n/a

  27,540

  27,801

  Female

  26,753

  27,063

  n/a

  29,168

  30,883

  Total

  55,070

  53,294

  n/a

  56,708

  58,684

  (ii) Number of students in further education under and over 25 years of age

  Under 25

  45,212

  43,521

  n/a

  45,048

  44,659

  25 and over

  9,468

  9,354

  n/a

  10,935

  13,103

  Age Unknown

  390

  419

  n/a

  725

  922

  Total

  55,070

  53,294

  n/a

  56,708

  58,684

  (iii) Number of students in further education by country of origin

  Northern Ireland

  54,540

  52,728

  n/a

  55,864

  57,635

  Great Britain

  89

  62

  n/a

  55

  41

  Republic of Ireland

  188

  282

  n/a

  544

  680

  Other EEC

  14

  20

  n/a

  12

  33

  Commonwealth

  200

  163

  n/a

  207

  249

  Other Overseas

  39

  39

  n/a

  28

  44

  Total

  55,070

  53,294

  n/a

  56,708

  58,682

  (iv) Number of students in further education by category of award

  Mandatory

  3,794

  2,422

  2,848

  3,283

  3,742

  Discretionary

  1,750

  1,539

  1,586

  1,531

  1,166

  Total

  5,544

  3,961

  4,434

  4,814

  4,908

  Notes:

  1 Information not available owing to industrial action by lecturers in colleges of further education in that year.

  2 Information is not available for 1989–90.

  Education Maintenance Allowances
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those bodies he consulted regarding the review of education maintenance allowances.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  Other Government Departments and education and library boards were consulted in the course of the review, which also took into account representations received from other organisations and public representatives.

  Further Education
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the expenditure on further education as a percentage of Northern Ireland gross domestic product for the past five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The percentage of gross domestic product at factor cost for recurrent expenditure on further education was:
  641

  Per cent.

  1985–86

  0·75

  1986–87

  0·75

  1987–88

  0·75

  1988–89

  0·76

  1989–90

  n/a

  BELB

  NEELB

  SEELB

  SELB

  WELB

  1985–86

  Number of awards

  371

  539

  376

  362

  466

  Expenditure

  £589,263

  £715,438

  £515,517

  £566,990

  £667,017

  1986–87

  Number of awards

  339

  492

  308

  403

  414

  Expenditure

  £625,047

  £758,403

  £497,772

  £641,024

  £690,635

  1987–88

  Number of awards

  324

  558

  321

  396

  430

  Expenditure

  £610,317

  £774,274

  £461,443

  £675,283

  £743,936

  1988–89

  Number of awards

  281

  477

  337

  381

  432

  Expenditure

  £664,017

  £847,512

  £562,051

  £915,454

  £789,718

  1989–901

  Number of awards

  327

  484

  370

  474

  432

  Expenditure

  £729,053

  £1,049,248

  £646,470

  £900,514

  £824,910

  1 Figures taken from the unaudited accounts of the education and library boards.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those organisations which responded to the review of further education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The organisations which responded are listed below. Their views are being considered and an announcement on the way forward will be made in the early summer.

  Education and library boards

  Belfast

  Western

  North-Eastern

  South-Eastern

  Southern

  Colleges of further education

  Northern Ireland Hotel and Catering College

  Magherafelt

  Fermanagh

  Newry

  Banbridge

  Antrim

  Portadown

  Ballymena

  College of Business Studies, Belfast

  Armagh

  East Tyrone

  Belfast College of Technology

  Castlereagh

  Rupert Stanley

  North West College of Technology

  Omagh

  Down

  Lurgan

  Newcastle

  Newtownabbey

  Others

  Queen's University, Belfast

  University of Ulster

  National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education

  National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers

  Association of Principals of Colleges

  642
  n/a—Not available.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number and value of discretionary awards awarded by each area board over the last five years.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The updated information is as follows:

  Northern Ireland Committee Irish Congress of Trade Unions

  Education Alliance Northern Ireland

  Association of College Management

  Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance

  National Union of Student UK/Union of Students in Ireland

  Association of College Registrars and Administrators

  Confederation of British Industry

  Educational Guidance Service for Adults

  Women's Education Project

  Workers Education Association

  Adult and Community Education Committee of BELB

  NI Adult Education Association

  Newry & Mourne District Council

  City and Guilds of London Institute

  Fleming Fulton Special School

  Manor House Special School

  Open University

  NI Committee of Catering Studies

  Library Committee of NEELB

  Northern Ireland Curriculum Council

  Library and Information Services Council

  Adult Literacy and Basic Education Committee

  Society of Education Officers NI

  Community Services Belfast City Council

  Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the treatment of student union funds within the further education sector; and whether such funds will be delegated to colleges or treated as excepted items.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The question of the funding of student unions in further education colleges is a matter for education and library boards. Boards are currently in the process of preparing their schemes for local management of colleges and no decisions have yet been taken about whether this funding will be delegated to colleges or treated as an excepted item.

  Modern Languages
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent decision to exclude modern language options in primary B.Ed courses in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  At a time when a decline is expected in the demand for newly qualified primary teachers in Northern Ireland, the Department of Education has decided that teacher training institutions preparing such teachers should for the time being concentrate on those subjects that are compulsory for primary schools within the Northern Ireland common curriculum. Foreign languages are not part of the common curriculum at primary level and the Department has accordingly asked the institutions to cease offering such courses.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consideration was given to recent reports from the modern languages committee and the House of Lords Select Committee on foreign language provision in the primary sector prior to the Department of Education's decision to exclude modern language options in primary B.Ed courses in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  These reports have been considered by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science, who has not as a result altered his decision that foreign languages should not at present be part of the primary phases of the national curriculum in England and Wales. Consideration of these reports in Northern Ireland has also led to the conclusion that they do not provide a compelling reason for such a change in Northern Ireland, nor for a change in the decision about the subject content of teacher training courses for intending primary teachers.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the recent decision to exclude French from primary B.Ed courses in colleges of education in Northern Ireland.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The Department of Education reviews the intakes to the teacher training institutions annually, with the aim of ensuring that the number of newly qualified teachers and their range of subject expertise will be sufficient to meet the future needs of schools in Northern Ireland. The 1991 intakes recently advised to institutions reflect the Department's estimate of what will be required in 1995: consideration of schools' likely needs in 1996 will take place later this year.

  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list those organisations consulted regarding the decision to exclude modern language options in primary B.Ed courses in Northern Ireland;

  (2) what consultations the Department of Education had on the inclusion of modern language teaching in primary B.Ed courses in colleges of education.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  The decision is a logical consequence of the previous conclusion that such languages should not form part of the common curriculum for primary schools in Northern Ireland. A proposal to this effect was contained in the discussion document, "Education Reform in Northern Ireland—The Way Forward", published in 1988, in response to which comments from a very large number of individuals and organisations were received and considered.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Custody Conditions
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to improve the conditions of custody of prisoner CJ0124.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Property Identification
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the policy of his Department to mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  In some parts of the Department all items of electronic equipment are marked with an identification number and identifying mark; otherwise, records are kept of the manufacturer's serial number. Many other items of equipment carry identifying marks.

  Foreign Detainees
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqis, Palestinians and others are still detained without trial on security grounds; how many of these are claimed to be prisoners of war; by what legal authority the non-prisoners of war are held; in which prisons the latter are held; and how long the process of deciding whether the detainees should be released or expelled is expected to take.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  On 27 February, 33 Iraqis, one Lebanese of Palestinian origin and one other were detained following service of notice to deport for reasons of national security and 32 Iraqis, believed to be serving members of Iraqi armed forces, were held in military custody as prisoners of war.

  The 35 detained under the Immigration Act 1971 are held on the authority of paragraph 2(2) or 2(3) of schedule 3 to the Act; 15 are detained in HM prison Full Sutton, 11 in Coldingley and nine in Wormwood Scrubs.

  All those held under immigration powers are scheduled to appear before the advisory panel by 1 March except for 10 who have requested that a hearing be deferred. If, after consideration of the advice, a deportation order is made, there is a 14-day period for lodging an appeal against removal to a specific destination.

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many experiments or scientific procedures on living animals have been carried out by(a) Government Departments, (b) non-profit making organisations and (c) commercial concerns in each year since 1987;

  (2) how many experiments or scientific procedures on living animals were carried out at (a) public health laboratories, (b) universities and medical schools, (c) polytechnics, (d) non-ministerial governmental organisations and (e) NHS hospitals in each year since 1987.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The number of scientific procedures performed on living animals carried out in each category of designated place is given in table 22 of "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 1989" (Cm 1152), a copy of which is in the Library.
  645
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments or scientific procedures were carried out on each category of living animal in each year between 1987 and 1990.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The number of scientific procedures performed on each category of living animal is given in table 18 of "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 1989" (Cm 1152), a copy of which is in the Library. Figures for 1990 are not yet available.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many experiments or scientific procedures carried out on living animals were concerned with(a) diagnosis, (b) surgical technique, (c) safety, (d) production and (e) education in each year since 1987.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The number of scientific procedures performed on living animals in each of the categories requested is given in table 25 of "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain 1989" (Cm 1152), a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many LD50 tests have been instigated in each year since 1986.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The numbers of LD50 tests performed on living animals are given in table 14 of "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain", 1987, 1988 and 1989 (Cm. 515, 743 and 1152 respectively), copies of which are in the Library.

  Speed Limits
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were undertaken in 1989 and 1990 into speeding by(a) heavy goods vehicles and (b) coaches.

  Mr. John Patten
  The motoring offences information collected centrally does not include details of the type of vehicle involved.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  My Department has had close regard to the commitments made in the Environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", since its publication in September, as they apply to relevant policies and practices. For example, the energy management group is actively pursuing a wide range of initiatives on the Home Office estate to achieve and, we hope, exceed the 15 per cent. energy savings target over the next five years. Trials are presently being conducted into the use of waste-derived fuel. We intend also to follow the guidance in the forthcoming "Environmental Action Guide". Crime prevention schemes in our safer cities programme have included some local environmental improvement work; some neighbourhood watch schemes involve local communities in litter clearance and graffiti removal. My Department was also closely involved in the production of the noise review working party report, published in October 1990.

  Escapees, East Sutton Park
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Maureen Amaker Mgbadike, Desiree Adina Caesar, Nana Adoma Frimpomaah and Abiodun Omolara Kafo, who escaped from East Sutton Park on 22 November 1987, 9 September and 21 September 1989 have since been recaptured.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  No. These four women are still unlawfully at large.

  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 25 February to the right hon. Member for Swansea, West on recaptures of escapees, which of the escapees were on drug-related offences; which of the escapees were in debt to the courts; and which escapees' passports are in the possession of the Home Office.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The six women concerned had all been convicted of drug offences. None is known to have been in debt to the courts at the time of their escapes. Four passports are in the possession of the immigration service; one is held by the Customs and Excise Department; and one has been returned to the Jamaican High Commission.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Cleaners
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil service workplaces have used cleaners employed by Initial or OCS since 1979; and what percentage of the total number of civil service workplaces in the United Kingdom this represents.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Property Identification
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is the policy of his Department to mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Property belonging to Her Majesty's Treasury is marked wherever it is practical and cost-effective to do so.

  British Bloodstock Industry
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will report progress on the talks he is having with the British bloodstock industry as to the amount of VAT levied upon it.

  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Meetings between representatives of the bloodstock industry and officials continue to be held to try to find a solution to potential problems for the bloodstock after 1992. I plan to meet representatives when these discussions are complete.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.
  647
  Mrs. Gillian Shephard
  Arrangements have been made to ensure that I participate in the consideration of all departmental policies which might have environmental implications.

  Extra-statutory Public Expenditure
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what extra-statutory public expenditure has been undertaken with the knowledge of Her Majesty's Treasury in the last six months.

  Mr. Mellor
  We do not keep central records. Any transactions of this kind, which are subject to the rules of Government accounting on special payments, will be noted in the relevant accounts if they amount to more than £100,000.

  EC Economic and Finance Council
  Dr. Twinn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council and the meeting of the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The ECOFIN Council met in Brussels on 25 February. The intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union met later the same day. I represented the United Kingdom at both meetings.

  Formal agreement was given to the balance of payments loan to Greece of 2·2 billion ecu (about £1½ billion) which had been agreed in principle at ECOFIN on 28 January. The first tranche will consist of 1 billion ecu, but the release of further tranches will be subject to the agreement of the Council in the light of the Greek Government's performance in implementing its programme of economic reform.

  The Council continues to consider a number of proposals for loans from the Community to help meet the financing needs of the countries of eastern Europe. These loans would form the joint contribution of member states to the demand for loans from the G24. In this context, a Community loan to Czechoslovakia of up to $500 million was formally agreed. The Council also agreed that the Community's pledge of a 50 per cent. contribution, up to $250 million, to a loan by the G24 to Hungary, should be in addition to the Community's present medium-term loan.

  The Presidency announced its intention to establish a high-level group of officials to consider key questions arising from the proposed investment services directive.

  The intergovernmental conference focused on the issues arising in connection with the conduct of economic policy under stage 3 of EMU. I repeated the United Kingdom reserve on any move to a single currency. During a general-discussion on principles and objectives, multilateral surveillance and the importance of avoiding excessive budget deficits, a wide range of views were expressed. The presidency did not attempt to draw substantive conclusions. The next meeting of the IGC at ministerial level will be on 18 March.

  Exchange Rate Mechanism
  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the pound were still at its ceiling or floor within the exchange rate mechanism after the ending of the maximum 648
  duration of the very short-term fund facility, what would be the level of the debtor quota on which further support would be based.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 26 February 1991]: There is no fixed limit on the duration of the very short-term facility, though there are repayment obligations associated with loans made under it. The debtor quotas assigned to each EMS member are agreed by the member states. The United Kingdom's debtor quota is 1·74 billion ecu. The quotas may be altered, by agreement among the member states, at any time and are in any case reviewed every five years.

  Mr. Shore
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer after what period funds supplied under the ERM's very short-term fund facility and debtor quota renewal must be repaid.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 26 February 1991]: Very short-term facility (VSTF) liabilities must be settled by the last working day preceding the 16th day of the third month following the value date of intervention. Subject to limits, which are equal to twice the debtor quota of the EMS short-term monetary support (STMS) arrangements, VSTF liabilities may be renewed for a further three months on request. With the agreement of creditors VSTF liabilities may be renewed for an additional three months. Debtor quotas determine the amount of support each central bank may receive under the STMS arrangements. Use can be made of the support facilities of the STMS for a period of up to three months, and they may be renewed twice for a period of three months on request.

  Tax Yields
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the various yields in 1991–92 and 1992–93 of restricting tax relief against corporation tax by disallowing a fraction of total interest payments, according to the formula x divided by (x + 5), where x is the percentage increase in the retail prices index over the financial year, and is assumed to be either(a) 7 per cent. for 1991–92 and 5 per cent. for 1992–93 or (b) 6 per cent. for 1991–92 and 4 per cent. for 1992–93 or (c) 5 per cent. for 1991–92 and 3 per cent. for 1992–93.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 26 February 1991]: I regret that information on interest payments by companies is not available centrally to the extent required to provide a reliable estimate; and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Stock Relief
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost in 1991–92 and 1992–93 of introducing a system of stock relief against corporation tax, which indexed the value of stocks using the relative prices index.

  Mr. Maude
  [holding answer 26 February 1991]: I regret that information is not available on which to base a reliable estimate of this cost.

SCOTLAND

  Registration Statistics
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of people on the community charge register for each registration authority in Scotland, and the Scottish total, for the date the register was first compiled, and for each year since.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The available information, obtained from returns by community charge registration officers, is set out in the table. The figures include students, who are liable for 20 per cent. of the community charge, but exclude those liable for collective or standard charges. The October 1988 figures were provisional, and unavailable for some areas.

  October 1988

  September 1989

  July 1990

  Borders

  82,540

  77,935

  78,285

  Central

  n/a

  206,389

  202,412

  Dumfries and Galloway

  110,859

  111,326

  111,434

  Fife

  253,500

  269,058

  259,961

  Grampian

  377,766

  377,785

  373,581

  Highland

  n/a

  147,771

  148,270

  Lothian

  589,209

  604,320

  578,982

  Strathclyde

  1,786,017

  1,761,450

  1,737,284

  Tayside

  290,700

  295,490

  291,682

  Orkney

  14,775

  14,329

  14,372

  Shetland

  16,459

  16,021

  15,982

  Western Isles

  n/a

  22,315

  22,165

  All Scotland total

  n/a

  3,904,189

  3,834,410

  n/a: Not available.

  Tourism
  Mr. Simon Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the tourism industry in Scotland.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  Tourism makes an important contribution to the Scottish economy. The Scottish tourist board estimates that visitor spending in Scotland in 1989 (the latest full year for which figures are available) was £1,773 million, of which £388 million represented expenditure by overseas visitors. There are estimated to be

  Total confirmed redundancies in Scotland 1978–79 to 1990–91

  Financial years

  April-June

  July-September

  October-December

  January-March

  Total

  1978–79

  6,180

  5,691

  4,272

  7,040

  23,183

  1979–80

  6,241

  8,088

  13,018

  13,655

  41,012

  1980–81

  13,686

  17,670

  15,805

  14,489

  61,650

  1981–82

  17,640

  11,941

  14,969

  13,070

  57,620

  1982–83

  10,876

  13,240

  11,758

  10,955

  46,829

  1983–84

  10,160

  11,975

  8,448

  7,763

  38,346

  1984–85

  10,031

  7,715

  4,655

  7,009

  29,410

  1985–86

  7,674

  5,229

  6,512

  7,068

  26,483

  1986–87

  9,216

  8,337

  7,337

  6,218

  31,108

  1987–88

  6,523

  4,838

  5,254

  3,158

  19,773

  1988–89

  2,982

  4,412

  3,759

  5,578

  16,731

  1989–90

  3,605

  7,234

  3,978

  25,174

  19,991

  1990–91

  24,010

  22,210

  23,209

  N.A.

  —

  Notes:

  1 Figures from January 1981 are not directly comparable with earlier months because of improvements in the collection of the data.

  2 1990 figures are provisional.
  650
  140,000 to 150,000 jobs in tourism and leisure-related industries. This represents about 7 per cent. of Scottish employment.

  Company Liquidations
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of company liquidations in Scotland in the last six months for which figures are available and the comparable figures for the previous 10 years.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  In the second half of 1990 there were 341 notified liquidations of companies registered in Scotland. Companies House does not maintain information on the number of liquidations of Scottish registered companies on a part-year basis for earlier years. The table shows the number of notified liquidations of companies registered in Scotland for each year since 1980.

  Number of notified liquidations of companies registered in Scotland

  Number

  1980

  599

  1981

  666

  1982

  756

  1983

  764

  1984

  757

  1985

  757

  1986

  762

  1987

  636

  1988

  651

  1989

  674

  1990

  689

  Source: Registrar of companies.

  Redundancies
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of confirmed redundancies in each quarter in each financial year in Scotland since 1978–79.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  There are no comprehensive statistics on redundancies. A consistent series of redundancies involving 10 or more workers, confirmed to the Employment Department as having occurred in Scotland in each quarter since the 1978–79 financial year, is set out in the table:

  Lanarkshire Development Agency
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the budget of Lanarkshire Development Agency in respect of training for 1991–92.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The allocation of budgets to individual local enterprise companies is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise; I have therefore asked the chairman of Scottish Enterprise to reply to the hon. Member's question.

  Cobalt UK
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons who had training places at Cobalt UK in Monklands specifically preparing for driving examinations have had their training discontinued; and what action he intends to take to promote opportunities for them to complete their courses.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  There are 91 employment training trainees currently undertaking approved driver instructions training with Cobalt UK Ltd. in Monklands. Arrangements are already in hand to ensure that all 91 trainees can, if they wish, complete their training with an alternative training manager.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what funding is being made available for Cobalt UK for training purposes in Monklands district; how many persons have been given notice that their training places have been terminated; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  The funding being made available for Cobalt UK Ltd. for training purposes in Monk lands district is a contractual matter between the Training Agency and Cobalt UK and is a matter of commercial confidence. There are 203 employment training trainees currently training with Cobalt UK Ltd. Arrangements are already in hand to ensure that all these trainees can, if they wish, complete their training with alternative training managers.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Curry
  The Department is continuing to build on the achievements noted in the Environment White Paper aimed at integrating environmental and agricultural and fisheries policies taking account of international and European Community developments. In particular, I welcome the European Commission's recognition of the need to give greater emphasis to environmental considerations within its agricultural policies.

  EC Surplus Food
  Mr. Robert Hicks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those charities and non-profit making organisations that either are based in 652
  Cornwall or have branches in the county to which his Ministry has circularised details of the EC surplus food scheme 1991; and what has been the response to date.

  Mr. Curry
  Application forms have been specifically requested by, and sent to, the following in Cornwall:

  Pensioners Voice (Carharrach & District), St. Day, Redruth

  Penwith District Council, St. Clare, Penzance

  Newquay Coffee Corner, Newquay

  Mr K Hayne, Tintagel

  Mr. D Dark, St. Merryn, nr. Padstow

  In addition, details of the scheme have been sent to a number of national and umbrella organisations who may have branches or members in Cornwall. These include:

  Association of Metropolitan Authorities

  Association of District Councils

  Association of County Councils

  Age Concern

  British Red Cross Society

  Church Army

  Help the Aged

  Royal British Legion

  Salvation Army

  Catholic Bishops Conference

  WRVS

  National Council of Voluntary Organisations

  St. Vincent de Paul Society

  Charity Commission.

  No applications have as yet been received from Cornwall, but the closing date for their receipt is not until 22 March.

DEFENCE

  Procurement Division (Relocation)
  Mr. Terry Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to relocate the procurement division of his Department from the Avon area to the west midlands.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  It remains my view that collocating the Procurement Executive in Bristol/Bath is the best solution, and I hope that we shall be successful in doing so. However, should this solution prove for any reason to be unachievable, the west midlands would certainly be among the alternative locations reconsidered.

  Tanks
  Mr. Marlow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the military ability of tanks in conditions where defensive air cover is lacking;

  (2) what assessment he has made as to relative merits of aircraft, helicopters and tanks in confronting and overwhelming Iraqi tanks (a) in the open and (b) dug in during the Gulf conflict.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The Ministry of Defence will be conducting a thorough assessment of all aspects of the conflict in the Gulf.

  The Gulf
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he gave on 16–17 February to Kuwaiti organisations in London about the presence of paratroopers in Kuwait city.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  None.
  653
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as regards collateral damage caused to archaeological sites in Iraq as a result of allied bombing.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Allied pilots had instructions to attack only military targets and facilities supporting Iraq's occupation of Kuwait. These attacks were carefully planned with the aim of keeping collateral damage to a minimum, and they also took account of the locations of sites of religious and cultural importance. We are not aware that allied bombing caused damage to any archaeological sites.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Carlisle
  My Department has long recognised that its range of activity brings with it particular responsibilities towards the environment. We aim to act in accordance with Government policy set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance". An overview essay on defence and the environment was published in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1990 (Cm. 1022-I).

  I chair a defence environment committee which provides a central focus for the environment and which is charged with the development of an overall environmental policy, the oversight of individual policies with environmental implications and the encouragement of environmental initiatives. We are establishing a structure throughout the Department, with environmental focal points in commands and appropriate lower formations, to ensure that environment issues are considered at all levels and to foster good links with local communities. In support of this we are producing a manual of guidance dealing with a wide range of defence-related environment issues. We are participating in discussions on the environment within NATO. We continue to pursue energy efficiency savings and are committed to the wider Government 15 per cent. target over five years. We have also put into effect many other environmental measures over the past six months, and have planned an active programme to do more.

  HMS Ranger and Trumpeter
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 February,Official Report, column 319, what are the operational peacetime tasks of HMS Ranger and HMS Trumpeter; and how those tasks will be met after the deployment of those ships to Gibraltar.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Before HM ships Ranger and Trumpeter were deployed to Gibraltar in preparation for assuming the tasks currently fulfilled by HM ships Cormorant and Hart, they were used as training craft by the RNR. They have not been replaced in this role, because there are sufficient other vessels for the RNR to operate.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Trade Marks
  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what parliamentary steps he proposes to take to implement the European Council first directive to approximate the law of member states relating to trade marks; and whether it is proposed that this directive should be in force by 28 December.

  Mr. Leigh
  The White Paper, "Reform of Trade Marks Law", (Cm. 1203) indicates that legislation on trade marks which will include provisions in accordance with the first Council directive will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits. If possible, a Bill will be introduced during the next Session of Parliament; otherwise rules under the European Communities Act 1972 will be necessary to give effect to the directive. It is not yet clear whether the date of entry into force of the directive will be deferred until the end of 1992 to await adoption of the regulation on the Community trade mark.

  Mr. Channon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what replies he has received in response to his White Paper on the reform of trade marks law; and if he will make a statement about the timing of any proposed new legislation.

  Mr. Leigh
  Thirty-one representations concerning the proposals in the Department of Trade and Industry's White Paper, "Reform of Trade Marks Law", (Cm. 1203) have been received. The general tenor of the comments has been very favourable. Careful consideration is being given to the points raised.

  As indicated in the White Paper new legislation on trade marks will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.

  Defence Diversification Agency
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from(a) industry, (b) trade unions and (c) local authorities concerning the setting up of a defence diversification agency; and whether he has any plans to set up such an agency.

  Mr. Leigh
  This Department has received representations from a wide variety of bodies concerning the economic effects of changes in the defence market, some of which have proposed the establishment of a defence diversification agency. There are at present no plans to establish such an agency.

  Diversification
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives are currently offered by the Government to encourage companies formerly producing defence industry products to diversify their output.

  Mr. Leigh
  Companies wishing to diversify may take advantage of existing forms of assistance available to all industrial sectors.

  Software Directive
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will make it his policy to seek amendment to the EC software directive to ensure that major vendors of computer software are not able to impose substantial charges on software users to allow them to alter or copy this software for legitimate maintenance purposes;

  (2) if he will make it his policy to seek amendment to the EC draft software directive to ensure that providers of software programs do not become legally entitled to prohibit their customers from correcting errors in such software;

  (3) what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the EC draft software directive upon reproduction, adaptation or alteration to update application programs to (a) conform to new operating systems, (b) correct virus problems, (c) solve problems in a multi-vendor environment, (d) adjust their systems to incorporate into a network and (e) alter their software to incorporate new devices.

  Mr. Leigh
  A common position has been reached on the directive, which is currently awaiting a Second Reading in the European Parliament. It is not open to member states to propose amendments at this stage. The directive in its present form will not result in any substantial changes to United Kingdom law and so will have little impact on the legal environment in which software is supplied and used. Under existing law, it is open to the suppliers of software to prohibit error correction by the user, to charge for maintenance, and to control reproduction, adaptation and alteration of the program by appropriate contractual terms. Insofar as the directive has any impact, the supplier's freedom to control use of the program in this way will be reduced by the terms of articles 5 and 6 of the directive.

  Middle East
  Mr. Walden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of the British, German and Japanese exports to the middle east in 1990.

  Mr. Lilley
  Data are currently not available for the year 1990. The table shows the value of exports to the middle east from the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany and Japan for the latest 12-month period for which complete information is available. The middle east is defined as Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

  Exports of goods to the middle east in the 12 months to the end of June 1990

  Exports from

  US. dollars millions

  United Kingdom

  8,666

  Federal Republic of Germany

  9,145

  Japan

  8,090

  Source:

  OECD Monthly Statistics of Foreign Trade.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  DTI's departmental report published last month recorded a number of our initiatives on environmental issues including schemes to assist and encourage environmental improvement by business.

  As the appointed Minister in DTI I have also initiated a thorough review of all the Department's policies, programmes and activities to identify existing and prospective environmental implications and action required. This is in addition to the work of my environment unit, especially in following up last September's environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance".

  British Technology Group
  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list any statutory operating restrictions that exist on the work of the British Technology Group relating to(a) borrowing, (b) overseas operations and (c) payments to inventors.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 26 February 1991]: Section 6(1) of the Development of Inventions Act 1967 provides that the National Research Development Corporation may borrow up to £250,000 with Treasury consent.

  Paragraph 1 of schedule 2 to part 1 of the Industry Act 1975 provides that the National Enterprise Board may borrow for current or capital purposes. Section 8(2) of that Act limits general external borrowings of NEB, aggregated with loan guarantees and public dividend capital, to £750 million.

  There are no specific statutory restrictions relating to overseas operations or payments to inventors.

  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what directives or other written operational guidance his Department has issued since 1 July 1981 to the British Technology Group; and if he will deposit such material in the Library.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 26 February 1991]: Since 1 July 1981 the following directions have been issued to the British Technology Group's constituent bodies;

  National Research Development Corporation:

  Accounts Direction 1981, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, and

  National Enterprise Board:

  Publication of Measurement of Performance against Financial Duty Direction—25 November 1981.

  Financial Duties determined by Secretary of State for Industry Direction—25 November 1981.

  Accounts Direction 1982, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88.

  The above directions have been published in the NRDC and NEB annual reports and accounts and previously laid before Parliament.

  Since 1984 the NRDC has been directed annually to remit surplus revenue to the Exchequer. Revenue surplus directions are reproduced in the relevant annual accounts of the corporation previously laid before Parliament.

  The NEB was directed to pay a dividend to the Exchequer, in respect of retained public dividend capital,

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  in 1988 and 1989. These directions are noted in the relevant annual accounts of the board previously laid before Parliament.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the effect on employment in manufacturing industry and on the level of liquidations of manufacturing businesses of the rate of exchange which currently applies to sterling within the ERM.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 27 February 1991]: The United Kingdom's membership of the ERM reinforces anti-inflationary policy. It will therefore have a favourable effect on the economy, including employment prospects in the manufacturing sector, in the long run.

  Non-ferrous Materials (Smelting)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what provision there will be in the United Kingdom for the smelting of low-grade non-ferrous metals following the decision of Rio Tinto Zinc to close Capper Pass, north Humberside.

  Mr. Leigh
  [holding answer 28 February 1991]: That will be a matter for the private sector to decide.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Attendance Allowance
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance his Department issues over narcolepsy and catalepsy concerning attendance allowance guidelines.

  Mr. Scott
  The Department does not issue guidelines on medical conditions and the attendance allowance. The responsibility for issuing such guidance rests with the independent attendance allowance board. I understand that the board does not find it practicable to give guidance on every medical condition and that there are no specific guidelines on these two particular diseases. However, the board's general guidance on deciding claims still applies and if people suffering from them require sufficient attention or supervision from another person, they can qualify for the allowance in the same way as someone suffering from any other disease.

  Transitional Relief
  Mr. Terry Fields
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what considerations underly the limitation on the gap of up to eight weeks in signing on for payment of transitional relief on benefit; what discretion is available for officers to continue paying transitional relief over a gap of eight weeks; and whether there are any provisions for people held in custody on remand.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Most social security benefits protect short breaks in entitlement by the provision of a linking rule which bridges the gap between claims. Eight weeks is the normal period for such bridges. The Income Support (Transitional) Regulations 1987 do not provide adjudication officers with discretion to extend this period, and there are no special provisions for preserving the right to transitional protection for people held in custody on remand.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 22 February,Official Report, column 292, what was the additional cost of the cold weather payments for the period 7 to 14 February arising from the Prime Minister's announcement.

  Mr. Scott
  Information regarding the number of claims submitted since 7 February is not available. It will be placed in the Library as soon as it is available.

  Community Charge Benefit
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what date he expects the 1991 family expenditure survey data on community charge benefit take-up to become available.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Estimates of the take-up of community charge benefit cannot be produced until some time after the receipt of the relevant data from the 1991 family expenditure survey. These estimates will not become available until 1993.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the changes in priority categories used for allocating grants from the social fund since its introduction for each of the Nottingham offices, along with the dates and duration of the changes.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the number of people who will be affected by the removal of entitlement to housing benefit of certain classes of people living in residential and nursing homes;

  (2) if he will estimate the total savings from removing the entitlement to housing benefit of certain people living in residential and nursing homes.

  Miss Widdecombe
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 26 November 1990 at col.306.

  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received on the removal of entitlement to housing benefit from people living in residential and nursing homes.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The draft regulations giving effect to these changes were subject to statutory consultation with the Social Security Advisory Committee and the local authority associations. A number of representations have also been received from hon. Members and others.

  Transitional Additions
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals have been in receipt of transitional additions because their income support entitlement was lower than their supplementary benefit for each quarter from April 1988 onwards.
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  Miss Widdecombe
  The information is not available in the form requested. The annual figures for May of each year are as follows:

  Persons

  1988

  1,585,000

  1989

  497,000

  1990

  110,000

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will initiate a research project into the relationship between(a) the raising of fees of residential and nursing homes and (b) the rise in income support levels.

  Miss Widdecombe
  As part of the Department's annual review of income support limits for people in residential care and nursing homes, many interested organisations and individuals submit evidence on charges in such homes which is taken into consideration together with other information from the Department's own sources. The Department has, in the past, commissioned a number of studies in this area, in particular the Ernst and Whinney study published in 1986 and revised in 1987, a copy of which is available in the Library. There are no plans to initiate further research on this issue.

  Benefit Uprating
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 February,Official Report, column 406, if he will itemise the administrative complexities involved in changing the level of payment for benefit beneficiaries.

  Miss Widdecombe
  For example, most retirement pensioners are paid by order books which last for 20 weeks. This is for the convenience of pensioners and to reduce costs of administration. It follows that the production of many order books containing payment at the new rate in April has to start that much in advance. Other benefits are also paid by order book and require a similar period to recalculate their entitlement and prepare the books.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The Department is committed to making the fullest possible contribution to achieving the aims of the Environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", as set out in the departmental report (Cm. 1514) published on 1 February.

  My noble Friend Lord Henley, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, was appointed the Department's environmental Minister in September last year, and has established an environment steering group within the Department to undertake a comprehensive review of the environmental implications of all areas of departmental business and administration. The group has commissioned
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  work to assess the scope for initiatives in the areas of building construction, maintenance and purchasing, and has embarked on a review to determine whether we can extend our use of recycled paper.

  The Department is participating in the Government's campaign to reduce its energy consumption by 15 per cent. over the next five years. Performance measures have recently been introduced, and resources have been allocated to setting and monitoring targets and identifying opportunities for investment in energy efficiency measures. We are seeking to raise energy awareness among departmental staff, and an article planned for the April edition of the staff newspaper will suggest ways in which individuals can make a contribution. The Neighbourhood Energy Action (NEA) group is administering a scheme of grants to assist people on low incomes to insulate their homes. The people targeted to receive this help are those on income support, family credit, housing benefit or community charge benefit. The Department is assisting NEA by issuing leaflets and displaying posters at local offices, and is considering what further help could be given.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to collect data on the average cost of providing residential and nursing home care in advance of the implementation of community care.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The Department receives representations from interested organisations and individuals, including information on costs. In addition, last year the Department commissioned Price Waterhouse Management Consultants to undertake a survey into the costs of running residential care and nursing homes and a copy of that report is available in the Library. We have no current plans to undertake a similar exercise.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) in what circumstances may pensioners living in (i) private and voluntary residential homes, (ii) private and voluntary nursing homes, or (iii) sheltered accommodation claim housing benefit; and in each case what was the position before 14 January;

  (2) in what circumstances pensioners with savings between £8,000 and £16,000 are entitled to housing benefit; and what was the position before 14 January.

  Miss Widdecombe
  From 14 January 1991, people living in registered residential care and nursing homes do not generally have access to housing benefit. However, people in registered homes who were already entitled to housing benefit when details of this change were announced on 29 October 1990 retain entitlement to that benefit under former rules, as do those who had submitted a claim on or before that date which was subsequently determined in their favour. People in registered homes who are not entitled to claim income support to help towards the home's fees, namely those in full-time work and those who pay rent to a close relative, continue to be able to claim housing benefit, as do those in unregistered homes. People living in rented sheltered accommodation also continue to be eligible for housing benefit unless the accommodation is registered as a residential care or nursing home.
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  Where people in registered homes or other accommodation are entitled to claim housing benefit, the amount of benefit payable depends on the level of their appropriate personal allowances and premiums, their eligible rent, and the amount of their income and capital, provided that capital does not exceed £16,000.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claim forms for cold weather payments have been issued to his Department's offices.

  Mr. Scott
  It is not possible to estimate the total number of claim forms issued, but every opportunity is provided to enable customers to claim cold weather payments. A claim can be made by letter, by completion of a locally produced newspaper advertisement, or on a claim form attached to leaflet CWP 1. All the Department's local offices currently hold stocks of the leaflet and those low on supplies are reproducing the application form locally.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provision exists for those who have to leave residential or nursing homes because their income, including income support, is inadequate to meet the fees charged.

  Miss Widdecombe
  Local authorities have a responsibility to make arrangements for providing residential accommodation for persons who by reason of age, infirmity or any other circumstances are in need of care and attention which is not otherwise available to them. District health authorities are empowered to enter into contractual arrangements with private healthcare establishments, such as nursing homes, for the treatment of NHS patients.

  Children (Benefits)
  Mr. Patchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children in Yorkshire were dependent on supplementary benefit or income support in(a) 1979 and (b)

  Miss Widdecombe
  Information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people living in residential and nursing homes currently receive housing benefit; and how many received housing benefit in each year from 1987 to 1990.

  Miss Widdecombe
  The information requested is not available.

  National Finance
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by what route national insurance contributions, collected by local inland revenue offices, reach the national insurance fund; and when this was last reviewed.

  Mr. Scott
  Amounts collected are cleared daily through the banking system for the credit of the national insurance fund in accordance with standing arrangements.

  Pensioners (Income)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 21 February,Official Report, column 264, if he will break down the benefits listed under (a) into (i) state pension and (ii) other state benefits, by category.

  Miss Widdecombe
  It is not possible to distinguish separately from the family expenditure survey the exact amount of retirement pension paid from the amount of income-related benefits. It is possible to separate out other benefits, mostly for disability, and these are presented in the following table.

  Percentage of gross incomes

  Real terms increase Per cent.

  Type of pensioners' income

  1979

  1987

  1979–87

  Retirement pension and income-related benefits

  58

  49

  15

  Other social security benefits

  3

  4

  58

  Source: Family expenditure survey.

  National Insurance Fund
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what sums have been paid for each of the years since 1986 from general taxation into the national insurance fund; and for what reasons in each case.

  Mr. Scott
  Payments by way of the Treasury supplement, which was abolished from 1989, are in the table. These payments were historically a general contribution by the taxpayer to the finances of the national insurance fund and were not designated to any particular aspect of fund expenditure.

  The Social Security Act 1990 provided for the national insurance fund to be reimbursed from the Consolidated Fund for the costs of statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay, these benefits being non-contributory. The relevant amounts paid into the national insurance fund from the Consolidated Fund for the 1990–91 tax year up to date are £848·6 million in respect of statutory sick pay and £313·9 million in respect of statutory maternity pay, making a total of £1,162·5 million.

  Treasury supplement to the national insurance fund

  £ million

  1986–87

  2,412

  1987–88

  2,135

  1988–89

  1,653

  1989–90

  1nil

  1Abolished.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Middle East
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his intention to ensure that the Kurdish question will be part of the agenda of any post-war international conference on the middle-east.
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  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Our view is that the Kurdish people should enjoy proper representation and respect for human rights in all of the countries in which they live. We shall continue to press for this whenever necessary.

  Soviet Union
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made in respect of Regina Pashkovsky of Minsk who has been unsuccessfully applying to leave the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We can certainly raise this case with the Soviet authorities, but in order to make our representations most effective we shall need further details.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made in respect of Diana Peyvarova and Mikhail Nizguretsky of Leningrad who have been unsuccessfully applying to leave the Soviet Union.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We can certainly raise these cases with the Soviet authorities. We have details of the case of Mr. Nizguretsky, but in order to make our representations most effective we shall need further details of Ms. Peyvarova's case.

  Property Identification
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the policy of his Department to mark property with an indelible mark or similar means of identification.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  Yes.

  Departmental Policies (Environmental Implications)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions have been taken since the appointment of a Minister in his Department to consider the environmental implications of his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lennox-Boyd
  This Department has been active in implementing and developing the commitments made in the Environment White Paper, "This Common Inheritance", since its publication in September 1990. Our departmental report, published on 13 February 1991, records progress on international environmental questions. It is part of the FCO's continuing responsibilities to ensure that environmental implications are taken into account in formulating foreign policy. FCO resources devoted to the environment at home and overseas have recently been reinforced.

  Antarctica
  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many fishing vessels are operating in the fishing area covered by the convention on the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The names of 126 fishing vessels have been registered with the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) as intending to fish within the convention's waters during the year beginning 1 July 1990.
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  It is not possible to state how many vessels are fishing at any one time.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any conservation measures to protect the krill fishery were agreed at the ninth meeting of the commission for the conservation of Antarctic mineral living resources.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  No conservation measures for krill were adopted at the ninth meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) despite active attempts by the United Kingdom and other delegations to press for the introduction of a precautionary total allowable catch. Krill-fishing nations did indicate, however, their intention not to increase significantly their fishing efforts for krill or the catches of krill within the convention area in the near future.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures were agreed at the ninth meeting of the commission for the conservation of Antarctic marine living resources to protect the wandering albatross from incidental mortality in the long-lining fishery.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Commission members agreed to implement the following modifications to long-line fishing techniques to reduce the incidental mortality of seabirds (including albatrosses): the use of a "tori" pole and streamer lines, the deployment of rapid-sinking baits, the restriction of fishing to night time only and a prohibition on dumping rubbish or offal during long-lining operations.

  Mr. Morley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the conservation measures aimed at preventing overfishing in the waters around South Georgia.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  Eleven conservation measures were adopted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources at its meeting in Hobart in November 1990. Copies of these conservation measures, plus others already in force in the waters around South Georgia, are being placed in the Library of the House.

  EC Council of Ministers
  Mr. Aitken
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.

  Mr. Garel-Jones
  The Foreign Affairs Council will meet on 4 March and will consider prospects for progress on the Uruguay round and on the EC/EFTA negotiations on a European economic area. Ministers will discuss food arid medical aid for Bulgaria and Romania, and for the Soviet Union, food aid, credits for food purchases and technical assistance. Ministers will discuss EC/Turkey relations, particularly the fourth financial protocol, and consider the Commission's proposals on EC assistance for Israel and the occupied territories. Before the Council, there will be a ministerial session of the intergovernmental conference on political union.

  The Agriculture Council will meet on 4 and 5 March and will discuss GATT agriculture and information

  665
  centres on rural development initiatives and agricultural markets (MIRIAM). It may also discuss the 1991 price-fixing proposals, beef balance sheets and FEOGA irregularities. There will be a second meeting of the Council on 25 and 26 March in which 1991 price fixing proposals and a progress report on GATT agriculture will be discussed. Organic production standards may also be considered.

  The Environment Council will meet on 18 March and will consider proposals for directives on the treatment of municipal waste water and the seventh amendment to directive 67/548 on the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances. There will be discussions on the proposals to amend directive 88/77 on the reduction of diesel emissions from vehicles and for a regulation on action by the Community relating to nature conservation (ACNAT). There will be progress reports on proposals for regulations on waste movements, existing chemicals, environmental labelling and an environment fund (LIFE).

  The Industry Council will meet on 19 March and is likely to discuss the prospects for and policy towards the European consumer electronics and semi-conductor industry. A DG III paper, promoting the competitiveness of biotechnology may also be discussed. Ministers will discuss a proposal for a Council decision which would release 25 million ecu retained under the Council's decision 89/490/EC of 28 July 1989. The Council may consider the Commission's annual report on textiles and also a Commission paper setting out various options on the future of the ECSC treaty.

  The Internal Market Council will meet on 21 March. Ministers may discuss trans-European networks, the ninth amendment to the directive on marketing and use of dangerous substances, the Commission Green Paper on standards and the second diploma directive.

  The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 25 March to consider the formal adoption of the Commission's annual economic report; to examine the annual report of the Court of Auditors and make a recommendation to the European Parliament so that the Parliament may give the Commission a discharge with respect to the 1989 Budget; and to discuss a possible revision to the financial perspective. The Commission has
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  proposed a portmanteau revision to category 4, for 1·0 billion ecu in 1991 and 1·2 billion ecu in 1992, to allow inter alia for aid to the USSR, to Israel and the Occupied Territories, and for the creation of a reserve to deal with the future needs of third countries. The Council may also consider financial assistance to eastern and central Europe. The regulated markets provision may be discussed. It is likely that the Council will discuss the abolition of fiscal frontiers, and in particular, the transitional outline agreement on the general principles of the post 1992 VAT system in December 1990. In recognition of the need for full and early agreement on the VAT technical arrangements, the Luxembourg Presidency has proposed adoption of the legal text for the VAT technical system for this meeting. Work on this is already well under way in the official financial questions group.

  The Transport Council will meet on 27 March. Ministers are likely to consider further standardisation and harmonisation of driver licences and of technical requirements in civil aviation, and the proposed regulation on predatory practices in the aviation sector. The progress of negotiations with Austria, Switzerland and Yugoslavia over transit traffic, the development of Community railway policy, and maritime cabotage are likely to feature prominently on the agenda, and inland waterway cabotage may also be considered.

THE ARTS

  Liverpool Playhouse
  Mr. Parry
  To ask the Minister for the Arts whether he has met the chairman of the Arts Council to discuss the future funding of the Liverpool Playhouse.

  Mr. Renton
  No, sir. It would not be appropriate for me to seek to intervene in matters relating to the Arts Council's funding of individual client companies. But I am aware of the serious financial difficulties confronting the Liverpool Playhouse and I have met hon. Members from Merseyside, the board and the appointed administrator of the company. I very much hope that it will be possible, with local support, to secure the future of this famous theatre.